Monday Funday and "Solitude of a Birdcage" by Brielle Skye

Helloooooo, beautiful readers! Are there any readers out there? I don't know, but whoever is reading this, HI. It's a humid Monday here in Connecticut, and I've spent the day in an air-conditioned office. There was lots of downtime to read today, though- and I got a chance to finish my advanced copy of "Solitude of a Birdcage," graciously bestowed upon me by the fantastic publisher to review. And, alas, here are my thoughts on the book. :)

Maxie Shannon is a girl with a dark past and a bright future. The orphaned dancer-turned-chef shares an apartment with her best-friend-turned sister, Savannah (Van). Seems simple enough, right? Wrong. Maxie is secretly carrying on an intense, passionate love affair with Van's boyfriend, Isaac. Isaac is subjected to a terrible violent attack, causing him to lose his memory of the past year and a half, leading to the love, missteps, and new discoveries that take place within the novel. Does Maxie follow her head of her heart? Does she choose the one person she's always had or the man she's fallen deeply, madly in love with?

I was slightly hesitant when picking up this book. Don't get me wrong, I (not-so) secretly love chick lit. But I tend to be wary of cheesy romances incorporating a man's loss of memory in which women need to compete to reclaim his heart. I did, however, find this story completely enthralling. Once I finished the first few chapters, I couldn't stop reading. I went about my day, anxious to return to my book and find out what had happened with Maxie and the gang. The language, plotline, and character development were incredibly well-executed!

I got through about 3/4 of the book, completely ga-ga over Isaac, the main love story. However, I soon realized how strange and manipulating he was. As a feminist, I kind of wound up taking issue with the way that Isaac played with both Maxie and Van. Similarly, consent lines were definitely blurred- in certain scenes I took issue with Maxie saying no to Isaac, but him continuing his advances. Although she was totally into him and wanted to be with him, he still should have respected that "no." Along the same consent lines, dear readers, be aware if you may be triggered by mentions of sexual assault. Definitely not a huge plotline or subject in the novel, but there are a few points that you may want to watch out for!

In total, I'd give the book 3 stars. Definitely a great, quick read- I will definitely buy the other books in the series when they come out. If you're interested in the book, it will be out on September 13, 2014! Find out more at Brielle's website here.



Have a great night! xoxoxox Abby

"Skin and Bones" by Sherry Shahan

In a wonderful twist on a YA story about eating disorders, Sherry Shahan addresses a multitude of hard-to-hear but important issues in an easy-to-read, 274 novel. Meet Jack, also known as "Bones," a teenager with anorexia. Bones enters into the world of an inpatient hospitalization program where he attempts to regain his control over food, shed his eating disorder, and learn to be at peace with a healthy lifestyle. While reluctant at first, Jack befriends his very overweight roommate (who dubs himself "Lard" based on his appearance) and a frail dancer who also has anorexia (Alice).

This book was good- not bad by any means- but definitely didn't have me jumping for joy. Let's work out a pros-and-cons list, shall we?

Pro: Addresses eating disorders at an appropriate level for YA readers
Con: Portrays an unrealistic inpatient hospitalization environment
The fact that the book addresses (1) eating disorders and (2) A MALE with anorexia is absolutely fantastic. This is something rarely captured in most literature, especially YA. However, the inpatient environment that Bones is put into is completely inaccurate and may skew some YA readers' visions of inpatient to be less serious than it actually is. Patients, while technically having many restrictions, are able to roam freely and sneak out without repercussion. They hang out on the roof (which would NEVER be allowed in ANY inpatient unit) and smoke (also wouldn't be allowed for teenagers). While I do agree that eating disorders need to be addressed differently in YA books and adult books, I think it is important to show a realistic hospital setting.

Pro: Shows the actual effects of anorexia (ie. Alice)
Con: Cuts off at an odd place which doesn't leave any room for closure with Alice
Alice was an easily-lovable character, at least for me. Within moments of the character's introduction, I felt sympathy and compassion for a little girl who just wanted to dance and be "perfect." I was nervous, however, that the book would turn into a boy-meets-girl boy-tells-girl-she's-beautiful girl-recovers kind of book. Thankfully, Shahan did a wonderful job of portraying the actual medical, physical effects of such a disorder (not just with Alice, but also with other characters). Specifically regarding Alice, the a character we love and are rooting for is just as vulnerable as everyone else to the effects of anorexia is a very important point. On a more literary note, I did not like how the Alice plotline was abruptly ended at the end of the book. While I was content with the endings for the other characters, I felt like Alice's was incomplete in a way. We kind of never really knew what had happened - I want to find out about dear, sweet Alice!

In general, it's a good read. I did really enjoy it! 3 stars.