The Stars Too Fondly was quite an entertaining space adventure with a wonderful cast of characters! I mostly loved this one, save a couple things I diThe Stars Too Fondly was quite an entertaining space adventure with a wonderful cast of characters! I mostly loved this one, save a couple things I didn't, so I think it best to break it down!
What I Loved:
►The premise was amazing. I was so excited about the premise, and it absolutely delivered. I mean, a whole ship of people just... vanish? And now the world is on its last legs, and then oops some randos accidentally steal the ship?! It is just such a great mix of high stakes and absurdity that I loved it.
►Speaking of high stakes mixed with absurdity, the balance of emotions was great. I mean- obviously there are going to be some harrowing moments, right? And there were. Intense, scary, sad, you name it. But they were interspersed with so many great funny and heartwarming moments that it was incredibly readable.
►As I said, I loved the characters. Cleo and her friends just had such a great rapport together. You could tell that they cared deeply for one another, but also were not afraid to call each other out when needed.
►There are so many mysteries to figure out! I loved the mystery element. There are secrets raging in the past and the present that the gang is going to have to figure out if they have any hope of getting home one day, and I loved reading about them all. It kept me guessing, and I could not put the book down because of them.
What I Struggled With:
►The romance. Sure, it's a little... unusual that Cleo and the AI have some feelings, but that isn't what bugged me. It was that they seemed to go from "moderate crush" to full-blown "I love this person more than anything in any universe" without a ton of development. It was just... not even too fast, just too understated? Like I legit wondered if I missed something, because to go from butterflies to love that quickly didn't add up.
►The ending was a little too easy/neat. It did end in a way that wrapped things up, so don't worry about that! It just seemed a little too easy for me after the entirety of the book not being easy, if that makes sense?
Ah, where to begin with Sunrise Nights? Well first of all, you know the vibes you get during summer nights? This book is literally those vibes in writAh, where to begin with Sunrise Nights? Well first of all, you know the vibes you get during summer nights? This book is literally those vibes in written form. It is lovely. And felt very relatable- though I have never been in any of the situations the characters find themselves in, I still totally understood and related to their emotions and feelings. Admittedly, I worried a bit because what the heck do I know about art camp? But frankly, dancing is a sport just as much as an art, and who doesn't love photography? That is to say, it was completely fine!
And I just adored Jude and Florence. They're both dealing with their own stuff when they happen to meet at the "Sunrise Night" bonfire at their camp. Neither has any real intention of staying, but they start talking, and just... click. And so begins their story. Honestly I don't even want to say much about it, except that it is lovely. I think because they are strangers, they both let themselves be vulnerable and open up to the other, since they've nothing to lose.
Along the way, there are all kinds of misunderstandings, hilariously funny moments, epic banter, tears, laughter, embarrassment, regret, heartache... basically, this book covers all the emotions, and it covers them well. Both characters, over the course of multiple summers, also go through some pretty serious life changes, have to make major decisions, etc. And sometimes, they'll make some wrong ones that will be frustrating, but then... well, then you remember that people make mistakes, and it's how you come back from them that matters.
Bottom Line:
Beautiful and breathtaking, just like a summer night.
Every single time I think I'm kind of over YA fantasy books, Tricia Levenseller comes out with one that pulls me right back in. She is magical tha4.5*
Every single time I think I'm kind of over YA fantasy books, Tricia Levenseller comes out with one that pulls me right back in. She is magical that way, I guess, I don't make the rules. Truly, I have become incredibly picky with the genre in general, but wow, she blows me away every time! This is not a direct sequel to The Shadows Between Us, but rather a companion following Chrysantha. That said, there are spoilers for the first book, so you should really read that first. And a lot of fun callbacks. So just read them in order, yeah?
Anyway, this has everything I have come to expect from one of Tricia's books: humor, high stakes, great messages, incredible friendships and romances, fabulous banter, and just an overall enjoyable reading experience. There were a few things that maybe felt a wee bit easy in terms of resolution, but I can't fault it too much, because the rest was just really enjoyable. I was also so glad to see the sisterly relationship that was touched upon in the first book become more prominent in this one. Also, there is a pretty serious enemies-t0-lovers situation, and those are fun! I was also very here for the strong feminist messages throughout.
Bottom Line:
Another fun, entertaining, engaging fantasy from Tricia Levenseller reminds me why I always read whatever she writes.
4.5* Just when I was starting to worry that we'd never get a new installment in this series, it came back, and with a vengeance! I have noticed that wi4.5* Just when I was starting to worry that we'd never get a new installment in this series, it came back, and with a vengeance! I have noticed that with both the second book and this one, it does take me a minute to get back into the world/characters. Probably didn't help that there was a lot of time between, but as always, once I got going, I was invested!
In this book, we finally get a better look at the other entities that Ampersand has been talking about, and I think that helps a lot with the understanding of the world. We also start out with a quite despondent Cora. In fact, she is almost unlikable for parts of the book, even though you can wholly understand why she is feeling certain things, doing certain things, etc. Without giving anything away, I was glad to see her have to face some of these more toxic behaviors, including the way Ampersand has treated her. We're introduced in depth to Paris, who is an absolute breath of fresh air as a character, and challenges Cora in ways she needs to be challenged to keep growing.
I thought this was a trilogy, but it is clearly not, as it ends quite openly. So you'll have to wait for the next installment to see who the heck is going to remain on Earth- unless all the factions kill each other in the meantime!
Bottom Line:
So glad this series is back for another great installment!
It is so bittersweet when a great series ends in a phenomenal way: you're sad that it is over, but also really happy that it was satisfying. That is wIt is so bittersweet when a great series ends in a phenomenal way: you're sad that it is over, but also really happy that it was satisfying. That is where I am now, with Freeset. The ending was kind of perfect, and I am so eager to recommend this series to everyone! But I will miss it- the world was just so creative and well thought out, I enjoyed the characters, and the story immensely.
This series is thought provoking, twisty, exciting, and really provides some great commentary on what makes us human. The world building is great (we get so many answers to questions), and the characters are well developed. Even new characters that we meet for the first time in this installment feel very fleshed out. I want to tell you so many more things about this one, but because it is a series, I shan't. I shall, however, insist you grab the first book and dive in!
Bottom Line:
This entire series is absolutely ::chef's kiss::. Cannot wait to see what Sarina Dahlan does next!
Look, I am going to be straight with you: this book does require a bit of suspension of disbelief. It just does. But it is so worth it, because o4.5*
Look, I am going to be straight with you: this book does require a bit of suspension of disbelief. It just does. But it is so worth it, because once I was able to do that, I could not put the book down. It was so delightfully messed up, and there were so many questions to be answered. Also, the stakes were immensely high, as the author made it very clear from early on that no one would be safe.
Here's the gist: Emerson was arrested for some shenanigans that resulted in a fire and death. She's obviously facing prison time if convicted, even though she swears she did not do it. This guy comes to her and makes an offer: join some messy reality show, win and earn your freedom and some money for your struggling family. Lose and it's life in solitary confinement. Now- this is where my suspension of disbelief came in, because who the everloving heck would accept this offer?! I mean, you have a 98% chance of being imprisoned for life, or worse. And in fairness, Emerson does at least scoff at the offer for awhile, though based on the entire premise of the book, you know she eventually acquiesces. So you just have to go into it accepting that she is making this terrible life choice, and move on.
Because once you do, things get wild. She meets 49 other fools kids who are willing to take this chance, too. Some for fame, some for freedom, but the result remains the same, they find themselves on a cruise ship to hell, where even the winners are losers. Because this is not set up for success, it is set up to be horrifying, and it's also set up for views. Certainly, you can see the relevance in our current culture, yeah? There is a lot of great commentary on current societal problems, which was fabulous too.
The premise was wild, the execution even more so. It's a pretty dark concept, but there were some lighter moments, a hint of romance (that was a little insta-lovey but also was not at all the main focus so it was fine) and a lot of very solid friendships being made. Of course, there was also backstabbing and awfulness, but it's a reality show about teen murder, so. I thought I had figured some stuff out, and I had, but the stuff I had figured out was just the tip of the iceberg, and there were so many twists and turns and secrets that I had no idea were coming!
It ends in a sort of satisfying way, but it also very much lends itself to a sequel. Like, it definitely seems like it was designed for one, so fingers are very much crossed!
Bottom Line:
Truly could not put this book down- it was so messed up in the very best way!
Unexploded Remnants is a short but interesting look into a (nearly) post-human universe. At first, I was pretty lost, I'll admit. But the backstor
3.5*
Unexploded Remnants is a short but interesting look into a (nearly) post-human universe. At first, I was pretty lost, I'll admit. But the backstory of how Alice got to be the last human is explained, so I felt much better about the whole thing. Anyway, she finds this... sentient soldier trapped in some kind of object? This part confuses me a little, but I went with it. And she is trying to protect it from falling into the wrong hands, so she skips... not town, let's say she goes on the run.
The story is cool- I loved the backstory we got about how Alice got to be a lone human in an intergalactic marketplace. I loved the story of the soldier, and how he'd had to make some truly terrible choices, and how he'd been through just as much as Alice had. I just wish we'd gotten more of all of these things! It posited some great questions, and certainly wasn't boring, but I think this is one of the rare cases where more pages would definitely have made this go from good to great. Still, it's a quick, fun adventure through the universe, so it's still absolutely worth it. Just know you'll probably want more when it's done. There are a few concepts that I feel would have been excellent with just a bit more fleshing out, but I still enjoyed it anyway.
Bottom Line:
An action packed adventure with a very intriguing main character, I just wish it had all been a little more, in the end.
I really enjoyed the premise (and the execution!) of Loneliness & Company. In it, we meet Lee, who is used to being at the top of everything. She workI really enjoyed the premise (and the execution!) of Loneliness & Company. In it, we meet Lee, who is used to being at the top of everything. She works hard, because she's been told her whole life that it's the key to everything. So when she finds herself getting a job not at one of the prestigious companies she'd hoped (and assumed) for, but some unknown entity, to say she's chagrined would be an understatement. But since she is always committed to hard work and getting the job done, she grudgingly accepts her position and jumps in. What is the job, you ask? Gathering data to develop an AI to help lonely folks. Only... no one has heard of "loneliness". It simply is not a concept people in this society know. Sure, it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief, but it is quite worth doing.
But... it is something they experience, even if they don't have a word for the feeling. And it is very interesting to watch Lee, who has never really considered her need for people and community, to discover that maybe life is better with friends. There is a bit of a mystery undertone too, and I think I might have expected a bit more from it? In fairness, I thought that Loneliness & Company had all kinds of dark, seedy secrets that it just.... didn't. I was too suspicious of the book, if that is a thing that is possible. I don't have any idea if the book wanted me to think this or if I made it all up, so go ahead and place the blame on me here.
What I did absolutely adore was Lee figuring out who she was, what she wanted from life, and that there is a whole big world out there that doesn't just involve working oneself to death. And the adventures she goes on during her journey were wonderfully entertaining! I thought the book's messages were strong, I really enjoyed the characters and story, and ended up being quite satisfied, even though it did not quite go in the direction I expected.
Bottom Line: Doesn't matter what we call a feeling, it can eat away at us regardless. This society is about to figure that out the hard way.
This is a really strong finale to a great series overall. In this conclusion, the stakes are higher than ever, especially for our main characters,4.5*
This is a really strong finale to a great series overall. In this conclusion, the stakes are higher than ever, especially for our main characters, but also, for the entirety of humanity. They keep finding out things that prove their situation to be more and more dire- and preventing it will inevitably cost someone, or multiple someones, their lives. I thought that especially in this book, the pacing was great. I was never bored, and always on the edge of my seat.
The characters were, as always, very well developed. I think even more than ever, their relationships with each other played a huge role in the story. Who to trust was akin to literal life or death, so their relationships were so important to the plot. The romance was not the focus, which I appreciated, but it was still present. I was honestly quite impressed that the author was able to have an active relationship between main characters that didn't at all weigh down the book. For me personally, that is a rare feat. Also because of the well developed characters and relationships, the emotional stakes for the reader was equally high, and the author delivered on that front, too!
My only qualm, and my only real qualm with the series really, is that I didn't ever fully get a grasp of the worlds- like, I could never quite picture the "cradles" and such. I think because of that, I had a wee bit of trouble understanding what was going on with Naira a few times, but this is really not a huge complaint. There were a lot of great twists to the story, and a lot of stuff I never saw coming. All in all, this was an excellent conclusion, and I finished the series very satisfied.
Bottom Line: We just love when a series finale nails the landing.
Look, In Universes did maybe confuse me a little? But I also enjoyed it quite a bit. In it, we meet Raffi, in multiple universes. Hence the title, rigLook, In Universes did maybe confuse me a little? But I also enjoyed it quite a bit. In it, we meet Raffi, in multiple universes. Hence the title, right? Anyway. The whole book is slices of Raffi's life in parallel worlds, and some of them are more like our world, and some are not, and I feel like that is really it. It's a quieter book obviously, and very character driven, but it is also really entertaining to see the differences in Raffi (and others- plenty of folks in Raffi's "first" world appear throughout) and the worlds in general. A few of them flummoxed me a bit, but it was still fun, plus I got to use the word "flummoxed" in my review, so everyone wins. And, it makes you think about who you might be in other worlds, which I always find to be a good time.
Bottom Line: Quirky but enjoyable, I loved getting to see different versions of Raffi, and of the world.
How have I not read all the books set in this world yet!? In fairness, I own them both, and I didn't actually know they were connected to this one4.5*
How have I not read all the books set in this world yet!? In fairness, I own them both, and I didn't actually know they were connected to this one- and you don't have to read them first, either! Though they're set in the same world, I was completely fine reading this guy as a standalone- but I absolutely will be reading the rest as soon as I can! (Also- the synopsis doesn't tell you this, but Passengersis set in this world too- and there are some Easter eggs and callbacks for all the books, though like I said, you can definitely read them on their own as you can see by my rating!)
In this one, parents are competing for a chance to basically win money for IVF/fertility treatments by going on this reality show and raising AI babies at warp speed. And yes, it is absolutely as batshit as it sounds, in the very best way! The six families are of various makeups: there is a gay couple, a single father, a few hetero-presenting couples, and they all have various motivations and backstories that will become quite pertinent to the story.
Even though there are quite a few people to keep track of, it really wasn't all that difficult. One couple is eliminated fairly early, and so it's just five to really balance. There are so many twists and turns that I could not put the book down, I wanted all the answers. And the whole concept is so wild, but also so frighteningly plausible (which is why I love a John Marrs book, honestly) that I was next-level compelled to keep turning the pages.
Bottom Line:
Another incredibly twisty, incredibly thought provoking novel from Marrs!
At the start, I was into this, really. I didn't quite get what the deal was, if the Devil was a real person, etc., but I was curious, and I liked the At the start, I was into this, really. I didn't quite get what the deal was, if the Devil was a real person, etc., but I was curious, and I liked the stories, which seemed like moments of time in the main character's life through a third person narrator. Cool! I enjoyed these slices of life, and even was down for the Devil's role. But then about halfway through... Idk man, narrators/POVs changed, I got confused, not really knowing whose story we were following half the time. Where'd the "writer" go? She still the main character? I hadn't a clue. When I got to the cannibalizing of tiny vending machine people, I was just flat out lost. I feel like maybe I was supposed to understand and didn't? So now I feel kind of stupid, and no one likes that.
That said, the parts that I enjoyed were definitely worth reading. Maybe it'll make more sense to you than it did to me at the end.
Bottom Line: Was really digging it, but then got a little too confused. Still, cool premise, and I mean... tiny vending machine people-snacks are always worth saying you've encountered, so there's that.
After loving several of Sarah Crossan's YA titles, I was eager to take my first (and certainly not last) foray into her adult fiction. The title of thAfter loving several of Sarah Crossan's YA titles, I was eager to take my first (and certainly not last) foray into her adult fiction. The title of the book may be about Zoey, but the book itself is truly the story of Dolores. And it's one I quite enjoyed, and definitely felt sympathetic toward. So look: this isn't really about the AI sex doll, but it isn't not about it either. It's just less of a focus than I'd first thought. And that was fine!
Because wow, I felt Dolores. Ma'am is over here in the deadest of dead end marriages, but like a lot of us, she doesn't quite see the signs. Or sees them, perhaps, but doesn't realize how not okay they are. For example, "I thought that not wanting to touch your wife was perfectly normal" was one of her lines early on, which speaks volumes, especially in its nonchalance. Dolores is busy taking care of her mother who has some form of dementia, working at her teaching job, and basically just all the mundanity of life. When she realizes that her husband has spent eight thousand dollars on this doll, she's finally awakened from her placation.
Basically, Zoey is the catalyst for Dolores to finally see her life as it is. Not only that, Zoey opens the door for Dolores to face some of her past demons, too, as well as figure out some family dynamics, what she wants out of her career, etc. I liked this because... well, not everyone gets a "Zoey Moment". I did. Dolores did. But I hope that this story can be that "Zoey Moment" for someone to realize that they don't need to be a passive viewer in their own life. I liked those messages, and even though I would have liked more exploration into the ethics and such of AI dolls, it was still very worth the read.
Bottom Line:
More a contemporary than a speculative/AI story, it is still incredibly worth it to watch Dolores take back her agency.
Things in this world are just... bad, basically, and rendering cities uninhabitable. Food is scarce, people are dying from what the synopsis refers toThings in this world are just... bad, basically, and rendering cities uninhabitable. Food is scarce, people are dying from what the synopsis refers to as an "algae bloom". We follow our narrator/main character as she's in the midst of the fallout of the aforementioned Bad Thing™. She is currently the nanny for a young boy who seemingly has Prader-Willi syndrome, and since there is literally no food to eat, she has to be extra careful. His parents are obviously rich, and can't be arsed to deal with both their child with a disability and the end days, so they pay our MC to do it for them. They give her a break by taking Mauro to the "country" for a few days every so often. It's... rough, but she is trying to buy her and her mother's way out of the city, so. We do what we must. (Unless we're rich, then we just pay to make our problems go away- literally, in this case.)
We get to see glimpses of her life as she visits her mother, as well as her ex-husband who is in the hospital because he has fallen ill with this plague that everyone is getting from Monty's algae. We also get to see bits of how the city around her is devolving, literally right before her eyes. It's a quiet sort of apocalyptic story, as she's still clinging on to the remnants of her life while she tries to find both the means and the gumption to escape.
The atmosphere is incredibly on point, as the whole book has a rather melancholy tone, which you'd expect from such a novel. You can truly feel as the world around our main character slips further into decrepit isolation, as staying becomes completely untenable. There still remain hopeful moments, which do help to keep the book feeling balanced. There are moments were the pacing does feel quite slow, but like I said, this is a much quieter book, so it tracks.
Bottom Line: A thoughtful, quieter apocalyptic story that focuses on the smaller nuances of the endings of things.
In Thirst, we follow two characters: One, a vampire, over a century ago as she moves from Europe to Buenos Aires; the second, a modern woman strugglinIn Thirst, we follow two characters: One, a vampire, over a century ago as she moves from Europe to Buenos Aires; the second, a modern woman struggling with a lot of current-day problems like single motherhood, the illness of a parent, and general dissatisfaction with life. While I did appreciate a lot of the things this book had to offer, a few left me wishing for more. So, as I love to do, let's break it down!
What Worked For Me:
►The location and time periods! I do wish we'd gotten to see a bit more of Buenos Aires, though I was quite excited to be there! I also loved that we got to experience it in two very different time periods (technically, even more I suppose, but two for sure), which showed two very different examples of the city. I mean, did you know about the Paraguayan War? I didn't, but now I do! There was also a plague, and to the best of my sleuthing, it seems to have been yellow fever? Regardless, I know now quite a bit more about the history of Buenos Aires than I did before, and that is a win.
►I quite enjoyed the character of Alma. I mean- don't get me wrong, the vampire part was fascinating, too. I just liked the character of Alma more. (Interestingly, I read plenty of reviews that felt the opposite, so do with this what you will!) I did enjoy the journey to see how these two very different women, with stories vastly differing from each other, would connect. (As you'll see below, I did not enjoy the way it all went down, but I did enjoy trying to figure out how it would all happen.) I felt a lot for Alma, and her current life situations. She was compelling, for me, and I was eager to see what would happen next.
►The atmosphere was on point. This definitely had a gothic, vampiric feel to it, which I definitely appreciated!
What I Struggled With:
Okay here's the thing, my biggest issue with this book: the character development is completely incongruent with the choices they make. I am keeping this vague, but I will do spoiler tags to explain more. But look- I actually liked the character development, especially that of present-day Alma, like I mentioned. But then some of the things that end up happening make absolutely no sense to who the book has been making her out to be all along! It could be that something is lost in translation here, but I can't say for sure, as me and my very basic Spanish can't exactly translate it ourselves. It just kind of made me feel like the whole of the story is pointless, if nothing that Alma said or felt was genuine, if that makes sense? (view spoiler)[We spend literally half the book learning about Alma, her son, her dying mother. We hear about her past, her present, her fierce love for her son and her parents. And then the vampire comes along and she just... dips, leaving her young son and grieving father to their own devices. WHAT!? How?! How can you tell me that this protective, loving mother and daughter just decided to hop on down to the cemetery to spend eternity with a vampire that she met like, twice!?I maybe could have bought it if there was an actual relationship between them, but it was a brief infatuation/lust at most. No. Nope, nope, fucking nopety nope. And if she IS that kind of person, why'd you spend hundreds of pages convincing me otherwise?! I get that vampires have some sort of... glamour, or something, to use to lure people in, but this was not framed that way at all- it was made to seem like a very cognizant choice that was made. For reasons? (hide spoiler)]
Also, I didn't fully understand what made the vampire character tick. Bloodlust, obviously, as the title implies, but little else. As such, I could not understand fully the appeal of her, as a character. That part may be on me, as I said above, others seemed to quite enjoy her character, even if she didn't do it for me.
Bottom Line:
A dual-timeline, dual-character POV story that I enjoyed but also felt let down by.
Ah, another sequel that I daresay outshines its predecessor! We love to see it! I was giddy excited when I heard there was a follow up on the way to 2Ah, another sequel that I daresay outshines its predecessor! We love to see it! I was giddy excited when I heard there was a follow up on the way to 2022's All That's Left In the World, and wow did it deliver. By now, you all know that apocalypse novels are kind of my "thing", so makes sense that I was a fan.
This book was so full of heart, much like its predecessor. I found the stakes even higher in this one, probably because we know how messy the world is. I felt like I had a lot more in common with Andrew, and as such I related to him and his chapters more, because he made choices that I'd have probably made. Even so, I enjoyed reading Jamie's point of view as well. The differences between the two characters make them work well together, both in a relationship and just as a team. I equally loved the side characters, and how much our guys grew to consider them family. I think that has to be the key to surviving in a TEOTWAWKI situation- if there are no people to live for, what have you got? I will say, there were a few times where Andrew and Jamie's voices felt a little too similar, even though they are very well developed- so much that I had to look back a couple times to see whose chapter I was on. Minor gripe, in the grand scheme of things though!
The same bad guys from the first book are still a threat this time around. If there's one thing I can say about surviving the end of the world, the crappiest people seem to make it- probably because they'll do the most awful stuff to survive. That is no exception here, as our characters have to face a lot of brutal people, and also a brutal changing world in which things that seemed benign no longer are. Makes for such a thought provoking and realistic reading experience, frankly. Everything about this story, from start to finish, has been full of heart, and I have to say that is my favorite part about it- the idea of finding light in the darkest of times.
Bottom Line:
Such a great sequel/ending, exciting and satisfying and all the good stuff.
You're Safe Here was quite ambitious, and took a lot of turns I definitely did not expect. I loved the twistiness of it, but wished that certain p3.5*
You're Safe Here was quite ambitious, and took a lot of turns I definitely did not expect. I loved the twistiness of it, but wished that certain parts had been focused on a bit more. The story starts off a bit slow. We're following Maggie, who is pregnant and in a pod in the Pacific Ocean, and Noa, Maggie's partner who has parted with her on not-so-great terms, but is not in a pod in the middle of the ocean so I feel like she's winning? Anyway. We're getting to know their current situations, and then how they got to this particular point where one of them decided isolated pod life was the better option to their current status. We also follow (to a somewhat lesser, at arm's length extent) Emmett, who is a tech wizard and the brain behind the pods.
Things pick up, and they pick up a lot, mostly during the second half of the book. I didn't mind the quieter first half, but I'll also say I was definitely more invested when the action (and the stakes) were well and truly upped halfway through. The twists that began to happen were amazing, and they definitely propelled me to keep turning the pages. My qualm, really, is that in introducing a lot of cool twists, the end felt too rushed- and too unanswered. I think it needed a few more chapters to really round out all the threads it started.
Bottom Line:
Loved the twisty bits, loved the concept, just wish it had answered all the questions it had me asking!
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