Literally Lenny

Title: Catwoman: Soulstealer
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published: August 7th, 2018
Pages: 384

Quick synopsis: We meet Selina in Gotham City, taking care of her little sister who has cystic fibrosis while her mother is passed out on the streets doing drugs. When protective services takes Maggie away, Selina makes a deal to join The League, as long as Maggie is put in a good home with loving parents. Two years later, she's back - not as Selina...but Catwoman.

Goodreads Rating: 4.16
My Rating: 4.00

Would I recommend?: Yup! I love this series.

Why?: I loved the backstory of Catwoman! It has been my favorite part of all three stories so far, but this one was intense. Gangs, disease, drugs, violence, custody issues...it's a lot to take in. But it also helps you understand why Catwoman is the way she is. I always understood her as "the kinda-not-really villain"...she was bad but also good. Sarah J. Maas shows you exactly why.

The storyline wasn't as gripping as I had hoped it would be, considering it was written by SJM and she usually kills it with storylines. But unfortunately I could never get FULLY into it. But I think that's my fault because I'm still waiting for these books to be better than Wonderwoman, which is by far my favorite in this whole series. STILL.

My only true complaint was the relationship between Catwoman and Batwing...didn't Catwoman have a thing with Batman....not Batwing? Because I would've LOVED to see a crossover between Marie Lu's Batman and Sarah J Maas' Catwoman. Oh man. That would be epic.

Title: A Blade So Black
Author: L.L. McKinney
Published: September 25th, 2018
Pages: 384

Quick synopsis: Alice trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. But she still has a life in real-world Atlanta. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.

Goodreads Rating: 3.77
My Rating: 3.50

Would I recommend?: Yes
Why?: A Blade So Black is every YA book of 2017 rolled into one. It has contemporary romance, a fairytale retelling, and it even addresses issues with race in the US. This book has it ALL. With all of this, the complexity of the storyline is incredible! At first I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to keep up, but I realized that if anything, it just adds that much more to the book and Alice’s development.

Aside from the kicking-ass-in-Wonderland parts of the book, I really enjoyed reading about the very REAL life of Alice. Alice is a normal teenager growing up in Atlanta with her mom. She’s struggling with school, falling in love, and sneaking out WAY past curfew; things that every teenager deals with. But she also can’t stop thinking about the black teenage girl who was shot and killed by a police officer. This is unfortunately a very real life for many people living in the U.S. today. Racism in America needs to be addressed by more people, more authors, and I give much praise to LL McKinney for doing so.

On a separate note, the beginning of A Blade So Black was fantastic, but once we got to the “main conflict,” I was a little disappointed it wasn’t bigger than it was. I expected something catastrophic and maybe some shenanigans with Hatta, but that unfortunately did not happen. Instead, it was a minor conflict that Alice had to solve with the help of a few of her new friends. I think my biggest disappointment - and why I lost interest with that part of the book - was because Hatta wasn’t involved. I found Hatta to be such an important role to this book and he wasn’t used enough.

The only thing I would change about the writing style would be to make the narrative 1st person. If we could see directly into Alice’s mind and hear her direct thoughts, I think Alice could’ve developed into an even more powerful and relatable character, especially with the more serious topics touched upon in the book.

Overall, this was a very fun read that is completely different from literally any other book.

Title: My Plain Jane
Author: Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows
Published: June 26th, 2018
Pages: 464

Quick synopsis: A comical retelling of Jane Eyre. You may think you know the story, but you don’t. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. However, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Goodreads Rating: 3.89
My Rating: 3.50

Title: Always Never Yours
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Published: May 22nd, 2018
Pages: 340
Goodreads Rating: 3.90
My Rating: 5.00

Quick synopsis: Megan Harper is the girl before. All her exes find their one true love right after dating her. It’s not a curse or anything, it’s just the way things are, and Megan refuses to waste time feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she focuses on pursing her next fling, directing theatre, and fulfilling her dream school’s acting requirement in the smallest role possible...that is...until she’s cast as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

Between rehearsals and contending with her divided family, Megan begins to notice Owen Okita.

Would I recommend?: YES.
Why?: This book was adorable and definitely something the YA book community needed. Yes, it was another contemporary romance, but it stands out from all the rest. For one, the main character is not afraid of her sexuality and didn’t shy away from the topic of sex, as many characters in this genre do. I found this refreshing and quite honestly 10x more realistic for what society is like nowadays. And then there’s Owen Okita, the romantic interest who is Asian-American, another step in the right direction in breaking the divide of racial expectations in literature.

Storyline wise, the authors made Shakespeare fun for me (which for me, is quite difficult) by incorporating Shakespeare throughout the entire novel. So Kudos to Emily and Austin on that feat! Then there was the ending (no spoilers!) which was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. It was a “happy ending” without being overly predictable and cheesy.

Overall, this is a fantastic read that anyone with a love for Shakespeare or a good contemporary romance.