Book Review: Wax

Wax by Gina Damico

Released: August 2, 2016

Read: August 2016

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Format: ARC, 368 pages

Series: Stand-alone

Description on Goodreads:

    Paraffin, Vermont, is known the world over as home to the Grosholtz Candle Factory. But behind the sunny retail space bursting with overwhelming scents and homemade fudge, seventeen-year-old Poppy Palladino discovers something dark and unsettling: a back room filled with dozens of startlingly life-like wax sculptures, crafted by one very strange old lady. Poppy hightails it home, only to be shocked when one of the figures—a teenage boy who doesn’t seem to know what he is—jumps naked and screaming out of the trunk of her car. She tries to return him to the candle factory, but before she can, a fire destroys the mysterious workshop—and the old woman is nowhere to be seen.

    With the help of the wax boy, who answers to the name Dud, Poppy resolves to find out who was behind the fire. But in the course of her investigation, she discovers that things in Paraffin aren’t always as they seem, that the Grosholtz Candle Factory isn’t as pure as its reputation—and that some of the townspeople she’s known her entire life may not be as human as they once were. In fact, they’re starting to look a little . . . waxy. Can Poppy and Dud extinguish the evil that's taking hold of their town before it’s too late?

Review:

     Wax by Gina Damico is a comedic thriller about wax sculptures, stardom and immortality. The main character, Poppy, is a strong-willed aspiring actress and singer who is beyond perky and optimistic. Maybe a little TOO perky at times. With The List in hand, she could rule the world... in an organized fashion of course. The other characters, Jill, Dud, Blake, Connor, Jesus and even Greg, have something special about them: little quirks and opinions and actions that make them who they are. Greg has his ice cream jokes, Connor has his cape, and Jesus has his need to take things into his own hands. All of these traits lead to a wildly hilarious and fun novel. 

    As events passed a few discoveries were predictable, but the way the author announced and dealt with the issues was entirely new to me. Wax is a nice summer or light read that will keep you entertained and laughing until the last page. 

Favourite Quotes:

• "The machine told me to scan my coupons, so I did. Then it beeped. Then it scolded me. Then it stopped talking altogether and decided to have an existential crisis instead."
• " Good question, Dud! A gym quiz is a thing that should not be. Because the height of a basketball hoop is a piece of knowledge that will NEVER ASSIST ME IN MY DAILY LIFE." 

Rating: 7/10

Recommended if you like: contemporaries with slight fantasy, high school drama, the movie House of Wax (but this is waaaaaay more of a comedy). 

Keep flipping pages,

Lauren

Book Review: The Last Place On Earth

The Last Place On Earth by Carol Snow

Released: February 23, 2016

Read: February 2016

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. 

Format: ARC, 298 pages

Series: Stand-alone
Source: own

Description on Goodreads:
    Henry Hawking is sixteen years old, brilliant, funny, and sly--and now he's missing. But no one seems worried except his best friend, Daisy Cruz, who knows that Henry's security-obsessed parents would never leave town without taking proper precautions. And Henry would never go away without saying good-bye.
    Daisy considers all the obvious explanations for Henry's disappearance (federal witness protection program, alien abduction) before breaking into Henry's house. In his room, she finds a note that pleads, SAVE ME.
    Desperate to find Henry, Daisy follows his trail deep into the California wilderness. What she finds there makes her wonder if she ever knew Henry at all . . . and if the world as she knows it will ever be the same.

Review: 
    When I picked up The Last Place On Earth at McNally Robinson, I had never heard about it before and that shocked me. Until I realized it was a contemporary novel. Contemporary novels are not my favourite, I prefer thrillers and fantasy, but this one had more of an apocalyptic feel to it. 
    Even with the mysterious twist, the book had dull characters, a semi-dull plot and a definitely dull ending. The style of writing was quite boring and sounded almost robotic when I read it in my head.
    A few scenes did stand out from the murkiness though. Like when Daisy found out what was actually going on and when she plays Truth or Dare. These were quite interesting because I couldn't figure out what was going to happen next; they weren't predictable. Also the second scene involved Kyle, the bad boy surviver with a soft spot for his family. He was charming, kind (only to those he liked) and kind of peculiar. But he had a good heart and knew what he wanted out of life.
    I didn't enjoy this read that much, but that doesn't mean others shouldn't try it.
    

Favourite Quotes: 

• "In front of us, the ocean breathed in and out, maintaining the rhythm it had established long before humanity even existed. The ocean would always be here, even when we were not."
• "Wow, in just a couple of weeks, I had gone from being an interloper to the weakest link. That was what I called progress."
• "Family first, family second, family third."

Rating: 4/10

Recommended if you like: mysteries, friendship, small romances,  weird twists on contemporary novels

Keep flipping pages,
Lauren