Book Review: Set Me Free by Kayla N. Jones | Olivia J

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you know, the more places you will go," -Dr. Seuss

New Year, same indie book reviews!

Thank you, Kayla, for sending me your book in exchange for an honest review! Follow her on Instagram @kaylajones3838

follow me on Instagram @olivia.j.the.wordshaker

Y'all know how it does. Let's get into it. 

The Bad

1. The Dialogue

While the dialogue itself was witty and insightful, there were often large, uninterrupted sections of dialogue that made up most of the story. When there is too much dialogue and not enough narration, the characters and what they're doing can get lost. The reader can too easily lose their mental picture of where the characters are in space. Good dialogue is not just about what the characters are saying, but it's also about the balance of dialogue and narration, dialogue tags, and description that adds to the meaning of the words the characters are saying. 

2. Nuance

Disclaimer: As a white person, I have very limited personal experience with this topic. I live in a predominantly white community, and no one I know personally has any influence in the police system. I'm also not here to invalidate anyone else's experiences or thoughts, especially not the black community's thoughts on this issue. I'm just here to talk about literature. This is purely an outsider's perspective.

On page 96, there's a protest and when the protest reaches the line of police, the police immediately pull their guns on the protestors. Now, I'm sure there's some variance, but police just can't ethically pull their guns on peaceful protestors. That's just not protocol or realistic. Police are only around during protests to keep it from becoming a riot or stampede, not to stop the protest. They would have put up those plastic shields, batons, tasers, and put out tear gas in the worst case scenario, not have just started a gun-led massacre. The protest wasn't a violent riot in the first place. Police rarely actually get violent during regular protests unless the protest itself turns violent. 

Disclaimer: I haven't read The Hate U Give, only seen the movie, so my comparisons are just going to be between Set Me Free book and The Hate U Give movie. 

The Hate U Give movie had beautiful nuance. And what I mean by nuance is that it looked at the issue of police brutality and systematic racism through a realistic and equally balanced lens. It examined the militarization of police and the black community with care. It didn't paint either side in stereotypes and didn't ignore either side's perspective. Nuance is very important when portraying such a pivotal issue in order to reach as many viewers as possible and to not skew the issue incorrectly. 

That being said, I feel like Set Me Free could have used more nuance when tackling the issue of racism and police brutality. Officer 113 was often portrayed as a mustache-twirling villain, and while I do not want to undercut what Officer 113 did, I'd argue that most real people aren't inherently malicious. I'd argue that most police officers don't go out intentionally to terrorize black people. Rather, Officer 113 is most likely a victim of police militarization, fear-mongering, and systematic racism. Which is why the very human reaction of the police officer in THUG was so impactful and important. In that moment, the police officer in THUG realized he had made a grave mistake in the heat of the fear and emotion.While this doesn't excuse his actions, it says something very profound about the police system and humanizes the 'villain' in the situation, which always makes for more interesting fiction and analysis of the issue. However, Set Me Free didn't analyze the issues presented in THUG with the same care and nuance in my rather inexperienced but still valid opinion. 

The Good

1. The Writing

Jones certainly does have her way with words. When she does describe, it's ethereal, creative, and beautiful. And y'all know how trash I am for purple prose. However, this purple prose set the tone and atmosphere of the "ghost" world perfectly. 

2. Brother-Sister Relationship

I really enjoyed the strong relationship that Laura had with Chris, it was very visceral and real. I actually enjoyed seeing Chris being the spearhead of the movement and seeing his complex grieving process. I'm a big sucker for a good brother-sister relationship, and this one was done well, with plenty of angst. 

3. Moving

Overall, this was a very moving book. The emotional moments had weight, the tragedies were crushing, and the writing style added to the lightning pace of the story. The themes were commendable and thought-provoking. I've never read anything quite like it, and I think the story will stick with me for a while. The tagline should be . . . The Hate U Give meets If I Stay. 

I rated this book 3.5/5 stars, and rounded it up to 4 stars on Amazon and Goodreads!

~The WordShaker

So, I survived my first week of SCAD. | Olivia J

"Don't edit your soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly," - Franz Kafka

This blog is dead, but it's fine. This is still my space for whoever wants to join with me. 

This past Monday, I started school at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Well, eLearning, but it's still a whole new school to get used to. I was - still kind of am - super nervous. I was talking to one of my friends over dinner a few weeks ago about how nervous I was, and he was like "ugh, I know, we have to go to college so we can follow our dreams and stuff." Called out much? But he was right. This is my dream, dammit. 

In terms of my Color Theory class, it's like trying to unlearn six years of art classes from high school and instruction from my grandma Jo. It's also a little bit frustrating to not have a teacher there looking over you, because then you're not entirely sure if you're doing it right until you've submitted it. 

Onto Computer Art Applications . . . this one's kinda like an Intro to Technology class, but for Adobe Creative Cloud. I was really nervous for this one, but it turned out to not be so bad. It's a mostly project-based class, and I'm getting the hand of Adobe Illustrator. 

Visual Culture is my last class, but it's just a really weird name for Art History. I took an art history class last semester, so I'm pretty sure this is just the same game - read, take notes, write essays. 

Overall, I'm super overwhelmed, and who knows if I'm doing any of this right. I'm also terrified that I just suck at this whole art thing and I'm going to be an art school drop out. So, yeah. I'll update you after March, when the next quarter starts. 

~The WordShaker

BOOK REVIEW: Secret Trust by McCaid Paul | Olivia J

"Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river," - Lisa See

If you all are familiar with my reading history, you'll know that I read McCaid's first book, The Forgotten Headline back in October 2018, and wasn't a huge fan. Review here. But if you're lazy, here's the gist: while it was an interesting set up for a series, it had some developmental and 'set-up and payoff' issues. 

However, Secret Trust blew me out of the water!

Let's just get right into it, because there's a lot to discuss!

Disclaimer: I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, McCaid!

Spoilers, duh. 

The Bad

Mustache-Twirling

This was a problem that carried over from The Forgotten Headline. All of the antagonists in this series are mustache-twirling villains. While it makes for a good plot twist, it doesn't make for a deep and nuanced examination of evil and why it arises. 

It's almost humorous at times, how they laugh maniacally, kill without question, and are unflinchingly selfish and cruel. The problem with this is that the villians come off as flat and cartoonish. They can't be truly terrifying because their malice relies on over-exaggerated stereotypes instead of portraying the disjointed nuance and darkness of the human psyche. 

Another problem is that there is very little explanation as to why these people are this way, other than greed, which isn't a strong enough motivator. Despite their cartoonishness, what would have saved the antagonists from becoming stereotypically villainous would have been a way to humanize them, instead of reducing them to seething and violent monsters. This is why the Ms. Claudia plot twist almost worked. 


Story Structure

I'll admit this is a little nitpicky, but I thought there were some story threads that should have been introduced earlier or ones that should have carried through the story arc. 

For example, I would have liked to stay with Clara's narration throughout the entire story, especially with what happened to her after she was shot. This would have added tension and more of a driving force since we would have seen how she got from the graveyard to Ms. Claudia's, instead of just forgetting about her for half the story and then suddenly, there she is. How did she get to the librarian's? Why did Ms. Claudia keep her alive for so long?


The Good

First off, I want to say that literally everything has improved from the previous installment. The development, the action, the pacing, the writing. I love it. I can't possibly go into everything here, but I'll touch on my favorite elements. 

Pacing

I absolutely devoured Secret Trust. It was like a roller coaster. With each twist and turn, you learn something new, but that information only brings with it new questions. With blink-and-you'll-miss-it action, Paul has crafted a twisty mystery, with perfectly balanced action and character moments. 

Sequel Development

In terms of a sequel, this one was a perfect one. It deepened the mystery, deepened the relationships, and deepened the world. A good mystery sequel will also call into question the events of the first book, while also making them make more sense. 

I especially loved the character development in this book. Mick and Billie still remain strong friends with some really cute romantic development. Paul wrote the impact of the previous books with ease, and their determination in solving the mystery was admirable. They were also given much more 

Even better was some of the plot development. While not perfect on all levels, there were still some aspects that stood out. The ways that the conspiracy unfolded and deepened was mind-blowing at times, and each element strung the reader along. The key to a good mystery is that each answer gives two more questions, and Paul has truly mastered this technique. As always, everything comes together in a startling conclusion. Mad respect for the ways that Paul improved every element of his writing and storytelling.

Overall, this mystery sucked me in with compelling main characters and stellar plot development!

I rated this book 4/5 stars!

~

Overall, Secret Trust is a stellar sequel and a solid mystery thriller. The first book is short, so I recommend this series just so you can get to this book. 

~The WordShaker