Chaos & Confetti

It may seem like a while ago at this point, but you remember February?  Yeah, it all feels like a speeding blur to me too, but let’s take a second to look back at it together, and what better way to do that than by revisiting the books we’ve read.  Join me below as I review the books I read back in February, and then feel free to share what you read as well (I’m always looking for solid recommendations).

As always, books will be rated on a 1 – 5 star scale with 1 being bad, 2 being meh, 3 being good, 4 being great, and 5 being absolutely excellent.  If you enjoy what you see you may also follow us on Goodreads.

The comics I have read will also be included at the end of this post.  Those will just be listed and not officially reviewed since I don’t count those towards my reading goals for the year.  However, if you ever want to hear about any specific comic in particular or want my thoughts, don’t be afraid to ask.  I enjoy discussing everything I read. 

Let’s Go!

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy  –  3.5/5 Stars

The French Reign of Terror rages and the guillotine is hungry, but The Scarlet Pimpernel defies the odds and rescues lives, regularly outwitting those who would stop him.  He and the members of his league strive to keep their identities secret, but vengeance and love may stand in their way.

This classic piece of literature is a fun romp, with a decent dash of melodrama.  From Sir Blakey with his double life to his wife Marguerite, the smartest of women (though she definitely misses some big clues) who only wants the safety of her brother, even if it means helping out the story’s villain. Many elements and characterization are over the top, but that simply adds to the fun.

In some ways this reads like an early version of modern superhero stories, with its heroics, secret identities, and love interest.  

The Scarlet Pimpernel is an entertaining read that stands up well over a hundred years after it’s initial publishing.  It shows signs of its time and author’s leanings, but there is nothing too egregious.  Those who want a classic adventure should check out this novel.

Jackpot by Nic Stone – 4/5 Stars

Rico is a high schooler looking to help her family’s financial woes by working at a gas station.  She takes on as many shifts as she can while also trying to manage school, care for her younger brother, and support her mother.  One day, Rico sells a winning lottery ticket worth millions.  Oddly, nobody comes forward to claim the prize.  Rico believes tracking down the customer to make sure they are aware of their winnings is the right thing, and if they decide to send a little cash her way, that’d be great too.  Rico’s quest may turn out to be a bit harder than she expected, but maybe with some help from Zan, one of her most wealthy and popular peers, Rico might just hit a jackpot of her own.

Jackpot is a fun young adult novel that shines most thanks to its characters.  Despite sticking with some of the staple ya novel characters (an outsider girl who turns out to be more interesting and likable than she expected, a popular guy with a good heart who may have hardships of his own), Stone adds enough layers and personality to help her book rise above others.    

On one level, Jackpot presents itself as a mystery and adventure, with our main characters hunting down a possible fortune, providing twists and turns throughout.  On another level, the novel touches upon deeper topics like poverty, class struggles, and children needing to parent their own parents.  These themes help ground the novel in realism and lends to a more impactful reading.

Jackpot is an excellent novel that provides fun and heart. While it’ll hit strongest with a teenage audience, it should resonate with adults as well.

A Happy Catastrophe by Maddie Dawson 4/5 Stars

Marnie McGraw loves Patrick Delaney, her boyfriend of many years.  She sees a clear future for them, one involving marriage, kids, and magic.  Despite his deep love of Marnie, Patrick isn’t so sure he can give her what she wants.  She wants change.  He wants stability.  She wants excitement and joy.  He is dealing with a darkness borne of tragedy and love lost.  To complicate matters more, Patrick not only finds out he has an eight year-old daughter, but she’s moving in too.  Always flexible, Marine hopes this is all a step towards her pictured future, but everything inside Patrick is telling him to retreat. Can Marine and Patrick find a way forward together or are some differences in desire just a bit too much?

At first glance, A Happy Catastrophe seems like it’ll be a typical rom com where two partners want slightly different things but zany circumstances and misadventures will bring them together.  Marnie even fits the mold of a wide-eyed, optimistic dreamer.  Yes, the novel will hit many typical rom-com beats, but it very quickly dispels any illusion that there isn’t more here.

Despite Marnie’s attempts at unwavering hope and joy, A Happy Catastrophe deals with tragedy, grief, and doubt.  The characters deal with their inner darkness and the idea of a happy ending feels less and less assured.  Readers will relate to Marnie as she fights to maintain her smile against mounting evidence against it.

Dawson does a great job building the characters and world of this novel, hitting a fine balance between light and dark.  The novel highlights the magic in the world without ever becoming too cheesy, while also peering into the darkness without ever becoming too heavy.  It’s an impressive feat paired with some wonderful writing.

This is a great novel for those who want to read characters with depth. Readers who are willing to journey through the hard times to find the good, will appreciate the journey this book takes them through.  

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez – 3/5 Stars

Charlotte and Seth, two neighbors who don’t know one another, find themselves in quite the predicament when the stairs to their apartment building are accidentally removed.  Trapped one story up for a weekend, the two have only each other for company.  If Charlotte can let Seth past the defenses she’s built thanks to a stalker, and Seth can open his heart again after a divorce, they may just find a spark between them.  

This is a sweet short story with likable characters.  It does a strong job of making the most of its page count, quickly building a romance while also laying seeds for a potential threat in the background.  

For those who love quick romances, this will hit the right notes with its charm.  For those who hate stories where feelings blossom a bit too quickly, they might want to look elsewhere.

Like the trees that Seth loves so much, The Fall Risk is a solid novella that will hit just right for lovers of romance and rom-com books.

Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire – 2/5 Stars

This is the story of Elphaba, the girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.  From her childhood to her years in school to everything that comes afterward, Wicked is a look at the land of Oz through a new lens.  Old characters are reimagined and reinterpretted while new facets of this world are explored and expanded upon.  Dorothy won’t be the only one travelling through a strange new place.

As someone who is pretty familiar with the musical version of Wicked, it was interesting to see just how different the book is from the stage version.  There is plenty of overlap and it is easy to see how the musical pulled inspiration from the novel, but again, these are two extremely different stories.

The novel has its high and low points.  The book opens with a conversation that feels pretty offensive and dated, even if it is supposed to represent the discrimination against the Wicked Witch.  From there, we get the childhood of Elphaba, the eventual wicked witch, her time in school, and then her adult years leading up to her eventual encounter with Dorothy.  The sections definitely hit unevenly.

Throughout the novel, there are plenty of interesting ideas presented, but their execution varies.  The beginning drags a bit, but world building helps make it feel somewhat worth the journey.  The novel finally hits its stride and the quality goes up during the chapters in which the characters are in school. Yes, the section feels a bit padded at points, but a lot of what is there feels par for the course for a young adult drama, with gossip, rivalry, and the discovery of one’s values.  Again, Maguire provides glimpses into an interesting world and potential story.  

Once the book leaves school though, the novel drops in quality.  It really drags for a long time and it isn’t helped by the fact that so much of what came before no longer feels important.  A lot of characters don’t really matter any more until the few scenes where they pop up again to play a quick role, and when they do appear their characterization doesn’t feel consistent with what came before. 

After dragging for a while, the novel seems to realize that it needs to match up with the original tale better, so it rushes and forces elements to align with Baum’s original story.  In the end, readers are left with a lot of wasted potential and an unsatisfying ending.  

This book may be worth it for those who really enjoy the lore of Oz and want some interesting ideas surrounding it.  Overall though, this is an uneven experience that definitely won’t hit the high of the broadway musical for those more familiar with that version of the story.

Comics Read This Month:

• The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 9 – Gang War by Zeb Wells
• The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 10 – Breath by Zeb Wells
• Miles Morales: Spider-Man vol. 1 – Trial by Spider by Cody Ziglar
• Hulk vol. 2 – Hulk Planet by Donny Cates