Alana

I've eyed this beauty of cover since before it came out in Feb and I'm happy to say I got on reading it sooner than I would. It's a great claustrophobic, spooky mystery with hidden secrets and characters written and interwoven with mastery. Foley's ability to create such a concrete setting and distinguishable characters is one that dwarfs many authors, specifically in the purely mystery genre. The thrills and chills and mysteriousness of this novel caught me up, and I'll proudly say that I knew this was going to be a great book from page 1. Maybe even before that, because I mean...I'm loving this cover. And that's a big thing for me.

Maybe an unpopular review because a lot of people loved this book, but it fell a little short for me in character execution especially. The plot? Well, the idea is super spooky and cool and it gives a PLL/Gossip Girl type feel (more PLL because, y'know, the murders...) but I didn't love Izzy and while the main character doesn't have to be all that for me, at least having other characters make up for it is nice...but...close but no cigar for this one. Eh, not a bad book, though not one I was particularly thrilled about.

I am the target audience...and consider it reached. As a lesbian millennial, the exploration of cultural themes felt all too relatable. Gutowitz has a striking voice that verges on funny while also exploring fear, anger, and hopelessness, and somehow she manages to encapsulate the 2000s vibe (sprinkle in a little 90s and onward) in a stunning collection of essays. Few parts fell flat, but on the whole I loved this book which made my lesbian heart happy.

For a debut novel, this is fantastic. The characters, the rep, the fast-paced action, the cover, and more!? Just read it already! The lesbian protag definitely hooked me, but the rest of the book kept me glued to the pages. It's a fairly decent length but the plot moves along well, and despite some bumps in the road and places where the narrative feels a little rough, I truly enjoyed this debut and will absolutely keep an eye on Pierlot.

Minus some shoddy worldbuilding, this book was AWESOME. I mean just jaw-droppingly awesome. I would easily give it 5 stars, but I just felt like too little was told. Usually that's not a problem in fantasy, but here it took away from the story. But hey, 4 stars is still a great rating, and this books characters, plot, setting, and themes were all achingly beautiful.

Sometimes I will pick up a book because of the cover alone, and that's what I did with this one. Because no matter what ya say, it has a GREAT cover. The story however...not so much. I'm all for slow-burns, but this one lacked the burn and had waaaay too much of the slow! It dragged on to the point where I felt impatient to get on with it, but then lost my interest and dnf around halfway through. With more tension, maybe this book would've hooked me, but it just felt bland, and for that, my reading experience went a lot like this:

The reviews on Extasia are mixed, but I for one enjoyed it. I loved the premise and the execution, and more than that, I loved the characters (yes, I have a bias for all things witchy and lesbian...I'm projecting, I know). There were a few times in the book where a character made a choice and I was like “really?!?!” which is why I took a star off (not because the choices were bad, per se, I'm all for characters making bad choices, but because they felt inconsistent with the characters) but overall, I was wildly enamored with this book from the start. The topic is disturbing, yet something I could see manifesting so it wasn't too far-fetched, even if in some ways it was, and I appreciated the way Legrand brought the topics to life with complex and interesting characters.

The conceptualization of this novel is beautiful. The magic system is thoroughly thought out and executed impressively, and the characters and their relationships are done well. For a fast-paced book, it did not feel too unrealistic or rushed, and Len masters the time-traveling. Absolutely ADORED this read, and I know Monsters #2 already has a nice place on my tbr.

This is cute. Don't usually read comps of smaller stories because I can't get connected to the characters the way I can in full-length novels, but for what its worth, the stories are sweet and nice for v-day.

For an action-y sapphic YA story with indiana jones vibes, Vedder delivers. It does take a loooong time to get to the actual action, but the characters are cute and makes the lesbian in me very happy. Not such a fan of insta-love (for a slow story, their attraction happened QUICK) but for what its worth, I enjoyed this read.

OK This may be my favorite cover of all time. I liked the book too (you may not think it from the cover but its a strong academic vibes type of read), though Laura annoyed me and I wasn't always as invested as I hoped. But still a good story all around, and my goodness that cover is freaking awesome.

What a great book. McWilliams crafts beautiful characters, and you can so clearly see the divide in these character's lives, drawing a raw and visceral picture of Jim Crow Era discrimination and suffering it brings. The sisters are written beautifully and highlight so well the disparities, the southern setting is immaculate, and the paranormal aspects while background are memorable.

This is a fun book if you go into it not expecting too much. The characters aren't that likable and the story isn't memorable, but it is cute and overall a good read you can breeze through in a weekend (I enjoyed it enough that it warrants 3 stars instead of 2).

I didn't see the ads for this so I can't attest to being disappointed in that realm, but I will say despite a cool mc and idea, the plot, love interests, and happenings fell flat. The side characters didn't really have much to them and didnt develop over the course of a novel. I may give the second one a go when it comes out, but not sure.

This book has a lot going for it, including the cover, the fantasy fused with Jewish folklore and mythology, and the two more forefront characters Hannah and Gabe. but it did fall flat after that and because of a lack of depth with other characters, the book felt a bit one dimensional whereas it had the potential to go a lot deeper and cover a lot more. So, while I liked it a lot, it wasn't without its flaws (maybe I went in wanting too much? Guilty!)

This is probably in the minority of harsh reviews even though this books reception is mixed. But I dnf around halfway. The plot felt very predictable and verging on silly, and I could not connect with the characters, which of course made the shifts feel rocky. Just not for me.

I may be butthurt because I WANTED to love this book so much. But there's way too many povs, and because of that, the pacing is hurt and the book often feels like it's going nowhere. I didn't mind the lewdness (but if you're that kinda reader, maybe stay away) - it was really the set-up that got to me. So as much as I wanted to love this read, and though the characters themselves are interesting (which maybe, on second thought, makes me more upset because I WANTED to get to know them but found their characterization skimming the surface) the book didnt pack the punch I expected/wanted it to going in.

*2.5 rounded to 3
If you go into this with the simple goal of looking for a fun and nice read, this book will serve the purpose. It's cute and has some great moments, and I enjoyed the characters. There were issues with the plot and development that would've driven me mad if I'd taken an overly-serious approach to this book, but for a light weekend read where I just enjoy what's on the page, it did what it needed to.

A coming of age blend of mystery, hist.fic, and thrills, this book packs a lot into its pages, but it does so well. I may not have lived in the 60s, but I still get the feeling that Parker successfully communicates this setting and the feel of it in Laguna Beach.

This is beautiful, the mix of historical fiction, lore, and magical realism pops from the page. This is the kind of book that takes its time, and you can't expect to fly through it with action and adventure. The stakes were lost on me (in that there weren't high stakes or anything that really pushed the plot forward), but slowly as it moved, there was beauty in the novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book had its moments...and its failures. In the beginning, I was expecting it to play out into a 1 or 2 star story, at its worst a dnf. But thankfully it evolved into something more enjoyable, and only got stronger until the end. But since first impressions are so vital, I'd settle on a 3 star at the highest. Still a good book, but not perfect (and thus I'll leave my thoughts at ~undecided~ because while I liked the read, I won't say I'll read it again, and I'm something of a chronic re-reader).

1.5 stars*
This book could have been great, but it feels rushed and messy in its execution. If another year or even a few more months were taken to tighten the plot, adequately develop the characters, and enhance the flow, I think this book could've had potential, but I am too caught up in the messiness to be able to rate it any higher than 1.5 (.5 for potential).

I didn't even know this book was being released before seeing it on the fantasy list, but I quickly fell in love with the gal on the cover (the art...that's what I meant...yes...) and added it to my tbr right away. The story lived up to what I hoped! It's well-written, the characters are great (+lgbtq rep, bonus), and as a fantasy lover, it falls right into my alley. I know Castles in Their Bones will be on my mind long until #2.

Another amazing addition to the Skyward series. When you combine Sanderson and Bowater's art, you can't go wrong, I mean seriously! As always, wonderful fantasy world-building, thrilling, riveting, and I can go on, my friends!

Funny, quirky, and light....despite the obvious content of “not being murdered.” Had a morbid blast with this one and the quizzes....eeeesh.