Diverse Reader: TJ Klune

Review

Like any tried and true TJ Klune fan, when he announced he was writing the sequel to How to Be a Normal Person—you know the one he swore up, and down, and sideways he would NEVER write—I was as excited as anyone else at the news. Anytime TJ writes a new book is cause for celebration, right? And when I found out the book was going to be about Josiah, one of the Three Ironic Amigos we were introduced to in Normal Person, well, my excitement got even more and my anticipation even higher. I mean just look at the blurb! A book about a wannabe movie star who spends most of his time stoned and a writer of monster porn, I mean come on, how could I NOT want to read this book?! Yes, the book is as ridiculous as it sounds ... but in the VERY best way and in a way nobody but TJ could pull off. It was silly and sweet and swoony—omg SO swoony—and I swear you will not stop smiling throughout the entire book. Your face will hurt by the end from smiling so much, I'm not even joking.

Josiah, or Josy to his friends, Erickson is the biggest ball of sunshine you have ever come across, I kid you not. This dude, and I mean dude in the sweetest way, is like puppies and rainbows and cotton candy in a walking, talking hipster gay. He's not the brightest light bulb, something he readily admits with no hint of shame whatsoever, and his heart is as big as the sky. His friends adore him just the way he is, demisexual af, a lover of marijuana, and an inexplicable ability to win things at radio trivia. It's this particular gift that allows him to cross paths with Quincy Moore, a la Q-bert, writer of the before-mentioned monster porn.

Their meeting was ... well, you'll just have to read the book to find out exactly what. From there it doesn't take long for our beloved wannabe actor to be starring in his first movie ... one that Quincy just happens to have written and will be directing. I'm sure y'all can guess pretty clearly where this is all going to go from here. *hint, you might be right about some of it, but this is TJ Klune we're talking about here. You know he's going to surprise you!

I loved this book so much! Like SO, so much. I'll admit, it took me a little bit to get into it, I think because Josy is kind of all over the place, but once I found my groove, I couldn't put the book down. The characters are all so fabulous. From Josy and Quincy to seeing Xander and Serge again. And omg, let's not forget the awesomeness of Casey and the unforgettable and lovable Gustavo Tiberius who is every bit as amazing as I remember him being in How to Be a Normal Person. Afterall, he has to be someone super special to be Josy's BFF for life. What the hell, indeed. The We Three Queens make an appearance and the addition of Roger and Dee just added to zaniness. But lest you think this book is all about the ridiculous, stop right there. In true TJ fashion, How to Be a Movie Star is definitely laugh out loud til your stomach hurts funny, but it has a depth and heart that sneaks up on you.

"I get that," Josy said seriously. "Sometimes I like to lay on my bed in the dark and stare at the ceiling and think about things, like how I'm happy I got my big break and why to taquitos taste so good, even the frozen kind."

"You're...serious."

"Yeah, man. Like, I know frozen food isn't healthy or anything but you put some of those taquitos in the oven and holy crap, I could eat an entire box if it didn't give me the shits--"

"No. That's not what I was asking. I meant about this being your big break. That's what you think this is."

""Yeah, man," Josy said easily. "I'm in a movie. A real movie, you know? It's all I ever wanted, and now it's happened. How cool is that? My life is pretty great."

"It's that simple for you."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Quincy slowly shook his head. "I--I wish I could see things like you do."

"But then you wouldn't see things like you do," Josy said. "And then there would be two of me and none of you, and that wouldn't be so good."

"It wouldn't?"

"Nope. Because I like you just the way you are."

And that right there is what How to Be a Movie Star is REALLY about. It's about finding your people, the ones who love you for who you are, just as you are. Josy is demisexual and it's caused problems for him in the past, but his friends, his chosen family, accept that part of him just like they accept he loves weed and knows random facts that win him prizes on the radio. Quincy has dealt with his mental health his whole life and sometimes he wins and others ... he loses. I love how open Quincy is through the whole book about what he deals with and that sometimes his depression and anxiety get the best of him, but the important thing is to keep going, keep trying. This open and honest look at how people learn to deal with their mental health is one of the best things about the book.

Really, How to Be a Movie Star is excellent from beginning to end. It’s a happy book, one that will leave your heart full and with a smile on your face that will last long after you finish the last page. That Epilogue?! Truly wonderful. The book is a perfect mix of sweet and fluffy and heart and you should pick it up ASAP! You’ll be so happy you did, I promise.

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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Release Day Review: Ravensong by TJ Klune #Review #Giveaway

Author: TJ Klune
Title: Ravensong
Series: Green Creek #2
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Publication Date: July 31 2018
Length: 400 pages

Reviewed by Erin

Synopsis

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves.

It should have been enough.

And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.

Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them.

But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within.

Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken.

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Review

We might be only, what, not quite two-thirds of the way through the year, but I can say with 100% absolute certainty that Ravensong is my #1 MOST anticipated book of the year. TJ Klune has other books out this year, but hands down it's THIS book that had me counting down the days. It's hard, right, when you anticipate something with such fervor, that quiet fear that the book won't live up to the expectations you've been building and building, but y'all don't worry in the slightest because damn was Ravensong EVERYTHING I wanted. I promise not to spoil anything for those of you who have been waiting with bated breath just like I was because I would cry if someone had spoiled anything in this book for me. I was honestly flipping the pages as fast as I could read them because I couldn't stop and had to know what was coming next. I will say this though, do yourselves a favor and re-read Wolfsong before picking this up, especially if it's been a while. For those of you who, like me, listen to Kirt Graves' brilliant audio almost on repeat, you're good to go!

Ravensong is the story of Gordo Livingstone, witch to the Bennett pack and Mark Bennett, his mate and the one who shattered his heart all those years ago. I've been dying to find out the backstory to Gordo and Mark and to see exactly what happened between them to make Gordo so angry, so hard and cold toward all the Bennett's and boy did TJ deliver! This is a second-chance romance at it's absolute best. There's heartbreak and betrayal, anger and resentment, and so much pain between Gordo and Mark. Some of it I figured out from the bits and pieces shared in Wolfsong, but most of it I read with my mouth hanging open. As always, TJ's storytelling brilliance shines as bright as the sun. There really isn't anyone in the whole of the fiction genre, romance or otherwise, that tells a story quite like he does. His words, the pacing, the way he builds and is able to transport you directly into the story is unparalleled. I absolutely loved how TJ showed the past and how those events helped shape who Gordo, Mark, Elizabeth, Thomas became and even how Gordo views Carter, Kelly, and Joe. That history was fascinating to read about and boy did it ever make so many things make so much more sense! *no spoilers, remember, so yeah that's vague!

This is a heavy, intense book. There is so much going on, so many things in play as the Bennett pack fortifies itself for the battles headed their way. But in the midst of the angst and drama, there are some truly wonderfully lighthearted moments that will make you laugh out loud until you cry. The humans of the pack, Rico in particular, and then of course Carter and Kelly bring some much needed levity in the perfect moments. It's never too much, but just exactly right as someone with only TJ's mastery can do. It would be easy for their actions to be over the top and take away from the story itself, but it never does.

And in case you were wondering about the "Big Bad" TJ has mentioned more than a few times in the lead-up to Ravensong's release, never fear. The "Big Bad" is definitely big and so, so bad. As you'd expect, the action in Ravensong is every bit as on the edge of your seat as Wolfsong. There are some truly hold your breath moments where you're not at all sure what's going to happen and you can never guess with TJ so you just have to keep going and going. The suspense in this book nearly gave me heart palpitations, I kid you not. I love how different this book is from Wolfsong, while keeping the same tone and of course the lyrical, repetitive way TJ emphasizes certain things (pack, pack, pack) lets you know you are most definitely back in Green Creek. Gordo as a narrator is certainly not Oxnard Matheson and it's such a delight to be immersed in Gordo's jaded, snarky viewpoint.

I know there are two more books coming in this series and if I thought the wait for Ravensong was never ending, the wait for Heartsong (Robbie and Kelly's book - that's not a spoiler btw, it's been mentioned by TJ many times!) is going to be interminable. But that's what makes this series so out of this world fantastic. These characters that have become like family and friends that we don't want to say good bye to we welcome back with open arms because it's like coming home. Ravensong is a love story, but it's also about family and loyalty and fighting to protect those you love. It's also one hell of an emotional roller coaster so be sure to strap in folks. The ride is going to get even bumpier so be ready.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Release Day Review: A Wish Upon the Stars by TJ Klune #Review #Giveaway

Author: TJ Klune
Title: A Wish Upon the Stars
Series: Tales from Verania #4
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Publication date: March 26, 2018
Length: 450 pages

Reviewed by Erin

Synopsis

Nearly a year ago, blinded by grief and betrayal, Sam of Wilds made a desperate decision to follow the Great White into the Dark Woods. Now, he emerges to a world changed.

The City of Lockes is a prison. The King has been locked away in the dungeons. The Kingdom of Verania has fallen, and the Dark wizard Myrin sits on the throne.

But soon after his return, Sam learns of a resistance fighting in his name led by a courageous knight, a defiant prince, a pissed-off unicorn, and a half-giant who wants to smash everything in sight. If he has any hope of defeating the villains who have taken their home, Sam must face the consequences of his choices—and the friends he left behind.

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Review

Saying goodbye to a beloved series is never easy, but there are some that are harder to let go of than others. TJ Klune's magical, hilarious, sometimes ridiculous but always full of heart Tales of Verania (or as TJ likes to call it the Destiny Fuck, Yeah! trilogy) series is like that for me. I'm so SO very sad to reach the end of Sam of Wilds' journey, but alas, as the saying goes, all things must come to an end. Or, um, kind of. You'll see what I mean by that in a bit, but suffice it to say A Wish Upon the Stars, the final book in the saga, is every bit worthy of sending our hero and his beloved sidekicks off to their HEA. And then some. This has been a tale of friendship and loyalty. Of family--the kind you're born into and the kind you make. Of magic and bravery. Of love and sacrifice. So, so much love, and SO MUCH sacrifice. It's made me laugh and cry and rage and hold my breath. And it's made me believe that sometimes wishes DO come true, even if they're not always in the exact way you'd expect.

This will be spoiler-free review so it will be vague. If by some strange chance you haven't read the first 3 books in the series, what have you done with your life? Seriously stop right now and do that before you do anything else because really, this review, or what will amount to be a love letter to one of the best series ever, is not for you. It's really not even for anyone who has read the first three because let's be honest, if you've come this far, you've been dying along with the rest of us for the last book to see what will happen next. You don't really need me, or anyone else for that matter, to tell you that the Same we've come to know and love (and want to shake at times) is not the same Sam in A Wish Upon the Stars. Oh, sure, he's cocky and adorable and brave beyond belief and selfish and vulnerable, but he's much more, too. After all, he's just spent the last year in the Dark Woods with The Great White, or GW (and man, I LOVE that Sam calls him this so much) and the other dragons of Verania. He has a destiny to fulfil, he's left the love of his life, his family and friends, and his home to do what has to be done.

I have done everything you've asked of me. And I haven't asked for much in return. I'm not the same person I once was. I know that. But please, let them see me for who I am. Let them love me just the same. I wish for that more than anything. They don't have to forgive me for everything, not right away, but please. Just let them see me for who I am. I'm Sam. I'm Sam. I'm Sam.

Was it the right thing? Well, you're just going to have to read A Wish Upon the Stars to find out.

I'm not going to say a thing about the plot or what happens or if all the questions we've all had over the past three books get answered. TJ has mentioned much more eloquently than I ever could that things will happen you don't expect, so do yourselves a favor and let all of your pre-conceived thoughts and guesses go and just read. Let TJ take you back to Verania where there are knights who are dashing and immaculate. Where a king is a KILF and the prince is Sam's best friend 5eva. Where a hornless gay unicorn and a half-giant are so ridiculous and zany that you laugh until you cry. Where a dragon can be sexually aggressive (and kind of disgustingly so if I'm honest) one moment and the next, he'll bring tears to your eyes as he speaks from his eight hearts and you know he just wants a home and a family. Where there are wizards who make mistakes but do so only with the best of intentions and pay dearly for their mistakes. Where a mom and a dad look at their son as if the sun rises and sets with him and their love shines through. Where a boy from the slums has the weight of the world on his shoulders, where a destiny he never asked for or wanted is thrust upon him and he bravely-even if he kicks and screams while he does it-faces it.

A Wish Upon the Stars is every single thing you hope and want it to be, and probably some stuff you don't. TJ Klune is a master story teller, of that there can be no doubt, and he has given us a series that will stand the test of time. It might be a fantasy, but at its core it is an epic love story with heroes and villains, with magic and the fantastic. With dark and light and death and hope. With family and friends and ridiculousness and so much sass. There's growth and pain and suffering and sacrifice. And there's love. The love of a country. The love of a king. The love of a boy and his parents. Of three friends that would do anything for one another. Of an apprentice and his mentor. Of a wizard and his cornerstone. Of Sam and Ryan.

"But when I wished on the stars to do something important, to be someone who matters, I didn't mean all this. This...destiny. I think I meant you. Because you're my something important. You help me be that someone who matters." I looked away. "You're my wish, you know? I think you always have been."

So, thank you, TJ, for gifting us with these stories that have made us laugh and cry and everything in between. I know I'll never be the same for having read them.

Oh, and that mention above about not the end ... yeah, I'll be over here anxiously awaiting Justin's story. I have no doubt it will be worth the wait.

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Monday, November 20, 2017

Release Day Review: The Consumption of Magic by TJ Klune #Review #Giveaway

Author: TJ Klune
Book: The Consumption of Magic
Series: Tales From Verania #2
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Publication Date: November 20, 2017
Length: 450 pages

Reviewed by Erin

Synopsis

Sam of Wilds faced the Dark wizard Myrin and lived to tell the tale. Granted, the battle left him scarred, but things could be a hell of a lot worse.

It’s not until he reunites with Morgan of Shadows and Randall that he realizes just how much worse things could be.

Because the scars have meaning and hint at Myrin’s true plans for Sam and the Kingdom of Verania.

With time running out, Sam and his band of merry misfits—the unicorn Gary, the half-giant Tiggy, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart, and the dragon known as Kevin—must travel to the snowy mountains in the North and the heart of the Dark Woods to convince the remaining dragons to stand against Myrin. Along the way, Sam learns secrets of the past that will forever change the course of the future.

A reckoning is coming for Sam of Wilds, and there is nothing he can do to stop it.

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Review

I’m going to be upfront with you guys and tell you this review isn’t going to have much in the way of 1) thoughts about the book –It was INCREDIBLE 2) passages and sentences I highlighted—there were SO many! or 3) warnings—Listen to TJ, don’t read ANY spoilers.

With all that being said, I CAN say a few things. The first is Have Heart For Life, motherfuckers. Truly. For anyone who thought maybe, possibly Sam could be with Ruv (I have no idea who you are or why you would even think such a thing, but I guess to each their own, even if they’re the wrongest to have ever wronged) The Consumption of Magic will put any doubters of the fact that Sam and Ryan are meant to be to bed forever. There is no one for Sam other than Ryan and vice versa.

“Because it’s always been you, Sam. I promise. I promise. I promise, because when I look upon these stars, there is nothing I wish for more than you.”

Justin might be a spoiled, pain in the ass, but there is SO much more to this guy and I can’t wait to learn even more about him. Best friends 5eva indeed.

Mama and Dimitri are back and they’re as awesome as always. Mama is badass and Dimitri, for all his pornstache and inappropriate flirting, is really MUCH more than I thought he was.

While The Lightning Stuck Heart and A Destiny of Dragons are fabulous and wonderful, I think Consumption has a much different “feel” to it. Yes, there are moments of utter ridiculousness and yes, there are moments of jaw-dropping, white knuckle action, and yes, Sam and Ryan are utterly swoony, BUT there is a darkness to The Consumption of Magic. There has to be. Learning what the title means very early in the book (not a spoiler, TJ has mentioned this) means that there is a heaviness with each page, no matter what’s happening because you can’t help but wonder what’s coming next. There isn’t another storyteller out there that has TJ’s talent at building a story, at weaving even seemingly inconsequential blink and you’ll miss them moments into an arcing plot and bringing everything together. And we’re not quite there yet, since there is still another book to go.

You’re going to be exhausted, both physically and mentally by the time you get to the end of The Consumption of Magic because while reading you will experience every emotion you possibly can. Again, not a spoiler because this is TJ Klune we are talking about here. The thing is, it’s the BEST kind of exhaustion. I mean the books thus far have their own kind of language, don’t they? Harry Potter has muggles and dementors and avada kedrava. Star Wars has light sabers, storm troopers, and The Force. Words and things that fans understand and live and breathe by. Now we have Knight Delicious Face, smashing, and flora bora slam, just to name a few. Verania might be a made-up place, but TJ has transported each and every one of us there fully and completely, so much so, it’s hard to leave, even for a little bit.

Heed the warnings, friends. DON’T read any spoilers. Hell, TJ has said not even to read the excerpt posted at Dreamspinner. He is the master of making the little things turn into big things so you never know what you might stumble across if you go searching. Trust me, spoiling even the tiniest thing for The Consumption of Magic is a crime punishable by death. (Well, maybe NOT quite that dramatic. But close!) So, sit down, strap in, and be ready for one hell of an adventure!

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Friday, August 11, 2017

Release Day Review: The Long and Winding Road by TJ Klune #Review #Giveaway

Author: TJ Klune
Book: The Long and Winding Road
Series: Bear, Otter, and the Kid #4
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Release Date: August 11, 2017
Length: 346 pages

Reviewed by Erin

Synopsis

Family is not always defined by blood. It’s defined by those who make us whole—those who make us who we are.

And here, at the end, Bear and Otter will be tested like they’ve never been before.

There’s a knock at the door from a little girl who has nowhere else to go.

There’s a phone ringing, bringing news they do not expect.

There’s a brother returning home after learning how to stand on his own.

As these moments converge, all of their lives will change forever.

Beginning in Bear, Otter, and the Kid, and continuing in Who We Are and The Art of Breathing, TJ Klune has told a saga of family and brotherhood, of love and sacrifice. In this final chapter, the events of the past pave the long and winding road toward a future no one could have imagined.

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Review

Do you remember how it all began?

Goodbyes are hard. Whether it's to loved ones or friends, a home or a job, or even to a book series where the characters are like family and friends, they're difficult. It's with many bittersweet tears and smiles that we say goodbye to Bear, Otter, and the Kid in the final book, The Long and Winding Road. If it's hard for us readers to say goodbye I can only imagine how hard it must have been for TJ Klune to let go say farewell. I would hope with a full heart and a sense of immense satisfaction, too, because there are few characters out there that deserve a happily ever after as much as Derrick "Bear" McKenna Thompson, Oliver "Otter" Thompson, and Tyson "the Kid" McKenna Thompson. It's been a rough journey for these guys, full of many, MANY ups and downs, laughs and tears, but through it all, at the end of the road, this family is happy and whole and that's the greatest gift ever.

It's been three years since we've last been in Seafare, Oregon if you can believe that! It's also been five years since we've last heard from Bear (since The Art of Breathing is told from Ty's POV) and I have to say, it's entirely fitting that we end as we began, with Bear. This guy ... oh man has he ever come so far! From the scared, angry almost-man in the first book to the happily married, soon to be father in the last. That's not to say he's not still neurotic as hell, as ridiculous and endearing and fierce as he's always been because he is. But he's also grown SO much over the course of the series, and The Long and Winding Road shows just how far he's come. He's realized it's okay to have his life not be entirely about Ty and making sure he's happy. It's okay to put he and Otter first, as it should be. That change is okay, but he will never lose Ty, even though Ty has his own family with Dominic and Ben now. None of these are easy truths for our dear, wonderful Bear to completely believe in, but he tries. Life goes on, things change. He's still best friends with Creed, but Creed has his own family with Anna, JJ, and AJ. He still misses Mrs. Paquinn with an ache that will never go away, but does fade. Not that he'll ever forget her or what she's meant to him, but the sting of loss does lessen. And now there's Izzie. His newly arrived sister who has nowhere else to go. So Bear does what Bear does and makes a safe place for her, no hesitation, no questions asked.

That's not to say it all goes smoothly, because, hello? This IS Bear and Otter we're talking about here and when does ANYTHING ever go as planned for this family? (Homophobic seagull anyone?) But before we get to Izzie, TJ takes us back to New Hampshire and the time before Bear, Otter, and Ty returned to Seafare. He lets us see Ty's spiral toward depression and addiction from Bear's point of view, not through Ty's that we saw in The Art of Breathing. I think it was harder to look from the outside than see it from Ty to be honest, and I'm so glad TJ chose to do this. We can finally see how Bear and Otter formed a cohesive and united front when they confronted Ty. We see the pain, the guilt, and the anger Bear has for and toward Ty. We see him lean on Otter, who's always been his rock. It was such an emotional, poignant section of the book and for all the hurt for your heart, it was necessary in order to REALLY grasp where Bear is in the present. Expectant father, older brother to two smart-assed and damaged siblings, and of course half of the Bear and Otter duo.

As with every TJ Klune book, it's best to just read without knowing too much so I won't mention when Bear said ... or when Creed did ... or when Otter cried because ... It really is best to just simply enjoy this precious gift TJ has bestowed upon us all. Sharing this delightful, quirky, flawed (omg SO flawed), so very beautiful family with the rest of us over these past six years is nothing short of extraordinary. The Long and Winding Road is the perfect send off for all of these characters who we've all come to know and love so much and think of as friends and family. The glimpse of the future TJ gives us makes you crave more, but it should leave you with the biggest smile on your face knowing that all of them are happy and together and just as crazy as they are now. Thank you for sharing them all with us, TJ; it's been an unparalleled pleasure!

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