Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Elegy by Tara Hudson

I actually preferred the second book Arise in Tara Hudson's Hereafter Trilogy to the first, so I decided to pick up book three, Elegy not long after, hoping it would be even better. Unfortunately, it was not. In this final book Amelia is threatened by the demons of high bridge that unless she turns herself over to evil forces, one person she knows will die every week. She and her friends plot to destroy the bridge-- and stop evil from crossing over for good. However, Amelia has a plan of her own, and she's not telling anyone until it's too late to stop her.

I felt like a lot of Elegy was a bit of a mess. The plans the teenagers make don't always make sense, like showing up at prom to recruit people for a secret plan. With alcohol. It just felt random and like a bad idea, created only to cause tension that didn't come across as authentic. The ending also felt like it was really trying to tie up all the loose ends and as a result it came across as forced and wasn't overly satisfying-- nor did it really tie many of them up. Despite getting some enjoyment out of book two, I was just really tired (and bored) of this series by the time I finished Elegy.

Release Date: June 4th 2013 Pages: 386  Publisher: HarperTeen  Buy It: Book Depository

Monday, June 23, 2014

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

There are a lot of recent young adult novels with crossways into parallel universes, and I actually own a couple of them, so I figured it was time to start reading. Through to You by Emily Hainsworth is one such novel, and it captured my attention partially because of male narrator. Camden's girlfriend Viv has died, in an accident he blames himself for. She was his world, and when he sees a girl appear at the site of Viv's car accident, it turns out she's from a parallel world--one where Viv is still alive. However, as Camden travels to this alternate universe, he learns things aren't exactly perfect there either, and the window between the two worlds is quickly closing.

Through to You is an incredibly easy to read book mainly because of Hainsworth's writing which is clear and straightforward. However, it is kinda annoying how it takes so long to get to the point of the book that is promised in the blurb, where Cam actually travels to the other universe. I also feel like there wasn't anything I really loved about this book, there were plenty of things that were okay, but I figured out 100% how it ended almost as soon as it started, so that plot wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought it would be. I think it's a cool premise, and it's not even one I'm bored of yet, but I didn't feel like it was used to its full potential in Through to You.

Cam is also not as interesting a protagonist as I would have liked, pretty much everything bad has happened in his life but he is still kinda annoying at times. That said, even though it was very obvious where the story was going, it was still fun to read, and for a lighthearted, quick read I enjoyed Through to You well enough and would consider picking up another novel by Hainsworth in the future.

Release Date: October 2nd 2012 Pages: 272  Format: Egalley
Source: Edelweiss  Publisher: Blazer + Bray  Buy It: Book Depository

Monday, June 16, 2014

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose by Gillian McCain & Legs McNeil


It's really hard to critic the diary of a girl who has died, but that's what I have to do in order to review Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose by Gillian McCain & Legs McNeil. Dear Nobody is the story of Mary Rose, collected from her diaries (although the entries are not dated, nor is the book all of her writing). Mary Rose is a teenage girl with drug and alcohol addictions, as well as cystic fibrosis. Her home life includes a neglectful mother who often has an abusive boyfriend. Basically, things are so horrible, it would be hard to believe if it wasn't the truth.

This is a real story, and Mary Rose isn't perfect either. She claims to love somebody, but often treats them horribly. She treats herself horribly. Awful things happen to her, but she also does awful things, and that's what makes it feel so real. This isn't a happy story, from the beginning, from the back of the book, that is immediately clear. This is the sort of storyline that would not be out of place in an Ellen Hopkins novel, but even without that thread of hope her stories usually provide.

As heartbreaking as Dear Nobody is, there were still a few things that bothered me about the book. Mary Rose writes a bunch of letters to another character that isn't really included in the book, so it's unclear who she really is and if she wrote back or not. Mary Rose is spilling her guts to her, and I know this is her story, but some context would have been useful. Also, likely because this is a diary, it was confusing and unclear at times, and despite being revealed absolutely everywhere I have read about this book, cystic fibrosis is seem as some kind of secret, which I found to be confusing. Dear Nobody is an unedited diary, and while that sometimes means it is confusing, ultimately it is also what makes it so heartbreaking and real.

Release Date: April 1st 2014 Pages: 330  Format: ARC
Source: Publisher  Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire  Buy It: Book Depository

Saturday, June 14, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Sometimes there are books you might pick up because of hype, and sometimes there are books you avoid. Although I have pretty much enjoyed everything I've read by John Green, over the last two years it was impossible to escape The Fault in Our Stars hype everywhere, pretty much becoming the novel representing contemporary YA. And I love contemporary YA. I even bought a copy of this book as soon as it came out. But then I got sick of hearing about it and only picked it up this year.

If you've somehow managed to stumble across this review and not know what The Fault in Our Stars is about, it's the story of two teenagers who both have cancer, Hazel and Augustus, and find each other in a Support Group. It is an emotional, well-written book and definitely had me near-tears at some points even though I knew how things ended because in the time since the book was released the ending has been spoiled for me. That said, it didn't change how much I was on the edge of my seat, desperately hoping that things would work out for Hazel who has overcome so much. That said, I really enjoyed the ending and thought it fit the book perfectly.

I don't think I loved The Fault in Our Stars quite as much as all the hype, but that's unfortunately the problem with hype. Even though there was a romance element to it, the most memorable part of the book was Hazel's journey for me, and that, as well as her relationships with other people, was what I enjoyed most. Gus and his friend Isaac also had an unexpected emotional moment for me. Where the book struggled was with how literary the characters could be at times, to the point that they seemed pretentious. It does seem to be intentional given the characters' interests, but it sometimes made them come across less authentic, especially when it was Gus and Hazel talking, which is probably why I struggled most with the romance.

Overall, The Fault in our Stars was a really emotional book that reminded me how little my problems are and how beautiful life is, and for those reasons Hazel is an unforgettable narrator.

Release Date: January 10th 2012 Pages: 313  Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal  Publisher: Dutton Books  Buy It: Book Depository

Friday, June 13, 2014

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Elizabeth Fama's first novel in ten years, Monstrous Beauty, was easily one of my 2012 favourites so I was incredibly excited when I learned she had a new release coming out, and I picked up Plus One almost right away. In terms of storyline itself, like her previous book about mermaids, the concept of Plus One wasn't the most exciting or innovative. It's the story of a boy and a girl one of whom is a night dweller, and one who works during the day, in a future America that has been strictly divided into day and night classes. When the night girl, Sol, tries to kidnap her newborn day niece to bring her to meet her dying grandfather, she is caught by a boy, D'Arcy, who soon becomes the only one she can trust, and maybe love.

The alternative history behind Plus One is interesting, and just as with Monstrous Beauty it is seamlessly incorporated into the storyline so that enough is known for the world to make sense without bogging down the plot. There's lots of action but it doesn't take away from the emotion. Sol is a bit of a stubborn, emotional, character, but as a reader I really felt her passion. In many ways D'Arcy is the opposite, analytical and patient. However there was a predictable element to their connection I don't want to spoil, but which I felt was too cheesy and convenient and took away from it. 

As excellent as world-building seemed, there were some issues when you think about too much, but while I was reading I was plenty distracted by an exciting plot and writing that was very easy and engaging to read. However, it was definitely the characters that made Plus One memorable, and although Sol's plan is a bit ridiculous at times, it just seems so perfectly impulsive and emotional and her. Fama's most recent novel isn't flawless, but it definitely reminded me why her novels are so much fun to read and why I will definitely be picking up whatever she writes next.

Release Date: April 8th 2014 Pages: 373  Format: Egalley
Source: Edelweiss  Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)  Buy It: Book Depository

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver is definitely an auto-read author for me, and has been ever since I first fell in love with her dystopian world where love is illegal (irony intended) in Delirium. However, it's been a couple years since she released a standalone YA novel, and so I was very very excited about the release of her latest book, Panic, which is the story of a small town where each summer high school seniors compete in a dangerous game called Panic for a large cash prize. This year the competition includes Heather and Dodge, who both have very different reasons for competing, and the novel alternates between both their perspectives.

I really love the premise of Panic, this small town with nothing to do and all the different reasons people might have for competing in such a dangerous game. I also liked how the game was run by a secret group of two students, although I didn't think it was that secret in the novel who they were. There was a lot of intensity and action in the novel, so it was fast-paced and kept my interest and I devoured it over two days. Oliver's writing is just amazing and it is so easy and lovely to read. However, it does require that the reader doesn't think too deeply about some things, which just don't seem that realistic (like the cops are just so incompetent and have somehow never managed to catch anyone or stop this game before).

In terms of the characters, I didn't have quite the connection with them I would have liked, especially with Dodge. I definitely enjoyed the Heather chapters more, at least partially because I just really disagreed with what Dodge was planning and I just couldn't sympathize with it. Overall, Panic was a good novel and I enjoyed reading it, but it doesn't fall into my Oliver-obsessed category the way her previous contemporary novel Before I Fall does. That said, I will definitely continue to reach for anything Oliver writes and I am excited to see what comes next.

Release Date: March 4th 2014 Pages: 408  Format: Egalley
Source: Edelweiss  Publisher: HarperTeen  Buy It: Book Depository

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

When it comes to experimenting with form, I think David Levithan is one of the most creative authors.  Many of his books have an unexpected twist to them, such as being written in the form of a dictionary, or in response to photographs, or with a narrator who gets reincarnated each day. In Two Boys Kissing the book is narrated by a chorus of men who died from AIDS. This unusual perspective of "we" which doesn't include any of the characters from the novel itself, makes its scope both huge and slightly impersonal and while at moments I did appreciate it, and other times it felt like it lead to the story dragging along.

There are several storylines in Two Boys Kissing, centering around two boys, a broken up couple, who are now kissing and attempting to break the world record for longest kiss. Meanwhile, another couple meets for the first time and connects at prom, and two boys come out to their parents in very different ways. These are just a few of the many stories of gay youth and while Levithan draws on some common elements, Two Boys Kissing ultimate emphasize how different the stories can be.

I really liked the storyline between Avery and Ryan, as I really wanted things to work out for them, the boy with pink hair and the boy with blue hair. Connor's story was heartbreaking, the kind where you want to reach across the pages and tell him that things will get better. There's not a ton of plot to the novel, it's more about the journeys the characters take, and although I didn't know a huge amount about each of the characters and wish there was more complexity and depth to them, I was definitely rooting for things to work out. However, I still felt that distance, most likely because of the form of narration.

Ultimately, while I wanted to get a little closer to the characters in Two Boys Kissing, I couldn't help feeling what an important book this is. I am so glad books like this exist, to remind teens they aren't alone, no matter how much it feels like it.

Release Date: August 27th 2013 Pages: 208  Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher  Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers  Buy It: Book Depository

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Oranges are Not the Only Fruit & Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson


At the end of 2013/beginning of 2014 I read two books by Jeanette Winterson that I have decided to review together since I waited so long to share either of them. And because they are connected in a strange, but undeniable way. While Oranges are Not the Only Fruit is Winterson's first novel, it draws heavily from her own life, and the unfictionalized account is told in her memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? published nearly two decades later. It was actually the memoir I was planning to read first, but as soon as I began it, the many references to Oranges meant that I had to stop, put it down, and return after having read the novel first.

Winterson's life, and the story she tells in both books, is something I can barely imagine. A girl adopted by very religious parents (especially the mother) only to do the unthinkable, fall in love with another girl. Despite all her struggles, there is a glimmer of hope to the Jeanette (also the name of the main character in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit) that Winterson later admits in Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? wasn't real. An entire character, invented. The light in the darkness, false. It is was absolutely heartbreaking to read. In an unexpected twist, the novel tones down the things that nobody would believe-- except there they are, revealed in the memoir as the truth.

Both books, like everything I've read from Winterson, are quite short and only around 200 pages. There are so many sharp passages and moments are beautiful clarity in her phrasing, so many absolutely breath-taking passages. There are also a few moments in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit that are weighed down by angst, and they do exist in the memoir as well, but I also feel like the distance offered by the additional years provides a bit of clarity to what has happened. As classic as Winterson's novel is, and as well as it wraps things up in a way that only fiction can, I think I prefer the honesty and truth of Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? a book that broke my heart in a way that only an emotionally raw and revealing story--a life lived-- can.

Release Date: January 1st 1985 / March 6th 2012 Pages: 192 / 230  Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal / Publisher  Buy It: Book Depository / Book Depository

Monday, June 09, 2014

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

Finishing a series is a weird feeling, it's both a sense of accomplishment and sometimes a bit of sadness too. I have really loved Kelley Armstrong's Darkness Rising Trilogy, which is the second Trilogy in the Darkest Powers Series, and recently I finished it up with The Rising, which was good, but I just didn't want it to be over. Luckily, it appears that Armstrong is writing a novella that takes place afterwards and I have a hope for more books.

I'm not going to provide much of a description because I don't want to give any spoilers, but basically this is a series about a group of teens with ancient supernatural powers that were resurrected in them as a part of a giant experiment. Now they are on the run, and so it is a pretty intense busy novel. As always, Armstrong's writing is easy to follow and enjoyable to read. However, there is a romantic shift that I found a bit abrupt, although eventually believable. A few familiar faces from the other trilogy also show up in The Rising and I really loved seeing Chloe and Derek again-- can never get enough of them!

Reading The Rising also really makes me want to pick up some of Armstrong's adult novels because they are all interconnected in the same world. That's both the wonderful thing and the problem with books like these, once you fall into them there is no way to get out. So much to read! Overall, The Rising wasn't my favourite book in the Trilogy (I think I prefer book 1 and 2) but it was a fun, adventure-filled read with lots of secrets revealed and lots of potential for more books that I can't wait to read as well. I don't read a ton of paranormal fiction, but I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan and if you are at all interested in the genre I definitely recommend trying out some of her books!

Release Date: April 9th 2013 Pages: 400  Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher  Publisher: Doubleday Canada  Buy It: Book Depository

Sunday, June 08, 2014

The Germ Code by Jason Tetro

You ever pick up a book that you think is just meant for you and it turns out to kinda be the opposite? That was sadly the case with The Germ Code by Jason Tetro, which I thought I would absolutely adore cause it was supposed to be all about the microbes we find around us and how awesome they are and how we can learning to "how to stop worrying and love the microbes".  For somebody without a scientific background, this provides some decent information about germs, where they are found, and the history of the human battle against them.

Unfortunately, I have a scientific background, and as a result I found The Germ Code a bit simplistic at times. I was also frustrated that Tetro didn't include any references, even at the back of the book. He writes that he does it to make the book more approachable, but I don't think a list at the back of the book would hurt anyone, and it would be useful for further reading. I also was really hoping for more information about how microbes can be useful, but despite claiming that there are plenty, the emphasis is really on the dangerous ones.

Another issue I had with The Germ Code was I often felt like Tetro got 3/4 of the way towards sharing something cool and then didn't actually go into it further. At times, some of the historical information feels more like a list of names. That said, I do think The Germ Code is probably a good starting place for a reader looking to learn a little more about microbes in an easy and accessible way, unfortunately it just doesn't quite deliver on what it promises.

Release Date: November 5th 2013 Pages: 272  Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher  Publisher: Doubleday Canada  Buy It: Book Depository

Saturday, June 07, 2014

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman


A novel in verse is an auto-read for me, but add in some less conventional elements such as a multicultural setting, and it gets immediately moved to the top of the reading pile. Such was the case with A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman, the story of Veda, a teenage girl whose entire life revolves around dance, against her parents wishes, until an accident leaves her with a below-the-knee amputation. As Veda adjusts to life with a prosthetic leg, she decides not to give up on her dream, taking dance classes again and trying to discover who she is now, and what it is she really wants.

A Time to Dance is definitely a novel that is heavier on the emotion than it is on the plot and action, although there is enough to keep the story going. Veda goes through something really tragic, and Venkatraman's description of how she deals with it and what happens afterwards is well done. Without considering the fact that it took place in India and dealt with a different culture, the story of A Time to Dance wasn't that unique and reminded me a lot of The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, where a girl who loves running loses a leg and starts over again. I probably would have been more impressed if I hadn't already read Van Draanen's novel, but I still enjoyed reading this one.

I think the character development in A Time to Dance is really well done and although the story was a bit expected, it was a quiet book and I really appreciated the setting, making it a worthwhile and quick read. 

Release Date: May 1st 2014 Pages: 320  Format: Egalley
Source: Netgalley  Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books  Buy It: Book Depository

Friday, June 06, 2014

Dare Me by Megan Abbott



Dare Me by Megan Abbott is an example of a book I'd been meaning to read forever (or at least since July 2012 when it was released) and finally when I was home in December I picked it up and devoured it in 24 hours. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

Dare Me is the dark and devious story of Addy, a girl who has always been second-in-command to Beth, both cheerleaders and seniors, it's their year to rule the squad. That is until the new coach Colette shows up, threatening Beth's position as head, she even wins over Addy. After a suicide causes the police to take a closer look at both Coach and the squad, Addy tries to uncover the truth.

There is a jaded darkness to everything that happens in Dare Me that combines with careful but vivid writing to absolutely captivate me. That's not to say the novel is perfect, there were times when elements felt a bit overdone or expected but the end result was something violent and delicious that definitely let me interested in reading more by Abbott in the future. And hopefully reviewing it a bit sooner than 6 months after I read it next time as well, so I can be a bit more detailed in my thoughts!

Release Date: July 1 2012 Pages: 290 Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books  Buy It: Book Depository

Thursday, June 05, 2014

Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

Boys Like You by Juliana Stone is a cute summer read with a lot of predictable and cliche elements, but still engaging enough to keep me reading. It's the story of "two broken souls... one hot summer" where two teens, Monroe and Nathan, both struggling with guilt over past tragedy, find each other in the way that pretty much only happens in YA novels.

Although romance is expected as soon as I picked up Boys Like You, I still felt like it was too sudden with the love and quite predictable and didn't have enough intensity and build it. It also felt like it was based only on physical attraction (at least at first), but the author wanted you to think it was deeper. But other than the fact that they both had dark secrets, they really didn't seem to have that much in common. That said, I really did enjoy reading Nate's perspective, while I had more difficulty connecting to Monroe, possibly because her secret was a mystery even to the reader. I think knowing what Monroe was hiding earlier would have made her more sympathetic and would have allowed for more development of what she had gone through and her recovery, as happened with Nate. Still, Monroe's secret was a bit different for a YA novel, while Nate's was more expected.

I also had an issue with the ending which was just too perfect and not at all realistic. However I ultimately did believe Nate and Monroe had a genuine connection, so even though there were a lot of difficulties with the story, there was enough there that made Boys Like You a cute and fun read overall. 

Release Date: May 6th 2014 Pages: 288  Format: ARC
Source: Publisher  Publisher: Sourcebooks  Buy It: Book Depository

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

I enjoy fairy tale retellings, but when it comes to Beauty and the Beast, there has just been a ton that at this point something has to be pretty cool to catch my attention. Well, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge is pretty cool, and I am so glad it caught my attention as my friend Ambur and I decided to buddy read this book together.

How much did I love this book? Well, after finishing Cruel Beauty I posted this to my Goodreads account: UGH SO GOOD. I don't usually give books stars, but this needs five.

Cruel Beauty is the story of Nyx, a girl promised to marry the Gentle Lord, basically the Demon King, and since birth she has known she will marry him, and that it is her job to kill him and break the curse he has put on her people. But when she turns seventeen and enters his castle, she finds that the Gentle Lord, Ignifex, is not what she expected. And he has secrets. Secrets that may be the key to doing what she promised to do-- but doing so may also destroy the one she loves. 

I love a lot of things about this novel, including, most importantly, the writing. Hodge brings magical rooms to life, and creates realistic and flawed characters. Nyx isn't perfect, but she's strong, sometimes to the point of being stubborn. There's also some complex mystery involved, although I did see the final twist coming, I really enjoyed getting there. There were also enough secrets that I didn't know to keep me satisfied overall.  

All of Hodge's worldbuilding and history just felt natural, it flowed easily and it never felt like an info-dump or unnecessary detail. Overall, Cruel Beauty was a smashing success for me and I am definitely going to pick up whatever Hodge writes next.  

Release Date: January 28th 2014 Pages: 342  Format: Egalley
Source: Edelweiss  Publisher: Blazer + Bray  Buy It: Book Depository

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Pawn by Aimee Carter

In Pawn by Aimee Carter Kitty Doe lives in a world where people are ranked, and being given a III means a short life of misery. When she has the chance to become a VII, the highest rank possible, she takes it. What she doesn't realize is that agreeing means becoming Masked-- surgically transformed into the Lila Hart, a member of the royal family who died and whose family doesn't want the public to know. It turns out the reason she died was that she was helping start a rebellion, and it's up to Kitty to stop it. But what happens if it's a rebellion she believes in as well?

Unfortunately, even though it had a really cool concept I had a lot of issues with Pawn. Kitty is a pretty weak character a lot of the times (or she is randomly strong in a way that doesn't seem consistent) and she just does things like going with the government to become a VII without knowing at all what that entails. It's also one of those books where the whole point is that everyone has secrets and Kitty doesn't know them and has to find things out. So basically at the end of the book, not much has actually happened, but Kitty knows a lot more, setting it up for book 2. That said, there was enough intensity and intrigue in Pawn to keep my attention and keep me reading.

I expected Pawn to really be about a rebellion, but it was mainly about a royal family and dynamics, set in a dystopian world. The dystopia itself was pretty predictable, borrowing lots of elements like the caste system from many other books. I also felt like most of the characters didn't have a lot of depth, and I didn't really believe or enjoy the romance element and am glad it wasn't bigger in the book. I never really got the connection between Kitty and Benjy, except that they were together because they lived in the same house.  

Pawn by Aimee Carter is a book with a great concept that it unfortunately doesn't really deliver on and instead works mainly to set up for a sequel instead of having much content on its own. However, there was enough interesting aspects that I will be picking up the sequel when it is released.


Release Date: November 26th 2013 Pages: 346  Format: Egalley
Source: Netgalley  Publisher: Harlequin TEEN  Buy It: Book Depository

Monday, June 02, 2014

You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz

I just love my novels in verse, so when I had a chance to pick one free book out of any, I instantly went for You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz. I'm not sure why I waited until that moment to pick up a copy, but it was an easy choice. You Are Not Here is the story of Annaleah, after the death of Brian, the boy she loved but who never quite made their relationship official. As a result, Annaleah ended up ditching her friends, and when Brian dies she finds herself alone.

Even though he is already dead by the time You Are Not Here starts, I definitely wasn't a fan of Brian and the way that he treated Annaleah, but at the same time, it felt like she should almost no better. Of course, she is a teenager and it is much easier to judge from the outside than inside that feeling of first love. In terms of emotion and grieving, Schutz captures it very well with her verse, the complicated balance between mourning and moving on, and the feelings that Annaleah has for Brian. Perhaps as a result, You Are Not Here feels like a very personal book, and the other characters do not have much dimension to them, and their relationship with Annaleah is less strong.

Overall, I thought Schutz did an excellent job with the verse in You Are Not Here as well as capturing emotion in a vivid way, so that even though the other characters and storyline could have been stronger, I would still be interested in reading more from Schutz in the future.

Release Date: October 1st 2010 Pages: 292  Format: Ebook
Source: Personal  Publisher: Push  Buy It: Book Depository

Sunday, June 01, 2014

Ocean by Sue Goyette


One of my absolute favourite books of 2013 was one that managed not to get a review (although I did include it in my top 10 books list) so I am back to say a few words about Ocean by Sue Goyette, a book of poetry that you absolutely must pick up! 

This book feels like a complete summary of the ocean and its impact. It’s a story, a community, one breathing tidal wave. There’s a certain humour to some of the poems, “One” plays on water-related words, mentioning a ‘tidal wave of disruption’ or ‘being out of our depths’. The playfulness of the words is mimicked by the oblivion of the house-searching individuals contained within the poem. Other poems have similar puns, such as "Thirty", where 'joy was tidal and anger came in waves'.

Sometimes the ocean is something to feared, other times it is joyous or even, in “Two”, it is a 'fashionable accessory for our vacation wardrobe' that isn’t quite as flawless as it appears. In “Eight” the ocean is something that must be fed, and that “the trick to building houses was making sure/ they didn’t taste good.” There are a few poems without oceans or water, like “Eleven” a poem about bees, but most of the rest tell a story using ocean, which is understandably that is the major focus of the collection. Trees also become beings, alive in Goyette's words. Flickering imagery. Old men beneath the ocean and 'the ocean is the original mood ring' in "Seventeen". Even as we fear the ocean, we are drawn towards it, and the same could be said of Goyette's captivating words.

Release Date: April 2013 Pages: 80  Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher  Publisher: Gaspereau Press   Buy It: Book Depository