Posts Tagged: YA

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Cute But Not Much Else: Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky & Anissa Espinosa

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I received this book for free from First Second in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cute But Not Much Else: Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky & Anissa EspinosaCast No Shadow by Anissa Espinosa, Nick Tapalansky
Published by First Second on October 10th, 2017
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, YA
Source: First Second
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two-half-stars

Greg has lived in Lancaster his whole life. The town's always had its quirks, and being born without a shadow means he's counted among them. When Greg discovers an old mansion in the woods just outside of town, he didn't expect to meet a smart, beautiful, funny, and...very dead teenaged girl named Eleanor.

Yeah. He's in love with a ghost.

And before he knows what's happening, Greg finds himself at the wrong end of a history lesson when the town's past, and his own, threaten to pull the two of them apart permanently!

From acclaimed comics writer Nick Tapalansky and phenomenal newcomer artist Anissa Espinosa, Cast No Shadow is a teen romance with humor and heart.

Cast No Shadow was a surprise graphic novel I received but it looked really cute and I couldn’t help but read it right away. Of course, this was some time ago and I am only now getting around to writing the review for the book so forgive me.

Greg has no shadow and is kind of an outcast. One day, he discovers a haunted mansion and ends up falling in love with the resident ghost. Obviously, things get a little complicated and there is some good angst going on there too.

The graphic novel is as cute as it sounds but doesn’t necessarily leave a lasting impression. Not every book I read, or anyone reads, needs to be revolutionary but I think the premise is so unique that I would have hoped that it’s uniqueness actually made it memorable. The problem is that even though this is a story about a boy without a shadow, it’s really just a love story. It’s a love story between Greg and the ghost and really, Greg and himself. This novel focuses on the characters rather than the world and plot and maybe that’s gonna work better for some readers than others but I just wanted there to be a stronger focus on the world building.

It is a graphic novel which means there isn’t as much room to convey those things through words but it can be done through the art. The art is just as important in a graphic novel as the words and I found the art wasn’t really expressive. It aided the story but it wasn’t part of it in many ways.

There is so much potential for this graphic novel to be more than just a ghost love story and it just. doesn’t. deliver.

This is all such a subjective opinion though because different readers want different things from their stories. Some are 1000% find a romance focus (I am too sometimes and there is nothing wrong with that) and maybe the graphic novel will work out better for them than it did for me. Some might want a more gothic, horror story vibe that this novel attempts but doesn’t deliver on. WHO KNOWS.

One of the book’s biggest successes, I think, is the twist at the end. It’s foreshadowed well but still comes as a surprise. It was incorporated beautifully into the story and ties the novel up really nicely.

Overall, Cast No Shadow is a graphic novel I’d recommend to people who are fans of cute ghost love stories and interesting premises. Even though I didn’t love it, I still found it really enjoyable and it’s a nice read to relax with on a cosy winter night :’)

 

two-half-stars

2.5 Hot Espressos

A Letter Was Found in the Pages Of Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Posted by on 07/28/2017 • 2 Comments

Text:

Dear person reading this,

You might be wondering why I chose this page to write in & that is for several reasons including OTP feels but really, even if you haven’t read this book, you can relate to the way words move these characters in these pages. CATH CROWLEY is easily one of my fav authors and her words never fail to move me. Words in a Deep Blue was no different. The words in this book will make you cry, will make you laugh and most likely, the words in this book will change your life. Read it.

Love, Rashika

***images used in aesthetic do not belong to me***

5 Hot Espressos

17 Books With Summer in the Title

Posted by on 07/12/2017 • 3 Comments

To continue with my summer book-list theme I have going on, I BRING TO YOU 15 books with summer in their titles!!! Read through summer by reading books with summer in their titles! Go forth and add books to that summer TBR pile. Or don’t. DO WHAT YOU WANT.

1. This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki 2. The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller 3. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson 4. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton 5. The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

6. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

7. The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Alan McVoy 8. The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland 9. How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski 10….

Rashika’s Guide to Reading What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

Posted by on 07/07/2017 • 4 Comments

I felt like doing something a little different for this incredibly amazing book so I took some inspiration from the book (unfortunately, the title of this post references a terrible thing that happens… whoops) and decided to make a guide to reading What to Say Next.

1. Go grocery shopping before diving in. Make sure you buy Kleenex and stock up on your comfort foods. You will be needing those things very soon.

2. Prepare for a heartbreaking discussion on grief and death. If that’s not something you can do right now, probably don’t read the book but if you do choose to, there will be tears if you are a human bean (refer to the first point in this guide.)

3. Pace yourself because you’re in for a serious bookish hangover…

#Throwback Thursday: 5 Books to Take With You To the Beach

Posted by on 07/06/2017 • 0 Comments

Are you getting tired of summer round ups because I AM NEVER GOING TO BE. ITS FUCKING 90 degrees outside, what do you want from me? I can fantasize about going to the beach and doing some ocean-side reading. In the meantime, I present you with a list of older releases if you’re looking for some to read while at the beach or that will transport you to the beach.

1. This is What Happy Looks Like by by Jennifer E. Smith

‘Wrong email address’ situation. Featuring an extremely adorable pet pig named Wilbur.

2. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

A talented singer for Tobago loses her voice in an accident and accepts an invitation to Atargatis Cove to get away from it all. Featuring an adorable…

Book Aesthetic: Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourne

Posted by on 07/05/2017 • 3 Comments

If you’re expecting this book to change your life, you’re probably going to be disappointed but it IS a perfectly, enjoyable summer book and not everything we read needs to revolutionize our lives. I, for one, have been too tired and too overheated lately to read books that will change my life so Wesley James Ruined My Life was the perfect read for me.

Is Quinn Hardwick stubborn as fuck and will you want to shake some sense into her? For SURE but the book also has so many feel-good vibes and part of the fun is when she does realize she is in the wrong. Quinn is stubborn and holds grudges for all the wrong reasons but we can all be stubborn sometimes and I for one am still angry…

Blog Tour: Like/Try/Why And Then There Were Four by Nancy Werlin

Posted by on 06/07/2017 • 5 Comments

Today Xpresso Reads is on the blog tour for AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR and I am going to be doing a round of Like/Try/Why. Lez goooo

Like Rocks Fall Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar –> Try And Then There Were Four by Nancy Werlin

Why: So ROCKS FALL, EVERYONE DIES is actually a very underrated title that needs more love so I am trying to push both books with this rec. Both books have families that cannot be trusted, secrets and psychological thriller vibes.

Like Mystic River by Dennis Lehane –> Try And Then There Were Four by Nancy Werlin

Why: MYSTIC RIVER is somewhat of a classic psychological thriller AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR has similar vibes complete with bizarre twists you didn’t really think would occur.

Like Pretty…

Author Interview: Sandhya Menon

Posted by on 06/02/2017 • 0 Comments

HELLO and welcome back to this fancy feature that Nick (Nick & Nereyda’s Infinite Booklist) and I are collaborating on! This month I am sharing an interview I did with Sandhya Menon! So PLEASE GIVE HER a virtual round of applause.

1. If Dimple and Rishi’s romance could be set to only one bollywood song, which one would it be?

Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, definitely. 🙂

2. What is one book you think the world would just not be the same without?

Ahhh, really, just one?! Hmm…I guess I’d pick The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

3. If Dimple and Rishi were a food pairing, what would they be? (I AM JUST CURIOUS, OKAY)

Haha, this is an amazing question! I’d say…sea salt and…