BookCon ARC Haul Review

Chana:

Hey guys! As some of you may know, BookCon was over a month ago, so I’ve decided to give some short reviews on some of the books I got there. In general BookCon was awesome, and if you’re in the position to go next year, I strongly recommend it. So many book vendors, and cool booths, and ARCSS!! I got 11 ARC’s at BookCon, but today I’m only going to review three of them. (covers link to goodreads).

City of Ghosts, by Victoria Schwab

Release date: August 28th, 2018

Ok, let me preface this by saying that this was the first Victoria Schwab book that I ever read. Malka dragged me to the Scholastic Booth and we waited online till I met her! The great V.E Schwab! And at that point I had not read any of her books. So. Awkward. BUT, after reading this I made time to read Vicious and The Shades of Magic Series, so I think I’ve redeemed myself?

Anywho, onto the book.

It was a very quick read, which makes sense since it’s geared towards the middle grade audience. In general, it seems like the it was meant to sort of set the stage for the upcoming books. City of Ghosts follows Cass, a girl whose been able to see ghosts after a near death experience. One ghost, Jacob, has been haunting her since the accident. Throughout the book you discover why Cass feels the urge to go through the Veil (the curtain separating the world of ghosts of from the world of the living) and learn what the “purpose” of her power is.

It’s a cute book, and I’m eager to see what comes next. If you’re planning to read City of Ghosts because you’re looking for something similar to V.E Schwab’s other work, you should keep in mind that it’s a children’s book, so it’s obviously not as intense or as complex as her previous books.

I’d give it an 8/10. I would recommend it for kids, especially those who are just getting into reading, since it’s pretty short with nice sized print, so they shouldn’t be too scared of it lengthwise.  

Darius the Great is Not Okay, by Abhid Kohhram

Release date: August 28th, 2018

So, this book is about awkward teen Darius Kellner (enormous trekkie and tea enthusiast), it follows him as his family goes to Persia to visit his grandparents. There’s a lot about Persian culture in here which I thought was pretty cool.

It’s got this awkward vibe to it that sort of reminded me of It’s Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini. Another reason I may have connected the two is that Darius the Great is Not Okay also deals with living with clinical depression.

I did enjoy it, but it wasn’t my favorite book. Mostly because as I said Darius is a bit of an awkward character and I really can’t take second hand embarrassment. When Darius reaches Persia he makes a friend, you see how this new friend (and the visit to Persia in general) changes his life. 

I’d give it a 7/10, since I liked how the book really focused on family and culture (also I love the cover).

The Supervillain and Me

Release date: July 10th, 2018

This one’s a classic Hero vs. Villain story, except instead of being about the hero, it’s about his younger sister. Amber Hamilton’s brother, Red Comet, keeps the city of Morriston safe from no-good criminals, like bank robbers and purse snatchers, but a new threat comes to light with the arrival of Morriston’s first super-villain, the Iron Phantom.

The Iron Phantom (newbie Super-villain supreme) convinces Amber that he’s not really the bad guy, and they begin to work together to uncover the real villains lurking in Morriston.

The Supervillain and Me, has the whole “Who is he really?” vibe going on, which will make you frustrated because GAH secret identities are the worst. The romance is cute, and in general the book has its funny moments.

This one gets a 7.5/10, for being a bit of a fluffy romance but still working in some superhero action.

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