Thirsty by Jas Hammonds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“We don’t fall in love with the worst versions of people.”
I love how honest Jas Hammonds books are. Every time I am blown away by how gripped they have me and the way that ordinary life can leave me in a choke-hold. Being a teenager hasn’t been my favorite so contemporary YA usually isn’t my go-to for escapism but what I love about this book is it delves beneath the drama and pulls out characters who are going against the grain to rise above it. Weighing heavy on Blake are the expectations of her peers and the society of her dreams. The evolution of her character was fascinating to watch as she tries to reconcile what she feels like she’s supposed to do in order to fit in and having space to figure out what is actually best for her.
The messy reality of flawed relationships hit so close to home and even though it was hard to watch Blake make mistakes and hurt those who truly cared for her, I couldn’t help rooting for her. The tone of the story was very melancholy and Blake having been immersed in toxic circles for so long, holding onto grudges and bottling up the pain, there was a weight sitting on the story that was such a relief to shed with her at the resolution. The audio-book narration was excellent, the intonations and character voices spot-on. Overall, there were so many layers here to unpick. I would definitely want other readers to know of potential triggers before starting as it can get heavy but it is an incredibly well-crafted book and I highly recommend it for the writing and subject matter. Happy Reading 🙂
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
“He belongs to the terrible tyranny of the majority.”
This was a very interesting read. The writing style wasn’t my favorite as I’m the kind of person who prefers to have all the information presented to me and not really have to dig to grasp hidden metaphors. As such, even though this book is quite short, it was a difficult one for me to get through. I also chose to listen to it instead of reading which I’m unsure was the right choice or not. I think the messages were good and the futuristic take on society was interesting but it ultimately got muddled in the convoluted narrative. The characters were sadly underdeveloped and I was disappointed by the sexist undertones. From such a well loved book I was expecting more!
One of the things the author drew out that I appreciated was the stripped back approach to dystopian society. The intended ‘utopia’ here claims that the absence of literature would contribute to no one feeling inferior. If you are unaware of what you don’t have then no one feels the need to stir up rebellion. It also speaks to how if someone is privileged enough and happens to disagree with something, its okay to just get rid of it cough book banners cough I also liked how it touched on how quickly our perspectives can change and why it is so crucial that we aren’t quick to judge. “Don’t heckle them. You were recently of them yourself!” Montaug is told after his eyes are opened to the dark underbelly of his society and he is enraged that no one else sees it.
I can definitely see why this book is a classic. Even though I was let down by a few aspects, I am glad that I was still able to take away some really good pieces as well! Happy Reading 🙂
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