The July Round-Up

Another month has come and gone - which means (eep!) I only have one month to go until my deadline! Write write write...But enough about that! What did I read this month?

*July Winner!* Every Day, by David Levithan. YA, Fantasy. A+ 
Pros: Unique storyline, great characters, fascinating exploration of varying teenage perspectives, epic romance. Cons: Ending is a little unclear.

Persuasion, by Jane Austen. Romance, Classic. A+
Pros: Lovely romance, clever subtext, fantastic heroine (my favourite of Austen's). Cons: Some mixed messages.  

The Vicious Deep, by Zoraida Cordova. YA, Fantasy. B-
Pros: Great depiction of Coney Island setting, hilarious hero POV, great family dynamic, strong female love interest ... Cons: ...strong female love interest exhibits strength by doing stupid things. Magical mermaid setting is less well developed. Sloppy and unresolved ending. 

Crazy for Love, by Victoria Dahl. Romance, Contemporary. C 
Pros: Solid writing, lots of drama. Cons: Hero's serious anxiety disorder is shrugged off, unrealistically. Muddled romantic obstacles.

Wake, by Amanda Hocking. YA, Fantasy. D+
Pros: Heroines' love interests are respectful, nice boys. Interesting gender reversal in the supernatural-creature romance. Cons: Flacid "tell over show" writing style. Cutesy romance. Underdeveloped siren villainesses come close to body- and slut-shaming.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, by Chris Colfer. Middle Grade, Fantasy. D+
Pros: Witty dialogue, creative idea. Cons: Lame "tell over show" writing style, over-convenient and nonsensical world-building, pedantic and patronizing tone, overromanticization of villainy.

*July Dud* Sins of a Wicked Duke, by Sophie Jordan. Romance, Historical. D-
Pros: Hero has a wicked-cool snake tattoo on his nipple - and don't worry if you missed the first time it was mentioned, it'll only be referenced again ANOTHER 1,284 TIMES. Cons: Victim-blaming slut-shaming sexually-assaulting hero + doormat "Oirish" Heroine with Fantastic Hair = The Opposite of FunTimes. 

The Heir, by Grace Burrowes. Romance, Historical. DNF 
Pros: Hero and heroine are respectful, sensible people who like to talk out their problems. Cons: Over a hundred pages of talking about their problems without actually encountering any problems! ZzzzZZzz....