Pride Month and Literature

June is almost over, which puts me closer to going away for college, aka not having all the time in the world to read and write. But I'm excited for college!

This month has been...tumultuous. From Orlando, to Brexit, to every tragedy in between, this month hasn't been the kindest to the world. I'm not a very emotional person, but there have been moments during this month where I just want to fall on the floor and cry for every hurt people have felt and continue to endure for the sake of love. I support the LGBTQ+ community, I support the starry-eyed and hopeful youth, I support tolerant and loving people, I support love. Love is love, and if you don't believe that the rest of this post probably isn't for you (the blog probably isn't for you) 

With that said, this month I immersed myself in literature featuring LGBTQ+ leads. It started unintentionally, but when I did notice the trend, I carried it through the month.

It doesn't count but I read The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater back in May, and yeah...Pynch is the shit.

June reads:

1. King's Rising by CS Pacat

2. The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic 

3. The Raven King by Nora Sakavic

4. The King's Men by Nora Sakavic

5. Check, Please! updates by Ngozi (this is a webcomic, not a book but fuck it)

6. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

And what do you know, every single one of these books features a main couple that is gay. 

In Pacat's trilogy, you have a slow burn between Prince Damianos/Damen (bi) and Prince Laurent (gay). What I really enjoyed about Pacat's fantasy world was how normalized the LGBTQ+  features of the story were. In Vere, it's typical to be in same-sex relationship, and in Akielos it's up to your taste from what I can tell. And no one judged Laurent for sleeping with Damen because it was gay, but because he killed his brother, which is honestly such a better reason to question someone's relationship. But no matter their pasts, these two murdered me with the conclusion of the Captive Prince trilogy. Thinking over it now, I'm totally going to properly review King's Rising as the book deserves.

My last post was about All for the Games trilogy, so I won't go into too much detail. All I have to say is that the main relationship isn't all fluff and nice, but rarely are the best relationships. Both of these guys have their problems, but it's in the way they support and understand each other that makes them such a good fit. Neil and Andrew are both forces of nature, and sometimes it's a surprise one hasn't killed the other. Then you have to remember that Andrew only wants to commit murder 90% of the time he's with Neil (inside joke to the book, I'm sorry). Andrew has touching issues, which totally makes sense considering the sexual abuse he endured as a child, and Neil respects his boundaries fully, and it's so nice to see two people understand and accept each other. This couple took a long time to get together, but the building relationship between them in TFC and TRK are just as intriguing to follow and watch develop.

As alluded Check, Please! isn't a book, but a webcomic by super talented artist Ngozi. The webcomic is accessible via tumblr for free and please do yourselves a favor and READ IT. I got into this thanks to a stray post by someone I follow on tumblr. It spoiled the end of Year 2 for me but I didn't care because the whole story is amazing (and barely halfway over). There's still so much time for shit to go down, which makes me terrified because the main couple is so perfect and adorable and healthy. Like, if you compare Year 1 Jack Zimmermann to Year 3 Jack Zimmermann, you can see the change. Jack is currently engulfed in the glow of love, and he needs that more than anything as he starts his NHL career. There is underlying angst in this couple/story because they both have to keep the relationship a secret from everyone, including their best friends, for the sake of Jack's career. But man, cute as shit, and if you don't want to read this for the couple, read it for the characters!! The SMH team is full of hilarious and unique characters, and this comic is a national treasure. 

Finally, the book I got from Barnes and Noble yesterday at ~4 PM and finished just before midnight that same day...Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Now, let me tell you the feature of this book that really got me: identity. Chicano identity, sexual identity, just pure 'who am I' identity. As a Chicana, there was one word in this whole book that really got to me: pocho. In Spanish, it means half-assed Mexican. And never have I felt a single word hit me harder. I'm not going to talk about my struggles with cultural identity, but this book hit me hard. It probably would've hit me harder if I had read it a few years back, when I knew less about who I truly am. Now that I have a clue of what kind of person I am, the story didn't rip me to shreds as much as it once could've. That doesn't mean the story didn't kill me. Sáenz's writing style is short and seemingly simplistic, but with his words he carries depth and emotion. I would be smiling down at this book, then rubbing my eyebrows because 'holy hell did that just happen?', then on the verge of tears because this book got me in places not many other book have. Ari and Dante are totally different people that mesh together perfectly. From Dante's first words to Ari to the last damn chapter, I was routing for them. I am kind of upset I read this book so fast because it was totally unintentional. I got it at Barnes because I felt the need to go out and do something, and then next thing I know I'm in a severe book hangover in the dead of night, listening to Radiohead. But I was revived at the news that there will be sequel to this, and you can bet your ass that I am going to pre-order it and read it all in one day and probably turn into a pile of tears. I'm excited to see where Ari and Dante's journey and relationship goes in the sequel, and I'm sure I will be re-reading snippets of this book for a while.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: 5/5 stars

All for the Game Trilogy

You know, I truly consider myself an avid reader. There are definitely people who run book blogs who read a lot faster than me (and put up better reviews) but I still think I'm a well-paced reader. That said I can't remember the last time I read a book in 24 hours...let alone for 3 days in a row.

Meet the series that changed that: All for the Game trilogy by Nora Sakavic
Book I. The Foxhole Court, finished 6.20
Book II. The Raven King, finished 6.21
Book III. The King's Men, finished 6.22

Spoilers to follow...

I picked up this series upon recommendations after completing the Captive Prince trilogy (I will maybe do a full review for King's Rising later, but to skip to the end I gave it 5/5 stars). I didn't know what to expect but it sure as hell wasn't this. It sounds typical, yes, but it's the truth. Part of me was prepared for a story taken over by 'the college experience' aka drinking, partying, hooking up. And while there were those elements in the book, it didn't consume the story. Another piece of me was expecting lighthearted tones despite the premise of the book. I laugh thinking about that expectation now because it was CRUSHED.

Pictured right: Foxhole fanart by squidwithelbows.tumblr.com. She's great check her out!! (Top to bottom: Neil Josten, Kevin Day, Andrew Minyard)

Every character in this series is a mess, which is exactly why they're brought together at Palmetto State to play Exy. I will not attempt to explain Exy to you but it is violent (like ice hockey violent) which makes it very exciting for a person like me. Contact sports are my shit to play and watch and now read about lol.
Back to characters. The team has a natural rift between them. There's the upperclassmen: Dan, Matt, Allison, and Renee. These guys have their own layers of problems (not with each other but themselves) but they have nothing on the other half of their team: the monsters, as the upperclassmen refer to them as.
Kevin, Andrew, Aaron, and Nicky. All of them have their shitty problems, probably with Nicky getting it off easiest with his homophobic and hyper-religious parents who think he is pure sin. Sounds pretty lame, but just read about everyone else's situations. But I love Nicky as the only open gay character in the first book. He's flirty despite having a boyfriend back in Germany but also the safest out of the monsters to approach. Out of the four I think he is the only one that would say hi to me. But that doesn't keep me from loving the monsters, especially Andrew!!
Andrew and Aaron are twin brothers, though they didn't know each other for most of their lives. If there wasn't the reminder that they are brothers, you would think they hate each other (and maybe they kind of do. Like I said, everyone is messed up). Andrew is dubbed a sociopath by even his own group and fits the part with his violent spells, calloused personality, and psychotic smile, as caused by his meds. I do not have the heart to spoil or talk about what happens to Andrew in TRK but to summarize: it crushed my spirit and this boy will always be very important to me as a character.

The protagonist of the series is Neil Josten. Just another boy with a messed up past and uncertain future? Yes! But while he has a screwed up past like his new teammates, his is a lot more lethal and deadly. As the only son of the Butcher, a notorious mobster who loves his cleaver and carved up bodies, Neil has been on the run for the last eight years. He was raised in a horrendous way that causes him to react differently to what seems to normal to us. He has a mental breakdown over getting a phone, guys. This boy is precious to me I mean just look at him (once again amazing art by squidwithelbows.tumblr.com)

I don't really know what made me so addicted to this book. Some of my favorite things to see and write about in stories is a group dynamic, and All for the Game nails this. The rift between the Foxes seems impossible to mend at the beginning of the series but by the last game of their season you see that they're a family. They may not all get along but that doesn't matter. They are jagged pieces that fit together to make a whole, beautiful family. Even before their win over the Ravens, Neil can see that his team is a home like he's never had before, and he's willing to fight for it, no matter how much it will hurt him. He went to Evermore Castle, literally the hellhole that is their enemy's lair, just to make sure Andrew got out of the hospital fine and the Foxes were safe over winter break. TRK destroyed me, from Neil turning himself over to the biggest demonic asshole to exist, Riko Moriyama, to Andrew in general. I think it might be my favorite book in the trilogy but that is very hard to say.

This series was suspenseful, wonderfully written by Sakavic, and composed of some of the best characters I've ever read. As I write this review, I realize that I can't embody the pure emotion I have for this series. I laid on the floor, blasting music and staring at the wall, after finishing TKM because it was over. This trilogy I sold my time and heart to for 3 days had met THE END. I haven't dared to open another book because this book hangover is severe. It is even affecting my writing, which is not appreciated but I would never have missed out on the opportunity to read this. I can genuinely say that this book series has impacted me as a person, reader, and writer.

The Foxhole Court- 5/5
The Raven King- 5/5
The King's Men- 5/5

Bring on the Night Court

Some books you know you love from page one. Some books you know you love only when you reach THE END. A Court of Mist and Fury was somewhere in between (actually more like page 400 out of 600), but the fact remains the same: I love it. I'd go as far to say it's the best book Sarah J Maas has published.

This book is unique for a fantasy novel. While there is the prevalent banter, hot characters, and action that composes a Maas novel, there's more in this. There's Feyre healing. There's Rhys healing. And there's the former love interest being an asshole.

ACOMAF SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
you have been warned...

Let the record show that I was skeptical of Feyre and Tamlin's falling out prior to reading ACOMAF. I didn't doubt for a second that Feyre/Tamlin wasn't going to be endgame after this book. Have you seen Sarah J Maas's Pinterest board for ACOTAR. It's all Feyre/Rhysand as far as main couples are shown. 
In Queen of Shadows, I personally felt as though Chaol, the protagonist's former love interest, was entirely ruined as a character for the sake of the new love interest, Rowan Whitehorn, a character I do not adore. I like him enough, but he's an ember compared to the characters, both male and female, of ACOMAF.
So I went into ACOMAF terrified that Maas would sacrifice a character she spent a whole book building up just to pair her protagonist with a new love interest. Such is not that case!
After skimming through ACOMAF's predecessor, A Court of Thorns and Roses, I found that hints to Tamlin's true nature, as revealed by ACOMAF, were woven into Feyre's narrative. Especially in the case of Under the Mountain. It seems like everyone did something to help Feyre through her trials--everyone except for Tamlin. Well, okay, maybe Amarantha and her cohorts, too.
But it's one thing to not help the proclaimed love of your life when she is being chased by a giant, toothed worm, or when she gets an infection from the bone impaled in her arm, or when Amarantha goes to snap her damn neck because in helping her, you risk her life, your life, and your people's lives. It's another thing entirely to trap said love of your life (who has some PTSD/depression issues following her traumatic experiences TO SAVE YOUR ASS) inside your home when all she wanted was to keep helping you.
Tamlin was doing nothing to help Feyre heal. If anything, he and Ianthe made everything worse. This noted, I'm not one of the fans who aggressively wants Tamlin dead. Yeah, he sucks, he was stupid for going to the King of Hybern for help, but this guy has his problems, too. I am NOT condoning his actions, but I feel like there can be room for redemption in the next and final book in the trilogy, so long as Feyre allows it. 
Onto better things than the Spring Court, the Night Court. Each member is unique and witty. All of them have their tragic pasts which they've overcome to stand at their High Lord's side. And their High Lord endured a hell of a lot to return to his court and people in Velaris. Out of the bunch of them, I think I have an odd appeal for Amren. Quiet, lethal and short hair. I dig it.
But, as typical for me, my favorite new character from this book doesn't originate in the Night Court...but the Summer Court.
Tarquin, High Lord of the Summer Court. The unsung character of this novel who was around for 50 pages --if that. I'm upset that no one ever talks about him. Guess it's my fault for always liking the secondary male characters best (@ Lucien in ACOTAR).
From the Summer Court to the Night Court, the new lands explored in ACOMAF were all well-developed and creative. Velaris's beauty was told magically, and the edgy horror of the Hewn City helped establish why everyone thinks the Night Court is awful. Any court in Prythian would be deemed terrible if they had a Court of Nightmares. 
While the book was long, the prose and story was captivating throughout. The slow development of Rhys and Feyre's relationship was nice to read across the majority of the novel. Some chapters between them made me very emotional, especially Rhys's story concerning his long-term bond to Feyre, a bond that existed well before ACOTAR began. This story is about Feyre, but it's also about her and her mate recovering from Amarantha's reign of terror with each other's help and love. I think that's part of the reason why their relationship is so lovely to read and experience. Or it can be that they both are snarky, strong characters.
This book dealt with healing after traumatic experiences. Not just for a female lead but her male counterpart, too. But for Feyre, I think she finally understood what she is capable of in this book. She is a powerful Fae Made by the seven High Lords, and now she gets to be a badass High Lady disguised as Tamlin's little doll in the Spring Court.
The end of ACOMAF saw several questions unanswered, but I'm really excited for the third book in this trilogy to come out next spring. As of now, it's my most anticipated book for 2017.

You guys should check out jp-designs.tumblr.com for the beautiful artwork shown in this review. She does an amazing job of portraying Feyre and Rhys in two scenes from the book.


Also check out Sarah J Maas's playlist for ACOMAF. I personally love it.