September Round-Up!

September was a weird month for me. I didn't read as much as I wanted to - in hindsight, I think my decision to recap some awesome shows turned into a much more time-consuming endeavour than I'd anticipated, and it kept me from reading and blogging about books as much as I had wanted to. And this is a book blog (primarily). So less recapping, more reading from now on!

*September Winner*

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell. YA, Contemporary. A

Pros: Lively and relateable heroine. Great examination of creative process. Hilarious skewering of fandoms. Cons: A wee bit on the long side. Love interest is great - but maybe a little too perfect?

*September Dud*

The Burning Sky, by Sherry Thomas. YA, Fantasy. D

Pros: Interesting concept. Cons: Utterly cliched execution, Mary Sue heroine, implausible set up, lacklustre magical worldbuilding. 

*Best of the Rest*

The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancy. YA, Science Fiction. A-

Pros: Fantastic heroine, strong concept, interesting themes, entertaining romance. Cons: Plot is a bit unfocused, too much depressing navel-gazing.

Rose Under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein. YA, Historical. B+

Pros: Well-written, great themes and use of storytelling. Cons: Emotionally distancing.

One Perfect Rose, by Mary Jo Putney. Romance, Historical. B

Pros: Protagonists are refreshingly reasonable, happy people. Cons: Cliche-laden. Silly ghost ending.