Alana
An epic fantasy romance, based on a ton of different legends and stories, and despite the very full plot and things constantly happening, this book is engaging and fun to read. Kept me on my toes the whole time and the characters, especially Opal, were a blast to read.
This is a ghost story that will make you more sad than scared, but Hadlock masters theme. It's a little flat at times and I wish there was more to it, but I still enjoyed following Annie's story and what ended up evolving...and how Bessie came about.
Fiona and Jane's stories are wonderful, but the connection and the development lacks. Maybe I went into this book wanting too much?
I can usually tell from the start if a book is one I will continue with throughout, and this one certainly is. There's representation, world-building, and a proper execution of magic. Did it have its flaws? Yes - shoving religion down the readers throat, or perhaps better worded - adamantly justifying (defending?) one's belief in a deity - was one of them, as well as some stilted aspects to the construction of the plot itself. But everything taken together, it was a minor grievance on my part, and for a debut book, it's strong.
Do I like Riverdale? Eh... But do I like this book? YES. Spooky, mysterious, mix of small town vibes that certainly fit King and Riverdale, but in a digestible format for many readers.
Ugh. Sadly for me and this on-and-off reading slump I have been struggling with, I stopped this book not even halfway through...the characters were boring and while the plot had that sci-fi modern lure, I just couldn't get through it. meeheh
What I liked here was the look into female friendship, toxicity, and I certainly understand why other reviewers have echoed that the vibes are alllll Heathers. The writing was a little hard for me at points, but I thought the plot was overall good so I stuck with it. Glad I did.
Oh, this is beautiful. I am not always drawn to this genre as I don't relate to it (no desire to be a mother here), but my, what a raw story of devotion and all-consuming love to your child. Oshetsky writes beautifully, and it truly made me emotional despite my lack of ties to the experience.
This book has a lot of strengths, including the gorgeous world Margaret Rogerson has built. This is the kind of story that really makes me want to come back and read #2 because of how wonderfully she interlaced pace with plot, characters, world, and surprises. Yeah, the ending was okay rather than strong, but the book was, overall, wonderful.
The atmosphere in this novel is next-level, absolutely exquisite. You can feel the 1911 NY, follow Frances to the school, and more. There's a strong, strong sense of place and time and setting altogether, woven perfectly with dimensional characters and a plot to die for, especially if, like a certain book lover, you lean to witchy reads. Starting off September with a bang!!
This is a well-plotted mystery with a strong, strong MC. And the complexity of character relationships intermeshed with the mystery and suspense of the plot was done really well. I will say this book is more plot-driven than it is character-driven, but the characters were not necessarily lacking, they just were not focused on as much as the plot. Well developed setting, though, and still good characters, making the book a suspenseful mystery I enjoyed.
If I have one regret, it's that I did not read this in the midst of fall with a cup of tea while it rains. But seriously, this book is so crazy atmospheric and written with the perfect amount of eeriness. I may read it again come October, November just so I can fully bask in that supernatural, spooky, young adult thriller-esque atmosphere. Lovely, lovely, spooky.
This is a BEAUTIFUL romantic story with writing up to the standard I'd expect from Holmberg. The one thing I wished it included a little more of was things happening, often the story dragged on, but the writing and characters are so beautiful that I didn't mind too much,.
Did I want to remember 2020? No. Did Erdrich make me and keep me involved the whole time? Yes. Tookie was a hard character to get to like, and I'll admit I still wasn't super fond of her by the end of the novel, but she had grown, so....perhaps a personal preference. While not perfect, this book was a raw and original recount of a year so many of us would love to forget, and probably never will.
I don't usually read middle grade, but sometimes I have one of those days where I want a simpler, lighter read that reminds me of my childhood, and mg books do just that, this one included. With the nods to HP that feel fresh rather than re-used and a spunky MC (maybe my new fave in mg), this book is perfect for the middle grade audience or the non-mg audience like myself who want a little something to make them feel young again. A not-so guilty pleasure, if I may. And I may.
Well THIS book was amazing in more ways than one. A queer retelling of Dracula written in a way that keeps you GLUED to the page. There's darkness, there's gothic themes, there's sapphic romance, the prose is BEAUTIFUL, I feel like I'm reading a classic and yet it was only released late January 2021. WOW. So many of the other reviews here do this masterpiece of a book more justice than I think I would, and at risk of literally repeating the overflowing praise that this book absolutely deserves, I will simply include my reaction the ENTIRE. TIME. I. READ. IT.
This book had its strong parts, but the โnot like other girls tropeโ and some other things made me feel like sometimes I was reading something off of Wattpad. Which...was meh to me.
If you want a fantasy/romance read that dives into Chinese mythology and has shippable, fun characters to follow, this one's a good choice. It didn't necessarily blow my mind, but hey, it was a fun read and kept my attention from the beginning to the end.
I thought this was truly an authentic book and look into the lives of people dealing with someone who struggles with addiction. As someone who has been in that place (not struggling with addiction, but knowing/loving someone who has), I found Glasgow's writing to feel realistic and not glamorizing any of the truths behind addiction. At times the pacing felt a little uneven, but the characters were incredibly strong and multi-faceted, and the content was treated with both care and obvious research, which made this a very strong book in my eyes. Wonderful to read as someone who has been on that side of addiction, and it is without a doubt an eye-opening book for anyone regardless of their experiences.
I can see the appeal with this book because of the cozy, autumn feels and the romance mixed with witchy-vibes (Alana's fav vibes? Yes please). But the chemistry between the mc and romantic interest just didnt feel well-developed or organic and the story itself was pretty basic. Not a bad read, but not one I'd pick up again.
A beautiful cover, first off, and an all in all good story that I enjoyed. Yeah, there were times where I was like โhey, do we need all this prose to get this point across? I think not?โ and there was a lot of excess in terms of that, but hey, it was still a solid read and I wanted to pick the book up every time I crossed paths with that ethereal cover.
Beautiful story, though a little slow-moving for me. But Lefteri writes of a plight usually ignored, making this book all the more important to read.
What's boasted as an interesting book and has a summary/blurb that made me want to dive in, the book itself just did not live up to my expectations. It took me near no time to read, though, and there were certainly interesting tid bits and characters, but as a whole the pacing felt wonky and the characters detached and not entirely likable.
I'm such a die-hard fan of witchy fantasy, and even more so when it ties in cute emotional plots about finding your place in the world when you've grown up feeling like you don't, found family/sisterhood, and magic. Just a recipe for success in my book. I know it's really the genre that drew me towards the book, but Crutcher's writing is pretty damn good too. And since it's October, all my fav genres mixed into one witchy book feels like a successful read to me.
