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Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir cover shows a girl with hair blowing in the wind behind a crouching warrior in a hooded cape.

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
Sabaa Tahir
Razorbill Press
Published April 28, 2015

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About An Ember in the Ashes

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

My Review

I feel like the last person in the world to finally read AN EMBER IN THE ASHES. I’ve had a copy for years, and still, it took me forever. Not for any reason to do with the book. I heard Sabaa Tahir speak in 2016 at YALLFEST, and have been a fan of hers since then. For some reason, it has just taken me FOREVER to read her books. Can I just pretend I’ve been waiting until the fourth book is published before starting the series so I can binge read them? (Actually, no, I can’t, because the fourth one doesn’t come out until next year.)

Anyway, I really enjoyed the setting of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES. I like the desert setting and the complex political landscape. It’s not as simple as the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. I liked that a lot.

And the character development. Laia grows SO much from the first page of the book to the last, and I love that. I found it so easy to identify with her timidity and her commitment to rule-following and staying safe at the beginning of the story, but I cheered for her every step of her journey, too, as she got bolder and more fierce.

I love that the story feels like it has so many layers, too. Laia and Elias each have goals and plans. The resistance has a plan. The emperor has a plan. And the Augers (like fates) have a plan, too. It definitely makes the story feel larger-than-life and like there are so many places it can go.

I think readers who enjoyed the DIVERGENT series by Veronica Roth or THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Mass will like AN EMBER IN THE ASHES.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Laia has bronze skin and dark hair and is from an oppressed and often enslaved people called Scholars.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Some references to sex.

Spiritual Content
One character uses magic to heal another. Augers relay prophesies about certain characters.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning
Soldiers execute family members of a suspected traitor and threaten to rape another. Laia becomes a slave to a cruel master who mutilates her slaves. Some graphic descriptions of those instances. A man tries to rape a woman after beating her.

Elias belongs to an elite unit of soldiers which uses extreme methods of discipline as part of training, including making soldiers watch/jeer at a younger trainee being whipped to death for trying to run away. He participates in some violent challenges which pit him against his peers.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis

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Give the Dark My Love (Give the Dark My Love #1)
Beth Revis
Razorbill Press
Published September 25, 2018

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About Give the Dark My Love

When seventeen-year-old Nedra Brysstain leaves her home in the rural, northern territories of Lunar Island to attend the prestigious Yugen Academy, she has only one goal in mind: learn the trade of medicinal alchemy. A scholarship student matriculating with the children of Lunar Island’s wealthiest and most powerful families, Nedra doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids at Yugen, who all look down on her.

All, except for Greggori “Grey” Astor. Grey is immediately taken by the brilliant and stubborn Nedra, who he notices is especially invested in her studies. And that’s for a good reason: a deadly plague has been sweeping through the North, and it’s making its way toward the cities. With her family’s life–and the lives of all of Lunar Island’s citizens–on the line, Nedra is determined to find a cure for the plague.

Grey and Nedra continue to grow closer, but as the sickness spreads and the body count rises, Nedra becomes desperate to find a cure. Soon, she finds herself diving into alchemy’s most dangerous corners–and when she turns to the most forbidden practice of all, necromancy, even Grey might not be able to pull her from the darkness.

My Review

When I first heard about GIVE THE DARK MY LOVE, I tried really hard to get hold of a review copy. I’d met Beth Revis at a book con and she’s one of the most amazing people– super genuine and open and really kind– and I’d read and enjoyed her books before, so it was kind of a no-brainer! Alas, I did not get a review copy, so fast forward to much later when I decided to treat myself to a copy of the book care of a birthday gift card. Yay!

First, I love the unique story world. The mystery surrounding the plague and the backstory about necromancy plus the opportunity Nedra gets to study alchemy at an elite school. It all fit together really well and gave the story a really unique feel to it. Nedra and Grey pretty much both had me hooked from their first few pages. I love her passion for helping others. I love his integrity.

There are definitely some dark elements to the story, and the good versus evil lines get pretty complicated, so that’s something to consider if that matters to you. I like complex characters, so I enjoyed the bends in the story, and I’m super eager to read the sequel, BID MY SOUL FAREWELL, which came out September 24, 2019. I already have a copy and want to read it while the first book is still fresh in my mind.

If you liked THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan or TO BEST THE BOYS by Mary Weber, then you’ll want to grab yourself a copy of GIVE THE DARK MY LOVE as fast as you can. All of them have intricate and original fantasy worlds with strong female characters faced with impossible choices.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Nedra’s sister Nessie likes both boys and girls.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. A couple sleep in the same bed. One student makes lewd comments about Nedra, insinuating that she’s sleeping with her professor in order to get good grades.

Spiritual Content
A powerful necromancer once raised an army of the dead but was later hanged for his actions. Necromancy remains forbidden. Most people worship the god Oryous. Ritual celebrations and prayers are shown in the story.

Violent Content
Some battles shown. Situations of peril. Families of plague victims are made to lock themselves in their houses on quarantine as neighbors threaten to shoot them if they emerge before the quarantine ends.

Drug Content
Some reference to drinking wine.

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Review: The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris

Book Review and Content, Memoir, Nonfiction, , ,

The Truths We Hold
Kamala Harris
Penguin Press
January 8, 2019

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About THE TRUTHS WE HOLD

Senator Kamala Harris’s commitment to speaking truth is informed by her upbringing. The daughter of immigrants, she was raised in an Oakland, California community that cared deeply about social justice; her parents–an esteemed economist from Jamaica and an admired cancer researcher from India–met as activists in the civil rights movement when they were graduate students at Berkeley.

Growing up, Harris herself never hid her passion for justice, and when she became a prosecutor out of law school, a deputy district attorney, she quickly established herself as one of the most innovative change agents in American law enforcement. She progressed rapidly to become the elected District Attorney for San Francisco, and then the chief law enforcement officer of the state of California as a whole.

Known for bringing a voice to the voiceless, she took on the big banks during the foreclosure crisis, winning a historic settlement for California’s working families. Her hallmarks were applying a holistic, data-driven approach to many of California’s thorniest issues, always eschewing stale “tough on crime” rhetoric as presenting a series of false choices. Neither “tough” nor “soft” but smart on crime became her mantra. Being smart means learning the truths that can make us better as a community, and supporting those truths with all our might.

That has been the pole star that guided Harris to a transformational career as the top law enforcement official in California, and it is guiding her now as a transformational United States Senator, grappling with an array of complex issues that affect her state, our country, and the world, from health care and the new economy to immigration, national security, the opioid crisis, and accelerating inequality.

By reckoning with the big challenges we face together, drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, Kamala Harris offers in The Truths We Hold a master class in problem-solving, in crisis management, and leadership in challenging times.

Through the arc of her own life, on into the great work of our day, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values. In a book rich in many home truths, not least is that a relatively small number of people work very hard to convince a great many of us that we have less in common than we actually do, but it falls to us to look past them and get on with the good work of living our common truth. When we do, our shared effort will continue to sustain us and this great nation, now and in the years to come.

My Review

I’ve been curious about TRUTHS WE HOLD for a while, so when my name finally came up in the holds at the library, I was super excited to read it.

A lot of it focuses on her family and early life, events that shaped Kamala Harris’s beliefs and values. She also discusses some of the issues she tackled as a prosecutor and California’s Attorney General.

I found her message inspiring, and her hope for the future really uplifting. She seems really smart and deeply caring, and her passion for the people she serves made reading about what can be big nameless, faceless political issues interesting the way that having a passionate history teacher makes even the grinding parts of history engaging and memorable.

I’m not usually a huge nonfiction reader, but I found myself sneaking in a few pages of TRUTHS WE HOLD between chores and in other odd spare moments. I would recommend reading this book to anyone who’s curious about Kamala Harris’s life and her values.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Kamala is a Democratic Senator from California and currently running for president.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief story about how she met her husband.

Spiritual Content
References to her Christian faith.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content 
None.

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Review: Them by Ben Sasse

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, , , , , ,

Them: Why We Hate Each Other and How to Heal
Ben Sasse
St. Martin’s Press
October 16, 2018

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About THEM

Something is wrong. We all know it.

American life expectancy is declining for a third straight year. Birth rates are dropping. Nearly half of us think the other political party isn’t just wrong; they’re evil. We’re the richest country in history, but we’ve never been more pessimistic. What’s causing the despair?

In Them, bestselling author and U.S. Senator Ben Sasse argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, our crisis isn’t really about politics. It’s that we’re so lonely we can’t see straight—and it bubbles out as anger. 

Local communities are collapsing. Across the nation, little leagues are disappearing, Rotary clubs are dwindling, and in all likelihood, we don’t know the neighbor two doors down. Work isn’t what we’d hoped: less certainty, few lifelong coworkers, shallow purpose. Stable families and enduring friendships—life’s fundamental pillars—are in statistical freefall. 

As traditional tribes of place evaporate, we rally against common enemies so we can feel part of on a team. No institutions command widespread public trust, enabling foreign intelligence agencies to use technology to pick the scabs on our toxic divisions. We’re in danger of half of us believing different facts than the other half, and the digital revolution throws gas on the fire. 

There’s a path forward—but reversing our decline requires something radical: a rediscovery of real places and real human-to-human relationships. Even as technology nudges us to become rootless, Sasse shows how only a recovery of rootedness can heal our lonely souls.

America wants you to be happy, but more urgently, America needs you to love your neighbor. Fixing what’s wrong with the country depends on you rebuilding right where you’re planted.

My Review

I think I heard about THEM on a news program where the author, Senator Ben Sasse, was interviewed, and the concept of the book really struck a chord with me. I’m definitely more of a peacemaker type of personality, so I don’t like conflict. It tends to make our current political climate a bit scary to me. Lots of people (myself included) have really strong feelings about issues, and that can make for volatile and stressful family get-togethers. (One time, after trying unsuccessfully several times to end a political debate between two family members, I literally changed the subject and shouted over them, telling a story about a girl scout trip I took with my daughter. I just kept shouting until everyone else stopped talking. It was very rude and embarrassing and also apparently totally necessary.)

At any rate, I was really curious what Sasse would have to say about how to move toward more civil exchanges with people and how to maintain relationships across political divides. He said a lot of smart things– some just about the evolution of the culture and the changes to communities that technology has brought. I agreed with his synopsis of the way communities are not as deeply connected now as people use phones and tablets for everything from social media to movies and TV.

There were some things I didn’t agree with. I believe in civil discourse, so I agreed that we need dialogue and to be able to talk with people who have different viewpoints than we do. But it’s not always safe to do that. Sometimes, when it’s not safe, it’s better to suspend those conversations. I felt like he wasn’t very realistic about that.

I did like a lot of what he had to say, though. There were no easy solutions. A lot of it comes down to crafting a diverse community for yourself, one that includes a variety of political ideas. The idea is that this helps you remember that good people belong to both political parties. We both want the same things: a thriving democracy that allows us and our children to live healthy, happy lives, with an optimistic financial future. But we often differ on how to get to that result and what the government’s role should be in getting us there.

I recommend THEM for readers who are frustrated with politics. It’s one of those books I think everyone should read, regardless of your party affiliation. It’s less about his ideology and more about our culture and why we’ve become so polarized in political views and what to do about it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
This book is written by a Conservative Republican Senator.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used twice or so.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Sasse mentions church attendance on Sunday.

Violent Content
Some references to a riot on a college campus.

Drug Content 
None.

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Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

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Salt to the Sea
Ruta Sepetys
Philomel Books
February 2, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Book Depository

About SALT TO THE SEA

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

My Review

Okay, so not that you’ve been clocking my reading lists the last few years, but SALT TO THE SEA has been on my list since 2016. I’ve heard amazing things about Ruta Sepetys, but this is the first book of hers that I’ve finally read.

The writing is super compelling. Each character is distinct, down to their priorities, and how they behave. For instance, one refugee is a former shoe maker. He views every problem in the world as one of shoes. Whatever problem you’re facing, having the right shoes will make a huge difference. It may seem silly, but in the context of the story, it creates several powerful moments, and he shows so much compassion for others through the way he looks after their shoes.

The story can be pretty brutal. Lots of the brutality happens in passing, which means it’s not long descriptions, but they still tend to be sometimes horrifying. War brings out the best and the worst in humanity, and SALT TO THE SEA shows both.

I think in some ways, that brutality makes the point that war is horrifying. That we sometimes look back at history remembering the glorious victories, but we do not want to remember the civilians who were brutalized by advancing soldiers or who starved or froze to death. Or in this case, the tragic death of more than nine thousand people.

Readers interested in World War II history will find this little-explored event compelling and detailed. Sensitive readers may find some descriptions too brutal. See below for further content details.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Characters are mainly German or Eastern European.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity used.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between girl and boy.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Sensitive readers, beware. References to some super dark things. Characters hear rumors of horrors committed by the Russian army as they advance through Germany. References to rape. Some scenes show the events leading up to an assault. Some brief descriptions of the desperate things people do to escape the Russians: murder/suicide of an entire family, desperate people ultimately killing their small children trying to save them.

When the ship sinks, some people make sacrifices so others may live. Other people refuse to help those around them, even harming them in their desperation.

Drug Content 
None.

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Review: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vanishing Girls
Lauren Oliver
HarperCollins
March 10, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Book Depository

About VANISHING GIRLS

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara’s beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged.

When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it’s too late.

My Review

I read VANISHING GIRLS in the middle of a suspense binge. I like that it blended suspense elements with psychological elements. Nick is a complex character. She wants to be close to her sister, but has a lot of feelings of guilt and resentment toward her.

Weirdly, VANISHING GIRLS is the second suspense book I read this summer where the main character works at a theme park. (The other is TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET in which Ellery works at a horror-themed park.) I had some parts of the plot related to the theme park figured out pretty quickly. Other things took me completely by surprise.

One big twist didn’t make sense to me. It’s one of those moments that turns your whole perception of the story on its head. I love those kinds of moments. I love looking back through the big moments earlier in the book to see how the new information changes what was really happening there. But one moment didn’t seem to fit with the new reality. So I got kind of caught up on that.

On the whole, I think VANISHING GIRLS is an interesting book, and some of the issues it deals with are big issues. I definitely appreciate that and think it’s awesome that this novel addresses an issue that most people don’t want to talk about. I think I like PANIC by Lauren Oliver better, but it ‘s a different kind of story– more community-oriented whereas so much of VANISHING GIRLS is about what’s happening in Nick’s head.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Characters are white and straight.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A girl and boy kiss. References to sex. A girl and her boyfriend kiss while both are topless. He asks her to have sex with him, but she refuses.

References to child pornography. Someone finds an image of a teenage girl posing topless.

Spiritual Content
Dara and Nick’s aunt believes in energy and crystals and seances. The girls don’t buy into her beliefs.

Violent Content
Some brief descriptions of a violent car accident. A man threatens a teenage girl.

Drug Content 
Several scenes show teens drinking. Dara has a history of smoking pot and experimenting with other drugs like mushrooms and cocaine.

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