bandysbooks's reviews
178 reviews

I'm a big fan of all of the Greek mythology retellings that have been cropping up over the last decade or so and I've previously really enjoyed Jennifer Saint's writing, so I was excited to receive an advanced copy of Atalanta. I was even more excited because Atalanta is a character I have not seen previously covered by all of the many retellings (as opposed to Clytemnestra, Helen, etc.).

To start, I loved the characterization of Atalanta. She has been raised to be fierce and independent. She knows no limitations and so she is a very effective warrior. She's never been taught to think that a woman is somehow less capable, so she joins the Argonauts knowing that she will excel. The warning that Artemis gives her to take no husband seems logical, but as Atalanta explores the world, we see her struggle with her obligations to Artemis and the things she now wants as a human. I definitely think this was the strongest part of the book. 

The plot was a bit of a let down for me. While there was a lot going on, it didn't feel like much of it was deeply explored. I expected the journey with the Argonauts to be more exciting, but somehow it felt like a secondary plot. There was a lot more time spent on the romance aspect and I think the action and timing suffered a bit because of it. I don't want to make this sound like it was terrible or anything. It was still an enjoyable story. It's just that comparative to Ariadne and Elektra, this one wasn't quite up to the same standard.

All in all, if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings, you'll likely find this one enjoyable as well. Atalanta is an interesting character and the story does move quickly. 

As for the narration of the audiobook, I thought it was well done. It was easy to understand and I found the pacing to be typical for an audiobook. (I always speed them up.) It was easy to follow which characters were speaking and overall, I would recommend the audio option if you typically enjoy them. 

3.75 Stars rounded up to 4

The Cherished by Patricia Ward is a young adult horror novel about a young girl named Jo who inherits her grandmothers property. Once there, she realizes things are not what she expected and her father's old delusions might actually be reality. I've been on a gothic horror kick lately, so this sounded like something I would enjoy. The cover also really called my attention. Unfortunately, the cover was the best part of this book. 

I rarely say anything quite so direct in my reviews as I really hate to leave blatantly negative feedback, but the writing in this book was bad. Like bad enough that I wanted to DNF it. In fact, had I not been participating in a readathon where points were given for each book completed, I would have DNF'd it. I'm not going to write a long review tearing this to shreds, but suffice it to say the characters were not likeable or compelling, the plot was dull, and the pacing was slow as molasses. 

My biggest issue with this book is the problematic portrayals of mental health, race, and body size. I'm not going to list everything out as it's already been done in other reviews. Frankly, it's 2023. Do better. 

Usually, I would close this review by saying "If you like x,y, and z, you may enjoy this book", but I honestly can't think of anyone that would enjoy this book and I refuse to recommend a book with problematic representation (at least one that doesn't seem to be making a critique or at all self aware of said issues).

Additionally, I received an Audio-ARC of this book and was extremely frustrated when I found out it was literally a robot reading me the book. This Audiobook is unfinished and is impossible to review without a proper narrator. So imagine a choppy robotic voice reading a choppy, all over the place book with problematic representation. Yeah, it was not a good time. In the future, if I open audio-ARCs and they are narrated by a robot, it will be an automatic DNF for me. 

*Thank you to Netgalley, Particia Ward, and Harper for the Audio-ARC of this book. Reception of an ARC in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

It's always hard to rate memoirs because it is someone's personal experience and how do you really judge one's life? That said, Horse Barbie made it easy for me. This memoir follows Geena Rocero through her years as a Trans Beauty Pageant Queen in the Philippines through her experiences modeling in the United States. This was emotional, informative, and quite interesting. Really, it has a bit of everything that you'd want in a memoir. 

I will say that there were some moments in this book that were very hard to read, but they are meant to be that way. When Geena is trapped into hiding her identity by the fear of losing her career, it feels like a gut punch. You want her to be able to be open and honest about who she is, but you also understand the risks that come with that honesty. Its heartbreaking and frustrating.

I also really loved the way that this book compared perspectives on Trans people in The Philippines versus in the United States. It was interesting that in The Philippines there was no legal recourse for gender or identity changes, but generally there is social acceptance where as in the US, there is legal recognition, but existing comes with the potential of physical danger, loss of jobs, and discrimination. We often think of the US as quite progressive, but this really highlighted how in a lot of ways we're still quite far behind. 

And I loved the representation of Filipino culture in this book too. I grew up in a predominantly Filipino neighborhood in the States, so for me elements of this book reminded me a bit of home. In particular, I love the discussion of the role of Catholicism alongside Trans acceptance culturally. The discussion of beauty pageants as a national sport was also amusing/interesting.

All in all, if you want a look inside the world of modeling and pageantry, deep understanding of one individual Trans experience, and a bit of Filipino culture, you'll likely find this book enjoyable. Rocero is an excellent speaker and storyteller and her voice makes this a very enjoyable memoir. 

*Thank you to Netgalley, Geena Rocero, and Random House for the E-ARC of this book. Reception of an ARC in no way affects the objectivity of my review. 

A book about a reclusive author, books, and the fulfillment of childhood wishes? Sign me up! Or so I thought when I first saw The Wishing Game. 

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer follows Lucy Hart, a young, broke, idealistic teacher's aide who suffers from the memory of childhood neglect. She wants to adopt one of the kids at her school who has been recently placed in foster care, but has been unable to due to her financial constraints. Her life seems like it's in a downward spiral until Jack Masterson, her favorite author invites her to compete for the only copy of his newest novel. With nothing to lose Lucy accepts and is caught up in a whirlwind of childhood memories, grumpy artists, and dreams that just will not die. 

This book is loosely inspired by Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and you can definitely see that inspiration in some of the elements. There are no golden tickets, creepy oompa loompas, or a psychotic murdering candy factory owner. In fact, most of the dark elements of Willy Wonka have been stripped away to create a much more sanitized overall feel. 

The plot of this book was fun enough, but was quite predictable. I think within the first third of this book I had a good idea of where this book was going. It was still interesting enough to keep me reading, but I did find myself wondering occasionally if there was a way to make the book more suspenseful Even the "twist" at the end of the competition was visible early on. The predictability of the whole thing left me feeling like the stakes were never truly high and sucked out any emotional impact that the ending could've had.

If I'm really honest, this book seemed much more like a middle grade-young adult book. The writing style was very straightforward. There wasn't a ton of descriptive prose. The characters were all pretty squeaky clean and even their problems were presented in a sort of sanitized way. The couple of moments that could've provided emotional depth are sort of just glossed over for the most part. This made the few moments that I could identify as more adult a bit jarring in my opinion. In particular, there was a moment where Lucy is commenting on a piece of artwork, a painting of an orchid, and compares it to a vulva. This felt like it came completely out of nowhere and was forgotten in like three seconds. Considering the situation it occurred in, I could've read it as an attempt at flirting accept there wasn't much chemistry and it was forgotten within seconds of being said. 

There is a romance element in this story as well, which felt very sanitized too. We never see so much as a kiss until well after the people in question are a couple. Their flirting is virtually non-existent even though they repeatedly mention growing feelings toward each other. Ultimately, it was a lot of telling, not showing in regard to the relationship. The constant fade to black anytime anything remotely romantic happened really added to that feeling of this being written for a younger reader. 

That said, I'm kind of almost glad that more romance wasn't more visible because the two people involved were thirteen and twenty five when they first meet. Even though they are both adults at this point in the story, there are definitely still some questionable power dynamics at play. One person is a contestant, and one person is actively assisting in putting on the competition. It was just a bit icky. 

I feel bad to be so critical. but another thing that really bothered me was Lucy's treatment of Christopher's situation (the young boy she wants to adopt). We see her confront his social worker (and it's implied that this isn't the first time) about wanting to adopt him. The social worker tells her politely that she's twenty six, broke, living in a crappy apartment with three roommates, and has no car. Those all seem like realistic and rational reasons why at this time Lucy is not a good candidate for fostering Christopher, but Lucy makes it seem like the social worker just hates her. The social worker tells Lucy that love isn't the only thing a child needs....and she's right. Love is extremely important, but so is having a guardian that can financially support you, feed and clothe you, take you to a doctor when you are sick, etc. I read most of this as coming from Lucy's own trauma around not receiving love or affection, but even still it felt so unbelievably unrealistic and illogical. 

All in all, if you're looking for a low stakes, easy read that might leave you with some warm fuzzies, you may enjoy this book. I think going in expecting a book written for a younger reader might help you to have appropriate expectations.

I came across The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter And Other Essential Ghosts while researching books for my Book of The Month prediction videos. It was a book that I predicted would be a good selection for their box due to its exploration of familial bonds, exploration of Caribbean storytelling, and mix of real life and magical realism (although it wasn't one that ended up being picked). In reading and researching, it sounded like something I would enjoy and I added it to my To Read In The Future list. Then I came across a listing for the audiobook on Netgalley and figured it must be a sign.

This book is both similar and different from several books that I've previously read. In some ways, it reminds me of Maame, Black Cake, and a handful of other books. What's familiar is the exploration of a family and their immigration story. We see things through the perspective of the younger members of the family and not always from a place of understanding. Familial relations aren't always perfect and the parents don't always meet the needs or expectations of their children, but they try. We also come to understand all of the things the parents sacrificed to give their daughters the life they have.

Where this book is quite different to those that I've compared it to is in the elements of magical realism and folklore that are incorporated throughout this book. I loved hearing the different stories and how they blended into the reality that this family was living. I loved that the father was a major storyteller as it really helped me to understand him and the ways in which he views the world. 

I also really loved learning a bit more about both Jamaican and Trinidadian culture. I've read a few books set in Jamaica or that explore Jamaican culture, but this was my first time reading a book about Trinidad and Tobago.  

My only real critique of this book was that I did find that parts of it dragged a bit, particularly in the beginning. The book was a bit of a slow start and it took me awhile to fully engage in the things that are happening. I think that as the magical realism elements and self-identity discussions began to take place, I became much more invested in the book. 

All in all, if you enjoy familial explorations, folklore, magical realism, and settings across the Caribbean and United States, you will likely enjoy this book. This was a very good debut and I expect that Soraya Palmer is a name you will be hearing more in the future. 

As for the audiobook, I enjoyed the narrator and felt that everything was easily understandable. I am not the right person to judge the authenticity of the accents she did for the Caribbean characters, but to my untrained ears they sounded good and still quite understandable. I would definitely recommend the audiobook to anyone interested. 

*Thank you to Netgalley, Soraya Palmer, and Dreamscape media for this audio-ARC. Reception of this ARC in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

I came across Nevada on Netgalley as I was scanning for books to read. Once I read the description, I requested the book and was very excited to receive an e-copy. 

Nevada follows a trans woman named Maria as she is essentially figuring herself out. She starts out in a relationship that has already run its course, a job that does not fulfill her, and a lot of residual emotional baggage that is preventing her from living her best life. After things implode a bit, she makes a life altering choice and heads out on a roadtrip to Nevada where she meets a young man who may be trans. 

I loved this book for a multitude of reasons, but one of the things that was best about it was the way that it delved into how Maria became who she is. Talking about trauma can be extremely heavy and sometimes that can make it a bit hard to absorb from a character, but Binnie wrote about the trauma in short reflections and balanced it often with humor. I found it very easy to understand, take in, and even at times relatable. 

I also really enjoyed Maria's sense of adventure. Sometimes that's what we need in life to figure out who we are....a spontaneous crazy decision that forces us out of our comfort zone. I really related to this part.

I didn't find James as relatable and I did find some of the conversation between he and Maria to be a bit uncomfortable, but I feel that that is an intentional choice. I think that questioning one's gender identity and coming of age are not necessarily the most comfortable experiences, so it makes sense that we as the reader might feel some of that discomfort. 

I know some people will not appreciate the open ending, but I thought it was sort of fitting. I don't know that character studies necessarily need a concrete ending as people are constantly developing and changing. 

All in all, I thought this was very eye opening in some ways, realistic, and a detailed portrayal of what a trans person might experience post-transition and pre-transition. If you enjoy character focused novels, coming of age stories, and explorations of trauma, then this book might be a good fit for you. 

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review. 

Do you ever pick up a book that you know nothing about completely based on the cover? That's exactly how I wound up reading When The Angels Left The Old Country. I was scanning Netgalley and the cover just really called to me. I'm so glad I requested this book because this was such a unique and interesting book. 

Angels follows an angel and a demon as they try to protect a member of their shtetl who immigrates to the United States. It sounds bizarre and in some ways it is, but oh my goodness did I enjoy this book. The characters were unique, the plot was engaging, and it was a good balance of mystery, humor, and suspense. 

First of all, both the angel and the demon were such interesting characters. I loved their unexplainable bond and the humor they share throughout the story. I was invested in who they were and what their purpose was. I also found the human characters well thought out and realistic. 

The immigration process through Ellis Island was both unique for the Angel and Demon, but oddly realistic too. We see people arbitrarily trapped for being a single woman, for potential illness, or just because a guard didn't like them. It echoes a lot of the stories I learned about when I visited the Ellis Island museum.

I also really enjoyed the Jewish cultural elements in this story. I felt like I learned a handful of things and it made the story feel so rich and real. 

All in all, this was a wonderfully interesting story with memorable characters. I would recommend it if you want a unique adventure of immigration from one continent to another or if you enjoy contemporary fiction with a splash of humor. I will definitely read future books by Sacha Lamb in the future. 

I love a good thriller and had yet to read a book by Lisa Unger, so when I had the opportunity to try out Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, I jumped in. This book is a thriller that follows a group of friends/family as they go to a remote cabin for some decompression time. It becomes clear that something isn't right and that there is more than meets the eye with several members of the group. While I'd hoped that it would be something special, it turned out to be just okay.

This is the type of thriller that relies on being so wildly out there that you couldn't possibly have guessed where it was going. While the fact that it was surprising was good, it was so far into left field that it felt implausible. I won't spoil it in this review, but suffice it to say that while you can see where some of the inspiration comes from, it's pretty untethered from reality.

Additionally, there is a massive red herring plot line that we spend a decent amount of time exploring as a distraction from the twist. I don't mind a distraction or two, but we spend so much time on this particular plot line for it to result in nothing felt frustrating.

Overall, this book was a sort of run of the mill thriller that relies on slight of hands and convoluted plots to create a "shocking" twist. Had it been brought into a more realistic conclusion, it could've been decent, but I just couldn't take the ending seriously.

*I received an E-ARC of this from Netgalley. This in no way affects my review.

Once long ago, I read and enjoyed The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, so naturally when I saw Cursed, I thought I might enjoy it as well. I don't know if it's just that I was much younger when I read The Lunar Chronicles or if this duology isn't quite of the same quality, but I was left wanting.

We have a fairytale retelling which is Meyer's bread and butter. This time it's of Rumpelstiltskin. Instead of centering on Rumpel himself, we have a story that features a damsel in distress and he is her protector of sorts. I thought the way she twisted the story was fairly interesting.

Where it fell apart for me was the main character. I found her incredibly frustrating. I can't count how many times the bad guy did something horrible, she pleads with him, and then he does something even more horrible. He's clearly a sadist who gets off on psychological torture and she gives him exactly what he wants by begging him. She even makes deals with him on multiple occasions and they always end with him doing something terrible and finding a loophole in the deal. I understand trying once, but after he backstabs her once, she should never make a deal with him again. It honestly got a bit tedious.

Also, this book relies heavily on the unplanned pregnancy trope which is one of my least favorite tropes. I get that it's an important part of the story arc, but it just wasn't for me.

All in all, I just think I am maybe the wrong demographic for this book. I could imagine a 14 or 15 year old reading and enjoying this, but as a 35 year old there was a lot that left me cringing. I honestly wouldn't have read this second book in the duology, had I not had an ARC of it. If you're into young adult fantasy, you might enjoy this.

* I received an E-ARC of this from Netgalley. This in no way affects my review.

A murder mystery inspired by The Great British Bake Off? Sign me up. Or at least that's what I thought when I heard about The Golden Spoon. Sadly, the idea sounded better in my head than it turned out on paper. While the concept was awesome, there was just something missing from this one.

This book is told in alternating chapters between the different POV characters, which I don't mind. My problem is that I couldn't muster enough energy to really care about any of them. None of them really felt like real people to me and instead felt more like a caricature of a person. Maybe that was intentional as reality tv often boils people down to stereotypes, but in the book it caused a disconnect from the characters.

The plot was fine, but a bit predictable. It moved at a reasonable pace and didn't drag which at least kept me moving through it. I will say for a book that revolves around a baking show, I wish there was more food description.

Also, I don't know why this was a problem, but because I associate this concept with The Great British Bake Off, it felt weird trying to imagine this instead set in the USA. Every time it mentioned the location, something in my brain was like "that isn't right".

All in all, this story could've been amazing, but was just so-so for me. It wasn't horrible, but it doesn't break the mold either. If you want an easy to read mystery, then this may be worth a try.

*I received an egalley on this ebook from Netgalley. This in no way impacts my review.