I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about Yardsticks for Failure by Ivo Graham. Thank you to Headline Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
After coming last by quite such a distance on Taskmaster Series 15, and seeing his emotional frailties laid bare in a series of memes of him with his head in his hands, Ivo Graham is adapting to an increasingly irreversible reputation as a man better known for his chaos than his comedy.
Yardsticks For Failure is an exquisite map of the brain behind the breakdowns; a deep dive into the various facepalms of Ivo’s recent past, and a live diary of his unravelling present, where his solution to the general bedlam of his life has been to pile his plate higher than ever before. Longer-term resolutions of rest and relaxation can wait; in the meantime he’s trying to host the greatest club night of all time, run a Sub-3 marathon while pushing a wheelchair, and put his heart on the line in a show unlike anything he’s ever done before. Can these dreams become a reality, or will they just become more yardsticks for failure?
Publication Date: 22nd May
CW: grief, death
My Thoughts:
Yardsticks for Failure brings Ivo Graham’s wonderful comedic stylings to the page with an unexpected emotional vulnerability and a gut-punchingly honest exploration of grief.
I have enjoyed Ivo Graham’s comedy for quite a while now. He has a distinctive style with a dryness, an irony and a sense of self-deprecation that is endearing and the nation fell in love with him through Taskmaster, where the book’s title is drawn from an infamous quote. At times, his stories can be labyrinthine in his sets. You have to be willing to follow the rabbit down the hole as Graham explores but the punchline is always worth the journey. I personally love his storytelling and flair for transporting an audience. It feels like the type of slightly rambling, topic-switching conversations I have with many a friend. This book captures that magic with each chapter exploring an anecdote from Graham (often accompanied with adorable and sometimes slightly unnerving illustrations from his daughter). It speaks to a difficult time in his life but with heart and humour woven throughout. It is very witty and sparks off the page.
It is hilarious, as I expected, but it also really hits home emotionally. This is very much a book about grief and the way death can fracture your life. It is grappling with the knowledge that the person isn’t here any more but being unable to live with that. Graham writes beautifully and honestly about this – it feels raw and authentic. That ending segment was executed wonderfully and moved me to tears. I loved how much of a dedication this is and how it feels like Tom’s life and legacy is celebrated throughout.
Far from the mistakes encapsulated by the title, Yardsticks for Failure is a resounding success – a celebration of life and laughter but also a reminder to take each day as it comes and reach out to those you love.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Ann Liang. Thank you to Scholastic UK for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Leah Zhang has spent her whole life in LA – it’s all she’s ever known. That is until her parents grow tired of her broken Mandarin and zero regard for etiquette, and send her on an intensive two-week travel program across China.
There’s a competition running throughout the program where the winning duo will receive a glowing letter of recommendation to the college of their dreams. Leah is forced to partner up with her former classmate and least favourite person ever: cynical, sarcastic Cyrus, who’s somehow only gotten more annoyingly handsome.
But the deeper they wander into China’s provinces, the deeper Leah finds herself falling in love – with the boy she thought she despised, the home she never thought she’d call her own, and the parts of herself she thought were already lost.
Publication Date: 5th June
CW: bullying, racism, sexual harassment
My Thoughts:
Never Thought I’d End Up Here is a fantastic read.
Ann Liang is a shining star of YA contemporary stories. Every time she delivers these gorgeously swoony and emotionally rich books – each with their own style but feeling like part of a cohesive universe. This smashes it out of the park yet again. From the start, you feel for Leah who feels isolated and an outsider, even within her own family. It captures that dissonance expressed by people in the diaspora, often later generation immigrants, caught between worlds and not feeling like part of any of them. Getting this opportunity to reconnect with her heritage may just allow her to accept herself fully. She is brave and determined, with a great sense of style and a charm. I liked how smart she was and how her beauty was sometimes another weapon in her arsenal, but also how it affected her in other ways othertimes.
Liang always creates great three-dimensional characters that you connect with and root for them to succeed. They feel believable because they’re messy and complicated – you can never rely on first impressions. The surrounding characters in this book are no exception, with interesting arcs over the course of the book. Leah’s narration is sometimes unreliable, particularly in the assessment of those around her and what they might view her as. Within this is Cyrus, who was at the centre of a deeply hurtful past experience. Leah understandably hates him as a result and being paired with him is her worst nightmare comes true. I really enjoyed their dynamic and how this shifted. The sparks were flying and the dialogue made me chuckle, with a flirtatious undercurrent often running beneath it. It’s all muddled between performance and reality. In a book that reflects on aesthetics and how the world views you, this lands even more.
Never Thought I’d End Up Here is a wonderful romantic book to escape into and learn to love yourself first.
Finally, I’d like to delve into If We Survive This by Racquel Marie. Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Flora Braddock Paz is not the girl who survives. A colorful creative who spends as much time fearing death as she does trying to hide that fear from her loved ones, she’s always considered herself weak. But half a year into the global outbreak of a rabies mutation that transforms people into violent, zombielike “rabids,” she and her older brother Cain are still alive. With their mom dead, their dad missing, and their LA suburb left desolate, they form a new plan to venture out to the secluded Northern California cabin they vacationed in growing up―their best chance at a safe haven and maybe even seeing their dad again.
The dangers of the world have changed, but so has Flora. Still, their journey up the state is complicated by encounters with familiar faces, new allies, hidden truths, and painful memories of the family’s final time making this trip last year. And for Flora, one thing inevitably remains: No matter how far you run, death is never far behind.
Publication Date: 17th June
CW: death, grief, injury, violence, suicidal ideation, gore, death of a child, contamination anxiety
My Thoughts:
If We Survive This is a heart in your mouth YA horror story all about survival and family.
As soon as I heard Yellowjackets meets The Last of Us, I was sold. Luckily, this more than lives up to that comparison with a tense and terrifying read. The stakes feel tangible and the danger is very real, both in terms of the “rabids” and humans alike. Marie creates a wonderfully claustrophobic atmosphere, even as the world opens up on this intrepid journey. It is a horrible world where society has collapsed and the apocalypse has hit, bringing out the worst in some of the people that remain. Marie conveys this darkness perfectly but also adds threads of hope and snatches of happiness. This is not a clear-cut story but it is an ode to survival against the odds and found family that becomes your own community.
At the centre of it all is Flora, battle-tough and weary from fighting for her remaining family. She is smart, determined and deeply loyal with a vulnerability just hidden behind those carefully curated walls. I also really liked the way Marie explored her OCD and anxiety in this environment. It was sensitively explored and nuanced. There are some scenes where she grapples with her survival that are heart-wrenching. In particular, Marie explores surviving when you didn’t want to – that overwhelming flood of emotions where it feels easier to let go. It is poignant and powerful in its honesty. The situation has taken it to the extremity of the zombie apocalypse, but the themes explored are universal and sure to land with readers who may need to hear it.
If We Survive This cuts deep in its character-driven story with some incredible twists and turns – it keeps its heart through the bloody zombie apocalypse.
A Short Book Lover 
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