Mercy Rule by Tom Leveen

Mercy Rule by Tom Leveen

Published: February 20th 2018 by Sky Pony Press

Danny’s parents yanked him from the art school that let him wear a kilt and listen to bands that no one’s heard of. Now he’s starting sophomore year at the public high school–the one with the gymnasium at the heart of the building and the glorified athletes who rule it all. The smart thing would be to blend in, but Danny has always been about making statements.

Brady just wants to get out. Go to college, play football, maybe reach the NFL. He definitely wants to stop waiting for his deadbeat mother to come home, sleeping on park benches, and going to bed hungry. But first he has to lead the team to the championships. It all adds up to a lot of stress. So who can really blame him when he and the football team turn their aggressions on the new freak? Even the quarterback needs to blow off steam sometimes.

Coach turns a blind eye to his players’ crimes–because this year, they’re going to States. But maybe if Coach had paid more attention they could’ve caught it before it all happened. Maybe it could’ve been avoided.

Maybe.

With quick cuts between a large cast of unforgettable characters, and razor-sharp plotting, Tom Leeven takes readers on a countdown to an inevitable, horrifying act. This gripping novel offers an intense, smart perspective on the tragic, toxic mindsets behind the celebrated American sport and the monsters it creates.

This has been a highly anticipated read of mine since I discovered it at the end of last year on GR. I was so excited to grab my copy when it released – but I’m left with mixed feelings. I loved the idea behind this book and the different societal issues it represents, but I feel like it could have been better. There’s a lot I want to say and I don’t want to give out spoilers, so some parts might seem a little vague.

What I liked about this book was the fact that it focused on the build up toward the crime that was committed. It showed off a variety of different reasons as to why the character did what they did (I don’t want to give away who). Leveen also did a great job of showing the signs of what wa going to happen and who was going commit the crime from the beginning.I liked the fact that the characters never saw the signs, but w as outsiders (readers) do because that’s how it usually happens in real life. I often read book based on this subject matter and it usually focuses on the event itself or the aftermath, so it was a refreshing change to focus on what happens before hand and the fact that everyone processes things in a different way.

I also feel that Leveen did a great job in showing a variety of different issues that led up to what happened at the end. A lot of boson this subject matter focus on one particular issue and call it a day – which I don’t think is a fair representation. Leveen managed to intertwine every aspect of a persons life to really show how far someone gets pushed before they do the unthinkable – drugs, mental issues that were not properly dealt with and cared for, familial issues, school issues etc.

I have mixed feelings about the multiple POV’s. I liked the fact that Leveen used multiple POV’s to really represent what was going on. He showed the idea that everyone is different and that everyone has a different breaking point. The multiplePOVs managed to paint a bigger picture and really show what was happening and why the character ultimately does what they do. I liked the idea that, whilst a lot of the issues (not all, but most) seemed like mundane issues to me, they aren’t to someone else – again reinforcing the idea that everyone reacts to things differently. I also liked the idea behind having POVs from characters who didn’t have anything to do with the character because it reinforced the ending and the way in which people can et caught up in things that have nothing to do with them though no fault of their own.

Having said that, I also feel that there were too many POV’s. Whilst I liked the idea of showing what the crime can really do to other people and the way in which it weaved itself into the aftermath etc. I would have liked to have had the focus completely on the person who committed the crime – both from their POV (which we got) as well as the POVs from the people who interacted with him, both good and bad. I feel that the other POV s who had nothing to do with the end game, and only really came into play when everything was said and done, distracted from the character and the snowball effect that was going on.

The multiple POVs also served to keep the reader as an outsider looking in. I liked the fact that this book had me sympathising with the characters – including the person who committed the crime. I felt sorry for all of them a one point or another and there were times where I would laugh with them etc. Having said that, I was still an outsider looking in as opposed to really connected to the characters as I usually am. Usually this would bother me, but I liked the effect it had on me as a reader. It represented what a lot of us actually are when things like this happen in real life – we’re outsiders looking in, we relate to the people who have gone through something that horrific and we sympathise with them. What this book does which we don’t usually consider, is show us the other side. I sympathised throughout the book with the person who committed the crime. I felt angry for them and I was upset with everything that was going on. I felt conflicted when they did what they did because I know that its wrong and its something that I wouldn’t wish on anyone… but I also understand why they did what they did and how the ended up at that point.

The book also left me feeling like I had failed the character themselves. Whilst I saw the signs from very early on and knew what was going to happen by the end based on those signs, it never clicked who the character actually was until the end. I feel like I should have maybe guessed it before it was revealed. I loved the way that Leveen weaved this story and the way in which he kept the true characters identity hazy until the very final pages. It brought the story together a lot more.

I also liked the way in which sports was added into the story. I liked the way in which the wrong doings of those in the sport – including the coach – wove into what happened at the end. It really highlighted a societal issue that still goes on today in the idea that sports people really do get away with a lot more because of their status and the idea that people don’t want to ruin their futures. Having said that,I would have liked maybe more of an explanation to the Mercy Rule and the way in which it contributed the story. WhilstI googled and it was also explained in the book at some point, I still don’t really understand what it has to do with the story itself.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. This book intertwined a lot of different factors and reasons and really showed the snowball effect of what a persons actions can do to another person. I liked the psychology behind everything that was going on and the way in which sports was woven into the story. It really showed the idea that people in sports have a lot more influence that most and that they should be role models to people because of the amount of ‘power’ they have in every day lives. This book had me thinking about it long after it was over. I gave this book 4.5/5 stars.

 

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Published: January 28th 2014 by Del Rey

Amazon: Red Rising: Red Rising Series 1

“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”

“I live for you,” I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

Read Red Rising, they said.  It’ll be fun, they said. Well, I can say that I have read it and I feel like I need therapy. I will be sending Piecre Brown the bill. This book was absolutely FABULOUS! I cannot even believe it took me this long to pick this up because I really should have picked it up sooner and I didn’t… what even is my life?!?

I will start with the one bad thing I have to say about this book, and that is the fact that it was a little slow to start and it takes a few pages to really wrap your head around what is actually going on and where they are etc. As soon as I got my head around that, I was completely hooked! I had already been kicked in the feels by around page 50 (I cried in the corner) and I knew that it was going to be a complete rollercoaster ride.

The world building of this book was out of this world (see what I did there?) I think that might have been whatI needed to get my head around – the fact that it was set on Mars! I loved the idea of colonising Mars and the way that it was written and done. The book definitely did a great job of showing a futuristic setting and world with a very backward way of thinking and colonising etc. The hierarchy itself was extremely interesting and I would have loved to find out more about how the colours came about. I also loved the way that Brown weaves in historical aspects, like Pluto and Cicero and the Romans, into what is a futuristic sci fi world.

As soon as the book really got started and I managed to get my head around the setting etc. the plot was amazing. It was a fast paced, pretty bloody affair and I had no idea what was going to happen next. I loved the lessons that were being taught to the students and the way in which it was being taught – the school is pretty ruthless! Brown did a great job of showing the evolution of mankind in various situations and whether they evolved to be better people or whether they succumbed to their more basic and primal instincts. Nothing was done without a reason in this book and it all came about to teach another lesson to Darrow and the other students – which also helped with the world building and understand the society that is currently in control on Mars and how they came to be there. It was easy to get lost in the plot itself – especially because I had no idea what was going to happen next, or who was going to die etc. The author did a great job of making the reader forget completely why Darrow was there and what he was there to do – until something happened and the reasoning hits the reader in the face!

I loved Darrow as a character! He wasn’t perfect and had a lot of flaws, which makes him all the more relatable to the reader. He was pushed into doing something that he didn’t really want to do and he tries to keep the memory of what happened at the beginning so that he doesn’t lose himself. He makes a lot of mistakes throughout the book, from which he learns as the events of the plot unfold. It was interesting to watch Darrow try and navigate himself through an unfamiliar world, without becoming the people he hates. He struggles to consolidate the fact that not all Golds are evil with everything that happened at the beginning and everything that the Golds have done to the Reds.

I loved the fact that you never knew who you could trust. Some people that Darrow trusts end up betraying him, others that he doesn’t trust, stick by him etc. It made it difficult to really size up the characters as to who to like and who not to like. Sevro was a character who I was expecting to hate throughout the book, but as the book continues, I grew to like and understand him, despite his rough outer edge. On the other hand, Cassius was a character who I expected to like throughout the book and it turned out completely different after certain things happen. I loved his character development and the hypocrisy he shows throughout the book because of his brother and what happened. I’m interested to see what role he plays later in the series! This book was very much a character development based book and was complimented by the amazing plot, which helped to shape the characters into the people they are by the end of the book!

All in all, I absolutely LOVED this book! The plot kept me on my toes and had me crying within the first 50 pages! I loved the character development within this book and I cannot wait to see where Darrow ends up! I gave this book 4.5/5 stars!

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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Published: June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Company

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

I feel guilty for not having read this book sooner! I have had it on my kindle for months now and I kept putting it off for other books. #Problemsofabookaholic!! However, I am now currently kicking myself because I really should have read it sooner because it was just that AWESOME!!! I am so glad I have all three books on my kindle so that I can binge! I wanted to read this series first, because Six of Crows is set in the same world. So it made more sense to read this first, to get a feel for the world, before finally catching up to that series!

Alina was amazing in this book! I loved her! It was very easy to watch her growth as a character throughout the book because the changes she makes are huge. At the beginning she is this quiet character who usually keeps what she is feeling to herself, whereas, by the end of the book, she has definitely become that much stronger. I loved her interactions with Mal and the Darkling – although more with the Darkling until her revealed his true colours! Can I just say, I wish I had her gift!! It sounds so cool…

The Darkling… Where do I even begin with this characters. It’s characters like these that create trust issues. Seriously. We as readers have so many trust issues thanks to you authors. I knew that the Darkling was a villain. I knew it. I have the candle from the villainous box! However, with his interactions at the beginning, I was holding out hope. He seemed genuinely nice and caring and I really thought he was cute. Clearly I was mistaken. I still think he is pretty redeemable and he seems to be a misunderstood character. I think he has his own reasons for being the way that he is, we just don’t know them yet. I also loved the way that Alina, where others would just do as he says without telling him their opinions, told him what she was thinking and whether he was being a bit stupid. There is definitely a spark between them!

The world that Bardugo created was also extremely rich! I could have totally been there… despite the fact that I was in my living room for most of it! I loved the descriptions of the different places and activities! Can someone please transport me to this world??

The only real issue that I had with this book was probably Mal. I didn’t feel any particular connection to him and I didn’t feel any kind of spark between him and Alina. I wanted to because they do have a history together and they can be pretty cute together… but it just wasn’t there for me. I do not ship them, I’m afraid… I think we all know who I ship!!

All in all I really enjoyed this book! As I mentioned earlier, I have all three books on my kindle, so I have actually already jumped into book two! I am loving it so far! I gave this book 4.5/5 stars.

These Great Affects by Andrew Toy

These Great Affects by Andrew Toy

Published: November 6th 2016 by Endever Publishing.

Adelle is the center of this upcoming young adult book, These Great Affects by Andrew Toy. Adelle and Trill meet in an unconventional way. They also are forced to say goodbye too soon, even before they have a chance to kiss, hug, or even hold hands. When Trill’s life is cut unexpectedly short, Adelle begins to believe that love just isn’t for her. But she has second thoughts when Trill comes back to visit her as a ghost, and at first it seems they’ve been given a second chance. But soon they realize the awful truth: will she really have to say goodbye to him again?

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion.

Andrew Toy’s blog is a blog that I have followed from the very beginning of my blogging career. Even when I finally swapped blogs out to blog about books, I continued to follow his blog. When I saw this book, I had to request it! I am so glad that I did. This book broke me in so many ways, but it was a beautiful look at love and loss and a bunch of things on between.

Adelle is our MC. She is the daughter of a Senator and she hates it. I loved her personality! she was fun and quirky when you get to know her. I loved her passions and the way in which she got to know Trill. I felt extremely sorry for her throughout the book. I wanted to wrap her up in a ball of bubble wrap and never let her go! Her storyline is full of pain and loss and I loved to follow her and watch her grow throughout the book. I cried a lot for this character and the things that she went through. I was a blubbering mess – lets put it that way!

Trill!! I don’t even know how to put my love for this character into words. E is the kind of person that you hope to meet and someone you should never let go of if you do! He is full of life and personality and is generally a joy. Again, I balled like a baby because his story ways not a pretty one – even thinking about it is making me all teary eyed. The worst things always happen to the best people.

This book faces a lot of major issues. Love, Loss, friendship and how to move on after facing the loos of someone who is extremely loved and cherished. Trying to live with guilt that isn’t yours to carry as well as trying to find happiness after the loss of someone you love. I loved to watch this story play out because it broke me in so many ways! I laughed, cried and felt along with these characters! As a reader, you become so emotionally invested in this story, it is difficult to put down. It is a story that will stick with me!

The only thing I have with this book is that the timeline wasn’t always clear. It would jump a couple of weeks ahead and it wasn’t made clear when it did that – so I got a little confused!

This story is a beautiful book that will stay with me forever. It deals with a lot of issues in a way that makes the reader feel completely immersed in the story to the point where you feel what the characters are feeling and your heart bleeds for the characters! I cried buckets throughout and laughed at other moments. I can’t wait to see more from this author! I gave this book 4.5/5 stars.