Sunday, September 10, 2017

An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King



An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King
Published by: Harper Voyager on September 12, 2017
Pages: 416
Source: Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by my job (for free, not a paid sponsorship)
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Asia


”Under the One Child Policy, everyone plotted to have a son. Now 40 million of them can't find wives. China’s One Child Policy and its cultural preference for male heirs have created a society overrun by 40 million unmarriageable men. By the year 2030, more than twenty-five percent of men in their late thirties will not have a family of their own. An Excess Male is one such leftover man’s quest for love and family under a State that seeks to glorify its past mistakes and impose order through authoritarian measures, reinvigorated Communist ideals, and social engineering.

Wei-guo holds fast to the belief that as long as he continues to improve himself, his small business, and in turn, his country, his chance at love will come. He finally saves up the dowry required to enter matchmaking talks at the lowest rung as a third husband—the maximum allowed by law. Only a single family—one harboring an illegal spouse—shows interest, yet with May-ling and her two husbands, Wei-guo feels seen, heard, and connected to like never before. But everyone and
everything—walls, streetlights, garbage cans—are listening, and men, excess or not, are dispensable to the State. Wei-guo must reach a new understanding of patriotism and test the limits of his love and his resolve in order to save himself and this family he has come to hold dear.”

My Thoughts: This book is dangerous, controversial, and extremely hard to put down.

When reading the synopsis, I was initially intrigued by the fact that this book is a dystopia based on actual events in our history. The One-Child Policy in China was introduced in 1979 as a way to help reduce population overgrowth, as well as to curb overconsumption of natural resources. The policy dictated that the majority of families in China have only once child. As of 2016, China has adopted a Two-Child Policy, allowing each family to have two children.

In An Excess Male, we see the potential future of the One-Child Policy if it had been allowed to continue to 2030. In this world, women marry two men in order to increase the chance of producing more children. In addition, a newer policy allowing women to take on a third husband has recently become in trend so that there is a higher possibility of producing heirs. I say that this book is dangerous and controversial because, despite women taking on polygamous roles, a woman’s husbands are still ultimately in control of the household, finances, etc. I think that this can be explained by the fact that there are simply so many men in China in this novel that feminism is all but stamped out

This book is told from the 4 perspectives: May-ling, young wife to 2 husbands and mother to a young child; Hann, Husband One in a triad marriage; Xiong-xin (or XX), Husband Two; and Wei-guo, the hopeful suitor to the triad marriage. The characters of Hann and XX are the most controversial because they represent two extremely fearful ‘defects’ that the world of An Excess Male is trying to eradicate: the Willfully Sterile, aka homosexuals, and Lost Boys, aka people with mental disabilities or illnesses. With both husbands on the cusp of being discovered and potentially torn from their marriage, Wei-guo is the understanding, appreciative, and helpful suitor that hopes to join their odd ranks, and even potentially ease some of the tension that these monikers have on the family.

This book is not for the easily offended because it encroaches on some very sensitive topics concerning living in hiding as a gay man and avoiding public scrutiny for mental illness. I found these topics to be extremely interesting because they are often shunned or avoided by authors in hopes of potentially selling more books by not offending anyone. I’m interested to see what other opinions surface of this dystopic book.

My Rating: ★★★

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Friday Reads (on a Saturday..)

Due to some nice accidental scheduling on my part, I bring you Friday Reads! ... on Saturday!

Despite my lack of book reviews for a few weeks, I have indeed been reading. At this time, most of my reading is actually of ARCs supplied from either NetGalley or Edelweiss, so not all of them have been published when I'm reading them. In the case for the two most recent books I've read, both don't actually come out for a few months! But I still want to give you a heads up for some really cool book reviews coming your way...

Most recently, An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King: 


This novel dives into a dystopic China in 2030, where the One-Child-Policy has had detrimental side effects. There are simply so many men in China that women regularly marry two husbands. In the case of one of our protagonists, Wei-guo, he hopes to become the third husband to a woman named May-ling. As we follow Wei-guo's courtship with May-ling and her other two husbands, other social conflict in 2030 China come to light. Homosexuality is deemed as being 'willfully sterile' and, with the over-population of men in the country, mental illness can deem a man a 'Lost Boy,' someone who is not fit for producing children. Look out for my full review of this novel closer to it's September 12 release!

As for my Friday (Saturday) reads, The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin:


Yes! Indeed, this is the first novel in what is to be Hodkin's companion series to the Mara Dyer trilogy! (Some potential spoilers for that original series here). This is not a 'from his point of view' novel, but instead a continuation after the Mara Dyer series finale. Noah Shaw, a rather sarcastic, self-centered teen comes to New York City with his now official girlfriend, Mara. Seems pretty contemporary, right? Well, after the events of the previous series, the couple's mysterious powers seem to be somehow amplified. Noah is having visions of other teens with powers committing suicide, and being in NYC seems to only bring more visions. Noah and 'friends' (used loosely, because Noah is a bit of a sociopath at times) try to uncover the evolution of their powers and what this means for their future.

I'm really enjoying this ARC from Edelweiss so far, although I really don't like how Noah and Mara seem to have been.... changed. Mara is a bit over-sexualized so far, and Noah can't seem to crack the habit of keeping things from Mara. It seems like a bit of an over-hyped OTP for now, but I'm along for the ride because I really enjoyed the Mara Dyer series when I read it. Who knows? Maybe at the conclusion of this one I will stick along, or just drop it. I'm always open to putting down firsts in series if I'm not into it, so I definitely am not tied down *she says to herself, trying to convince herself*. I'll have my full review of this up closer to it's November 7th release.

What are you guys reading this weekend? Are you excited about either of these new releases?

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan


Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Series: Crazy Rich Asians #1
Published by: Doubleday in June 2013
Pages: 527
Source: Purchased by Me
Genres: Contemporary, Social Conflict, Domestic Fiction, Asia

"When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country's most eligible bachelor.

On Nick's arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers. (Source: Goodreads)

My ThoughtsI’ll start off with a warning: DO NOT be intimidated by the scope of this novel. Before it even begins, there is an extensive family tree (you will only become extremely familiar with about 1/8 of them, so do not cry!) which is more than a little intimidating.

The Family Tree:

I originally started reading this book in January 2016 shortly after purchasing it and was almost immediately crushed by anxiety. I read less than 100 pages and had about 50 sticky notes on the pages in an attempt to track all of the introduced characters and their characterization. This scared me away from this book and I kept putting off reading it every time I would come back to my TBR shelf.

The proof: 

HOWEVER, I am happy to announce that upon picking it up again this month, I was able to complete it in less than a week. Not only that, but when I was not reading it, I found myself itching to read it. I would often stop what I was doing and find my way back to the pages in order to get another taste, to see what drama was going to happen next, and to see if anyone would end up happy by the conclusion!

I want to mention that this novel portrays only a small scope of what the crazy rich must act like, especially in Singapore. We all like to imagine how ridiculous people in tabloids act and spend their ‘well-earned’ money, but Crazy Rich Asians puts American billionaires to shame. Although I wasn’t personally familiar with 99% of the locations or food dishes that were introduced in this novel (and honestly didn’t have time to look them all up), Kwan did an amazing job at describing and building these extravagant scenes with words. I feel it was extremely easy to relate to our main character, Rachel, who has grown up with a single mom who struggled to make it in America. Most readers’ jaws will drop (like mine) when they realize how fantastical and mythical these characters live.

There was also such a sense of drama and social combativeness in this novel. Women against women, families trying to ‘preserve’ their good names, and throwing gossip around like a Real Housewife would throw a cocktail in someone’s face. I would categorize this book as a contemporary romance-ish because it deals with super-wealthy people and their relationships (ups, downs, and all over the place), and that’s honestly not generally a genre I dip my toes into. It’s not heavily bogged down with romance though, and honestly it’s more about world-building and allowing the reader to understand the complex relationships that these people have with money.

I think the quickness with which I completed this novel really solidifies how much I loved it. It wasn’t too light and airy that it was a throwaway novel, but something about the frivolous spending of money and the carelessness of some of the wealthy people’s actions sweeps you up into their lifestyle. I started to think ‘Yeah, so what if she spends another $250,000 on a dress? That’s less than she makes in a few weeks!’ I was wrapped up in this world and I’m excited to read the next two novels.. And to also check out the movie that will hopefully be coming out by 2018!

My Rating: 

Monday, July 31, 2017

Extropia: Mind Game by Robin Bootle



Extropia: Mind Game by Robin Bootle
Series: Extropia #1
Published by: Troubador Publishing Ltd on March 2, 2017
Pages: 320
Source: Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley
Genre: Virtual Reality, Science Fiction, Teen


”An act of sabotage leaves Edward’s father trapped inside a virtual reality game, Extropia. In a desperate bid to save him, Edward follows, entering a world he knows he might never leave. A world of artificially intelligent beings, subjected to a life of misery and fear in the name of entertainment. Now one of them has learned of the real world, and is determined to have his revenge…” (Source: Goodreads)

My Thoughts: Outside of reading, one of my favorite hobbies is playing video games, especially open-world adventures like Skyrim and Fallout. In addition, virtual reality play such as the Sword Art Online series are extremely interesting to me. If you’re at all interested in these things, you will fall in love with Extropia: Mind Game.

This novel doesn’t stay in one place for very long as our main character, Edward, traverses the unbelievably realistic world of Extropia, a science fiction virtual reality video game created by his missing father and brother. Why is he so emotionally invested in the characters presented to him? Why does the world affect him as if it’s real? I found that Robin Bootle’s experience with role-playing video games helped portray the main character as a gamer, someone experienced in how leveling and game progression worked. There were no questions on my end that were not answered throughout the story.

Even if you’re not a fan of video games, this story has a lot to offer. The world of Extropia is full of political strife and feuding powers. Edward must decide if the very real possibility of death and dismemberment is worth risking for virtual reality characters. Can he really make a difference in the trek he makes through this danger-ridden world, or is he just following pre-determined steps in a quest that was meant for every other player of the game? Can you really grow to have emotional bonds with synthetic characters in a video game? And if so, how far will you go for those that you bond with?

My Rating: ★★★★

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman



Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Published by: Penguin Putnam Adult on June 13, 1995
Series: Practical Magic #1
Pages: 286
Source: Purchased by me
Genre: Magical Realism, Multi-Generational, Witches


”For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic...” (Source: Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I found this novel to be a pleasant surprise, especially because I’d never heard very much information about it before reading. I vaguely remember watching the 1998 film by the same name starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, but it wasn’t vivid enough in my memory to influence my experience too heavily.

This is probably one of my only foray s into the magical realism genre and I’m not really sure how that makes me feel. The title might suggest it, but the ‘magic’ that is presented in this novel is presented in a more realistic way than outright witchcraft. To break it down, there are characters in this book that portray the stereotypical image of witches, but there are also characters that don’t really believe in the craft. In addition, whenever magic is mentioned, it is never by the moniker (i.e. ‘magic’), but more like a heavy influence. As I read, I felt myself thinking words like hex, curse, and spell, but these words are never actually used. Hoffman uses our personal experiences outside of what is directly written on the page in order to push us toward certain assumptions about the characters, especially when it comes to what magic is or who might be a witch

This novel bridges 3 different generations, giving you the opportunity to see how different women in the Owens family view magic, especially whether they believe in it or not. Due to the fiery nature of the women in their past, some characters seem to have pre-determined fates, while others run off the rails in order to create new paths that ultimately come back to the same point. I absolutely loved how Hoffman created such powerful women in this novel, sometimes powerful for their ability to withstand certain pain, and other times for their outright attitudes.

My Rating: ★★★

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan



Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
Published by: Simon & Schuster on November 13, 2012
Pages: 268
Source: Purchased by me
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir, Medicine, Psychology


"When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?" (Source: Goodreads description)

My Thoughts: I’ll be honest; it took me about 50 pages to really believe what was going on in this psychology memoir. My initial reaction to reading about Cahalan’s slow descent into ‘madness’ was doubt. She’s a journalist, so of course she has the ability to persuade someone into thinking what she wants you to think, but the openness of her journey is what really had me reeling. She approaches her dark experiences in an extremely researched and open way that leaves literally nothing to be imagined. As you crawl deeper into the rabbit hole that was her spiraling life, you come to realize that it’s not a story anyone would create for attention. This memoir relates real psychological and physical pain unlike anything most people will ever experience

I found this book extremely fascinating because it brought together many parts of Cahalan’s life into a bound up piece of work (of course, those pieces she has divulged, not necessarily her as a full person.. You get my point). As a journalist, she went to all of the people she was in contact with during her illness to get the point of views that others had when she was blind to reality. Having the context of her story from others makes it more accurate and ultimately polished.

Even if you aren’t interested in psychology and brain health, this is an extremely beautiful novel. It shows the strength of hope in a situation that can seem otherwise hopeless. It also shows how impossibly difficult it can be when yourself of self is lost and you have to build ‘you’ back up from rubble. Obviously, this isn’t your average memoir.

My Rating: ★★★

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Review: Turok, Dinosaur Hunter Vol. #1: Conquest



Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Vol. #1: Conquest by Greg Pak, Mirko Colak, and Cory Smith
Series: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter vol. #1
Published by: Dynamite on September 9, 2014
Pages: 128
Source: Purchased by me
Genre: Graphic Novel, Alternate History, Fantasy, Dinosaurs


"Shunned from his tribe, a young Native American named Turok fights to survive, making a lonely life for himself in the unforgiving forest. But his hard-won cunning and survival skills face the ultimate test when man-eating Thunder Lizards attack his people! Why are dinosaurs here? How have they survived? And will Turok use his abilities to save a society that's taken everything away from him?" (Source: Goodreads description)

My Thoughts: My personal experience with the Turok franchise has only been through brief moments playing the 2008 XBOX360 video game (click here for more information on this VERY different game).. Suffice to say, I was not at all prepared for the amazing journey ahead of me. I generally pick up anything that has a dinosaur on it, is about a dinosaur, or somehow involves treating dinosaurs nicely, so when I saw the horrific display of 'manhood' on the cover of Conquest, I was intrigued, but worried. Ultimately, I should have only been worried about whoever was against Turok and his soon-to-be-friend dinosaur companions.

I have always been fascinated with Disney's Pocahontas and Mel Gibson's Apocalypto for the same reason. (SPOILER WARNING FOR APOCALYPTO, KIND OF?) Both films/concepts introduce an interpretation of native, less technologically advanced human life in a region before European settlers came into the fray. Conquest depicts an even more alternate history version in which not only are Europeans coming to take over the land and displace natives, but they have brought along DINOSAURS to help do their bidding. It's not all as bad for the dinosaurs as the cover leads you to believe, and I really enjoyed the use of dinosaurs in a way that isn't simply scientific experimentation or time warping. I also really enjoyed the use of somewhat diluted and washed out colors in this graphic novel as a way of emoting exactly how dark and hopeless most of the storyline is. The content in the images was on full display, versus using bright, flashy colors to simply display the actual artwork itself (although the artwork itself was also very impressive).

My Rating: ★★★★