There's a lot to like here: good writing, likable protagonists, great chemistry, slow burn, amazing dialogue, a beautif[image]
4.5 “Happy Ending” Stars
There's a lot to like here: good writing, likable protagonists, great chemistry, slow burn, amazing dialogue, a beautiful friendship between the MC and her BFF, family problems all around, and all the feels. This could've been a five-star book for me if it'd focused a little more on the romance, but I understand the importance of January's relationship with her father and how that was an essential part of her character and journey, so I can't complain too much. And those letters? There was definitely something in my eye while I was reading them.
So while this wasn't perfect, it was pretty amazing....more
That feeling when you come back to a favorite author and remember why you fell in love with her writing in the first place. [image]
4 “The angst” Stars
That feeling when you come back to a favorite author and remember why you fell in love with her writing in the first place. This was SO good (maybe even better than the first? can't decide). The angst in part 3 really grabbed me. I need more books with this level of angst. Recommendations, please? ...more
I love SJM. I know she's problematic and still needs to fix many things in her writing, but I love her books.[image]
4.5 “Urban Fantasy goodness” Stars
I love SJM. I know she's problematic and still needs to fix many things in her writing, but I love her books. I love the friendships she creates, the slow burn romance that makes shipping an art form, and even the emotions she manages to evoke with her stories.
This was her first official Adult book, though at times it felt just as NA as the ACOTAR series (those books aren't YA and they'll never be). The plot was a little convoluted and the info dump was HEAVY, but Bryce, Hunt, Danika, Fury and the rest of the cast made it worth pushing through and reading the 800+ pages. To tell you the truth, after the first third, I didn't even notice how long the book truly was because the story was truly compelling at that point.
I'll say I was a little surprised at the lack of sexy times. Considering how steamy ACOMAF was (while still being marketed as YA), I thought this would be a lot steamier. It wasn't, but that was also fine because I loved the progression of Hunt and Bryce's relationship. They went from strangers reluctantly working together to good friends to lovers, which is one of my favorite romance tropes.
I wasn't a huge fan of some of the plot twists toward the end of the book, but, like I said before, the characters really pulled me in and kept me compulsively reading. In the end, I'm really happy with what SJM came up with and I can't wait for book 2....more
This book was good, but it could've been better if it'd focused more on the romance and less on...everything els[image]
3.5 "More romance scenes" stars
This book was good, but it could've been better if it'd focused more on the romance and less on...everything else. At times, I felt there was too much going on and the narrative got a little confusing. Because of that, we didn't get as many scenes between the hero and heroine. I also wanted more time with the dog--he was barely present and I LOVE dogs. Overall, it was funny (though I missed some of the cultural jokes/references) and the slow burn romance was good, but it would've been great if the author had spent more time developing it....more
The taboo part of this book was interesting and an addictive read. The "romance" part, though, was highly disfuncti[image]
2 "Disfunctional & Taboo AF
The taboo part of this book was interesting and an addictive read. The "romance" part, though, was highly disfunctional considering how the author chose to end this. Expect consent to be ignored and highly disfunctional situations to be overlooked. I would've rated this higher based on the first 50% if the last 50% hadn't been such a mess.
After a handful of DNF's (didn't even bother to add them here), this is what I get. In case you're wondering how my year has been reading wise....more
You’d be Mine isn’t only a story for country music lovers, but for people that enjoy their YA romances with a little bit of drama and a lot of music.
Told from the POV of two teen country stars (even though Annie is just starting, it’s clear she’s always been one) and how they deal with life on tour while grieving their loved ones. Annie and Clay connect through their love for music (the author couldn’t be more right to say they speak the same language—music) and their pain for the people they’ve lost.
While Annie deals with the loss of her parents in a much healthier way, teen country superstar Clay drowns his pain in alcohol, women and even drugs. And though he’s clearly in a messed up phase of his life, I still ended up liking Clay’s chapters more than Annie’s. It was also true what Annie said about him—Clay just had that something extra, that magical quality that attracted my attention.
Not to say that Annie wasn’t a good character. She was a bit too good and a little bland at times, but she ended up growing on me toward the end. It also helped that I loved her relationship with her cousin, her male best friends and her grandparents. I appreciated the fact that was no drama between Annie and her cousin and no girl shaming in this novel!
The romance was cute, but I wished it had been bigger somehow. Clay and Annie’s individual paths and pain ended up taking more space then the romance, and while that’s not necessarily a problem, I felt like the book had been marketed in a way that made me believe the romance would be the main plotline and it didn’t exactly feel that way while reading.
Overall, I was happy with how the major and important themes were handled and with how I got a glimpse as the country music world. And while it took me a while to get into this book, once things got flowing, You’d Be Mine turned out to be a really fun read. ...more
I wanted to rate this book higher, and I would’ve had it not been for the last few pages and how suicide was portrayed near the end.
First of all, this author is Brazilian, so HECK YEEESSS!
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I’m going to be the first to admit I’m not a huge sci-fi fan. I know nothing about Star Wars, Star Trek or other TV shows/movies referenced in the book aside from Will Smith’s Independence Day. That one I’ve watched a hundred times—it’s a great movie.
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Having said that, I love stories about the end of the world and alien invasions, especially when the characters are so diverse, so I was really excited about this one. Besides, it’s written by a Brazilian author, so, again, YEEESS!!!
It took me some time to get into The Last 8 because I kept expecting more details that would make me feel truly immersed in the world and what was happening. Like the blurb says, aliens invade, everyone is dying and shit is happening, but I didn’t really feel much while I was reading. This is partially because Clover, the main character, is a more practical and less emotional person, but it’s also because the writing didn’t dive deep enough into the setting and the world.
Things really got interesting for me when Clover met the group of teens called The Last Teenagers on Earth and they decided to do something about the aliens. The action scenes were great, especially the ones with Clover doing amazing things while piloting a plane. There were also some really good moments as Clover spent time alone with some of the other teens and opened up to them, or let them open up and listened.
I also enjoyed the big twist that came into play a little after the halfway mark. I could see some of it coming, but not all of it, so I ended up being surprised! Yay!
Now, I have to say that while I LOVE and LIVE for a diverse group of characters (and the diversity here was AMAZING!!!!!!!), they weren’t distinctive enough as individuals. The story was told from Clover’s perspective, so we didn’t get a chance to really get to know the other teens (the last survivors), and while the author tried to give them different jobs/activities, in the end they pretty much sounded the same to me. I kept trying and failing to remember who they were and what they did. The one I liked the most ended up not having the best ending, so…*sad face*
Now, none of the things above would’ve kept me from rating this 4 stars or more, but the thing that bothered me the most was how suicide was portrayed in the end. (view spoiler)[ I hated how Violet’s suicide was used as a plot device to get Andy to do what needed to be done. It felt manipulative and as if it was the act of a hero, which is a message that bothers me a lot. I thought Clover’s struggle with wanting to end her life throughout the book was handled with care and made sense given all that had happened. And for her to have come so far, decided to fight for her life and for the friends she made, and then simply encourage Violet to use suicide to force Andy to do what needed to be done…that felt wrong and out of character. I wish the author had picked a better way to handle that situation—Violet could’ve easily been hurt/killed by one of the aliens and Andy would’ve reacted the same. What Andy needed in order to access her power was to lose Violet, and given the fact that they were surrounded by aliens that wanted all of them dead, she didn’t really need to kill herself. (hide spoiler)]
With that said, there were some great moments in this book, especially with the action scenes, that reminded me of Independence Day. After all, who doesn’t like to see a group of diverse teenagers and an adorable dog (OMG, MY HEART!) fighting to save the planet from creepy aliens?...more
More than a review, this is a reminder to myself that this author's work is not for me. I'm pretty sure I DNF'd one of [image]
1 "So not for me" Stars
More than a review, this is a reminder to myself that this author's work is not for me. I'm pretty sure I DNF'd one of her other books for the same reason I'm one-staring this story, but I didn't add it as read or DNF'd to Goodreads, so I was fooled by the stunning cover and promise of hate-to-love, alpha male and all that.
But after reading this, all I can say is, I'm sorry but what the heck?
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I'm not the right person to read stories about abusive jerks who do not show even a little bit of respect for the woman he forced into a marriage.
First of all, this audiobook is stellar. I wasn't a big fan of audiobooks, but this one definitely changed my[image]
4 “Raw + Stellar Audiobook ” Stars
First of all, this audiobook is stellar. I wasn't a big fan of audiobooks, but this one definitely changed my mind and made me eager to listen to more. Here's hoping my next one is just as good.
Second, am I the only one who feels like this is neither YA nor mystery as it's being marketed?
Whatever it is or isn't, this book was still pretty great. Raw, like pretty much everything Courtney Summers writes, it was a story that wasn't the easiest to listen to because of how painful Sadie's entire life had been. For someone so young, she'd gone through so much already, and I couldn't help but feel for her, want to protect her and take her far away from that cruel world. Poor Sadie deserved so much better than what life had given her (and much better than that ending, if I'm being honest).
Dude, that ending...
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Aside from the ending, that was a lot to like about the book. The characters weren't as black and white as one might expect with a book with such a serious and troubling theme; Sadie's POV had just the right amount of sarcasm to make her voice stand out; and even though there was little mystery involving the murder and the murderer, Sadie's fate and her path to revenge kept me interested from start to finish.
And I really, really loved how Sadie was portrayed: as someone who was trying SO hard to be strong and dangerous when you could so clearly see how broken she was. I don't love that she was broken, but I loved the contrast and how it made her narrative more powerful.
I initially also liked the podcast chapters, but they lost some of their purpose toward the end. Things got a little repetitive and I couldn't see the point of reliving everything we'd already seen in Sadie's POV.
Overall, though, this is another win when it comes to Courtney Summers' ability to write dark themes, raw feelings and engaging protagonists....more
Three things you need to know about Sometimes I Lie:
1. Don’t look at spoilers before or while you’re reading 2[image]
4.5 “Twisted like a Pretzel” Stars
Three things you need to know about Sometimes I Lie:
1. Don’t look at spoilers before or while you’re reading 2. You probably won’t guess all the twists and turns and that’ll make the experience even better 3. It’s as good as everyone else is saying
Sometimes I Lie has been on my TBR for a while, but the library waiting list was LONG, so I had to sit and wait. I did, and I was rewarded with a great reading experience.
I can’t go into too many details (read #1 above), but I have to say it’s been a long, long time since I read a book that kept me guessing. The last psychological thrillers I read were good, but the surprise elements fell short because I guessed them pretty early on. This didn’t happen this time. I had a bunch of theories about the accident, the diary, the people involved in all of it, like I normally do, and but while I guessed some of the small twists, the major ones caught me by surprise.
The whole thing was so well-planned that, every time a twist was revealed, I had to stop, go back and reread some scenes just to make sure they fit the narrative. I’m glad to say most of them did.
The characters were another great surprise. I wasn’t sure how to feel about Amber, but she turned out to be smarter and stronger than I expected. I almost threw my Kindle across the room when the last chapter started (that’s how mad I was at what I thought was her “decision”), but then, once again, BOOM!
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Again, reviewing this book and keeping it spoiler free is almost impossible, so I’ll stop talking. All you need to know is that the book is well worth the read, even if the twist at the end was confusing and unnecessary, in my opinion.
Grab your copy, get ready to for all the twists and reveals and enjoy the ride....more
This book made me question wanting children. That’s how scary Hanna was.[image]
4.0 “Creepy Child” Star
ARC via NetGalley.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press.
This book made me question wanting children. That’s how scary Hanna was.
The blurb says: “Meet Hanna.” After reading this, I say, “Hm, no, thank you.” You can keep that girl away from me. There’ll be no complaints.
Told in dual POV, Baby Teeth is the kind of creepy story that is fun to read. At least it was for me. I practically read it in one sitting, and the story held my attention from start to finish. I blame that on the great writing style (even though I’m not the biggest fan of third person, this one was well-written and engaging) and on the intriguing characters.
I had doubts about Hanna’s POV at first, but it surprisingly didn’t annoy me. I couldn’t imagine being inside the head of a kid could be so entertainingly creepy. Her thoughts were logical and nonsensical at the same time. Sure I felt she was a little too smart for someone her age every now and then, but it could be explained by her psychopathic tendencies, if I can call it that.
I won’t call Hanna a psychopath, because I believe that’s not a diagnosis you can have until a person’s brain is fully developed, but that’s an idea of what you can expect from Hanna. She’s manipulative, violent, intelligent, shows a lack of empathy and attachment to anyone else but her father, and she’s scary AF.
Imagine being her mom and having to live with a kid who not only shows those traits, but wants you dead. That’s Suzatte’s life. Poor woman went through a lot in this story.
Unlike Hanna, I found Suzette to be an extremely likable character. There were times I wanted to shake her because she gave her scary daughter too much power, but I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, so I tried to cut her some slack. I loved that, despite everything going on, she still tried to be a good mother. She could’ve easily tried to be as awful as her daughter, but even when she tried to fight back, I felt it was more out of self-preservation and worry than being mean-spirited. In all honesty, she had more patience than I expected myself to in a situation like that.
The plot wasn’t perfect--some of the conflicts could’ve been avoided had Suzette acted like a person with full access to technology a little more--but it sure was engaging. I was eager to learn what awful thing Hanna would do next, and I was cheering for Suzette the entire time.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending, but I didn’t hate it, either. I guess it fit well the creepy factor present throughout the book.
Overall, this was a highly entertaining read from a debut author that shows promise....more
I'm always excited to see New Adult Fantasy books with lots of romance, so th[image]
3 “Earthsong” Stars
ARC via NetGalley
Thank you, St. Martin's Press
I'm always excited to see New Adult Fantasy books with lots of romance, so this seemed right up my alley. And while it didn't make me fall as madly in love with it as I had hoped, it was still a entertaining read.
Song of Blood & Stone creates an interesting and unique world with magic, guns instead of swords, and a World War feel to it (hard to explain how I got that reference, though. LOL). In this world, we have Jasmine and Jack; the two main characters who meet in a difficult situation and fall in love while trying to save their kingdom.
Both Jasmine and Jack are Elsira, but Jasmine doesn't look like the rest of her people. The daughter of a Lagamiri man, she has his darker skin and his ability to use magic. It also doesn't help her situation that the Elsira and the Lagamiri have been at war for years, with the Lagamiri tyrant looking for the perfect opportunity to cross the border and take over. Due to all of that, Jasmine has to deal with racism from her people while trying to find a way to protect them.
Racism, oppresion, the struggles of birracial kids and refugees are just some of the important themes in this story, and I thought they were mostly handled well. In a lighter tone, the romance was one of the main attractions of this book. The relationship between Jasmine and Jack was both sweet and sexy. As I said before, this falls in the new adult category, so expect explicit steamy scenes.
On top of liking them together, I liked Jack and Jasmine as individuals. Jasmine was a strong heroine who had to overcome a lot of guilt and prejudice to help the people who looked down on her; and Jack was one of those kind kind and respectful guys I wish I saw more in books and real life.
With likable characters and good romance, this turned out to be an enjoyable read. Besides, this cover is pretty stunning!...more
Here are the things I've said about this book before it was probably [image]
4 “Grey's Anatomy & Rock'n'Roll” Stars
ARC via NetGalley.
Thank you, Swerve!
Here are the things I've said about this book before it was probably even written:
"I'm still so very much in love with all the band members, and dying to get my hands on the next titles. I'm guessing Lennon's story will reduce me to ashes, so I'm here...not-so-patiently waiting for that." - Review of Elliot Redeemed.
"While I have to say Lennon’s book is the one I’m most anxious about, I had a good time reading Nikan Rebuilt. It was a little different than what I expected, and maybe lower on the suspense and angst vibe than the previous titles in the series, but it was a pleasant read." - Review of Nikan Rebuilt.
So, yeah, I've been anxiously awaiting Lennon's book for a long time.
I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint.
Sure, it wasn't as angsty as I had imagined and sort of hoped for, but it was still a great and emotional read.
Lennon and Jordan are my favorite Preload members, so I couldn't be happier that Scarlett chose those two to start and end this great series. I'm sad to see all of them go, but at least I got to do it while finally learning more about Lennon, the drummer who acts like a jerk but is made of insecurities, trauma and a lot of love for his bandmates.
The story starts with a BOOM when a tragic event brings a huge chance into Lennon's life, forcing him to stay away from the only thing he thinks makes life worth living. I won't get into details because I believe going in blind is the best strategy, but I'll say I was shocked and a little pissed at the author for adding that trauma to Lennon's already long list. Having sad that, this choice made perfect sense considering everything Lennon believed about his worth and everything he learned throughout the book.
What followed were scenes that made me tear up. I got extremely emotional when he first realized what had happened and broke down, when he grieved what he had lost, when Petal stopped by and when he got a picture of her holding something he gave her...
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I have to say this, though. I missed more of interactions between Lennon and his bandmates/brothers. I wished there had been more of that. The few interactions we got between them were stellar, especially the epilogue.
But since this is a romance, it makes sense that most of the book was focused on Georgia, the amazing woman tragedy brought into Lennon's life. With everything going on, Georgia was exactly the person Lennon needed to help him stay strong and go on with his life--she was extremely smart, patient and understanding. She didn't understimate his pain and suffering. She didn't try to sugarcoat the situation. She stayed by his side through all the bad moments and they finally got their well-deserved happy ending.
Again, I wished their relationship had been a little more angsty, but I was satisfied with the way things played out. I was also satisfied that, despite being a major influence in Lennon's new life, Georgia wasn't the only answer. It was Lennon's love for his family, as well as for Georgia, that made him want to adapt to his new life and keep going.
There were tons of touching messages and moments in this story and in the series overall. I'm so happy I got to read it from start to finish, and that the epilogue was the perfect addition. After everything those guys went through, they deserved their happy ending....more
CoHo writes complex characters. I guess most people who are familiar with her books (or at least the ones [image]
4 “No Black & White + Marriage” Stars
CoHo writes complex characters. I guess most people who are familiar with her books (or at least the ones I read) would agree that there are a lot of grey areas in her stories; meaning, the characters do shitty things and the situations they have to face are shitty, but you still feel for them because they’re only humans. That’s one of the things I love most about CoHo’s writing: she makes her characters flawed and humans. That makes it easier for me to relate to them and their stories.
It happened again with All Your Perfects, a book I’d been anxiously expecting for what felt like forever, but was actually less than six months.
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Anyway… CoHo tackles another extremely important theme in this novel and it focuses on a (gasp!) married couple. I can’t remember the last time I read a love story between two people that have been married for a while, still love each other, but have been facing major problems.
For me, this was definitely a new and exciting reading experience. I loved how, even though Quinn and Graham have been married for 7 years, we still get chapters showing us how they fell in love, so we get to fall in love with them as they do for each other.
We also get to watch countless heartbreaking moments as these two struggle with something that is beyond their control (such an important topic and it was handled beautifully, in my opinion). It was impossible not to feel for Quinn and Graham, because they were dealing with the same problem but moving apart instead of coming together, which is what happens a lot of times in marriages.
Some might say, well, they could’ve talked about it, but a lot of times talking doesn’t come easy because the other person feels like what they have to say is too ugly/heavy, or they can’t even handle thinking about it, let alone speaking it out loud. I felt like some of that was what happened with Quinn, at least.
It was hard watching a couple that clearly loved each other deeply slowly fall apart because they were holding on to an ideal that wasn’t possible any longer. Sometimes we get so lost in what we want life to be that we forget to appreciate how it is. That’s a lesson Quinn and Graham had to learn the hard way.
And I’ll tell you, there was a moment there when I thought their relationship was unfixable. I’m keeping this review spoiler free, so I won’t get into details, but I was disappointed that CoHo chose to add that to the storyline. There was enough drama already, and this felt unnecessary and out of character. I’m trying to pretend it didn’t happen so it doesn’t ruin what was a beautiful, touching and important narrative.
Like all CoHo’s books I’ve read so far, All Your Perfects was feels upon feels upon feels, lots of angst, characters making good and bad choices, and me rooting for them to find their happy ending.
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desperation a state of despair, typically one that results in rash or extreme behavior; also known as a state of despair while waiting for this book
Nice Try, Jane Sinner was the book I needed this week. It was fun, witty, deep and sort of unique.
The narrative[image]
4 “The best of Reality TV” Stars
Nice Try, Jane Sinner was the book I needed this week. It was fun, witty, deep and sort of unique.
The narrative choices were a little different from what I’m used to since this was supposed to be Jane Sinner’s journal, but I still loved it. I pretty much loved a lot about this book.
First, I loved Jane. She was such a fun and interesting character to follow. Even when she was struggling to feel anything, she still made me feel, which made the entire experience even more intriguing.
A teen expelled from school before graduation because of something she did (and you will only learn halfway through the book), Jane goes to a community college to get her degree. There, she signs up for a Big-Brother-like show produced by one of the students—the House of Orange.
The whole reality TV setting was amazing, and it served as the perfect background for this journey. It made Jane face the kind of challenges that were at times entertaining and silly, but allowed her to put herself out there and grow. It also introduced her to a bunch of people that helped her come into her own.
All the contestants were interesting and well-developed, but Marc and Robbie were definitely the ones I liked the most. That’s probably because they were the ones to interact with Jane for the longest period of time. Robbie was the friend, then not-friend, then love interest. And Marc...well, he was the subject of Jane's hilarious experiment, which was one of the funniest parts of this book.
Carol, Jane’s sister, was another favorite of mine. Her relationship with Jane was nuanced and made for some touching moments.
Like I said, there’s romance, but it isn’t the focus of the story. This book is all about Jane’s struggles and her journey to finding herself. There’s talk of religion, depression, suicide, mental health, sexuality and a lot of other serious things in a snarky, fun but also deep way. It’s hard to say much about this book without giving out major spoilers, but I can definitely say going into it knowing little about what the story was about made the reading experience better.
If you're looking for a humurous story with awesome characters and beautifully done on-page character growth, then this is definitely it....more
If I were to rate this book based solely on world building, I’d give it five stars. That’s how much I enjoyed Orléan[image]
3.5 “Beautiful World” Stars
If I were to rate this book based solely on world building, I’d give it five stars. That’s how much I enjoyed Orléans and its beauty-obsessed society. In all honesty, all the stars I’m giving this book are for the stunning world this author created.
In The Belles, we have a society that resembles a little The Capitol from The Hunger Games, since everyone is willing to go to extremes to ensure they’re “beautiful”. For that, they have the help of the magical Belles, a group of girls “born” with powers to turn the citizens of Orléans from their gray-self they’re born to beautiful beings.
In ways, the book creates a parallel with our world that is shocking and disturbing. Maybe it’s just me, but I found it easy to see our society getting as far as the characters in this story do in order to obtain the so-called beautiful look they want. It’s even easier to understand how they change that said ideal look from one day to the next. If everyone had the chance to change how they looked whenever they pleased, wouldn’t most people do it? Look at the numbers for the plastic surgery industry and you’ll find an answer to that question.
Speaking of which, I absolutely loved the fact that the beauty procedures done by the Belles weren’t pain-free. In fact, the Belles had to give their clients a special tea in order to take some of the pain away. This attention to detail was one of the things that made the Belle-world and the Belles themselves both intriguing and relatable. So, yes, I believe the author deserves high praise for world building.
The writing was also good. I’ve seen people complain about the heavy descriptions, and I agree it was a bit much, but I’m willing to overlook that because of the theme of the book. Since this is a story about beauty, detailed descriptions were expected.
Now, even though I loved the world, I can’t say the same about the characters. Of all of them, I can only name two characters I was still rooting for by the end of the book, and none of them is the protagonist.
In fact, Camellia was most definitely not my kind of heroine. Introduced as this adventurous, rule-breaking Belle, I felt like Camellia only put those traits to use for selfish reasons. Selfish is the first word I’d use to describe her.
In the beginning of the story, I admired Camellia’s drive to become the Queen’s favorite (a Belle chosen to serve the royals), but her actions after the first announcement left a bad taste in my mouth. And she wasn’t the only one misbehaving. Amber was just as bad. Look, I get that they were competitive girls and they were fighting for the same title, but they were also raised as sisters. If Camellia’s words were to be believed, they were also best friends. I didn’t see any of that, to be honest. All I saw were two selfish girls putting their competition and desire to be the best ahead of their sisterhood, each other’s safety and other people’s lives.
The worst thing about this was that they didn’t overcome part of this rivalry/selfishness until the last few pages. And I say “part” because I still feel there wasn’t nearly enough character growth when it came to both Camellia and Amber. They did horrible things because they wanted to prove their worth, and the lengths that they had to go to realize that they’ve gone too far just made me dislike them even more.
Here's also where I touch on a sensitive subject: the book was problematic in its treatment of gay characters. Spoilers will prevent me from getting into details, but I'd heard the rumors before I read and I have to agree.
My biggest problem with the book, though, was Camellia's lack of agency. This book is long—maybe too long—and it felt like most of it was spent in the beauty rooms. Camellia lost herself in the beauty treatments and ignored the clear signs that things around her were truly bad.
People warned her of the dangers of getting involved in the villain’s web of lies, but Camellia was too busy showing the villain her abilities (including ones she should’ve kept hidden) to pay attention to the warnings. It took the Queen coming to her and revealing a secret for Camellia to finally come to her senses. And even when she did, it took her forever and ever to do something about it. I want to keep this spoiler-free, so I can’t go into detail, but Camellia waited until the last few pages to finally use her powers to do that something that was crucial to the safety of the rest of her people. And since she waited that long, her actions didn’t have the impact they needed.
She also went on and on about how she missed and worried about her sisters, but she waited until almost the end to go check on one of them. When she did, she found something incredibly troubling. What did she do? Nothing of importance. She heard a few excuses and swallowed them, then moved on to another beauty appointment.
Even if I take the selfishness out of Camellia’s shows of independency and rebellion, they were mostly followed by silly actions that made me roll my eyes.
After the first time Camellia tried to go against the villain, she thought it was okay to eat food the villain brought to her room right after that, even though she’d been alerted to how poison was becoming common in the castle. Really, girl? Really?
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By the way, what happened to Camellia’s favorite servant, Bree? Did Camellia seriously do nothing to save the girl who was accused of a crime she didn’t commit? I know things got chaotic soon after that, but she could’ve used the time she spent flirting with August to try to free Bree.
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Speaking of August… That romance just didn’t do it for me at all. In fact, I was way more interested in Camellia’s friendship with Rémy than that boring romance. It also didn’t help that it felt insta-love and insta-trust. I mean, Camellia knew nothing about this boy that showed up out of nowhere and was suddenly interested in her, but she thought, “Oh, Let me start spilling well-kept Belle secrets to this complete stranger just because he’s cute.”
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Camellia wasn’t even the only one who acted silly. The whole mystery with the Queen’s eldest daughter had the most predictable and lackluster outcome. I’m sorry, but how did no one realize what was happening? I mean…
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So, yeah, unfortunately I had a lot of problems with the characters and some of plot choices, but the experience wasn’t exactly negative. I loved the world and I'm always here for more diverse fantasy with stunning covers!!! Look at that cover. So pretty!
Despite my reservations and the time it took me to finish it, I read all of it and I was excited when the two characters I truly liked were finally in the same room in the last page. If they play a bigger part on the sequel, then I think we have all the right elements for a better book....more
OMG, how is this book not a big thing already? I totally blame the lack of publicity this book got on the f[image]
4.5 “I didn’t even like Ariel” Stars
OMG, how is this book not a big thing already? I totally blame the lack of publicity this book got on the fact that it came out on March 6th with a thousand other books. I mean, it was astonishing the number of YA released that day. LOL
All I can say is To Kill a Kingdom deserves your attention and love.
Honestly, I was never a big fan of Ariel and the Little Mermaid. When I think of Disney princesses, she’s one of the last ones to come to mind. So, imagine my surprise when I read the blurb and go, Ohhhhh, Ariel has turned dark and I like it.
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To Kill a Kingdom is the story of Lira, a siren princess that lives to kill princes and steal their hearts to prove to her Sea Queen mother than she’s strong and powerful and cruel enough to take her place when time comes; and Elian, a human prince who lives to kill sirens. You know where this is getting, right?
Lira is a badass siren, but she shows a link to her humanity from the start, and it comes in the form of her also siren cousin. Elian is also a badass, and his charm is partially due to his respect and friendship with his crew of pirates.
This is how we meet Lira:
“I HAVE A HEART for every year I’ve been alive. There are seventeen hidden in the sand of my bedroom. Every so often, I claw through the shingle, just to check they’re still there. Buried deep and bloody. I count each of them, so I can be sure none were stolen in the night. It’s not such an odd fear to have. Hearts are power, and if there’s one thing my kind craves more than the ocean, it’s power.”
The first third of the story is full of heart-stealing (literally and not) and siren-stabbing scenes, and bad attitude and good humor and “OMG, I’m already falling hard for this book” screams from me.
Then, we move on to what the curse. Not a spoiler since the blurb gives it away. Also, this is a retelling, so Lira will obviously become a human at some point. So, yeah, the evil Sea Queen curses Lira and gives her legs and a human appearance so she has to steal Elian’s heart without her powers, or say goodbye to her siren form and probably her life.
I’ll say this, the Sea Queen isn’t joking around. She’s evil and she won’t spare anyone, family or not. So Lira has a reason to be scared and to have turned into the killer she is. But humans aren’t always trash (despite what our current global situation implies), and Elian and his crew have a chance to change Lira’s mind about humans even though they have zero idea she’s a siren.
As for Elian, rescuing a drowning, naked Lira also ends up being a chance to end a war without having to kill the entire siren species. Since he also doesn’t that’s a real possibility, he spends his time searching for a magical item that will kill the Sea Queen and her daughter.
So here we have these two beings that are planning on killing each other, but end up stuck together and I’m obviously loving all of it.
The banter is incredible from the start. The humor is there, although I’m not sure everyone will appreciate it. I did. The characters are amazing! I loved, loved Madrid and Kye, two members of Elian’s crew. I LOOOOVED how Madrid was so eager to have another female pirate on the crew that she welcome Lira with open arms. I loved how Kye was protective of Elian and made sure Lira knew he was keeping an eye on her. I love how Madrid and Kye were together in a healthy, no-drama-needed relationship. I loved that Kye was protective of Elian, but he didn’t suffocate Madrid. I loved when all of that interacted and joked and teased and made me laugh.
Dude, this book made me laugh.
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I can’t even with the world building. I CAN’T. It’s just so amazing. All the countries/kingdoms we visited with Elian and Lira were so rich and unique. I’m still OBSESSED with the love country that sounded like a chocolate-filled heaven. I want it!!!
And the romance?
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The freaking romance!!! Five words: Slow Burn + Hate to Love.
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They were perfect together and that last scene was the end of me. I’m just dead.
Seriously, that entire last chapter was perfect because it gave me everything I needed. First, my happy ending, thank you very much. Second, my ship being adorable on a literal ship. Third, an ending that showed me a powerful female main character who followed her destiny, an equally happy male main character who found a way to fulfill his dream and the two of them engaged in a healthy relationship that survives distance and is built in mutual respect for each other’s responsibilities and dreams.
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And a real ending. No cliffhanger, no need for sequels. A freaking standalone. When was the last time I read a YA Fantasy standalone that had a perfect ending that left me wanting to read more, but also knowing that maybe I shouldn’t because it’s already perfect? I can’t remember.
Now that you read this long and rambly review, go show this book some love, PLEASE!
I can't remember this person's name, but one reviewer said it perfectly: reading A Court of Frost and Starlight was lik[image]
4.5 "I missed you" Stars
I can't remember this person's name, but one reviewer said it perfectly: reading A Court of Frost and Starlight was like being reunited with friends and family. As strange as it may sound considering we're talking about faeries, these people are my own. Reading this series feels like being home.
A Court of Frost and Starlight was a prologue I didn't know I needed. There are no battles or complicated plot choices, despite giving hints of what will come next in the series. Instead, there are many scenes with my favorite characters and tons of FEELS.
It shows Freyre and Rhys' much-deserved happy life, and there are no words to explain how happy that makes me.
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I'm glad to announce I'm still very much in love with my OTP, and very much in love with Rhysand. I don't care that he's freaking perfect. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't make me roll my eyes. It brings nothing but pure joy.
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So this book gave me exactly what I needed when it came to Rhys and Freyre. It was swoon-worthy and sexy and perfect and food for my shipping soul. That is all.
And when the inner circle got together to drink, exchange gifts, tease each other, I just LIVED. It was everything. EVERYTHING.
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A Court of Frost and Starlight also made me feel things other than happy.
It made me frustrated and angry, but passionate about Cassian and Nesta (as if I wasn't passionate about those two enough)
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It left me sad and heartbroken for both Lucien and Az (when it comes to Mor)! Damn, that hurt.
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And super confused (and hopeful) when it came to Az and Elain!!
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And then, OMG, Tamlin. This should hurt less. Knowing what he did, this should have hurt a lot less, but it didn't. I know, I know. There's no excuse for what he did to Freyre and Rhysand's family. There simply isn't. I wish that could make me feel the way Freyre does, but I hurt for him. The things he had and lost (his own fault, I know) have broken him, and that's tough to watch.
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Well, whatever. All I'm saying is, Sarah J. Maas can make me feel more with a novella in this series than many stories can accomplish after three hundred pages. That is all.
Side note: Why are all the covers in this series so perfect?
Side note 2: The last book I gave full five stars was A Court of Wings and Ruin. I'm shocked.
Side note 3: How am I supposed to wait for the next book now? *cries*...more
I wanted to love this book, but I ended up having problems that I can only describe as a “It isn’t You, It’s Me” so[image]
3.5 “More #OwnVoices” Stars
I wanted to love this book, but I ended up having problems that I can only describe as a “It isn’t You, It’s Me” sort of thing.
First, let me just say that this book made me feel a lot of things—they were not all good, but feelings are feelings, and lately not a lot of stories have managed to give me that.
During the first half, I mostly went from really liking the voice to getting my hopes up with the romance to getting annoyed by the romance and the protagonist (Maya). Anyone who knows me is aware I will hardly ever complain about a book being romance-focused, but in this case, the romance didn’t work for me at all.
There’s a love triangle for a few chapters, but it doesn’t last. My problem, though, is that this triangle only served to introduce a character I liked as a LI a lot more than Maya’s pick. For me, the author gave Kareem, the Indian guy who gets all Maya’s jokes and references, a lot more personality than she gave Phil, the white guy Maya has had a crush on since forever. The first scenes between Maya and Kareen had chemistry and built a connection that the rest of the book didn’t achieve for Maya and Phil. Honestly, I’m still wondering why Maya liked Phil in the first place. What was so appealing about him other than the fact that Maya seemed to make it her life’s mission to like everything her parents disapproved of?
Phil wasn’t a remarkable enough character and the two of them seemed to have no common interests beside him teaching her to swim.
And, the most important thing of all (for me, at least), Phil was taken. Yes, Phil had a girlfriend, not that Phil or Maya seemed to care too much about it. I honestly don’t understand why the author chose this specific “obstacle” for the romance. They had other things going for them, mainly the fact that Maya’s parents would never approve of Phil. Still, the girlfriend trope was thrown in there and both Maya and Phil didn’t react in a nice way about it.
I’ve talked about this over and over. When I read about a protagonist who’s hoping to be kissed by a boy who has a girlfriend, I tend to immediately dislike said protagonist because of her lack of respect for other people’s relationships. I understand having a crush on someone who is in a relationship. I understand struggling with those feelings and daydreaming about what could’ve been. What I don’t understand is openly flirting and leaning into a possible kiss when the guy is still dating someone else. Same goes for the Love Interest who’s flirting with someone else behind his partner's back. Get your act together, people!
So, yeah, the romance did not work for me. And the problem is, the romance was a HUGE part of this book. Like, much bigger than I expected it to be. From the blurb, I’d hoped to see a deeper approach on the islamophobia aspect, since it’s such an important topic. It was there, but it wasn’t as deep as I’d hoped.
That is also kind of sad because the little we got from this was so well-done. Everything about the attack, the mistaken identity, the consequences to both Maya and her family broke my heart. There was suffering and hatred and doubts. I understood Maya’s point of view and her parents’ worry, and it was so sad that those good people had to go through that.
Speaking of Maya’s parents, this was another aspect of the book that made me dislike Maya. I’m not Indian, but when it comes to overbearing parents, it seems our cultures are similar. In Brazil, parents also act as if their children are small kids no matter how old they are. They want to have an opinion on everything and sometimes it feels like teens/young adults/even adults can’t breathe. So I got Maya’s struggle with wanting to follow her cinematography dream and going to NYU while her parents wanted her to stay close to home and become a doctor/lawyer/etc. Having said that, Maya dealt with this whole thing in a very immature way.
I wasn’t a fan of how she disrespected and disregarded her parents’ feelings at every turn. Does that mean I wanted her to give in to what they wanted? Of course not, but I also didn’t see how being rude to them constantly would help her case. Maya needed a lesson on how to pick her battles. It seems like she wanted to fight her parents in every aspect of her life, and it didn't seem productive. She hardly ever used reason to talk to them (leaving that job to her aunt, who was a saint). She pretty much refused any show of affection from her mother, which broke my heart. She pushed away their worries over her well-being even when it was obvious any parent would worry. And her little disappearing act? *rolls eyes* Maya could’ve handled the whole situation a lot better, in my opinion.
So, despite my lack of connection with the romance and some of Maya’s choices, I enjoyed the cinematography approach, the immersion in the Indian culture and the approach on important subjects, like islamophobia. Love, Hate & Other Filters was worth the read. ...more
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