ARC Review of After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan

After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan is a heartbreaking novel about a man named Coen whose fiancé dies mere days before their wedding. The fiancé Elias, is a co-pilot who dies in a plane crash that also kills over 300 other people. The story is told in alternating chapters. The present moving forward after the crash and the past moving backwards as Coen examines his 8 year relationship with Elias and grapples with the fact that there was a lot he didn't know about Elias.

As you might expect, Coen is dealing with severe depression and that doesn't always make for a reliable narrator. I had very mixed feelings about this book. I liked the realistic portrayal of depression, his relationships with his friends, and the alternating timelines. Additionally, I felt the writing was beautiful without being overly flowery. Here's an example: "All they can do is try to make sense of what is in front of them. To be human is to be limited- to be hopelessly, desperately small." However, there were a few inconsistencies within the story that didn't make sense logistically and which felt placed there to artificially create an emotional moment. I gave the book 3.5 stars.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, self-harm, attempted suicide, and death of a loved one.

This book will be published on October 6, 2020. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

September Mid-month Wrap Up

 Thus far, I've read 4 books. That's lower than normal but some of these books were longer than my typical read.

I re-read A Winter's Promise and The Missing of Clairedelune by Christelle Dabos in preparation for the third book. I enjoyed these even more the second time. I think the world building is great and I am eager to learn even more.

Then I picked up The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. This has been so hyped that I was sure I would be disappointed but it lived up to it. This is somewhat of a retelling of Passing by Nella Larsen. The book is about two light-skinned black sisters who go their separate ways. One decides to "pass" as a white person, marrying a white man and leaving her family behind. The other sister lives as a black woman and raises a dark-skinned daughter. The story is about the sisters but also about their daughters who go on to meet. I loved the very realistic characters and learned about colorism within the black community. I would've given this book 5 stars except the ending seemed very abrupt, almost like she didn't know how to end the story. Even with the unsatisfying ending, I gave the book 4 stars.

Lastly, I read Cottonmouths by Kelly J. Ford. It is set in a small rural town in Arkansas. Emily has failed out of college and makes her way back to her parent's house. She reconnects with her former best friend and childhood crush. This book is like watching a train wreck as Emily's life falls more and more apart. After a bit of a slow start, by the second day I couldn't put it down and finished it in two sittings. I gave it 4.5 stars and will definitely read anything else this author puts out. 

September TBR

Part of me wonders why I even bother making TBRs when I have a difficult time sticking to them. It does help me prioritize the new books I'm waiting on from the library but I'm definitely a mood reader. Probably even more so since the Pandemic. Here are some books I think I'll read this month:

1. The Memory of Babel by Chistelle Dabos translated by Hildegarde Serle. This is the third book in the quartet to be translated into English so I will be re-reading the first two, and then will read this one.

2.  After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan. This is an ARC coming out in October.

3. The Vela by Becky Chambers, Yoon Ha-Lee, Rivers Solomon, and S.L. Huang

4. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

5. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I've been on my library's waiting list for months but I think I'll get a copy this month.

I have a few others I want to fit in, but I don't feel like committing to more than this.

August Wrap Up #2

 I'm including what else I read for my NEWTs and additional books that didn't fulfill any particular prompts.

For my career as Trader of Magical Tomes:

Ancient Runes

A:  Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers.

E: Passing by Nella Larsen. 

Charms

A: How to be a Normal Person by TJ Klune.

History of Magic

A: Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch. 

E:The Shadows by Alex North 

For the Extracurriculars-

Locomotive Operator:

Muggle Studies

A: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. This was a graphic novel that interwove three stories including Chinese mythology. I didn't enjoy it and felt it was even a bit racist. I gave it 2 stars.

E: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert. 

Magical Shop Management

Arithmancy-

A: Spilled Milk by K.L. Randis. 

Merpeople Linguistics-

Herbology

A: A People's History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramarian. This was a contemporary book set in India about five young girls living in a slum. It was comprised of vignettes, jumping back and forth in time. I enjoyed the stories but wished it had a more linear timeline since jumping around wasn't used for any big reveal or tension. I gave the book 3.5 stars.

E: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. 

Defense for Magical Animals-

Care of Magical Creatures

A: Firefly: The Big Damn Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel. 

E: Stranger Planet by Nathan Pyle. 

The other three books I finished this month were:

Luster by Raven Leilani. This is labeled as "millennial fiction" which I think means that the protagonist is in their 20s and their life is still a mess. This followed a young woman named Edie who is dating a man who is in an open marriage. As her life falls apart, she becomes more entwined with her lover and his family. The writing felt ridiculous and I found her to be not only unlikable, but unrealistic. I gave it 2 stars.

Disfigured by Amanda Leduc. While I'm not a huge essay reader, I found I enjoyed the essays about media representation of disfigured and disabled people thoroughly fascinating. In fairy tales and superhero novels, disabled people either seek to get over their disability, are pitied, or are cast as the villains. She talks about how this shapes our views of disabled people right from childhood. This was incredibly thought-provoking and I would recommend this to everyone. I gave it 4 stars.

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune. As you might've guessed, I am a fan of TJ Klune now and am seeking to read all of his works. I don't typically read YA but this was a fun romp about a fantasy world that is nearly identical to the real world, except "extraordinaries" exist. They are like superheroes but have less traditional powers. The protagonist is infatuated with one and makes it his mission to try to become an extraordinary. There is also a M/M romance subplot which I actually enjoyed as it was rather cute. There is also ADHD and migraine representation. I gave it 4 stars.