Luke's Anime Reviews #3: Kiznaiver

Hype: we see it in all forms of media, mostly for movie commercials. The action, the glowing reviews, the moments that make you laugh: all of those are there to entice you into buying tickets and being part of that popcorn bucket lugging and red cushioned movie seat experience. It doesn't even matter if the movie got a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes because the corporation will just use the quote and put a positive spin on it.

However, there's another side to hype where things get extremely passionate: the fans. These are the ones that post glowing tweets, who are there from the first preview until the final credits roll and can't get enough, who talk nonstop about it to their friends and family and order them to get involved. It's basically just a way for more money to be spent (or for things to be streamed), but it really isn't for the fan's gain. They're only really spreading the love for something they enjoyed, and if the word gets out, that's all that matters to them.

In terms of anime, I don't think I've really seen as much pre-show hype for a show like I did for Kiznaiver. There was promotional videos with animation, voice actors talking about their characters, character clips, and even a pre-air episode that served as an introduction to the world, the staff, and had the voice actors jumping rope. I was immediately swept up in the colorful and gorgeous art that advertised a story of teenagers being forcibly bonded through their wounds against a backdrop of a futuristic city. I couldn't deny that it captivated me and practically drove my desire to watch this show. Add to that a promising cast, dynamic colors, and the prolific likes of Mari Okada (a writer most famous for her work on shows like Anohana and Black Butler), animation studio Trigger (Kill la Kill), and Yuki Hayashi (score for DRAMAtical Murder and Death Parade), and I was automatically signed up.

In the end, was Kiznaiver worth the hype? Or did it falter and disappoint?

Luke's Book Reviews #8: This Is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang

Do you ever have those authors who wrote a first book that you absolutely loved, and because of that, you wait for their next title with bated breath? That happened to me with Amy Zhang's debut Falling into Place, a skillfully written novel about the most popular girl in school attempting to commit suicide following Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Not only was the novel published when Zhang was only 18 (*applause*), but I remember sitting on the couch back in December 2014 and reading the last 100 or so pages while holding back tears/squealing because I loved it so much. The book was written in an interesting fashion, utilizing the nonlinear style and an interesting narrator to tell the story from multiple points of view. Although the subject matter itself had been seen before, it was done in such a unique way that I couldn't help but find it a gem.

Due to my love for her debut, Zhang's second release was eagerly awaited by me, and although all it had was a title for nine months, I was excited nevertheless. When the cover came out, I was more excited than ever because a) LOOK AT THE PRETTY! and b) the synopsis sounded amazing. However, reviews for the ARCs started rolling in a couple months later, and a lot of people had mixed feelings about it. For one thing, they said that the synopsis actually had a huge spoiler in it (you might be able to guess it from the cover), and that although the writing was good, they didn't seem to like our characters and found them really unlikable. I was surprised by these reviews, most notably because I wasn't getting any particular predictable vibes from the novel, and the fact that Zhang had made Liz sympathetic in Falling into Place even though she could be incredibly cruel to her fellow classmates and even her friends. I had some mild hesitation going into this, but I still had high hopes, and once this came into the library on hold for me, I swooped it up and immediately dug in.

So, how was This Is Where the World Ends? Was it on the level of Amy Zhang's debut novel, or were there some pieces missing to make everything complete?

Luke's Book Reviews #7: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Complex or high fantasies are always polarizing for readers like me. On the one hand, they could have great characters and an interesting world with hidden cracks for people to discover. On the other hand, they can be incredibly slow in terms of their pacing and not have the right elements in order to really make them pop. Series like Throne of Glass or A Song of Ice and Fire are great examples of this kind of genre, and while they can draw readers in, they can also turn them away due to their lengths.

Leigh Bardugo's debut novel, Shadow and Bone, was a shorter high fantasy novel that proved to be a disappointment. While the Grisha and the setting provided some interesting imagery and characters, most of the book felt cliche and incredibly underwhelming. The writing was all right but average, the main character was annoying, and the romance/love triangle was even more frustrating (don't get me started on AlinaxMal). For me, it felt like a stereotypical YA fantasy that was perfect for a crowd who wanted the same old tropes but repackaged.

Meanwhile, Bardugo's newest book did not seem to have the same problems. Six of Crows looked exciting and thrilling based on its synopsis, but it also looked much more complex, and based on the incredibly positive reviews coming in, people were enjoying it. I had my doubts, but mostly I was excited to see if Leigh Bardugo had improved from her first work.

So, was Six of Crows a disappointment? Or was it everything I was hoping for, and maybe even a little bit more than that?

Luke's Book Reviews #6: This One Summer by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki

When I was growing up, I stumbled upon a graphic novel series called Babymouse in Barnes & Noble. This sparked a genuine interest in picking up the third book called Beach Babe, and I immediately became hooked. To this day, some of my funniest memories come from reading that pink, black, and white series, and because of Babymouse, I've picked up graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier and read manga ranging in genres from shonen to shojo.

My occasional thirst for graphic novels and manga still remains today, and sometimes I need a break from the occasional YA fantasy or realistic fiction book. That's why I decided to pick up This One Summer. I hadn't heard much about it going in, but I did see the Printz Honor and Caldecott Honor stamps, which meant that this book had been met with critical acclaim. Would that mean that I would like it? I decided to read and find out.;

So how was This One Summer? Was it a nice break from all of those novels? Or was it an ultimately forgettable experience?

Luke's Book Reviews #5: Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

Realistic fiction has always been one of my biggest staples when it comes to reading. Sure, I like fantasy worlds and futuristic societies, but books about real life experiences set in the modern day will always stay close to my heart, especially now that I'm growing up. That's why most of the books I read are in this genre, this book included.

I was immediately sucked into reading this book via the tagline: "This is a story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them." The possibility of a bisexual love triangle was calling out to me, and the actual plot itself sounded interesting. Books about characters breaking out of their shells are always fun to read, and when I got this book from the library, I was ready to become a fan of Fans of the Impossible Life.

What exactly happened in Fans of the Impossible Life? Was it a rewarding, satisfying read that followed interesting characters and a heartfelt character arc? Or was it an average, run-of-the-mill realistic fiction novel that did nothing to stand out?

Luke's Book Reviews #4: Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian

Out of all the LGBT fiction books out there, bisexuality really hasn't made much of an appearance. From my perspective, half of the LGBT books have been focused on gay couples, 1/4 on lesbians, and 1/4 on the others, bisexual and transgender characters included. Don't get me right, I will be all over gay romance YA books in a heartbeat (and yes, I'm not ashamed to admit that), but there's always more room for diversity, you know?

When I first read the synopsis for Cut Both Ways, I immediately hit the TBR button on Goodreads. I mean, I rarely see bisexuality in any of the books I read, and from the way the synopsis sounded, this sounded like a perfect self-discovery book for someone my age to read.

I've had my own confusions about my sexuality, and sometimes I turn to books to see how authors write their own characters in situations like my imagination. So, without much further thought, I put Cut Both Ways on hold at my library and waited patiently for it to come in. Once I got it, I was already flipping through the pages.

Now comes the difficult part. How was Cut Both Ways? Was it a moving book that was written well and had a character that I could like? Or was it the exact opposite of what I wanted?

Luke's Book Reviews #2: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

I really like gay romance in fiction. I just find a relationship between two people of the same gender (mostly two boys) absolutely fascinating, and I really love that some people in real life have chosen to stay true to who they are and not live up to the straight status quo and pretend to be someone they're not. However, I don't feel as if these kinds of books have ever really been part of the mainstream reading world outside of young adult. Sure, you have titles like Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, More Happy Than Not, Lies My Girlfriend Told Me, and others from the past five years or so in young adult, but I almost never really see it in the adult romance or fiction sections at the bookstore (maybe that's because I mainly focus on young adult and hardly spend my time elsewhere, but no matter how many times I've looked, I've never found a new adult or adult gay romance published from major companies (they're published a lot more independently)).

I don't know if this is because gay romance is a harder thing to sell in a different market (like adult or children's), or if publishers think teenagers relate to sexuality the most and don't think other people experience it too. I think that's not true, because I'm pretty sure there are kindergartners right now who may have different kinds of feelings (feelings for same sex, want to be different gender), but don't feel as if they can read anything that supports that.

Young adult fiction had that phase too, and this was one of the books that changed it. Boy Meets Boy was first published in 2003 (another well-known YA book with LGBT characters, Geography Club, was also released in that year) and was very blunt about what it was. When you see the title of the book and relate that to the candy hearts, you immediately know "This is a gay romance". Some people would turn away at this point, but I was very much intrigued. Like I said before, I love reading about guys kissing (the fanfictions have affected my brain), but I also knew that this book was going to be a light and fluffy read filled with fun times (my brother also absolutely adored it).

So how was this book? Were the 185 pages (yes, that's how long it is) cute and fun, filled with a cute romance, real teen issues, and things I could relate to? Or was it a disappointment?

Luke's Book Reviews #1: The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

I'm going to admit something that will make football players want to aim their throws directly at me. I'm not a big fan of football.

It might have something to do with the actual game (I do not want a concussion to be the highlight of my high school career), the players (some of the people who play the sport at my school are a bunch of jerks I'd rather not associate with), or a combination of other factors (picking up the morning after a college football game is a little disgusting, to be honest). To sum up my feelings, I find it boring, irritating, and it's just not in my field of interests.

Let me wait a second until all the pitchforks are gone. Are we good? Great. Let's continue.

When I saw that this book was about a group of girls getting revenge on their high school football team, I was immediately excited. I occasionally see a book every now and then about revenge, but against the football team? That's a whole new level of awesome. 

But I was still a little nervous about starting this story. Rachael Allen's first novel, 17 First Kisses, had received polarizing reviews from Goodreads reviewers, and some had deemed the book the kind that put a romance with the "OMG HE'S SO CUTE" new guy over a previously established friendship (to be honest, that sounds like a bunch of other love triangle romance ridden contemporary novels). When the positive ratings came in for this book (most notably from a famous Goodreads reviewer by the name of Khanh, who has written some of the harshest reviews I've ever seen), I let out a sigh of relief. Because of those, I went into this book ready to like it.

How did The Revenge Playbook play out (no pun intended)? Was it shallow and focused more on romance or criticizing other girls' choices (this is also known as *gulp* slut-shaming)? Or was it an empowering novel that focused on a group of positive girls that wanted a difference to be made and their points about females proven?