Most Disappointing Books of 2020

This list marks the first of my end of the year posts (I can't believe we're already at this point of the year!), and I always start off with this one so that we can end on high notes. It has been such a hectic year, and reading has been such an incredible constant in my life--so much so that I am always eternally grateful for every single book I get to read, whether I love it, hate it, or anything in between. Anything that lets me escape or be distracted for a few hours is well worth it, in my opinion. 

So, this is my list of the most disappointing books I read this year. I didn't dislike all of these, (and in fact some of these I still gave four stars!) they are just books that I was disappointed by for one reason or another, whether that was because I had high hopes or it wasn't what I expected. I'm still glad I read all of these and I encourage you to pick up any of them if they have an interesting premise to you--everyone's tastes are different, and I know for a fact that I have picked up books that I've seen on other people's most disappointed lists because the things they disliked were things that I knew I'd love--and I did! :) Now, on to the list!

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles: So this wasn't a bad book, but I had really high hopes for this one and it just felt so lackluster. I definitely think this was a case of me falling into the hype for it and the marketing really ticked off some things I love--Phantom comparisons, etc.--but the plot and the characters just didn't feel fleshed out enough or offer enough to keep my attention. I will, however, give credit to Angeles' beautiful writing and magical descriptions, which absolutely added to the magical atmosphere. Review

 Devolution by Max Brooks: Okay, so this is a book that I actually didn't really like and gave two stars. I'm not even sure what this book was, but what I do know is that I was so bummed to not like it. I almost DNF'd it from about a quarter of the way through to the end and honestly, I should have. The characters and dialogue were the weirdest parts that I struggled with the most. Review

The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni: This was one of those books that had such an incredible premise and the first half of this book was so interesting and was set up so well! But then there was a big twisty climax midway through that was so far out of left field for me and just so weird that I couldn't get into it. If I had maybe been expecting that twist and plot change, I might've enjoyed it more, but since it was such a stark difference to the beginning of the book and the summary, I just felt too out of place to enjoy it. Review

The Mother Code by Carole Stivers: The Mother Code had such an interesting premise, but the execution was a bit off for me. The premise and general storyline was definitely intriguing, but the characters just had the weirdest actions and didn't really have that much development, which made it hard for me to fully lose myself in this book. Review

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton: This was probably one of the biggest disappointments for me, largely because the premise felt so spot on for me--a historical fiction with a bit of mystery and perhaps the supernatural set on a ship which makes it a closed setting. I love ships, I love closed door mysteries, and I love historical settings, so I was ecstatic to read this one once it finally came in at my library. And then I found myself extremely confused and bored by this book and it was honestly just really disappointing.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky: I really didn't expect it, but I really ended up not enjoying this half as much as I expected. I love space exploration and first contact stories and I've heard nothing but amazing things about Tchaikovsky, so I was really surprised to find myself not clicking with this story. I really can't put my finger on what it was, but I personally just couldn't find myself connecting with the story, and some of the perspectives just didn't work for me. This was definitely just a "me" thing, though, so if you enjoy space/contact books, you should really still check this one out.

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood: I gave this book four stars, so I did enjoy it, but I was still fairly disappointed by it overall. I'm not sure what exactly I expected, but it wasn't how this one was executed. The time jumps were confusing to me and the world-building was both interesting and odd at the same time, and unfortunately I also found it a bit confusing. Still, I'm pretty sure I gave this four stars, so it was definitely enjoyable! Review

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry: I had loved every single one of Henry's books before this one, so I definitely wasn't expecting to feel as 'meh' about it as I did. I'm really not sure what happened with it, but it just didn't work for me. I still like it and did enjoy much of the story, but there was just something off about the pacing, the characters, and the storyline that made it difficult for me to fully enjoy. This was still a three-four stars overall for me, though! Review

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust: I really don't have a lot to say about this one because I really just found it pretty bland overall? It does have an interesting premise, but I just found the plot itself to be a bit derivative and not that engaging for me. I do recall thinking that the writing and setting were lovely, though! Review

Master Class by Christina Dalcher: This is one that was by no means a bad book, but it just felt so similar to Dalcher previous book, Vox, and had such strong message that was hammered home one too many times that it started to feel almost irritating. Still, if the premise is interesting and you haven't read many books like this, I'd tell you to check it out. Review

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley: I absolutely love any murder mystery that occurs in one locked setting, and this one sounded perfect. Unfortunately, this one fell apart for me because of the characters--largely because I really hated almost all of them and had no interest at all in seeing what would happen to them. In these types of books, characters are pretty important, so that really dragged it down for me. 

The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron: Okay, so this book I actually didn't really like much at all. I thought this sounded perfect for me, but the character in the present day sections was so irritating that I could barely stand it (and I don't necessarily mind irritating characters all the time), and the sections that showcased the lives of the neanderthals was not overly gripping. This was just a weird one with an equally weird plot and noting worked for me. 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What were some of your most disappointing books from this year?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly, Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder, & If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
Publication: January 12th, 2021

Harper Voyager

Hardcover. 384 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But her realm is facing a threat she cannot defeat by sheer will alone. The mad emperor of the Roven Empire has unleashed a horde of invading soldiers to enslave her lands. For months, her warriors have waged a valiant, stealth battle, yet they cannot stop the enemy’s advancement. Running out of time, she sets sail for sun-drenched Vishir, the neighboring land to the south, to seek help from its ruler, Emperor Armaan.

 

A young woman raised in army camps, Askia is ill-equipped to navigate Vishir’s labyrinthine political games. Her every move sinks her deeper into court intrigues which bewilder and repel her, leaving her vulnerable not only to enemies gathering at Vishir's gates, but to those behind the palace walls.

 

And in this glittering court, where secrets are worth more than gold, Askia fears that one false step will expose her true nature. For Askia is a witch gifted with magical abilities—knowledge that could destroy not only her life but her people. As her adversaries draw closer, Askia is forced to make an impossible choice—and no matter what she decides, it may not be enough to prevent Seravesh’s fall."

More fantasy and I'm ready for it! This sounds like a really interesting concept.

and...

Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder

Publication: January 5th, 2021

Entangled: Teen

Hardcover. 490 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"Raise. Your. Phantom.

 

For fans of epic fantasies and sweeping adventures, this ensemble cast will immerse you in a world of unique magic, breathtaking action and unforgettable characters.

 

In a world on the brink of the next Great Dying, no amount of training can prepare us for what is to come …

 

A young heir will raise the most powerful phantom in all of Baiseen.

 

A dangerous High Savant will do anything to control the realms.

 

A mysterious and deadly Mar race will steal children into the sea.

 

And a handsome guide with far too many secrets will make me fall in love.

 

My name is Ash. A lowly scribe meant to observe and record. And yet I think I’m destined to change us all."

I feel like this book might be a hit or miss for me, but I am really loving the sound of this premise and the trope elements that will be a part of it, so I'm really looking forward to it!

and...

If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier

Publication: January 6th, 2021

Berkley

Hardcover. 304 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"Sera loves true crime podcasts. They make her feel empowered in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She's sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it's time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts.

 

Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel's small hometown to begin her search. She's convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last...

 

Rachel did try to warn her."

I don't tend to read a lot of contemporary novels, but this book seems like it has a lot of potential and I'm really excited to see how it all plays out.

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Blog Tour: Marion Lane & the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg + Excerpt

Hello, everyone! Today I'm excited to share with you all my last blog tour post of 2020 featuring Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg! This stop includes a brief summary as well as an excerpt from this fun and page-turning mystery. Is this one on your radar yet? Be sure to check it out--and a big Happy Holidays and New Year to you all! :)

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: MARION LANE AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDER
Author:  T.A. Willberg
Pub. Date: December 29th, 2020
Publisher: Harlequin/Park Row Books
Pages: 
Find it: Harlequin | IndieBound | Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indigo | Books-A-Million | Target | Walmart | Google | iBooks | Libro.Fm | Kobo

SYNOPSIS:

“The letter was short. A name, a time, a place.

 Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder plunges readers into the heart of London, to the secret tunnels that exist far beneath the city streets. There, a mysterious group of detectives recruited for Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries use their cunning and gadgets to solve crimes that have stumped Scotland Yard.

Late one night in April 1958, a filing assistant at Miss Brickett’s receives a letter of warning, detailing a name, a time, and a place. She goes to investigate but finds the room empty. At the stroke of midnight, she is murdered by a killer she can’t see―her death the only sign she wasn’t alone. It becomes chillingly clear that the person responsible must also work for Miss Brickett’s, making everyone a suspect.

Marion Lane, a first-year Inquirer-in-training, finds herself drawn ever deeper into the investigation. When her friend and colleague is framed for the crime, to clear his name she must sort through the hidden alliances at Miss Brickett’s and secrets dating back to WWII. Masterful, clever and deliciously suspenseful, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is a fresh take on the Agatha Christie-style locked-room murder mystery, with an exciting new heroine detective."

 

EXCERPT:

THE SECRET STEALER 

Somewhere in London
Friday, April 11, 1958
11:40 p.m.

    Envelope encased, the carrier cylinder traveled through miles of pneumatic pipes from its place of origin to the dark, deep dungeon of the Filing Department—falling neatly from the end of the pipe and into the corresponding receiver box, as if by some magical, invisible postman.
    A bell chimed as the envelope landed in receiver box fifty-five.
    Michelle White’s eyes shot open as she lurched back from the edge of sleep. She blinked at the flashing yellow light on the noticeboard above her. It was her job to ensure all letters were sorted out the minute they arrived: those that met agency requirements were to be organized by date and slipped into the Inquirers’ in-box for later investigation. Those that did not went straight into the rubbish bin, and those of which she was unsure what to do with, into a looming pile on the desk. But crime and crookedness had been on the decline the last few weeks in London and so, assuming the letter would be a lead on something petty, Michelle White staggered across the Filing Department in no particular hurry.
    She lifted the lid on receiver box fifty-five, the endpoint of a six-mile pneumatic tube that fed off from a letter case hidden in Passing Alley in Farringdon.
    Envelopes and letters pulled from the receiver boxes were usually addressed to the agency in general: Dear people under the ground, or similar.
    But tonight was different.
    To Miss M. White, Inquirer.
    It was odd, yet she couldn’t help smile at the thought of it. Michelle had once dreamed of becoming an Inquirer; she had come so close to the reality, too. But she was just not good enough. Not clever enough, not brave or talented enough. Not quite anything enough.
    Ten years ago, at the age of twenty-two, she’d been recruited from a textile factory where she’d toiled long hours as a quality control assistant. But like everyone who came to work in the sunless labyrinth, Michelle had swiftly and without much consideration renounced the liberties of her previous, lackluster life in exchange for the opportunity to begin a new and thrilling vocation as an Inquirer, where she’d hoped to finally make use of her very particular set of skills.
    But things had not quite turned out that way, which is why—instead of scouring London’s streets for criminals and delinquents—Michelle had ended up here, spending her evenings as the night-duty filing assistant in the establishment’s dullest department. In fact, had it not been for her other, far more satisfying role—that of Border Guard, protector of the secret—then perhaps she would have quit years ago.
    But now Michelle wondered, as she stared at the envelope in her hand, how whoever had sent it knew where she worked or why they had considered her the worthy counsel of their troubles. She ran her thumb over the words—Miss M. White, Inquirer—as if they might be absorbed through her skin and become true.
    For a moment, she was reluctant to open the envelope, concerned it might be a joke. One of the young apprentices playing a trick. She clenched her jaw at the thought, breathed, then entered the letter’s details into the register file: time and date received, receiver box number and her initials. But when she opened the envelope and read the final detail—the nature of the inquiry—her breath began to quicken.
    The letter was short. A name, a time, a place and one simple revelation. And yet it unleashed a torrent of angst.
    Several weeks ago, something had gone missing from her handbag—something invaluable, irreplaceable, something that might dredge up a secret long since buried across the Border. At first she’d been so certain of who had taken it, and for countless nights thereafter she’d turned in her sleep, anxious the nasty thief would soon come looking for the paired device she kept locked in her private office, and with that the secret would be uncovered.
    But if the letter she’d just received was to be trusted, Michelle’s anxieties had been misplaced—the secret had already been discovered. She wasn’t sure how, or even why, but if she followed the letter’s directions, she might soon find out.
    Though sirens of warning blared in her head, Michelle had already made up her mind. Of course she could take the letter to someone more qualified than herself, but it had been addressed to her—whoever had sent it had entrusted her with this, a most precious and urgent secret. And besides, as the letter had said, if only for tonight, Miss White was an Inquirer.
    As instructed, she lit a match and held the letter under the flame. Once the paper had turned to ash, she packed up her things, grabbed her handbag, locked the office and rushed up the staircase toward the library. She stopped at the lock room gate, far on the other side of the grand hall of glorious bookshelves. The gate was ajar, just as she’d expected.
    She stepped inside, pausing immediately as a wave of something cool and cutting passed in front of her, a curious thing. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the dully lit room, at the hundreds of steel drawers, safes in which were kept the agency’s most hallowed files and documents. The lock room, with its thick walls and high ceiling, was always chilled, but tonight it felt particularly so.
    Crack.
    Something split from the wall behind her. She turned to the sound but saw only a shadow move across the room and something that looked like a large black box being removed from inside the wall. She hesitated, then moved a little closer. But it came again—a wave of cool air, dancing in front of her. She dabbed her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve; they were now surely playing tricks on her, for everything had turned to a strange blur of nothing. Michelle started to panic, her thoughts as unfocused as her eyesight. Her head began to spin. Her limbs to tingle. This might have been the moment she ran for her life, out of the lock room and away from the evil she now knew had been waiting for her there. But terror had immobilized her. There was nothing she could do to get her legs to move, not even when she heard the rush of footsteps, some behind her, some in front. Not even when she felt the brush of air against her neck.
    “What’s happening,” she asked in a staggered groan. “I know you’re there…I know it was you…” She trailed off, the words in her head no longer making sense.
    She dropped her handbag. Something hard rolled out and across the floor. She was too disorientated to realize what it was.
    In a drawn-out moment that seemed to last forever, Michelle’s senses grew dull and viscous. She could no longer trust her eyesight, her ears. She might have seen an amorphous shape crouching in front of her. She might have seen it lift something from the floor. Certainly, however, she felt the sharp burn of a cold, ragged blade as it sunk quickly and easily through the delicate skin across her throat.
    Warmth, darkness and nothing more.

Excerpted from Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder @ 2020 by Tessa Gukelberger, used with permission by Park Row Books/HarperCollins.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

T.A. Willberg was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and holds a chiropractic masters degree from Durban University of Technology. MARION LANE AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDER is her debut novel and launch of her detective series. She currently lives in Malta with her partner.

LINKS: Author Website | Twitter (@Tess_Amy) | Facebook (@tawillberg) | Instagram (@ta_willberg)

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long, Lore by Alexandra Bracken, & Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long
Publication: January 19th, 2021

Titan Books

Paperback. 432 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"Hessa is an Eangi: a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess's command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness alone on a mountainside.

 

While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller, atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls. As clans from the north and legionaries from the south tear through her homeland, slaughtering everyone in their path, Hessa strives to win back her goddess' favour.

 

Beset by zealot soldiers, deceitful gods, and newly-awakened demons at every turn, Hessa burns her path towards redemption and revenge. But her journey reveals a harrowing truth: the gods are dying and the High Halls of the afterlife are fading. Soon Hessa's trust in her goddess weakens with every unheeded prayer.

 

Thrust into a battle between the gods of the Old World and the New, Hessa realizes there is far more on the line than securing a life beyond her own death. Bigger, older powers slumber beneath the surface of her world. And they're about to wake up."

I'm always ready for a new fantasy world to dive into, and I am really loving the sound of this one.

and...

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Publication: January 5th, 2021

Disney-Hyperion

Hardcover. 480 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.

 

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

 

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees. "

Of course I'm always drawn to anything with the Greek gods, so I'm curious to see what spin Bracken brings to these classic mythical figures.

and...

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Publication: January 19th, 2021

Tor

Hardcover. 160 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"'She’s the adopted daughter of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own.'

 

The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa­­--a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.

 

Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks--alone, except for her fox companion--searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers.But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion?"

This sounds like a really interesting concept and I'm not sure what to expect from this book, but I'm really looking forward to it!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books ft. Elves, Reindeer, & Toys!

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is:  Books I Want Santa to Bring Books ft. Elves, Reindeer, & Toys!

Okay, so for this week's Top Ten Tuesday I'm getting a little, er, creative with this week's Santa-related topic and have developed a list of Santa-related items that appear in books, such as elves, toys, and reindeer! I should preface this by saying that most of these books are not Christmas/winter-related (i.e. the elves in these books are clearly not Santa's elves, though some of them may be willing to help out if you ask, I'm sure), though some are just by nature of the topic. Still, these are all great books that I would highly recommend!

Elves 🧝

If you enjoy books with elves, here are some books that each have their own unique variation of elves to explore!

     

     

We all know the incredible elves from The Lord of the Rings, and there are a lot of other amazing elves in Blood of Elves from The Witcher series, Neil Gaiman's Stardust, and the beloved middle grade series Artemis Fowl!

Reindeer 🦌

Okay so not all of these are directly reindeer... but there are deer in these stories!

     

     

What's more reindeer than The Reindeer People? Then we have Fire Bringer, which is story centered entirely around some fictional dears, the classic The Yearling about a fawn who is taken in by a young child and his family, and of course we can't forget about the White Stag in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (which is also a great winter-themed book!).

Toys 🎄🎁

     
The Toymakers is a beautiful and sort of heartbreaking books that features quite a lot of toys since it takes place largely within an incredibly magical and amazing toy store, Papa Jack's Toy Emporium. Coraline also features some toys, though Coraline definitely takes a darker turn at times (though that's not to say The Toymakers is all fun and games!). 

And bonus--Santa-inspired! 🎅🤶

What's better than a story about the fictional daughter of Santa and Mrs. Claus!? Okay, so I haven't actually read The Legend of Holly Claus yet, but it's been on my TBR for ages and I hope to get to it soon because it seems delightful, and I love that cover artwork!

Have you read any of these? What books would you add to any of these categories!?

Review: Docile by K.M. Szpara

Docile by K.M. Szpara

Tor

Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020

Hardcover. 492 pages

About Docile:

"There is no consent under capitalism 

Docile is a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power, a challenging tour de force that at turns seduces and startles. To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. 

To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future. 

Elisha Wilder’s family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the family’s debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his family’s crowning achievement could have any negative side effects—and is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it."

Before I start this review, I just want to preface this with a content warning for this book, as it has some very explicit rape, abuse, and other difficult content. My review will not go into explicit details, but I will be discussing some ideas and content relating to abuse and the aforementioned topics, so please do go ahead and skip this review if any of those topics make you feel uncomfortable. I don't want anyone to be blindsided by the subject matter of this book or review. Also, I will not go into any specific spoilers as I try to keep all my reviews spoiler free, but there will be some more general discussions that could give away some general plot points. (Head's up, this is going to be a long review!)

Docile has become a somewhat controversial book in some book circles, it seems, and I can understand why. It's intense, the subject matter is difficult, and there are a lot of parts that will leave any reader feeling a bit sick to their stomachs. Personally, I really loved this book for a variety of reasons, and I still very much respect those who didn't. Let's talk a bit about why I loved this book.

First, I think the characters developed by Szpara are some of the strongest points of this book and also seem to be the main focus. This book is about so much more than just the characters, but it's also still very much a character-centric story. The development of each character is crucial to the storyline, and I really am impressed by just how carefully Szpara developed each character and how much nuance he imparted into each one. Elisha is one of the main characters and perspectives we follow and had one of the most fascinating arcs of any book I've read in a while. Watching his slow personality change as he was influenced by Alex throughout the story was so heartbreaking that I almost wanted to look away, yet also done in such a masterful way that I couldn't help but find myself utterly compelled by it. There was only one moment where I felt his behavioral changes felt a bit sudden, but looking back on it I wonder if that wasn't done on purpose by Szpara in order to hammer home just how much the mind can be influenced without our awareness when done by someone with enough confidence and manipulative qualities. 

The next main character we follow and get a perspective from is Alex, and Alex is really where things are tricky. Alex is, quite frankly, a repulsive person for a lot of this book. Szpara clear excels at writing characters that are fully fleshed out and entirely morally grey. Don't get me wrong--most of Alex's actions are reprehensible, but Alex himself is portrayed almost as being a product of his own environment as well in which he fails to see Dociles as individual human beings as well until it's too late and he's done too much damage. There's a sympathetic air that surrounds Alex as we see him develop feelings for Elisha, but as readers we also know that this is extremely toxic, abusive, and impossible due to the power structures at play. This is a hard topic to write, and I applaud Szpara for taking it on and, in my opinion, executing it so well. I think that there are a lot of people in situations where the abuser isn't some obvious 24/7 villain and it leaves victims feelings confused and uncertain about how to feel, and Szpara really dove deep into this exploration.

Before I dive into some themes, I want to briefly comment on the pacing and world-building. The pacing itself felt perfect to me--nice and steady, but done so in a way where I almost literally could not stop reading this book. In regards to world-building, this is the only place I really had a few questions. I think some more background about Dociles and Dociline and the state of the world and Maryland would have really benefited this book, as although I fully understand what was going on, there were just some moments where I felt as though things felt too extreme. Like I understand how Dociles became a thing, but when and why did it become such an abusive and exploitative system? Why was it deemed okay to have sex with Dociles? Maybe this was mentioned in the book, but I don't recall it at the moment so it just left me wondering. I will say, however, that the amount of world-building that was given in the book was enough for me to feel content and fully aware of what was going on, so these questions didn't really end up bothering me too much; at this point they are really just some world-related questions that I'm curious about and didn't affect my reading experience much negatively. 

I think one of the most important takeaways from this book is from when things begin to fallout and we begin to see the pieces that are left at the end begin to find their ways into new places that work for each character. This was one of those endings, for me, where what the emotional part of your heart wants is not what the rational, healthy part of mind knows is right, and I absolutely love how Szpara handled that problem and discussion. Things are never black and white, and I think he captured really well how it can be extremely difficult to let go of something that was toxic or harmful to you when you have developed feelings that you can't quite figure out how to deal with or let go of. I also appreciated the sex positivity and sex safety aspects of this book that popped up mostly near the end (though in general this is a fairly sex positive society, as well as seemingly LGBTQ-friendly) and showed some really healthy ideas that provided a nice contrast and follow-up to the horrors that were witnessed in the first half of the book. 

Lastly, I just want to touch on the themes present in this story, which, outside of the characters, are what made me appreciate this book so much. A lot of books touch on power dynamics in relationships and cultures in some ways, but they often don't go too deep into them. The most recent book/duology that I read that went deep into power structures was Queen of the Conquered/King of the Rising, which was much more heavily focused on racial power structures. Docile focuses on the more relationship-based level, both romantic and otherwise. Dociles are humans and are given human rights and are paid for their services, yet they are treated as slaves and dehumanized to great extents. How do these two ideas coexist? Docile tackles this question, as well as the question of how Dociles who do not take a drug called Dociline to make them compliant and forget what's happening react to this treatment, and how those who are 'in charge' of the Dociles, known as Patrons, interact with these humans who are treated as lesser than them. Can equal relationships exist between such a pairing? Most of us are probably quick to say no, which is what I also think, but there are some grey lines in there that make it hard for those within the situation to figure out why that sort of unbalanced power structure makes it impossible to ever have an equal relationship. I won't go into much more about this, but if you are at all interested in these types of discussions or explorations, this is definitely a book to check out. 

Overall, I found Docile to be a truly fascinating book. I'm not sure if that's the right word for it, because it's also horrifying, repulsive, heartbreaking, a little heartwarming (? in Elish'a case, at least), and incredibly thoughtful. This is a careful book, crafted with care and a deep understanding of all the nuances that exist within exploitative and abusive relationships of all types. I would absolutely recommend this one if anything I've talked about sounds interesting to you, but I also understand if this is something that you just want to step away from. I'll be giving Docile a big five stars!

Buy the book: Amazon | IndieBound

The Friday Face-Off: Highly Stylized

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:
Highly Stylized 

I'll admit that I had a little bit of trouble with this one at first because I wasn't entirely sure what counted as 'stylized.' After some Googling, however, I think I've got it, so I decided to pick a small variety of covers that I think fit this topic pretty well. I took stylized to have the meaning of non-realistic forms of real objects, so more abstract or simplistic styles of things, which I think there are some small elements of (somewhat) on these covers, at least in my opinion. What do you think of these choices?

2018 Harper Perennial | 2019 Thomas Nelson | 2020 Balzer + Bray

2020 Tor | 2018 William Morrow | 2018 Little, Brown and Company

2015 Tor | 2016 Scribner | 2019 MacMillan 

My choice(s):

I'm not even going to try to pick a favorite because I really love most of these covers!

What cover(s) do you like the most!?