The Girls with No Names: A Book Review

This fantastic historical fiction takes place in New York City in the 1910s and follows the stories of girls whose families are torn apart. I love the time period of this novel, and I was interested in learning about women's suffrage, poor working conditions, and houses (more like prisons) for disobedient girls. I don't often find historical fictions taking place in the 1910s, and I think this novel deserves a lot of attention and praise for its research as well as its plot, characters, and writing.

I instantly connected to all the characters in this book. They are well-rounded, imperfect, interesting, and even lovable. The story switches among three points of view, and I was surprised that I loved them all equally. The plot moves at just the right pace—slow enough to soak in the historical details and fast enough to keep me reading. In fact, I couldn't put the book down, and I read it all in one sitting.

After I finished the book, I kept thinking about the characters and what they went through. In fact, I'm still thinking about them. This book left an impression on me, and I'm not likely to forget it anytime soon. I highly recommend this book for those who love historical fiction and the 1910s and anyone who enjoys a solid story of sisterly love, hope, and overcoming hardships.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Content Warnings: abuse, stillborn/dead infants, sexual assault, and rape.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for the ARC! This book will be published January 7, 2020.

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

A Love Hate Thing: A Book Review

A Love Hate Thing is a cute, contemporary love story. Tyson Trice comes from a troubled past and meets Nandy, who hasn't had to deal with anything more horrible than a hang nail or eating takeout for dinner every night. Their worlds collide and high school drama begins as they try to reconcile their childhood friendship and who they are today.

This story kept me engaged and wanting to read until the end. However, this book feels too much like a debut novel. The tropes are a little too cliched for me—boy from a troubled past falls for a rich girl, the troubled past simply can't stay in the past, the rich girls feels like she needs to be on a fruit and vegetable diet to fit into a pageant dress, the classic beach parties, etc. I also had trouble looking past the cliched dialogue tags and constant F-words. But the story is cute and has some great familial relationships in it that aren't often seen in contemporary teen fiction. If you're looking for a cute, surface-level romance, this is a great one!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Content Warnings: murder, domestic violence/abuse, child abuse, frequent swearing.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC! This book will be published January 7, 2020.

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!