Channi
Ali Hazelwood is a comfort author at this point. Nobody is going to claim the Steminist novellas are high art, but this one was cute and I liked the characters well enough.
This book was like if Colleen Hoover and Riley Sager got together to write Barbarian fanfic.
“I'm Glad My Mom Died” is impactful in many ways. There are parts of this book that made me cry for her. There are parts that caused a lot of reflection for me as both an individual and as a mother.
The way McCurdy writes is in present tense, and the style is similar to journaling. I thought this style was very well-done. Understanding McCurdy's thought processes from the perspective of her at that present moment make it easy to empathize with her experiences.
I've seen a lot of reviews say that this book is funny and a lot of other people say that it is insensitive to call the book funny. I think McCurdy is pretty funny, and while her lived experiences are not funny, her sense of humor is very present in her writing. This is an important aspect of “I'm Glad My Mom Died” because McCurdy's humor helps to balance out the heaviness of the subject matter without ever coming off as inappropriate.
I would recommend this read to anybody, so long as they are comfortable reading about the possible triggers which McCurdy discusses. Possible triggers discussed include: disordered eating, emotional abuse, exploitation, and addiction.
This novel was more enjoyable in the second half, but I almost dnf'ed several times. Still, I would probably read more Stephen Graham Jones and I didn't hate it.
The translation is decent, the pacing makes for a very compelling read, and the themes are easy for the audience to grasp without ever seeming condescending.
My main issue with this book is that the protagonist is a creep towards women.
I am absolutely enthralled with A Song Of Sin and Salvation. I'm actually shocked this is not being talked about more? Becks and James, you'll always be famous to me.
Heavy tws for religious trauma, abuse sexual assault. But if you are in the place to and you enjoy romances, I highly recommend this novel.
This is a filler book. Definitely not for me, but I could see why others may like it
4.5/5 ⭐️s, rounded up.
Talk about a glow up. A Court Of Mist & Fury is not a perfect book, but it might just be a perfect sequel. Sarah J. Maas does a great job of expanding the lore, plot, and universe; creating a compelling reason to revisit these characters; introducing new characters who enhance this book and; generally keeping a reader's interest. Themes about trauma, abuse, and liberation are consistent throughout Maas' sequel. Feyre is still not my favorite protagonist by any means, but the events of the last book made a lot of her whining feel more warranted. The flaws I see with ACOMAF are easily forgivable when everything else in the book is so good.
As for those flaws: I can't give this book a full five stars because there are instances where the author decides to show instead of tell. For instance, we get a chapter where one character tells the story of everything that has happened so far from their perspective, which felt redundant and annoying.There are also certain conflicts that feel like artificial concoctions. I blame Maas' editor for not making her cut those chapters out.
However, if you enjoyed the first book even a little, then the second book will blow you away.
Rating 3.5/5
There are some glaring problems I had with ACOTAR but I had so much fun reading this that I didn't care.
First the things that I think were well done: The plot is fantastic. This twisted revamp of beauty and the beast follows Feyre, a human girl who kills a faerie and finds herself paying the price. After being imprisoned by a handsome and mysterious faerie named Tamlin, Feyre's thoughts about faeries are challenged and she starts falling in love. But, uh-oh! There's something sinister lurking in Prythian, the magical region where faeries live. The twists and turns revealed as the plot unfolds are page-turning. It was a struggle to put A Court Of Thorns and Roses down sometimes because I was dying to know what would happen next!
Secondly, this book knows how to make some villians. The two primary antagonists are deliciously devilish and their presence drastically improves ACOTAR. Aside from the antagonists, Lucien is probably the best character in the book. He is the Cogsworth of the story and any chapter that is Lucien-heavy is likely to be a favorite chapter for me.
Finally, I really enjoyed exploring some of the relationships in the book. Feyre's complex family dynamics are entrancing, even if the characters themselves fall a little short. The love interest comes with unique struggles and the development was very well paced.
Now, as far as things I didn't like: Feyre. First of all, I do not like that MC's name is so close to the word faerie. I know that seems like a nitpick, but this legitimately bothered me. Maybe it would be forgivable if Feyre was a likable protagonist but she simply isn't. Feyre whines a lot and repeatedly makes mind-boggling decisions. If you get bothered when horror movie characters make obviously stupid decisions in order to move the plot along, then you too might not like Feyre. At least her character is consistent though.
My other problem is how easily most things come to Feyre. This is a consistent problem I had throughout the book. About 30% of the way in, I started to notice the pattern: someone tells Feyre not to do stupid thing, Feyre does stupid thing, hot person saves Feyre. Rinse and repeat.
However, no amount of Feyre annoying me is going to stop me from reading the next book. So make of that what you will.
I read this book for a course about Ukrainian literature and this was by far my favorite book of the semester. There is a lot to love about “The Museum of Abandoned Secrets” The plots you follow are engaging, the writing style is beautiful, and the ending provides a satisfying payoff. Each of the main characters are fleshed out and complex- the protagonists aren't always likable but they're always compelling.
Of course, “The Museum of Abandonment Secrets” is not perfect. The storyline follows multiple perspectives and can be a little confusing because the author tends to get into tangents. I'd recommend going in with a little context about Ukrainian History. But overall, this is one book you won't regret reading!
Abby Jimenez surpassed my expectations. I loved how well-thought-out this romance was, and all the complications Alexis and Daniel have are somewhat realistic. I also found the subtle magic in this novel to really work for me!
The Hunger Games Trilogy was the first book series I'd ever loved deeply. Rereading them for the first time in a decade has been so emotional. I didn't understand the full implications of this third book as a teen, but as an adult Mockingjay hits so much harder.
Everything about this book is heartbreaking and appalling. It's going to haunt me for awhile now.
This book was so precious. Farrah Rochon is not just a good writer— she's a good storyteller. I loved the way Ashanti and Thad's relationship developed and the way these two worked through challenges to create their businesses. The dogs were also so cute! ❤️
Abby Jimenez is such a good writer, and you can really tell she writes from experiences. I personally found Jacob to be painfully relatable, and I was very happy to read him and Bri's story.
Some of this book is a little messy, but I still felt so hard for these characters and was happy to follow along as they reached their HEA.
“Daisy Jones & The Six” is a book drenched in nostalgia, even though the events that are being discussed are completely fictionalized. This story follows the rise and fall of a band that I imagined as “Fleetwood Mac meets Florence and The Machines”. The tale, which focuses heavily on the band's two leaders Daisy and Billy, is written in an interview format, which allows for many perspectives on similar events. The multiple perspectives really helped to create layers to this band, and made it easy to empathize with characters who might otherwise be unlikable.
The issues I had with Daisy & The Six are far and few between. Mostly, this book isn't at 5 stars because it didn't capture me in the way a lot of my favorites have. But I would be lying if I didn't say that my reading experience was enjoyable and emotional. I definitely recommend giving “Daisy Jones & The Six” a read!
“Behind The Beautiful Forevers” is a hard read that I definitely won't want to revisit. That being said, I have no doubt that this book will stay in my mind. Through the lives of several slumdwellers in Annawadi, India, Katherine Boo explores themes of corruption vs hope and questions what the capability is for those in positions of poverty to escape.
A Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes is such an interesting character study of how a person can spiral into the worst version of themselves. Snow is, even at his best, a terribly selfish and possessive man. Every character in this book shows different sides to humanity, and it does so brilliantly. Katniss was Snow's karma in so many ways.
My first Sally Rooney and it was... fine. I still don't know what Alice saw in Felix, but I appreciated the email sections and the general conversations Rooney was having about modern life and connection and morality.
As with the first book, the second book in the Finlay Donovan series is a fun, goofy time.
Brutes is an interesting exploration into girlhood and trauma, but the narrative is too loosely-styled for me. Sometimes Dizz Tate's writing is painfully beautiful, other times just painful.
I don't agree with everything Bell Hooks has to say here, but when I agree, her words are either enlightening or cathartic to hear.
Ali Hazelwood may not be out here writing high literature, but her full-length novels are perfect for light hearted fun.
Deep End was hot 😍