Book Review of The Moonlight Palace by Liz Rosenberg

Goodreads Summary: Agnes Hussein, a descendant of the last sultan of Singapore and the last surviving member of her immediate family, has grown up among her eccentric relatives in the crumbling Kampong Glam palace, a once-opulent relic given to her family in exchange for handing over Singapore to the British.

Now Agnes is seventeen and her family has fallen into genteel poverty, surviving on her grandfather’s pension and the meager income they receive from a varied cast of boarders. As outside forces conspire to steal the palace out from under them, Agnes struggles to save her family and finds bravery, love, and loyalty in the most unexpected places. The Moonlight Palace is a coming-of-age tale rich with historical detail and unforgettable characters set against the backdrop of dazzling 1920s Singapore.

Goodreads rating: 3.44 stars with over 2,000 reviews
Genre Listing: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Drama, Asian Culture
Get the Book: Amazon, Book Depository

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

The Moonlight Palace is a short and sweet little gem from Liz Rosenberg. The story takes place in Singapore during the 1920's. The story follows Agnes on her quest to save her family and her home from poverty.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about this story is that it's a novella done right. It's roughly only 175 pages, but it feels like more than that. There's an excellent dedication to the history of the palace and Agnes' family that resides there. I found that the history given truly made me care about the palace.

I thought that this book was rather charming and the characters are lovely. Agnes is a very determined girl who seems to be wise beyond her years. British Grandfather was delightful. I enjoyed how important he was to the story, even though he stayed in the background most of the time. Nei-Nei down was probably my favorite character. She's so sassy, and I loved it.

I've been trying to broaden my horizons with books lately, and I'm glad I was able to do so with this one. It's a culture I had not previously read about, and an era I haven't read much about either. If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be charming.

four out of five moons

Book Review of Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

Goodreads Summary: When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.
Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.
Goodreads Rating: 4.05 with 296 ratings
Genre listing: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Drama, Bullying,
Get the Book: Amazon (Kindle)

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

I'm a little emotional over this book, so hopefully I can formulate a proper review of it. Every Ugly Word touches on a subject that's very hard to deal with- bullying. In the book, we follow Ashley, who ever since she told a lie so that she could fit in with the popular kids, was severely bullied. It tells a tale of what it's like to be bullied, but it also gives hope that suffers can get through it.

The situations that Ashley find herself in are very real, and a lot of bullying victims could probably relate to them. The characters seem real. There's a love interest, but it's not an obsessive love based on how pretty the people are. Matt's a good guy but still makes some mistakes. I appreciate this because I'm so sick of reading about love interests who are just "so perfect and hawt."

I thought that the older and little Ashley got confusing in the book. It was weird but served a purpose. Older Ashley was there to tell current/little Ashley that it can get better. Whether she believes it or not, Ashley is a really strong and brave character to make it through what she did.

I want to have more to say about this book, but I don't. It's a good read, and I strongly suggest it to anyone who is a victim of bullying. So instead of doing a full-on review, I'm going to post some quotes from the book that I found particularly encouraging.

"You think the way these people treat you is the end of the world. But I can tell you; it isn't what happens to you in your life that destroys you. It's what you do about it."

"You can't control how other people hurt you, Ashley. But you can control how you hurt yourself."

" I suppose I would define someone- or a decision they made- as brave when they chose a path that could have either serious gains or extreme consequences. When they're choosing the path not out of recklessness, but out of hope. For something better."

" People you love should always be more important than the people who judge you."

"You modify your word choices, downplay feelings, sugarcoat events. You hide behind these things because you've grown accustomed to being ridiculed simply for being yourself."

"You just haven't grown up enough yet to realize courage isn't fearless."

"My gaps only became inevitable when I stopped believing they could be filled."

"So, no, I'd never be a kick-ass movie heroine. But I was real and lovable. And for now, that was enough."

Sorry that this isn't a thorough review. It's a very raw and real (albeit fictional) story on bullying. It not only goes through the journey of being bullying but gives the message that you can get through it.

Five out of Five moons