Reading round up (23)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress and my thoughts on each book as I read it. I have a tonne of novellas so I'm hoping to read a few of those, along with some galleys. I'm super behind with galleys.

14th April

Finished Proxy (30% read) and let's not ever talk about that ending okay. What the hell happened?

15th April

Currently reading: The Headhunter's Race | Kimberly Afe

Current page/percent: 27%

Read today: 27%

Thoughts: Woah. What a way to start. So happy this didn't disappoint.

16th April

Currently reading: The Headhunter's Race | Kimberly Afe

Current page/percent: 45%

Read today: 18%

Thoughts: Yeah. Pretty great. Maybe a bit droning, but hoping it's gonna change. It feels as if the character is just going through the motions.

17th April

Currently reading: The Headhunter's Race | Kimberly Afe

Current page/percent: 77%

Read today: 32%

Thoughts: This got better. I think the dialogue and interaction makes this book a bit more compelling. If it had been Avene on her own, I think I'd have been irritated by her by now.

18th April

Finished The Headhunters Race (22% read), and read a further 5% of Defy by Sarah. B. Larson, taking me to 9%, though it looks like I'll be abandoning it for a few days, since Dreams of Gods and Monster came!!

19th April

Went out to see Bayside today so didn't read anything at all. Bayside were awesome, if you were wondering. In other news: I am now starting Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

20th April

Currently reading: Dreams of Gods and Monsters | Laini Taylor

Current page/percent: page 75

Read today: 75 pages

Thoughts: Ooh I like this new character. I have a theory she's one of the Godstars, and that they left to be hidden on Earth. Lets see if I'm right.

Books finished this week: 2

Proxy ( #LGBTApril Review)

Proxy: Proxy | Alex London

Published by: Philomel, June 18th 2013

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia

Pages: 384

Format: Ebook

Source: Bought

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

Proxy is a fast paced science fiction thriller with twists and turns abound and a (hallelujah) diverse cast of characters.

I liked a lot of things about Proxy. I liked the diversity of characters, how Alex London so spectacularly made his characters people, and didn't fall into the monotony of perpetuating the same old stereotypes. Syd's skin colour and sexuality is not made a big deal of - it's part of him, but it's not his personality and it's not his story. I loved that and I loved Syd.

I especially loved Knox, the little shit that he is, but let's just not go there ... ever.
((What the hell was that ending? *squints at Alex London for a full hour* What was that?))

Marie was pretty great too and I liked her motives ad beliefs and complexities. Looking forward to learning more about her in Guardian.

The plot, the pace, and the worldbuilding (oh, the worldbuilding!) were all pretty miraculous. Not gonna lie when I heard this book was about a) a character of colour and b) a gay guy, I assumed most of the plot would revolve around that character being pigeonholed or vicitimised because of said traits (made a slave because he's black, institutionalised because he's gay, etc). But what I got was a fully developed futuristic dystopic world, a fucked up ruling system, social classes, inequality that had little to do with race or sexuality, shit hitting the fan, a rich party boy thrown into the real world, and a rebellion that was equal parts 'whoa cool' and 'what the ever-loving fuck?'

Basically, read this book right now.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing Style ★★★☆☆