Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date - October 8, 2019
Publisher Website - Raincoast Books

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  480 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

Ninth House is a story about survival. It is a story about surviving abuse in all its forms in a world that is, despite all of its magic, all too realistic. Leigh Bardugo laces this razor sharp book with brutally dark themes and actions but also manages to put strength, hope, and resilience in equal measure. She also manages to beautifully write one of the most unforgettable books I've ever read.

The warning that has been given that this is an adult book is not to be taken lightly. This book is filled with plenty of things that could be triggering for people. It deals with rape, suicide, drug overdoses, murder, violence and plenty of others. The gritty nature is made all the more palpable by its setting. It feels overly realistic even though there is magic within the world being created. It is set in a world that is all too familiar and all too easily visualized. This adds a hyper realism to all of the events in a way that I, personally, felt benefited the story. It is, however, just as disturbing as you would expect.

The magic that is used lends itself to a more realistic setting. These are rituals being performed and not wands being waived around. The secret society element makes the whole thing feel a little more authentic. The idea that rich people use rituals to keep being rich doesn't feel all that far fetched within the confines of this world and the things that the college age characters do with the magic all feel too horrifically plausible. The Yale backdrop gives this story a cozy, almost false sense of security like setting and helps dial up the atmosphere. Between the supernatural elements and the Yale setting this book, like most of Leigh's books, offers up superb world building.

Alex Stern is a character that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She's put through events that are traumatizing and brutally scarring. She proves herself to be resilient and strong. She's allowed to be what plenty of female characters are denied being - angry. She is filled with rage, and rightfully so. It makes for a dynamic character who I grew to love. She's the type of character you'll ache for and just want to protect by the end of the novel (even though she would absolutely hate that).

While this is very much Alex's story the other characters do help make this novel what it is. Dawes and Darlington are, in particular, stand outs. The offer a contrast to Alex while still showing the different ways that this world can impact the people who get involved in it.

This book tackles class and gender divides. One of my favourite quotes sort of sums up the gender commentary: “There were always excuses for why girls died.”. It fits the story beautifully while also being relevant to a lot of how we discuss crimes against women in today's society. It's part victim blaming and part wanting to tidily push things into a definable box that we don't have to do anything about. Class divide is present with how certain victims are treated and how, in this particular case, the rich and powerful use those who are not those things to their benefit. It's a rich, layered, complex story that is as thought provoking as it is engrossing.

If Alex and her internal journey of dealing with the trauma inflicted on her is the heart of the story, its core is the mystery that she is unraveling. I loved experiencing the twists and turns this story took on the way to piecing all of the pieces together. It starts the way most mysteries do when a dead body is discovered but the addition of the secret societies creates enough possible scenarios to keep the reader on their toes. I appreciated the attention to detail and how everything tied together in the end.

This is a book that sinks itself into you and doesn't let go. I'll be thinking about Alex and her journey from now until I get my hands on the desperately needed sequel. This book will, as mentioned, not be for everyone and that's entirely okay. I do, however, recommend it for anyone who finds books about crawling out of the darkness inch by inch while still in the center of it to be therapeutic. It's a book that has a serious bite to it, but a very worthwhile read.

Waiting On Wednesday ... Chosen Ones

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The first novel written for an adult audience by the mega-selling author of the Divergent franchise: five twenty-something heroes famous for saving the world when they were teenagers must face even greater demons—and reconsider what it means to be a hero . . . by destiny or by choice.

A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones.

Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended.

I am excited for this one both because it is Veronica Roth's first adult novel and because it sounds incredible.

We rarely get to see the aftermath of the teen chosen one (or ones in this case). We don't get to see them become adults having to deal with the trauma of what happened. This is going to tackle one of my very favourite tropes (the chose one, obviously) in a whole new way and I am excited to see what Veronica Roth does with this premise.

It's going to make a perfect slightly belated birthday gift to myself as this releases just a few days after my birthday. It feels really far away but it'll be something to look forward to during the long winter.

Expected release date - April 7, 2019

Monthly TBR and Wrap Up

It is time, once again, to check in with my monthly reading. September actually turned out to be a not bad reading month. I had quite a few books on my list and, while I did not get through all of them, I read more than I have in previous months.

To wrap up September ....

The books that were on my list are:

American Royals by Katharine McGee (goodreads)
Permanent Record by Mary H. K. Choi (goodreads)
Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee (goodreads)
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (goodreads)
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (goodreads)

Plus I had some ebooks on my list:

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour (goodreads)

I managed to read six books this month which is much better than I've done in previous months. I hope I can keep the momentum going in Oct.

Here is what I actually managed to read in September:

The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker (goodreads)
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin (goodreads)
What Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan (goodreads)
Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee (goodreads)
American Royals by Katharine McGee (goodreads)
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (goodreads)

Now moving on to what I hope to read in October

Cupid's Match by Lauren Palphreyman (goodreads)

Into The Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo (goodreads)

Epoch by Jewel E Ann (goodreads)

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh (goodreads)

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler/ Frank Miller (goodreads)

Disgraceland by Jake Brennan (goodreads)

I have some ebooks on my reading list this month as well.I recently came across Desperate Measures and now I am really excited to read it.

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
Crier's War by Nina Varela (goodreads)
Desperate Measures by Katee Robert (goodreads)
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What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones in my list? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Wicked Villains Series by Katee Robert (goodreads)

I stumbled across this series that used the Disney villains as inspiration and adds a very sexy twist. The first book, Desperate Measures is currently out (and I literally JUST purchased the ebook) and revolves around Jafar and Jasmine.

The sequels will feature Meg/Hades and Hook/Tinkerbell so I am hoping this one is really good because I already want to read the others. Not only do these offer up a much sexier take on these fairytales it, from what I understand, sets them in a non-magical, modern setting.

TV/MOVIES

Prodigal Son

The premise of this one hooked me immediately. A son of a serial killer becomes a criminal profiler to help catch criminals. It also stars Michael Sheen and Tom Payne, both of whom I have enjoyed in other projects.

The first episode was strong enough for me to want to watch episode two. Hopefully it keeps it up as I could easily see it becoming one of my favourites.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

American Horror Story: 1984 - Mr Jingles

Welcome to Camp Crystal Lake Redwood. This season of American Horror Story takes a page from classic 80's slasher films and goes to summer camp.

Here is your official spoiler warning before we dive into the events of episode two - Mr Jingles.

Our cold open starts with Karen Hopple, owner of the asylum from the previous episode, arriving at Camp Redwood. She's, obviously, there to warn everyone that a serial killer is on his way there. She is specifically looking for Margaret. She finds Margaret in her cabin and tells her that Mr Jingles has escaped and that Margaret will have to shut down the camp. She shares that Mr Jingles is obsessed with her and has a fantasy of revenge. Margaret's not going to listen. She wants to open as scheduled because she has her own fantasy of living without fear. She shows Karen a gun and tells her that if Mr Jingles shows up it'll be him that won't survive. Karen is basically like 'it's your funeral' and drives off. She almost immediately hits something in the road that gives her car a flat (and we all know how this is going to end). A tow truck conveniently shows up but Mr Jingles is the driver so it was nice knowing you, Karen. Her death is a brutal and bloody scene that ends with Mr Jingles telling her that she was right - he is a monster.

We join Brooke and the gang back int one of the cabins. She is jumpy and still unsettled after the events of last episode. She sees a news report about the murder at the gas station and realizes that it was the attendant who they interacted with. She is convinced it is the Night Stalker making good on his promise to find her. The guys tease her by reminding her that she's cried wolf a few times. Margaret comes to ruin everyone's good time and reminds them that boys and girls are not supposed to be together this late and that lights out is in 20 minutes. She also reminds them that tomorrow is a big day and that the guys have got to leave and remove themselves from temptation. Xavier continues to be my favourite and asks if she is going to make them pray the boners away to which she replies that a clean body equals a clean mind and tells them that the boys shower at night to watch the sins away so that they wake up pure. Chill, Margaret.

After the guys leave Montana and Brooke have a heart to heart. Brooke is understandably not okay and Montana can sense that. Montana shares that she has had her boobs grabbed by random guys, and shares a story of being scared her first time away from home at summer camp where all the shadows made her jump but it turned out to be nothing. Sometimes a shadow is just a shadow and we imagine the worst that can happen. Brooke states that you don't have to imagine when the worst has already happened and shares the story behind the wedding ring we saw in the first episode. It ends like this:

Brooke was set to marry a guy name Joey. Joey, it turns out, is a very jealous and possessive asshat. He waits until the middle of the ceremony to accuse Brooke of cheating on him with his best friend (who is also the Best Man) because the guy crashed at Brooke's the night before the wedding. Joey had went over to her place and saw his friend enter and not leave until morning. Brooke says that nothing happened. She hates being alone at night and she didn't want to see Joey before the wedding because of tradition so his friend stayed with her and slept on the couch. Joey is just really upset by the thought that she might not be a virgin anymore. He tells Brooke that he doesn't believe her and takes out a FREAKING GUN! He shoots his best friend and Brooke's father before turning the gun on Brooke. He tearfully says "look what you made me do" and tells her that she doesn't deserve to wear white before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide. Billy Idol's 'White Wedding' playing as this flashback happens only adds a surreal element to the story. Montana is rightfully outraged and is angry that Joey thought he owned Brooke's body and mind. Brooke reiterates that she never cheated on him but Joey didn't believe her (like everyone else). Montana says that she believes her and leans in to kiss Brooke! Brooke isn't into it though and pulls away and makes an excuse to take off. Side note,  Brooke basically has the worst luck with men and just in general - a finance who snaps and kills himself and others at your wedding and now TWO freaking serial killers after her.

The guys are walking to the camp showers and discussing the women at camp. They get to the showers and Xavier is disappointed to find that there are no little hotel room like soaps or towels and he leaves to go get his own towel. We also see that Brooke is walking the campgrounds as Margaret is turning off the lights. Xavier is grabbed and tossed into a car by someone named Blake. Xavier obviously knows him. When Xavier asks what Blake is doing there he is affronted. He reminds Xavier that 'his boys' don't call him Blake. Xavier asks his question again but calls him Daddy this time. I am pretty sure he's not Xavier's actually father though. It's revealed that Blake left the voicemail on Xavier's phone. Turns out that Xavier made a porn movie for this guy (a gay porn at that) and that it was made after he found Xavier in a park addicted to drugs, homeless, and covered in his own piss. He got Xavier cleaned up. He was able to follow Xavier because he left a forwarding address for his pay cheques (Xavier is, as Blake points out, as dumb as he is pretty and he's really pretty). Xavier starts crying and pleads that he was only supposed to do one movie. He reminds Blake that he's not gay. It sounds like Xavier took the role for money maybe but he wants to be a serious actor now and gets angry and leaves the car with a "fuck this". Blake follows him and pushes him down to the ground and threatens to send a copy of the tape Xavier made to all his family and friends if he doesn't fall in line. Xavier offers him a deal instead. Xavier can get him someone else to make the movie. Someone who is the next John Holmes (he obviously means Trevor). Blake seems into it so they head off so he can take at look at this wonder penis.

The guys are in the shower now and making jokes about Trevor's penis. Trevor claims it is not all it's cracked up to be. Most women can't handle it and it costs him jobs (like the Jane Fonda video). Xavier and Blake show up and Blake checks out Trevor by being a perv and looking through a hole in the wooden fence around the showers. He's super into Trevor's monster penis and while he is distracted Xavier takes the chance to run away. Pretty much as soon as Xavier makes his escape Blake is killed with a spike through the head that comes out right where his eye is with the spike going through the hole he was just spying through. Is it okay that I don't feel bad he died? I feel awful for Xavier.

Brooke went to the dock when she ran away from Montana and sees a body floating in the water which sends her screaming back up the dock only to find Richard Ramirez waiting for her. Brooke wants to know how he found her. Richard uses his typical answer and says Satan. He attacks Brooke and she uses a canoe paddle to hit him in the head. I am loving that they are making him look like a complete fool. He chases after Brooke and just as he is about to grab her someone barrels into him which sends Richard crashing to the ground. The guy that saved the day? The guy they picked up on the side of the road (the one that Xavier totally didn't hit). He tells Richard 'you're not supposed to be here' before Richard slashes his stomach with his knife. This prompts the guy to say that he is not supposed to die here (does that mean he is supposed to die some place else? I am so confused). Richard disagrees and slashes the guy's throat so  I guess that settles that (pretty sure the stomach slash would have killed him so the throat slash is just overkill).

Nurse Rita is dancing around the medical cabin to "Jump For My Love" by The Pointer Sisters which is fun. She turns around though to see Mr Jingles in the cabin with a knife. Eeeep! Run, Rita, Run!

Brooke is trying to call the police (smart decision) but the phone is broken. She turns after hanging up to find Montana there. She quickly tells Montana that the Night Stalker is there. Montana pretty much rolls her eyes at this. I totally get it, Montana.

We next see Richard  about to head off in search of Brooke when the guy he just killed once again says "you're not supposed to be here" which causes Richard to freak the hell out (which, same). He demands to know how the guy is alive and kills him again for good measure. He searches the body until he finds a piece of id. The id reveals the guy was a counselor at Camp Redwood and is dated in 1970 (which is when Mr Jingles killed everyone). WHAT IS GOING ON?! Is this guy a ghost? Why can he technically be killed and immediately come back to life? This reminds me of the Murder House/Hotel thing where anyone who dies on the property comes back as a ghost but WHY IS EVERYONE ELSE WHO DIED NOT ALSO A GHOST?!

Brooke shows Montana the slashes in her sweater as proof and while they are arguing over what happened they hear yelling. It's the guys and they have discovered Blake's body. They check that he's dead. The women come running over and Brooke starts screaming (which prompts an 'oh no, here she goes' from Trevor). Xavier arrives and is super upset. He wants to call an ambulance. He goes to touch the body and is warned against it from Trevor because people could think he is involved. Xavier is all 'Why would anyone think I was involved' in a high pitched, squeaky voice. Brooke shares that she thinks it is the Night Stalker and tells them about the body in the lake. The group next makes the best decision EVER by saying that they need to find Margaret and leave the camp immediately. Trevor points out that he doesn't think Blake was killed by the Night Stalker and shows them that Blake is missing an ear. They deduce it is Mr Jingles and take off running for the van.

Margaret, oblivious to everything going on, arrives back at her cabin. She enters to find Richard Ramirez sitting on a chair. They share this great exchange:

Margaret is quick to realize he is talking about Satan and rolls her eyes. She wants to know what he wants and is surprisingly calm about a random guy being in her cabin. Richard shows her the id he stole from the guy who might be a ghost and demands to know everything about him.

Margaret notices that he is hurt and goes to get her first aid kit. She asks his name and he tells (surprisingly giving her his real name). She is cleaning his wounds and they are .... bonding. He shares that he killed the guy whose id he has and expresses that it is not the first person he has killed but it is the first time he has had to do it twice. This doesn't send Margaret screaming out of the cabin like it should. Nope, she instead tells him that the guy wouldn't stay dead because of Jesus (because he is there to explain all that can't be explained basically). She reveals that the guy died back in 1970 and that she saw his lifeless body herself. Richard doesn't understand so she says that she'll try to explain. She asks what the worst thing that has ever happened to him is and Richard demurs. He doesn't like talking about himself. She starts flirting and tells him that he just hasn't found the right person to listen. This makes Richard share that everything is the worst thing that ever happened to him. He shares that pain is how the world has always talked to him so why shouldn't pain be he how he talks back (which is a great line). His mother worked in a shoe factory while she was pregnant and breathed in all of the fumes so he was poisoned before he was even born. His dad was cruel to him causing him to hit his head on a swing which caused seizures. His cousin, Mike, showed him pictures of all of the girls he killed over in Vietnam during the war but his cousin's wife didn't like that and so his cousin shot her in front of Richard (because the wife didn't want the cousin to be free apparently). I wonder how much of this is true. I think I am going to have to find a podcast that does a deep dive to find out. Margaret serves Richard tea after he finishes this story. Richard Ramirez is just sitting there drinking freaking tea. What even is this show?! She tells him all of this bad stuff happened to make him the person he is today, the person who was brought there to her. Richard says that a girl (aka Brooke) brought him there but he likes Margaret better and he smirks and asks to see her feet. THEY ARE FLIRTING?! I am speechless. What is even happening. Margaret next makes a case for us not to trust her by saying that God can be used to explain why something happened but God can also be used to explain why you've done something (even something bad). Richard, smartly, surmises that this means he doesn't need to feel bad for anything he does if he is doing God's (or Satan's in his case) work. She brings up his cousin and the idea of freedom and says that to have true freedom all you need are two things - 1: God and 2: trauma. Richard is all heart eyes and says that she is the first person who understands him. Margaret hints that she wants Richard to take out Mr Jingles for her (she wants a safe haven for the kids). She'll look for the counselor for him but she insists that he doesn't kill anyone else (except Mr Jingles) because there has been too much death at the camp already. Part of me thinks Margaret wants to make out with Richard and the other part of me thinks she is playing him to get what she wants. It could be both.

The gang is trying to get the van to start and predictably it won't at first. They're all panicking and this prompts Chet to reveal something:

Montana is all of us. Xavier gets the car started and there is some pretty good acting from the cast as they all do this relieved but almost crying reaction. They take off and have barely moved when Rita jumps in front of the car causing them to crash. She's injured. She explains that Mr Jingles is in the infirmary. Xavier tries to start the van but it won't start. It got busted in the crash. Rita has a car and Trevor reveals he has a motorbike (which Montana is VERY into) but they will have to go back to the cabins to get the keys (naturally). They break up into two groups to go get the keys. One group heads to the infirmary and the other to the men's cabin.

Margaret is out in the woods searching and comes across the 1970's counselor. His name is Jonah and they have a talk. Jonah seems to think it is still 1970. They both marvel over the other with Jonah exclaiming how different she looks, while Margaret exclaims that he looks exactly the same. When asked he shares that he last remembers all of the blood and running away. He saw Margaret that night through the window of the cabin and instead of helping her he ran away and tried to call the police. The phone didn't work so he kept running. He got as far as the road and Mr Jingles hits him with a truck, gets out and kills him. I am not sure the timeline works here but I guess we'll get more of the story as we go along. Jonah tearfully asks if he is a ghost which is the obvious answer. Margaret shares that she thinks so because there are ghosts in the bible. Jonah is suffering from the guilt of everyone dying and him just running. Poor guy. I still want to know how he is even there and why just him. Also, how is Margaret so cool with everything that is happening? I don't trust her.

The first group reaches the infirmary and tries to find the keys to Rita's car. They are supposed to be in her desk but they are not there. Mr Jingles sees some flashlights in a window and heads towards wherever they are coming from.

We cut to the other group searching for the motorcycle keys which are easily found. Xavier chooses this moment to have a break down. He starts crying and saying it is all his fault. He brought everyone there including Blake. He shares that he knew him and that Blake only came there because of him.

Back with the other group, Chet decides to go talk to Brooke. He tells her some version of 'it'll be okay' but Brooke isn't having it. She tells him to stay away from her because bad things happen to those who get close to her. She sees something in the window and runs to lock the door. Someone, I bet Richard, starts pounding on the door as soon as she locks it. I bet Richard because we see that he has headed toward the infirmary. At the same time someone (Mr Jingles, probably) starts pounding on the door of the men's cabin as the episode ends with Xavier exclaiming that they are all going to die.

So, episode two introduced a possible ghost, a tea drinking Richard Ramirez, and added two deaths to our body count (three if you count Jonah). The show has opened up layer I didn't expect with this ghost (or whatever) he is. I feel like so much happened this episode that is going to pay off later on in the season.

Until next time .... maybe don't leave you forwarding address if you're trying to hide from someone.

American Royals by Katharine McGee

American Royals by Katharine McGee
Release Date - September 3, 2019
Publisher Website - Penguin Random House 

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  448 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

What if America had a royal family?

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

If there is one thing you should know about Katharine McGee's novels, it is that they feel like you are reading a season of one of your favourite CW television shows and American Royals is no exception. Its vivid and decadent world, the twist to USA history, and the addictive drama all add up to a novel that readers can easily visualize.

The world of the Washington family is one of privilege, power, and riches. It is this lush, and rich setting that adds something extra to the story. It makes the idea of America having a King feel all the more plausible. The celebrity like feel to the Washington's life is showcased has having both good and bad moments. They live in a gilded fishbowl and that kind of hyper surveillance and the expectations put on the characters is a huge part of the story being told.  It's fascinating to unravel how that sort of pressure would impact the family relationships and that is absolutely tackled within these pages.

The drama, as mentioned, is straight out of some of your favourite teen television dramas. It is heightened but in a way that only serves to make the storyline and characters more compelling. This is a larger than life setting and that stage requires equally high stakes and Katharine McGee delivers. The pacing of the reveals is so pitch perfect it makes this whirlwind story connect a little harder than I thought it would. She allows time for the major plot points to matter before the story races off again and that makes the reader feel a little more invested in how these events impact the characters we are spending time with.

The three Washington siblings are all so different from each other as are their relationships to one another. That dynamic was one of my favourite parts of the story and I hope we get to explore the sibling side of things a little more in future novels.

Beatrice is going to be the first Queen of America and heavy is the crown as they say. She is, naturally, having to deal with sexism and a bunch of people saying she can't do the job because she isn't a man. She feels the responsibility of becoming Queen deeply, and hears the voice of her detractors. It drives every single part of her to the point that her own needs and wants are a non factor. It is both impressive and crushing. You don't want this position that she was literally born into to control her life but the book makes the case that there is no way that it couldn't. Anything else was never in the cards for Beatrice.

Samantha is the more free spirited Washington sister. She likes to have fun, get into trouble, and is happy to drift along. She doesn't know what drives her yet. She has lived her whole life feeling like she was unimportant, just the spare. Everything from her security code name (Sparrow) to the way she is viewed and treated serves to remind her that she is secondary. Your heart breaks for her even as you see the freedoms she has that Beatrice does not.

Jefferson doesn't have a point of view in this novel and as a result I feel like I didn't really get to know him. He is a lot like his twin sister, Samantha, but also used to being viewed differently because he is a guy. He's her partner in crime and I wish we had gotten to see them together a little bit more. Jeff, if possible, has it even easier than Beatrice and Samantha because of the different expectations that are put on him because of his gender.

The other view points are the characters of Daphne and Nina. Two very different girls with ties to the Washington family. Daphne is driven and will be a divisive character for readers. Nina is probably the most relatable character in the book. She comes from a average home life and is swept up into the life of the royals because of her mother's job and the friendships that resulted from it. She is the outsider who isn't sure the life of scrutiny is for her.

Fans of Gossip Girl, anything royal, and frothy fun in book form will have a fantastic time devouring this. It has the perfect blend of romance, drama, and fast moving plot that ensures that readers will not be able to turn the pages fast enough. 

Waiting On Wednesday ... Imaginary Friend

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It's as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.

There isn't much time to wait for this one at all because it comes out in less than week! It seems like the perfect book for the spooky season that is about to be upon us.

Those who have read and loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower have been patiently waiting for Stephen Chbosky to write another book and it is finally almost here!

Expected release date - October 1, 2019