BOOK REVIEW: When the World Was Happy

 

WHEN THE WORLD WAS HAPPY
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Available now

When the World Was Happy is the final novel of author and poet Benjamin Alire Sáenz, who passed away this past summer. This is the first of his works that I've read, and I'm only sorry that I didn't discover him until after his passing.

The novel focuses on teen twins CheChe and Emma Cervantes: a brother and sister who love each other, their parents, and their friends dearly. Their artist father and librarian mother are intelligent and welcoming, making space for people in the twins' lives whose families may not be quite as loving or understanding. That includes CheChe's friend J, his new crush Placido, and his father's intern Spigot. And while the world around them isn't perfect, with tragic shootings not far from where they live, their lives overall are beautiful.

Then one day, shooters attack CheChe and Emma's school. Both twins and their friends survive, though J is shot in the shoulder and CheChe loses a leg. The lives lost are innumerable, and before long the family is caught between the pain of putting their lives back together and attention from the school, the community, and journalists.

As he heals, acclimating to phantom pain and a prosthetic leg, CheChe struggles with his feelings and his identity. His poetry turns dark as he struggles to find light in the world, and he now considers himself too broken to love. The story continues in a series of anecdotes: school days, holidays, PTA meetings, and nights sneaking beers and venting feelings. Through these little moments, the novel's young protagonists work their way back to a place where they can survive the world without being hardened by it.

When the World Was Happy does not shy away from the political implications of its subject matter, but that is just one aspect of the wider world's narrow view of what it's like to survive such a tragedy. It's lumped in with legislation, press attention, and everything else that attempts to boil the event's complexity down to something black and white. The message of the book is very clear regarding the importance of children's safety in schools, of course. But it also digs into the things that are a little harder to quantify. How does one learn to trust again? How "okay" is it to live one's life when others have been robbed of theirs? Who are we when a part of ourselves, literally or emotionally, has been taken away? There are no easy or final answers to any of these questions. The ending is open-ended but hopeful: a reminder that grief doesn't fix itself, but that it threads through our entire lives, even as we find hope in new places.

It's a very heavy book, and I don't say that negatively. It's not a book that should be light. But the plot and its heavy subject matter rest on the back of excellent traditional coming-of-age storytelling. CheChe and Emma could simply be lovely children in a lovely family, gathering around a fire for Christmas and reading books to each other and having intellectual "fights," were it not for one day that threw everything asunder. It's a powerful tonal shift, with CheChe collapsing internally as Emma remains a pillar of hope for their family and friends. I do recommend it.

DRINK PAIRING: Elixir of Serenity (Lemon Honey Flavor)
One of my favorite things about this book was the "wall we call the sky": a wall in CheChe and Emma's house where they could write verses and prose and feelings to express themselves. In honor of that, I've picked the sky-blue Elixir of Serenity from Velvet Hammer: a new lemon-honey flavor of their traditional relaxing drink blend. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other sparkly elixirs from Velvet Hammer!

FEATURED CANDLE: Sweater Weather Stories
The latest monthly candle from Frostbeard puts me in mind of the Cervantes family home in its happier times: filled with food and books and discussion. It's an autumnal blend of sweet fruit and smoky fireside. Check out this and more book-inspired candles from Frostbeard!

BOOK REVIEW: Just the Good Parts

 

JUST THE GOOD PARTS
by Robbie Couch
Available now

Caspen's autumn is not going well, even with his town's beloved Red Fest coming up. He's been working hard at the candle shop passed down through his family, but it's not keeping his mind off his father's mysterious disappearance six months ago, following the news that his parents were preparing for a divorce. Just as everything is getting busy, three new tenants move in to the converted apartment above the family's living space. As Caspen gets to know them, he makes a shocking discovery: he can travel into their memories via the scents from candles from his family's store.

These memory-scapes show him emotional moments from each young tenant's life. But they also introduce him to Lars, a stranger who stumbles into these memories and is the only person who can see Caspen in them. As the two grow closer during these fleeting meetings, they also try to figure if, and how, these memories relate to Caspen's missing father.

But beyond these strange journeys, things are getting odder for Caspen. His mother seems intent on putting her father behind her, and no one in town appears concerned about his disappearance. Caspen's work buddy Quinn is keeping a secret from him that she insists he already knows, and he has a mysterious injury that he doesn't remember getting. By the time he explores the memory of the third tenant, things begin to come into focus.

I loved the conceit of Just the Good Parts even before the ending's big reveal. Scent has powerful ties to memory, and I've found myself transported back to formative moments just by lighting a candle. The twist in the tale is well prepared for and isn't just a shock ending for the sake of a shock ending. Caspen is dealing with something all of us deal with at some points: the fear of things ending. This specific twist on a coming-of-age story, big reveal and all, is extremely well done.

The only thing that seems a bit out of whack is the subplot with Lars. It's not that it wasn't good, or that it didn't work — it was, and it did. But as much as Lars was a fixture in Caspen's memory journeys, it feels like there was something missing... something that might have been cut during an edit, perhaps, or that just didn't make it onto the page from the author's mind. There's a sense at the end of the book that some things are meant to be vague and uncertain, and that's fine; but above and beyond that, it just feels like there's an undefined piece missing, and I'd love to find out what it was.

Even with that one quibble, Just the Good Parts is very, very difficult to put down. You care about the mystery at the center and the puzzle pieces that don't seem to fit together. And by the end, it's a unique and satisfying story about one of the more painful aspects of growing up: the things we are forced to leave behind.

TEA PAIRING: Autumn Enchantment
One of Chapters Tea & Co.'s newest blend, this fall-coded tea is a mix of maple, vanilla, and pumpkin. It's the perfect cozy blend to go with Caspen's (admittedly fraught) Red Fest preparations. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and more bookish teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: Sweater Weather Stories
I always include a Frostbeard candle in my reviews for some bookish ambience, but it feels especially appropriate here! This month's featured scent is full of autumnal notes: fireplaces, trees, and fresh fruit. Check out Frostbeard for a new exclusive bookish candle every month, as well as a massive catalog of seasonal and cozy scents!

BOOK REVIEW: The Silver Kingdom

 

THE SILVER KINGDOM
by Radiya Hafiza
Available now

Prince Zayn and Princess Layla have been engaged against their will... but not to each other. The heirs to the thrones of Dakaria and Sawan are in the midst of a long-standing battle, and their respective engagements are politically motivated. Zayn's marriage may ease tensions and situate him to become Sultan when his father passes. But Layla's power-hungry mother has engaged her to a prince of Fallowmere: the nation that pillaged their kingdom and drove out its mages long ago.

During a diplomatic meeting, Zayn and Layla meet for the first time. Initially cold, the two eventually become friendly. And eventually, they become even more than that, in spite of being betrothed to others. But each has problems of their own. Zayn was struck by a poisoned arrow in battle, and its dark magic can only be purged from his body by the tears of an earth mage. And Layla has begun manifesting elemental powers, which she is desperate to hide from her mother and learn more about. As the two weddings draw closer, Sawan faces revolt while Dakaria wards off attacks from pirates. Unfortunately, the real treachery may be coming from within.

The Silver Kingdom is both a fairly standard two-viewpoint romance and an inventive fantasy. While the structure is nothing new, the South Asian-focused worldbuilding and deep history of the fictional setting make this a world worth exploring. While fantasy settings are more regularly going further abroad than Europe these days, it's still a unique direction to take.

This appears to be part of a duology (at least), with the novel ending on a cliffhanger. That's not a bad thing, but it is something to bear in mind if you're looking for a one-and-done read. However, judging by how the first book ends, it's likely that the second book will have more opportunities to explore the setting.

If there is one quibble I have with the book, it's that it looks like it didn't get a close final edit. The plot is solid and flows well, but there are little writerly issues like certain actions and "stage directions" being repeated in close proximity (a character's stomach sinking twice within five lines, for example). This hardly undoes the strong narrative and worldbuilding, but it is something that sticks out a bit. Or perhaps I only notice it because that's the sort of thing editors have to save me from.

If you're looking for a fantasy with a non-European-inspired setting, and you're willing to settle in for at least two books' worth of plot, The Silver Kingdom is a fun, fast-moving read with a lot of tension and drama.

TEA PAIRING: Spice Chai Mélange
This is one of my favorite chai blends: incredibly warm and spicy, but made with rooibos so it's caffeine free and great for later in the day. This Dune-inspired blend puts me in mind of the book's South Asian-inspired setting and international political intrigue. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other book-inspired tea blends from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: Fireplace Reads
This sweet blend of citrus and ember scents puts me in mind of Layla's blend of earth and fire magic, while also just generally being a perfect cozy candle to light while reading a sweeping romance. Check out more book-inspired candles from Frostbeard Studio!

BOOK REVIEW: Souls in Ruin

 

SOULS IN RUIN
by Jacqueline White
Available now

Mireille has lived anything but a charmed life. The bastard daughter of a king, she has been rejected by all but her one friend in court and her youngest half-sister. And things become even worse when her father, in a bid to ease tension between countries, betroths her to Valen: the bloodthirsty prince who hopes to conquer their kingdom. On their wedding night, Valen appears to be tamed by Mireille's affections... but this is just a means to an end, as her new husband unleashes the first stage of his plans for vengeance against her father.

Trapped in her own castle's dungeons, Mireille undergoes torture and injustice for days on end, all while discovering the truth of Valen's (literally) inhuman nature and her own father's crimes against him. Her only respite comes in her conversations with the prisoner one cell over: a man she calls her "Harbinger," initially believing him to be Death come to free her from her suffering. As Mireille teeters between anger, madness, and a desire to be truly loved, she discovers the greater truth of her world and the powers within it.

Right off the bat — believe the content warnings. I'm always a little leery of them in books because, while well-intentioned, they often miss the mark in one direction or the other. They're either extremely overblown or deeply insufficient. But these are right on the money and, frankly, there's only one of two ways you will be able to stomach this: if you are into very very dark romantasy, or if you've Been Through It. (If you don't know what I mean by that, you haven't Been Through It.)

I'm not a big reader of what's termed "spicy." I'm not against it, I won't close a book because of it, but I tend not to seek it out. This is unabashedly sexual (Valen at one point literally accuses Mireille of being a monster-fucker), but it's interwoven with dubious consent and outright manipulation. All but the first few chapters take place in the dungeon, and the bulk of the middle of the book consists of torture, sex, or a combination of both. If that's a turn-off of any kind, this book isn't for you. The sex and torture scenes do feel extremely drawn out, and it became a little hard to tell whether that was for effect (and eventual catharsis) or just for the Spice Factor. 

(And I think, on some level, I may just be the wrong audience for this kind of book. Open-door sex feels very tiresome, but hand-holding drives me wild.)

That said, while it's a turn-off for me, I did keep reading, and I do appreciate the direction the book went. For all else it may contain, it is ultimately a story about a woman realizing that she does not have to choose between controlling or being controlled. And it does have a wild (and interesting) mythology at its core: one that came into the book extremely late, and one I'd like to see expanded upon.

DRINK PAIRING: Elixir of Hydration/Elixir of Serenity
While Velvet Hammer's elixirs can be paired with your drink of choice (usually tea for me), the lighter elixirs can also be blended with the Elixir of Hydration. In this case, a blend of the pink lemonade electrolyte drink with the Elixir of Serenity (a dark cherry formula for relaxation) seems like a perfect fit for the resilient Mireille. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off these and more sparkly elixirs from Velvet Hammer!

FEATURED CANDLE: Storm Rider
This limited-edition candle is both stormy and floral, with notes of violet and rain — a perfect fit for this turbulent romantasy tale. Check out more book-inspired candles from Frostbeard!

BOOK REVIEW: Academy of Muses

 

ACADEMY OF MUSES
by Andrea Max
Available now

Ada Castle belongs to a family with secret knowledge of a hidden world. She also possesses a strange power that, as far as she can tell, lets her heal decently quickly and make plants grow. But after a fateful encounter with a handsome young man named Michael, she finds herself whisked away to a new world: one where the Renaissance is alive and well, and people with gifts like hers are known as Sires.

What the rest of Genesis, the academy/community where she finds herself, doesn't know is that she's there as a spy. Her family's organization believes that this world should offer their art and technology to the mundane, "provincial" world; meanwhile, those under self-imposed exile prefer to keep things as they are. As Ada develops her skills, she finds herself beginning to empathize more with her peers. She's also torn between the aforementioned Michael, who is older than advertised and a teacher, and Rafe, a royal classmate who initially appears to look down on her for being an outsider.

The world of Academy of Muses is a gorgeous blend of art, science, technology, and music from all eras. But there's a very firm underpinning of Jewish culture, both in Ada's own family and in the language chosen to refer to Sire powers. There are also very strong parallels between the assumptions about this enlightened world and claims made about the Jewish people over the years. While it doesn't set out to be solely a parable about these misconceptions and their resulting injustices, it is a perpetual thread that is spun deftly throughout.

There are the standard trappings of romantasy throughout, which is either a plus or a minus depending on your taste. The love triangle between the empathetic Michael and the frigid Rafe, the hints of a "chosen one" narrative, and so on make themselves relatively evident early on. Fortunately, unlike many similar books I've read along these line, these tropes don't overshadow the plot, but play nicely with it. It's refreshing to see these mainstays played out without the plot being swept aside for them.

DRINK PAIRING: Elixir of Inner Light
Just like Ada's Ha'i manifests as a healing light, this shimmery elixir is a beautiful gold and loaded with vitamins and supplements to help you feel your best. I use this on the daily, and makes a difference. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and more from Velvet Hammer!

FEATURED CANDLE: Lettie's Ocean
This dark sea and moonflower-scented candle brings to mind Ada's journeys to and from Arcadia as she tries to choose between her life in the provincial world and taking on her role as a sure. Check out more book-inspired candles from Frostbeard Studio!

BOOK REVIEWS: Falling Like Leaves/Falling Like Snow

 

FALLING LIKE LEAVES (COLLECTOR'S EDITION)
by Misty Wilson
Available now

The first of the seasonal Bramble Falls romance novels sets the standard for what these stories will be: small-town seasonal stories, but with teen-oriented drama rather than your typical Hallmark movie big-town lawyers and small-town lumberjacks. Well, there is some of the big-town/small-town stuff, but you get me.

Falling Like Leaves does indeed start with a big-town girl: Ellis, an aspiring journalist in New York who spends all her time making big connections and looking up to her journalist dad. But her mother springs a terrible surprise on her: Mom and Dad are separating, and Mom and Ellis will temporarily be moving to the small town of Bramble Falls, Connecticut. As Ellis stares down college applications, this is the worst thing that could possibly happen to her. She'll be away from her best friend, not to mention the best opportunities to make a name for herself.

While she's got her cousin Sloane and Aunt Naomi (the mayor of Bramble Falls) around to help her settle in, she's resistant to her cozy new life... especially with the Falling Leaves Festival right around the corner. Worse still, Cooper is there: a boy she met many summers ago and fell out of touch with. He's now a high school senior and seems initially resentful of Ellis's presence. But as the festival goes on, the two grow closer, and Ellis finds herself warming to him. But at the same time, classmate Jake (Cooper's best friend) is making a move. And she'll have to decide whose heart to break.

While romance is absolutely at the center of Falling Like Leaves, this story also digs deep into what it's like to idolize a parent instead of chasing one's own dreams. As much as Ellis aims to pursue a big city life and a prestigious career, she finds herself drawn to her old love of fashion design and her growing love of Bramble Falls. That extra bit of story combines with the romance at the center to make something with real substance.

FALLING LIKE SNOW
by Misty Wilson
Available now

We initially met Sloane and her best friend Asher in Falling Like Leaves; in Falling Like Snow, the pair take center stage. Aspiring actress Sloane dreams of visiting New York, especially after hearing about it from Ellis. But with Bramble Falls on the map after the Fall Leaves Festival went viral online, Sloane's mom is kicking off a new venture to keep tourism rolling through the winter: the Falling Snow Festival. It's all hands on deck, meaning Sloane and Ellis's girls' trip will have to be delayed.

Fortunately, Asher is there to help Sloane through it, and he even orchestrates occasional faux New York experiences for her to lessen the sting. Meanwhile, handsome hockey player Micah has taken an interest in Sloane, and she's just enjoying feeling liked. But as Asher cozies up to tutee Daphne, she finds herself feeling jealous. Is she just worried that she and her best friend are falling apart? Or are her feelings turning into something more?

The swap from Ellis to Sloane — from big city girl to local, from a reunited brief crush to a years-long slow burn — was an excellent move. And both girls have their own problems, with Sloane grieving the loss of her father during the holiday season and fearing leaving her mother alone when college comes around. Ellis feared nothing would change; Sloane fears everything will change. And the love triangle in this book is much different, addressing some less than wholesome issues as Sloane tries to force herself to like Micah more than she does.

Reading these two books together isn't necessary, though it is interesting. It's nice to see the Bramble Falls community evolving. As its young community goes through their own romantic dramas, the town is growing and doing new things, too. I have no idea if the series will continue past these two books, but I wouldn't hate to see it come around into all four seasons.

TEA PAIRING: Whiskerton Cottage
This new tea blend from Chapters has both fall and winter vibes thanks to its combination of orange and cinnamon. But the label is also reminiscent of the Caffeinated Cat Café featured in both books. This is a cozy, slightly spicy tea that's perfect for pairing with either book, or both. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and more bookish tea blends from Chapters!

FEATURED CANDLE: Bookish and Bright
Like the tea pairing, this candle was meant for one season but works for both. This bright holiday candle features notes of pine, cranberry, and clove, reminiscent of the in-between time between Halloween and Christmas. Check out more bookish candles from Frostbeard!