38. Snowglobe

Snowglobe. (Snowglobe Duology #1) Soyoung Park. Translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort. 2024. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Dystopian; New Adult]

First sentence: In the living room, Grandma is sunk in her chair in front of her favorite TV show, a heavy quilt draped over her lap. I look down at the weather ticker scrolling away along the bottom of the screen.

I read the description of this one and that was enough of a hook to get me. I'm not sure I could do the book justice by trying to summarize it. You should know it is set in a futuristic dystopia. The world building was FANTASTIC. The characters were well-developed, fleshed out. The plot was both simple and complex. 

It stars a sixteen year old, Jeon Chobahm, who wants to be part of their world--Snowglobe. The residents of Snowglobe seemingly have it all. The residents are actors, directors, celebrities if you will. They are the only people on earth to live in a warm climate. The rest of the world is in perpetual winter or ice age. Her dream is to be a director, to be direct one of the shows of Snowglobe. 

Be careful what you wish for. She'll be presented with an opportunity. Does she have the right to say no? Maybe? maybe not? Regardless, she does NOT want to miss this opportunity. She runs straight for it. It is only afterwards when she begins to suspect that the Snowglobe she knows through the screen isn't the real Snowglobe.

I am so glad I borrowed this one from the library. It was such a fascinating/engaging read. Usually dystopian novels require a LOT of suspension of disbelief. You almost read with an eye-roll. It may be very entertaining, but equally obnoxious. Some are so heavy-handed and ridiculous hitting you over the head with a couple of hammers that there's no fun to be had. This one I completely became absorbed in. I didn't feel manipulated or preached at.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

76. See You Yesterday

See You Yesterday. Rachel Lynn Solomon. 2022. 432 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "This has to be a mistake." I pull the extra-long twin sheets up over my ears and mash my face into the pillow. It's too early for voices. Much too early for an accusation.

Premise/plot: How would you like to live your first day of college over again? How would you like to be stuck in a time loop of living your first day of college over and over and over and over and over again. Barrett Bloom, our heroine, finds herself doing just that. And she's not alone. Miles Kasher-Okamoto, a fellow student, is also trapped in this time loop only he's been trapped for months. The first day brings its hardships--for both of them. Barrett, a would be journalist major, finds herself goofing up an interview to work for the school paper. Again and again and again. And that's just the start of it. Turns out, some timelines she actually accidentally sets fire to a fraternity! Not to mention how her day begins: she learns that her frenemy from high school has been assigned to be her roommate! Yikes! Miles, well, Miles receives a phone call from his brother, Max, to come pick him up from rehab. (We do know more about Barrett's challenges because this is her pov.)

Though some loops find them doing their own thing, most loops these two are together either brainstorming for a way out or living like there is no tomorrow. Will these two ever find a way to stop looping through time? 

My thoughts: I love, love, love the premise of this one. Stargate SG-1's Window of Opportunity is one of my most favorite episodes of all time. And I'm sure there's other time loop fiction--in books and on the screen--that I could mention. It's a sub-sub-sub-sub-genre perhaps. But it's good fun. (At least if you're not the one caught up in it.) See You Yesterday has a very rom-com feel. I do like them as individuals and as a couple. It isn't rushed. Though the calendar may always, always, always say September 21, these two have had a LOT of time to get to know each other. It is also a very human relationship. They are able to be vulnerable with each other and come to trust one another. This isn't built in a day--well, technically maybe, but still. The development is there which is nice. This isn't truly insta-love. 

I also like that it isn't just a romance novel. For sure, the romance story plays a big role in it. But it is also about all sorts or relationships. (Including her relationship with her frenemy--a close friend turned enemy.) It is also about self-care in a way. Barrett has to learn to make peace with her past and move forward in a healthy way. She has to work through her complicated/complex feelings. (And so does Miles about his own issues.)

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Where The Heart Is (1995)

Where The Heart Is. Billie Letts. 1995. 376 pages. [Source: Bought]

The novel opens circa 1985. Novalee Nation, the heroine, is seven months pregnant. She is with her boyfriend, and they're both heading west. He's a man without integrity, to say the least. He does reluctantly give her a ten dollar bill so she can go buy some shoes when her own shoes are lost through the hole in the floor of his car. But he expects a good bit of change back. Or does he? Was he planning to abandon her at the Walmart all along? Or did he just get tired of waiting? Does it matter? The truth is that Novalee Nation is left at a Walmart in a small town in Oklahoma with only $7.77. She has no family to call, no friends either. So Novalee settles down in Walmart for the rest of her pregnancy, hiding when need be, so no one knows that she is living there. She ventures out during the day and meets people, meets the librarian, for example. By the end of her pregnancy, she's made a few friends. Now these new friends of hers don't know the truth exactly. But they're not the type of people who would care overly much about the truth. Novalee happens to find herself among the least judgmental folks she's ever met. The book spans seven years worth of drama. If the book has a theme it is one of 'home' and 'belonging' and 'family.'

Where the Heart Is was not a good match for me. I wanted a different book, perhaps. A book that kept the "down-to-earth" quirky characters perhaps, but, lost much of the smut. It isn't that Where the Heart Is is your traditional smutty romance--it isn't, far from it. But I thought there were certainly plenty of details that were tasteless. Why did readers need to follow Willy Jack's story at all???? Every chapter that focused on Willy Jack seemed tasteless and pointless. Why do we need to know about his time in prison? If the story had centered exclusively on Novalee Nation, would I have liked it a bit more? I think I would have. At least I wouldn't have hated it. Eliminating Willy Jack wouldn't have solved all the problems, one scene that was too much to take, and rightly so, was the child rape. The scene had every right to be disturbing. It was a horrible awful situation. Still. The details were too much. The profanity--the blasphemy--was also too much. 

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Miss Billy's Decision (1912)

Miss Billy's Decision. Eleanor H. Porter. 1912. Dodo Press. 248 pages. 

Miss Billy is engaged to Bertram Henshaw. Their engagement has just been announced. But life gets busy and the couple struggles in their relationship. Bertram is painting the portrait of a young, wealthy, beautiful woman--very temperamental, always changing her mind on what pose suits her best. Billy is occupied with a handful of things: first, planning the wedding of Cyril and Maria (the music teacher); second, writing or composing her own songs for publication: this time with a partner, "Mary Jane" Arkwright; third participating or organizing an operetta for charity: if she can play matchmaker for two of her new friends, it would be great. Through the months, Billy feels that Bertram is too focused on ART and not focused enough on her, and, Bertram feels that Billy is too focused on MUSIC and not focused enough on him. Each feels let down by the other. Perhaps each feeling that love should be easy now that they're together and planning to get married. The couple begins to grow apart from one another--very gradually. 

At one point in the novel, Miss Billy struggles to make the decision that is "right" for everyone. She's been told by a certain someone that she is ruining Bertram's life, that the two would never--could never--be happy together. That it would be best for Bertram's career if he were to remain single. It's not like Billy has never had doubts about their future together. So Billy starts looking for signs to help her decide...

One might think that Bertram would be more developed as a hero, as a character since he is the love of Miss Billy's life. But. He still wasn't as developed as he might have been. I still feel that readers never really get a chance to know him. Readers spend MOST of the novel seeing Miss Billy and "Mary Jane" (M.J. Arkwright) together. He LOVES Billy and honestly doesn't know that she's already engaged. And they have so much in common, at first glance. She's great at writing music; he's great at writing lyrics. Readers know that he loves her, but, does she love him in return?

I did enjoy this one more than Miss Billy.

Read Miss Billy's Decision

• If you enjoy Eleanor Porter's writing style; she's VERY readable
• If you enjoy light/clean romance
• If you enjoy reading classics
• If you're looking for vintage 'new adult' titles

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Miss Billy (1911)

Miss Billy. Eleanor H. Porter. 1911. Dodo Press. 208 pages.

Miss Billy (1911) is a pleasant romance by Eleanor H. Porter, an author perhaps better known for her children's novel Pollyanna (1913). Billy becomes an orphan around the age of eighteen. She has no living relatives, but she still needs a family, wants a family. She decides to write one of her father's college friends, a friend she was named after. Her name *is* Billy. Her namesake, William Henshaw, is living with his two younger brothers, Cyril and Bertram. (Also making up the household is Pete, the butler, and Dong Ling the cook.) Her letter reveals her eagerness, her expectation, her hope to come and live with the Henshaw family in Boston. Her letter doesn't reveal her gender. I don't think Billy even thought that her name might be ambiguous enough to cause confusion. They send her the message to come, and then comes the big surprise. What will a houseful of men do with an eighteen year old girl? Well, they'll call their sister to beg her to be chaperon for a night or two perhaps. But then they'll see what spinster relative they can bring into their home along with this newcomer and her cat. Aunt Hannah will suit nicely. The first part of the novel focuses on how Miss Billy changes things up for these three men. How she brings life and excitement to them all, making the house feel more like a home. The second part of the novel, however, focuses on the all-too-absent Billy. For after a big misunderstanding, Billy decides to live elsewhere using college and then European travels as an excuse to stay away from the Henshaw brothers. The third part of the novel is set when Billy is twenty-one or twenty-two, she's return to Boston and bought her own home and is establishing herself quite well. It is the third part of the novel that focuses on Billy's love life...

It is a pleasant, enjoyable novel. Miss Billy is vivacious and lovely. And the three brothers are interesting as well. At least two of the three brothers are unsociable and a bit awkward until helped by Miss Billy. Cyril being thought to be interested only in music; Bertram being thought to be interested only in art; William being thought to be interested only in collecting various objects for his huge collection. There are a few good minor characters as well, including the very domestic music teacher. The only minor character I didn't like is the sister, Kate, who is almost always the source of confusion and misunderstanding...

Read Miss Billy

• If you like orphan stories (like Anne of the Island, Daddy Long-Legs, etc.)
• If you like light romances (or clean romances)
• If you've read Pollyanna and want to read more from Eleanor H. Porter

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews