Mini ARC Reviews: The Bone Witch & We Are Okay

It’s been quite a while since I posted some mini-reviews, so here are my shorter reviews that I was frankly too lazy to write full-length ones for. These books recently came out, so here’s what I thought of them!

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
Series: The Bone Witch #1
Publication: March 7, 2017 by Sourcebooks
Rating: 2.5/5 stars

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THE BONE WITCH started off wonderfully—I loved the writing style; the prose was neat, flowery, but not too flowery, and had an edge that lightly intrigued me after each word. The novel is also told through different times; one POV is an older version Tea looking back towards past events and the younger version of Tea in the past. I enjoyed the writing style and the descriptive prose, but not much outside of that unfortunately.

However, while I enjoyed the writing and the incorporation of Bone Witches as the focal point, I felt the plot was basically… empty. The beginning starts off with Fox being brought back from the dead and Tea being apprenticed, but that’s essentially all that happens. Tea learns to harness and control her powers, and while that may be interesting for others, I couldn’t connect and it didn’t draw my attention as much as I had hoped.

Overall, not to say THE BONE WITCH was a bad book per se, but I didn’t feel as if it lived up to its full potential plot-wise. I feel like if it had been more stimulating in terms of more action, I would have enjoyed it more. Definitely check it out if you appreciate Asian-inspired mythology and incorporation of necromancy—this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Series: n/a
Publication: February 14, 2017 by Penguin
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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WE ARE OKAY was my first Nina LaCour novel so I didn’t really know what to expect. From what I had heard, it seemed melancholy and slightly whimsical, and frankly, it is. LaCour crafts a story about Marin, a girl dealing with the aftermath of her grandfather’s death. Marin discovers new secrets about her family and her feelings for Mabel, her best friend. I really enjoyed the concept, and although the plot unravelled quite slowly, LaCour artfully churns out this story.

Told in alternating time periods (one is present and one is the summer during which Marin’s grandfather dies), WE ARE OKAY expresses the emotions of losing loved ones and learning to love others. LaCour also incorporates a f/f romance, which I really enjoyed reading about.

Overall, WE ARE OKAY was short, bittersweet, with a melancholy atmosphere. I enjoyed it, but the only reservation I had was the pacing, which I thought was just a tad too slow for my taste. However, if you have enjoyed LaCour’s books in the past and are in the mood for a novel that explores grief and philosophical themes, definitely check this one out!

Thank you to Penguin for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!