Book Review: The Green Girl and the Serum by S.T.L. Armstrong

Well, where to begin? First off, I would like to mention I have the honour of knowing the author. He's a really great guy. He wrote "The Green Girl" and had it published a few years ago and I bought it and read it. It was for sure not edited even once. I have a lot I could say on that book but this is the review we are here for. (As a side note, Armstrong had pulled this original book from stores and started over, the new book being "The Green Girl and the Serum" and thus the storyline is technically new. I say technically and you'll see why later).

Before I get into the positives of the book, let's get the negatives out of the way. Apologies to my friend but I did promise an honest review.

This book is filled with info dump and exposition. In fact, almost all dialogue is exposition. It's also a victim of white room syndrome. The entire book is all tell and no show at all. There are grammatical errors legit in the first sentence of the book. There are also punctuation errors that could have been picked up if a proofreader was used, and I know for a fact there wasn't. (I also know this book had been only edited once or twice by an editor and it's obvious that there was no copy/line editor, beta readers, or proofreading done past that point). There are many plot holes and inconsistencies in almost every chapter. (I’ll give a few examples in a bit but I can’t give them all or this will be a book about the book). So many characters are always being introduced that you have no time to get to know anyone. (Again, it's all tell not show). Also, if you haven’t read the OG book I feel like you may be lost. Also, also, why is the book (and blurb) stating Stacey is the MC when it actually seems to focus more on Ben, her boyfriend. Stacey is mentioned a lot but barely a character and she’s on the freakin cover!

The Green Girl and the Serum

by S.T.L. Armstrong

Here are a few of the examples I said I'd mention in regard to plot inconsistencies:

Ch3 Stacey is mean to Ben about his past and is aggressive to him for no reason. All WHILE a literal terrorist attack is happening. Like, could y’all wait to have this discussion? Only after she made him talk, then she suddenly cares about saving the people. Also, it’s daytime and yet evening in Florida?

Ch8 Mist (one of the many characters) can legit teleport multiple people across the world instantaneously (as shown in previews chapters) why can’t she take Chris with her? She literally left him to die. He didn’t have to sacrifice himself.

Ch17 Stacey says Bens caused her nothing but heartache but we’ve literally haven’t seen any of it. Barely any interactions. In fact, if anyone 'cause heartache it’s Stacey for being so aggressive to Ben for literally no reason.

Ch20 Ben has a phone. How has he not been searched since arriving at The Outcasts? This should have been gone and is a weak plot point whether it was taken away or not.

Ch24 Stacey continues to be such an ass that even the other characters have to point it out.

Ch25 Who used as a grown adult “frig” I know he meant "fuck" but it’s a YA and thus there is a lower swear count. But “screw” would have been a MUCH better replacement. Then again, Stacey IS very childish and thus does fit her personality.

Also, love the LGBT+ rep but Stacey outing Mist, when she wasn’t ready, was not cool. Also sounds like Mist is bi or pan not lesbian (but that’s minor). Also, was Mist engaged to the main antagonist (Craig) or do they just happen to share the same name?

Ch50 how did Stacy kiss Ben'slips when he has a breathing mask on? Also, I’m no doctor but something feels off about Ben’s injuries. I can tell no medical research was done.

Ch51 Also wasn’t Surge shot in both knees? Doesn’t that bother him at all?

Also, not chapter-specific but just in general: Every time Stacey and Ben talk, Stacey becomes a dick. I mean she’s a dick to her friends too so I guess being a dick is in her personality at this point.

Also, also, a lot of the characters talk the same. (Ex: Using babe/baby all the time and the word "boss".

Those were just a very small sample of some of the issues I found that could have easily been fixed had the proper writing stages been met. As I said, I know the author and thus I can say for a fact that not all writing stages and proper editors were made. BUT! There are positives.

I did enjoy the read. The plot was vastly better than the OG Green Girl book. The writing was also better (although that last one may be the help of an editor).

The book was an easy read and I can see myself picking up the next few books in the series. I do think Ben should be the MC as he's more prominent than Stacey is, but that's just my opinion.

There was a twist near the end with a traitor that I didn't see coming and I enjoyed that. This book defiantly felt more fleshed out than the OG book. I can tell Armstrong is improving in his craft and I love that for him.

All in all, if you're looking for a super simple and quick read, pick this book up and give it a go. Despite it's flaws it's still an alright read.

Book Review: Ashes by Iona Wayland

What a wild ride from start to finish. I absolutely love the writing style and characters in this book.

First off, before I go any further, I want to say that this book has two stories in one. Yet Wayland has written it in a way that it never feels like two separate stories. Both the past when Angela's brother Donny is alive and well and the present where Angela is in the forest with her brother's ashes intertwine extremely well. I will say, however, that while each story is compelling as a read on its own, if you were to separate them and make them into two books, it wouldn't work. Not only would each story be too short, if you tried to pad it out, but the story would also lose its impactfulness and quality storytelling.

Ashes by Iona Wayland

I do think it would be cool to expand on the world where Wyatt lives, though. Like, can you see the forest and The Mount from afar? When Angela was on The Mount, could she see anything else besides the forest? I also want to know more about why Wyatt is stuck in the forest yet alive in the "real world". I believe it was explained a bit at the end but I think it wasn't clear, at least to me. I'm not the best at picking stuff up sometimes.

That being said, I loved this book from start to finish. From the characters to the world-building. I loved each story (Donny being alive to Angela with his ashes in the forest). Wayland chose the perfect way to write about grief and trauma and executed it wonderfully. I also praise Wayland for writing the trigger warnings in the book. Great for anyone who needs them.

All in all, this was a great and quick read with all the feels. If you want a good read, I highly recommend checking this one out.

My year in Books (GoodReads)

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Book Review: A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena

I applaud Lapena for her writing style. The use of short, easy sentences, all in the present tense. really help suck you into the world and dangers of the story. The book was written to pull you in and keep you engaged. Make you feel part of the events taking place.

And I gotta say, it worked.

Lapena had me believing Karen was innocent right until the end. I honestly didn't see it coming. Between Karen and Bridgit's story and everything that happened up to the end, I really couldn't tell who killed Robert but I thought I knew for sure it wasn't Karen. What a twist the ending was!

A Stranger in the House

by Shari Lapena

I will admit, though, that I wasn't expecting a "whodunnit" kind of story. I thought the whole book would be trying to figure out what happened as Karen recalled her memory after the car crash. And yes, it technically is that way, but she recalled most of her memory pretty early in the book and I was wondering what could possibly happen for the rest of the 50%.

I also was expecting more of a stalker-type story, you know, with the title being A Stranger in the House and all. And it sort of is. Just not in the way I was expecting.

I guess everything I was expecting, didn't happen, and this is a good thing! It shows skills on Lapena's part.

I was also impressed with Lapena's knowledge of the police force and lawyers and such. She other has some first-hand experience (like knowing someone) or she did her homework. It all helped make the crimes of the aftermath of said crimes more believable. I really felt like I was Karen going through this hard investigation and I felt like I was in jail alongside her.

Overall, a good, quick and easy read.

Book Review: Dune by Frank Herbert

Well, first off, I applaud Herbert for his fantastic worldbuilding. He set the course for all the fantasy/sci-fi works we know and love today. NOt to mention he has a great way with words. A lot of people love Dune and the series as a whole, and they should. However, as of now, I'm not 100% a fan.

First off, it's a huge novel. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that literally the entire first part of the book is a giant exposition dump that helps world-build. I get that it's a massive world to build, being extremely far into the future and on other planets and all, but there had to have been a better way to go about it. A lot of the world-building was also very political, and thus in my opinion, very boring. The book only got interesting at about 48ish% and even then it was a bit iffy. Basically later in part two when Paul and Jessica found themselves with the Fremen did the book finally pick up the pace and become interesting to me. (And I was mostly interested in the Fremen and their culture as they were actually hella fun to read and learn about).

Speaking of Paul and Jessica, (our MCs), out of everyone named in this book, they are the only two with "normal" names and that struck me as odd. Like, everyone has a cool fantasy name, like Chani, or Leto, but the MCs get boring non-fantasy names. Unclear why Herbert did that. (I mean they do get Fremen names later but still).

Dune by Frank Herbert

I didn't care for Paul as a character. He felt too much of an overpowered God character and was kind of a jerk to people because of it. At least, that's how I read him. I also wasn't a fan of his inta-love for Chani. There was zero chemistry. They met and were like "We're supposed to be together" and so it was. Then they had a kid we never saw, and the kid died and I felt nothing because we spent like no time with him. Heck, we barely spent time with Paul and Chani. Not that this book needs a romance, I'm just saying if you're gonna include one, make me care a little about it.

As for the writing in the book itself, it was confusing. The first half of the book took forever for things to happen. Then mid-way through part two, we get very confusing time skips. A lot of plot points started rushing, especially near the end and that made for a confusing read, especially as we spent so long on other story points (like with Leto's character, only to have him die).

Speaking of Leto, I'm sure the Harkonnen would have killed him regardless, but like, why did he follow along with the plan to kill himself in order to kill the Duke? Like, he didn't have to. I dunno, a false poison tooth sounds like a stupid plan to me. There had to have been another way.

You can also definitely tell this book is a series. There was too much information in this book not to. especially the ending. Nothing wrong with that. Just wanted to point that out.

All in all, it's not a bad book. It has a lot of potential. (As can be seen by being the inspiration for things we love today like Star Wars or Ender's Game). While I absolutely love all the work that Herbert put into this book (and most likely the sequels), it was too boring for me to get into for most of it. Maybe because it did pick up and became kinda interesting in the latter half of the book, I'll check out the rest of the series at some point. But for now, I'll wait.

I'd probably still recommend this for any sci-fi lover, though.

Book Review: 1984 by George Orwell

For years I kept hearing about 1984. The more I heard about it, the more my curiosity piqued. Finally, when one of my friends read the book herself this year and praised it, I knew it was time I hunt down a copy to read myself. Lemme just say it did not disappoint.

1984, though written decades ago, is still prevalent in the world today. In fact, I dare say it goes as far as to almost predicting some of the future, or rather most of the world as we know it today. Sure, the whole world isn't exactly like it is in 1984, however, it's pretty close in some countries.

I recently read a book, Surviving Chinese Communist Detention by Steven Schaerer, which told the very true story of how he, Schaerer, well, survived Chinese communist detention. He was working 100% legally, abided by all the laws, and yet was arrested under the pretense that he was working illegally when he wasn't and put in a Chinese prison. He was mentally tortured the entire time there and when he was finally released, he was a changed man.

1984

George Orwell

In reading Winston's story in 1984, I saw so many similarities between his story and Schaerer's real-life experience. Not to mention with all that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has been doing lately to its citizens, it almost feels like 1984 is more of a reality than not. (Note, I'm not saying Chinese people are bad. I'm saying the government, the CCP, is a lot like Big Brother in 1984. Please don't attract any Chinese person for any reason. Or like, don't attract anyone for that matter).

As for the story itself, I was thoroughly impressed by Orwell's writing and storytelling. He built the world so well, and even technically invented a whole new language called Newspeak. (Although never used very much, he did write a mini-essay on the usage of the language in the Appendix of the book which was really fascinating).

There was only one time, or rather a chapter, that I wasn't fully invested in the book and even got a little bored. When Winston reads literal chapters from a book, the info dump that I thought would be interesting, turned out to be very political and boring. It wasn't technically from Winston's POV as it was the words he himself was reading and thus lacked his character.

Aside from that, it was a hella enjoyable read. I feel as though to prevent our future from ever ending up like the one in 1984, this book is a must-read. I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I was recommended to read this book by one of my best friends, who was also recommended to read it by another friend of ours. I'm glad they did.

I went into this book blind. I bought it solely because it was highly praised by my friends and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. So when I started reading the book, though very interesting (at the start and throughout), I was hella confused. I didn't understand the writing style, such as why almost everything was capitalized. (We later can learn it's things that are viewed as important to "Piranesi" and part of his character, and in sorts, character development). Not to mention that an entire world was literally inside what must be the world's largest house with the best foundation ever to withstand hard weather.

I knew that reading on would help answer these questions. And it did.

Piranesi

by Susanna Clarke

Susanna Clarke

Author of wondrous worlds

The World in which "Piranesi" lives is so interesting and love learning about it from him. For a while, I believed it was essentially the one true world in which this character exists. But make no mistake, it is not. The World in which "Piranesi" resides is a true mystery and we learn more about it as time goes on.

In fact, the whole book is an excellent mystery. It also deals with mental health in an interesting way.

I love the writing style and how it was all told in the way of journal entries. Easily one of the best books I've read this year. Such a unique style and story. Not to mention the formatting and cover are absolutely gorgeous. It's one I highly recommend checking out.

Book Review: The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

Another great addition to the Avatar universe.

I am once again saddened to finish such a great read. At least after finishing the first book, I had the second one to look forward to. It's possible due to the content of the epilogue there could be a third book in the works, but I think that's just wishful thinking on my part. After all, I expected there to be a lot more Kyoshi x Rangi, considering the cover of the book. (And the fact that I assumed Rangi was the titular "Shadow of Kyoshi.")

I'm a sucker for LGBT+ and seeing Kyoshi and Rangi together always warmed my heart. I know that this book (and even series) isn't a romance series, so not focusing entirely on their romantic relationship is fine, but I wouldn't object to more. That being said, their relationship, apart from the romantic side, is a pleasure to read. They work so well together. A true bending duo.

The Shadow of Kyoshi

by F.C. Yee

I also want to point out that the formatting (of both this one and the first book) is on point. Absolutely loved it. Helped with the experience of the read.

That all being said, I did feel like the writing was slightly different than the first book, despite knowing it was written by the same person. Maybe it's because it's been a few months since I read the first book and I'm just not recalling it, but it feels different. I mean, not so different as to feel like a different person is writing book two, just, different. I'm unsure how to explain it.

Also, there were a few times where the POV would switch slightly and that was a bit distracting. Like a small line or two stating stuff Kyoshi (or whoever had the POV) shouldn't know. I mean, she could totally guess judging by the context, but it wasn't worded like a guess.

Overall, a fantastic read and a great action story. A worthy addition to the Avatar universe. If you love Avatar, you for sure have to check this out. And even if you don't know anything about the universe, reading both books should help you in that regard. No need to have seen the show. (Though I recommend that, too).

F.C. Yee