reading novels from the goodreads’ choice awards, part one
As I was looking through the books I've read this year, I wasn't completely satisfied with the amount of genres I've dipped my toes into this year. Conveniently, the Goodreads’ Choice Awards came out with their first round selections for each of their seventeen genres a couple of days before, and so I decided that the best thing to do would be to read a book from each section, as if I didn't have final projects and tests gradually and ominously looming. In seriousness, I'm glad I tried this because I've already read so many books I wouldn't have even thought about picking up before. Since there are seventeen books, though, this will be split up in four sections. This set of reviews will be of the first four!
1. Nothing More To Tell by Karen M. McManus
Nominated for Best Young Adult Fiction
3.5/5
[Before this review starts: I'm aware that Nothing More To Tell didn't make it through to the final round of the awards! I decided to keep it in because I had already read the book and written the review. I picked a book for each of the seventeen sections not considering their chances of winning, so it is very likely that I will be reading books that have not won. The point of this was to read books from different genres, not necessarily good books. Anyways, enjoy!]
I chose Nothing More To Tell because McManus and I go way back, back to middle school when I first read Two Can Keep A Secret and wholeheartedly believed it was the peak of English literature. I had to listen to my younger self and once again indulge in the simple, twisty thrillers that McManus specializes in. And to be honest, yes, I did choose this one because it was short, since the heavy books from other categories were already haunting me.
Nothing More To Tell follows Brynn, a high school senior investigating the four-year old murder of her favorite teacher at Saint Ambrose School through her true crime podcast internship. There were only three documented people at the scene of the homicide: Tripp, Brynn's ex-best friend, as well as Shane and Charlotte, the three of whom are now best friends. But, as in all mystery novels, Brynn knows they are hiding something, and the plot moves.
The book is, as I had predicted, a very easy read. I didn't have to use much brain power, though it intrigued me enough throughout to continue reading. The novel was decently suspenseful, with some well-written moments that genuinely spurred excitement for a resolution. On the topic of writing, the prose and word choice is very accessible, as McManus's books have the reputation to be. There is nothing revolutionary within its pages, but it doesn't need to be groundbreaking to be fun.
The pacing, however, was a different story. Though it stuck to McManus's tradition of keeping the reader confused but hooked until the last few chapters [or in this case, the literal epilogue], it got tired pretty quickly. The book would have benefited from more of Tripp and Brynn's emotions regarding the situation rather than simply sweeping through millions of red herrings. I wish the mystery was made clear at least a few chapters before the end, just so I could see a semblance of where the characters would go after the novel, something that was severely lacking in Nothing More To Tell. Regardless, if you enjoy being left in speculation, this would not be an issue.
In terms of characters, I enjoyed the cast this time around, which is very surprising considering the general track record I have about mystery and thriller novels. Brynn and Tripp were good characters to follow, though I did not like their half-hearted romance—they had potential, but the execution felt flimsy and in bad taste considering the situation they were in.
Lastly, the plot was interesting, though that isn't a surprise. My one gripe with it was the amount of times a drunk character was used to reveal information. It's a pretty cheap way to reveal important plot details.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a chill, fairly short mystery. Personally, I did not like McManus's last two novels, but I enjoyed Nothing More To Tell far more; if you find yourself in the same boat, do pick this one up. And obviously, if you are a diehard fan of McManus, I think you will find this one to be one of her better works.
2. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Nominated for Best Mystery & Thriller
3/5
The Paris Apartment was already on my to-read list, so this choice was an easy one. Foley is an author absolutely raved about by readers online and in my community, but The Guest List [her very very popular novel] never appealed to me, so I decided I'd just start with The Paris Apartment instead. The book was also readily available on Libby, so credits to that icon of an app for that.
The Paris Apartment centers on Jess, who travels to Paris to live with her half-brother, Ben, in his oddly fancy apartment. When she gets there, however, she finds him missing. With no other choice, she has to live there alone with suspicious fellow tenants while also investigating her brother's disappearance and his reason for being in France.
No one can deny that Foley does suspense incredibly well. Her pages permeate with plot threads and sly nudges pushing and pulling the mystery in different, intriguing ways. It's quite easy to be engrossed in the novel, and the enticing plot didn't hinder that at all. Either way, this suspense needs to be followed up by a satisfying reveal, which was not true with The Paris Apartment.
By this, I don't mean the core of the mystery was not interesting enough—rather, the reveal itself was inadequate. Though an undertone of urgency and nervous energy was spread throughout the novel, the actual on-page action was surprisingly minimal and boring. There were little surprises every now and then, but many of the adventures Jess went on seemed unnecessary, and the way she went about them didn't help her cause.
Generally, Jess was a fine main character to follow. She wasn't particularly interesting in any way, but she often got on my nerves when she was actively trying to find her brother. Some of the ways she went about getting information felt stupid to me, and after forming that opinion, I couldn't really get her on my good side again.
The other POVs featured in The Paris Apartment were downright monotonous. Mimi's teenage angst and Sophie's pretentious attitude and Nick's shifty emotions were enough to take me out of the interesting sections of the book. Also, the same "plot twist" is used in relation to all three of them [this only makes sense if you've read the book, sorry, but I couldn't not mention it], which I think is a pretty sure sign to turn away from that whole idea.
On the other hand, I did like the journalist who accompanied Jess on her later investigations on Ben, and when the mystery did ramp up, it was a pretty exciting read. And again, the writing throughout was pretty much spotless—it just needed a little more plot action.
Definitely pick The Paris Apartment up if you're a fan of suspenseful thrillers with wild, slightly unbelievable resolutions.
3. Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
Nominated for Best Middle Grade and Children's
5/5
Small Town Pride's cover caught my eye immediately, and I'd be lying if that wasn't half the reason I chose to read it. The audiobook was also the perfect length, even if it wasn't the best listening experience ever [but more on that later].
Small Town Pride follows Jake, a gay kid in his small town of Barton Springs, on his journey of organizing a pride parade and finding out what Pride really means to him. From the start, I loved this book. Its writing was quintessentially middle grade, with slightly repetitive language but still adequately descriptive and immersive plot points. The events were paced out in a way that gave a good amount of attention and depth to important scenarios, but not too much to the point of boredom.
The characters were so realistic and lovable. Jake was an incredibly entertaining main character to follow, and his life was portrayed on page so well. I wanted nothing but good things for him the entire time, a sentiment that didn't stop with the side characters. Jenna, Jake's best friend, and Brett, the mayor's son, were both dealing with their own conflicts apart from Jake's immediate surroundings. I completely appreciated this side of the novel, for too often do books have one-dimensional side characters with no purpose but propping the main character up. The same level of respect was applied to each of the traditionally background characters, making the entire story feel all the more real.
The relationship development between Jake and Brett was done so well—the level of detail attributed to each stage of them getting to know each other better, and then the silent acknowledgement of feelings but refusal to speak them into existence was so middle school I wanted to scream. I haven't seen relationships this good in actual romance novels. Their journey was so sweet and I'm actually furious there isn't a sequel, or epilogue for the epilogue, where I can see where they go from here.
The only bad thing about reading this wasn't even the book itself, it was the audiobook. The voices for everyone other than Jake were grating and uncomfortable to endure, and it took me a while to get used to everything. So if you can, read the written version instead!
Small Town Pride is an amazing book for everyone. In contains essential queer representation that is accessible to all, and the message of pure acceptance throughout the pages was heartwarming. It's so easy to root for the characters and become attached to their journeys, their wants and desires. I strongly encourage everyone to read this book.
4. Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy
Nominated for Best Graphic Novel and Comics
4/5
I picked up Huda F Are You? because the title is of Shakespearean talent—the pun is a work of art, and I refuse to admit otherwise. Anyone who thinks the title is cheesy, or trying too hard needs to reconsider, because they are incorrect.
Huda F Are You? is about a young Muslim girl who moves from her town where she and her sisters were the only Muslims, to Dearborn, where it seems like everyone is Muslim. There, she attempts to figure out her identity while also combating the bigotry around her.
First of all, this graphic novel is very short—my online copy had only 99 pages. This meant that it served as a very quick, fun read; however, it didn't have much time to develop Huda and the rest of the sizable cast of characters. Unfortunately, it meant all of the supporting characters were given quick little labels, like "the cosplay one" or "the sporty one." Of course, caricatures and stereotypes are not inherently bad, but I wished for a deeper look to get more invested in the characters, especially in a novel that was centered around identity.
In addition, the pacing was different from usual. Huda F Are You? opened during the climax, and then dialed it back with the classic “wait, let me explain.” I don't have anything against this style of writing, but in this case, the climax only occurred in the later sections of the graphic novel, which meant that a majority of the plot details were not even part of the present plot—therefore, all of that was stated in a very summary-style fashion. Personally, I did not enjoy this format the same way others may.
Despite the previously mentioned large cast of characters, for what we got to know about them, they were very likable [except for the bigoted ones obviously]. Huda especially was a very lovable main character to follow. She had her flaws, but her issues with her identity are relatable to a wide audience, even people who are not Muslim. The representation and fight against bigotry is very important for people to become more educated, even and maybe particularly through a more lighthearted format. I loved seeing her get in touch with her religion and family, as well as find her place at Dearborn and her new school.
I would recommend Huda F Are You? to people who like graphic novels, and those who want a short read. I truly believe this graphic novel has something in it for everyone, because I have friends that also read the novel, and they loved the plot and characters as much as I did but also had no complaints about the pacing or length.