Ritika Bhattacharjee
“My goal, once upon a time, was to succeed. I didn't realize that success wasn't grades or scholarships or achievements, but the people I was lucky enough to have in my life.”rating-3/5The main trope in this book isn't my favourite but Sabrina and Tucker are literally perfect together : )))I was caught off guard because i absolutely did not know what to expect. Tucker's the quiet, brooding character and you don't really get to see him that much in the first three books. So i was really surprised by his pov. Getting to see things from his perspective, made so much more sense.There was also quite a bit of setting up of the spinoff BRIAR-U series, since the junior hockey players are now going to live in the guys house and Dean's sister is also said to be moving to Briar. Super excited to read those books too:)Unpopular opinion but i actually liked the plot overlap with [b:The Score 32276196 The Score (Off-Campus, #3) Elle Kennedy https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475250155l/32276196.SY75.jpg 45217167], the focus being on Tucker and Sabrina gave me a different perspective on events I had already read about, which was oddly comforting to read.Overall, really liked it and the ending with the entire friend group made my heart happy :) A nice conclusion to the series in my opinion. Which is why I'm conflicted about reading [b:The Legacy 58473344 The Legacy (Off-Campus, #5) Elle Kennedy https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1629830724l/58473344.SX50.jpg 90168758] since i've read mixed opinions. I'm scared it'll ruin the happy ending in my head. So i'll be respectfully putting it off for now.
“Seriously, just find yourself a rebound.” Dean whips up his arm, “I volunteer as tribute.”
I wasn't sure how i felt about Dean from the first two books. However, to the author's credit, his character was well developed and had layers i didn't expect. (dean with dakota had me screaming crying and throwing up)
The plot was light hearted and fast paced and Dean & Allie were fun, happy characters that both, complement and balance each other out at the same time. I loved loved loveddd how refreshing the storyline was. and the dialogue in this book? so good: The Twilight analysis had me laughing out loud while the bathtub scene had me straight up dying.
One thing I didn't like was the death. I feel like it was only added in to include a dramatic element and to elongate Dean's character arc. In my opinion, it disrupted the fluidity of the plot and was a far stretch from the light hearted theme of the book. But i guess they did need some kind of conflict in the book so yeah.
Overall, fast paced and super entertaining. literally had me cracking up without even having a plot, as such but if you're looking for something entertaining, no thinking required (infact emphasis on the no thinking), then you should pick this up.
“Why would I? Seriously, what guy turns down Die Hard? The only thing that could sweeten this deal is if you offered me some booze.”“I don't have any.” She stops to think. “But I've got a whole bag of gummy bears hidden in my desk drawer.”“Marry me,” I say instantly.”
rating- 3/5
{This review contains spoilers, please do not read it if you haven't read the book yet}
These books are so much fun to read. I absolutely love them. [b:The Deal|44019703|The Deal (Off-Campus, #1)|Elle Kennedy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550272258l/44019703.SY75.jpg|44100599] was definitely my favourite of these two, but this was pretty cute too. Logan and Grace are amazing characters. Logan is such a romantic (which i did not expect for some reason?) and Grace is an absolute sweetheart. I could relate to her more than other female protagonists in the series.
The only reason i like [b:The Mistake|32276195|The Mistake (Off-Campus, #2)|Elle Kennedy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475249810l/32276195.SY75.jpg|44707128] a little lesser than [b:The Deal|44019703|The Deal (Off-Campus, #1)|Elle Kennedy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550272258l/44019703.SY75.jpg|44100599] is because of how back and forth Grace and Logan's relationship is. I mean we love some grovelling but this was for a MAJOR portion of the book. Absolutely love Grace standing up for herself and not letting men walk over her though.
AND THE EPILOGUE DSKDJB. Hannah and Garrett have my entire heart, it was so wholesome. i'm going to cri.
Also I really, really love how fast paced these books are. I'm supposed to be studying; so how fast i go through these, helps with my guilt. Then again, now i need to know how the author's going to get Dean to date in the next book. so guess I'm reading [b:The Score|32276196|The Score (Off-Campus, #3)|Elle Kennedy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475250155l/32276196.SY75.jpg|45217167] now.
Overall love the dynamic between the characters, the banter between them and the university setting. You should definitely read the Off-Campus series if you want to read something light-hearted and entertaining.
rating-1.5/5
*Sighs * what even was that T_T. See I'm not gonna lie, I've read dark romance and GOOD dark romance.. this was NOT that.
I found this book on reddit, I think where somebody was talking about how insanely dark it is, I impulsively decided to pick it up.
(Kinda regret it ngl)
The writing was decent. The plot characterisation and pacing, however..just kept getting worse. The entire premise was all kinds of messed up, and all the author tries to do is justify it.
Probably wanted to scratch out my eyeballs while reading most of this book, make sure to pick it up, keeping that in mind.
rating- 3.5/5
this was the first self help book I've read, so i don't really have anything to compare it to; but i feel like the book made pretty solid points (that are really common sense but things we often forget.) They were well articulated and written with short stories and instances both from the author's life, and otherwise.
i also loved the psychology references to Freud and William James since psychology is one of my subjects.
overall, i think it was a decent read and would recommend it if you're into self help books that are simplistic.
“There was something magical about an island—the mere word suggested fantasy. You lost touch with the world—an island was a world of its own. A world, perhaps, from which you might never return.”
rating - 4.5/5
10 strangers, a poem about 10 soldiers dying and a series of murders.
This was my first Agatha Christie and I can totally see why it's such a fan favourite.
[b:And Then There Were None|16299|And Then There Were None|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638425885l/16299.SY75.jpg|3038872] is a fast paced, simple and beautifully crafted crime thriller that leaves you with a sense of unease, discomfort and a harrowing feeling. The plot is such, that you're routinely creeped out, second- guessing every character and questioning your views. Each element of the story is intricate and the structure, well laid out.
The plot is the story's plus point and also it's setback. While I love that you know exactly what's going to happen (due to the silly yet ominous poem the murderer follows) the reader is still intrigued with the whos and the hows. It also is the groundwork for why we aren't given too many character details (thereby making them feel two- dimensional) or why the reader doesn't connect with any character (I, for instance didn't want to root for anybody in case they ended up being the murderer.)- A classic feature of the numerous locked room murder mysteries that are very popular now. [b:And Then There Were None|16299|And Then There Were None|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638425885l/16299.SY75.jpg|3038872] definitely set the bar for this genre back in 1939.
Despite these pointers and the writing style being a little too straight forward for my taste, I really enjoyed the story. I like that even though most readers can make an educated guess or have a gut feeling about who the murderer could be, they are left unsure or on the fence about it at certain points of the story. The ending is not my favourite way of revealing things because it feels a lot like “um anyways so, this is what happened” and feels disconnected to the plot, but kind of works for the story i guess.
However, the wire and gun trick Wargrave uses seemed a little too far fetched to me. Also a few plot-holes that I was able to think of: ➙an examination should have been able to distinguish the gun shot as self inflicted, right?➙how did Wargrave manage to predict the storm and plan out the the entire thing coinciding with the two day storm. Because come to think of it, it is essential that there is no communication to the mainland for this to work
Something else i really liked was the psychological aspect the plot explores. Put 10 people together in a house with no way of leaving, tell them there's a murderer amongst them and watch the chaos unfold. The crimes they committed laid out in the open, do they confess or deny it throughout? The prolonged mental strain and fear the house mates endure, flashbacks of their crimes, the constant blaming, mistrust and alliances being formed were very interesting to read about. Vera's death was also an example of how this played out. ” ‘one of us'.. ‘one of us... one of us..' Three words, endlessly repeated, dinning themselves hour after hour into five receptive brains.”
Overall, I think it's a great read because it surprises the reader on atleast one, if not many occasions. I would definitely love to reread it and find details I might've missed on the first read.
tw// dv, abuse
This book made me feel emotions i didn't know i could feel.
My heart's broken and full at the same time < / 3
Like lily's heart tattoo, i feel like there's a hole at the top of my heart letting all the air out.
I've never been more upset and frustrated and in love with a book at the same time.
I always have a lot to say about books, but more often than not, most people (including me at times) forget that a book is simply fiction.
What somebody put out into this world - for a purpose, that could be entertainment, to tell ‘THEIR' story, ‘A' story or even just for the purpose of writing one, simply because they like doing so.
Yes, media and books affect and influence people but they're most definitely not an accurate representation of reality. (sigh fictional men.)
So with that extremely essay-esque passage, I would like to begin my review by saying: Yes, Atlas was not an important part of this book. And Yes, most DV victims do not have an Atlas in their lives.
Do i still like that there is an Atlas and essentially a happy ending? Also yes.
Because this! is! a book! I'm reading! and I like happy endings! (picture me slamming the table at every exclamation point.)
It is also important to understand that this is still Lilly's story and not Lilly & Atlas's.
And that every victim's story is different and that this is in no way, a representation of what any DV victim goes through.
The purpose of this book in my opinion was to explain how difficult it can be for people to cut strings and leave their abuser. It's easy for anybody to say “she/he/they should have just left.”, “why did they stay despite the abuse?”, etc. but nobody knows the entire picture, the emotions or anything that accompanies such a decision.
Did the book do a good job at that? absolutely.
Did it also tell us that despite how hard it might be, it's important to leave, important to break the cycle? yes.
“Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet.”
shrugs
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
rating - 2.5/5{This review might contain spoilers, please do not read this if you haven't read the book yet}
I absolutely love tear-jerkers and heart wrenching books that make me cry. I had no doubt when i picked this up, that i would love it. However, i was just more and more let down as i continued reading.
I tried really hard to like this book, i did. Guess it just wasn't for me:(
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:-
➜ Poppy's world of people with sunshine smiles and moonbeam hearts is a perfect idealistic world. She's a happy-go-lucky, all-smiles kinda person. While her character was VERY unrealistic and a little annoying at times, i liked her. Unfortunately, i cannot say the same about Rune (our male protagonist). I despised his character arc and his bitterness infuriated me to no end. His behaviour towards his dad was also so upsetting?? like damn okay he had to move because of work. calm your tits.
➜ The writing was extremely sappy and cheesy to the point where it felt SUPER unrealistic. (like i love cheesy dialogues more often than not, but this was stretching it too far, sorry not sorry.)
➜ The dialogues and prose did not seem like something an average 15 year old or even an actual person would say/think. The depiction of characters (which was literally Rune and poppy, zero side-character development.) was just very intense and strange. Here's a small excerpt to explain what i mean:- (this is a 16/17 year old's inner monologue THROUGHOUT the book)
“He was my heart. The heart freely given to me as a child. The heart that made up one half of my own. The boy who, though breaking inside, loved me so deeply that he gave me this farewell. Gave me, in the present, the dream that my future never could. My soul mate who captured moments.”
“To greet like the sun when it peeks above the horizon, i wave, my arms like rays reaching out to her.”
shrugs
Rune not using the kiss jar and his death felt very anticlimactic and contrived to me
“kiss number # with my Rune at location
OVERALL
rating- 3.5/5
I usually don't like rivals to lovers when there's no reason for why they hate each other in the first place, but i think this could be an exception. Sally Thorne's witty writing style worked really well with the characters and the plot. I was entertained throughout and even laughing out loud at some parts.
While the characters did seem immature and childish for their age, it was hilarious and fun to read so i'm not complaining. The little details- matchbox cars, smurfs, robin's egg blue and strawberries were an added bonus and i absolutely loved these tiny impersonal details that don't really add anything to the plot, but the author decided to include anyway:)
was the wall thing slightly creepy? maybe. but it's a romance novel so eh.
you should definitely pick it up if it's on your tbr, although the writing style might not be for everyone.
rating- 3/5
This review contains major spoilers. Please do not read it if you haven't read the book yet
Not so sure where i'm going to go with this review but yeah.
Loved the banter between Ben and Fallon, even though a few things Ben said and thought in his inner monologue were a little icky (just me? or was the whole underwear thing gross? i mean, considering this was like minutes after they meet?),
I really liked most of the dialogue and the writing.
The whole premise of meeting every november 9th was also pretty cool. While I will admit that there wouldn't be any plot without this set up, it does set this book apart from the average romance novel.
However i also had A LOT of problems with it://
➣ I enjoyed reading it, and was super intrigued throughout because of the unique nature of the book's plot. I've always disliked time skips but this book gets away with doing them perfectly well because of the nov 9th thing and i thought that was really cool.
➣ The jordyn-ben thing was just not it and made me very uncomfortable. There were a few other things that were questionable, but looking back now, the whole premise was creepy?
Ben lies to her the whole time??? their ENTIRE relationship was based off a lie and stalking? yeah. not a fan.
➣ The ending was also not my favourite. Fallon finds out about ‘said plot twist' and forgives him. (yes, FINDS OUT, he doesn't tell her. And yes, forgives him) Him (Ben): being the reason she's had self confidence issues for YEARS, a strained relationship with her dad and just SO much emotional and physical trauma. People who like the book might argue that Ben also helped her with her self confidence. But don't you see it? HE's the reason she has self confidence issues. (it wasn't intentional of course, but he KNEW they were his fault THE WHOLE TIME he was trying to make her feel better (or should i say make HIMSELF feel better?) about them.
➣ The said ‘plot twist' felt super contrived and anticlimactic to me. it infuriated me. It made me look at Ben from a completely different persepective. Everything i'd read about him just went out of the window and my brain was like NO (in red).
I get that a lot of people like this book. But the plot didn't work out for me at all, so i wouldn't recommend it. :/
“There is no safe place for the Grisha. There is no haven. Not for us.” There will be, he promised in the darkness, new words written upon his heart. I will make one.
This short story gives us an insight into the old Ravka, where the Grisha were unwelcome, through the eyes of a young darkling. It depicts what he had to go through as a child and the isolation and loneliness he feels due to his powers. The darkling is an extremely well developed character and this small point of view from a young darkling helps us understand his motives better, builds his character and makes him more interesting
The only complaint i have is that it's only 40 pages long :') i NEED more from the darkling's pov.
usually put a quote here but nothing comes to mind.
rating- 2.5/5{review may contain spoilers}
Honestly didn't want to write this review because i did not want to revisit how terrible this book was. But here we are, wish me luck.
summing it up for anybody who hasn't read this book:
The main character Sydney gets cheated on, is heartbroken but proceeds to make this other guy cheat on his girlfriend.
yes. that is literally the entire plot.
I'm going to list everything i didn't like because this review is going to be chaotic otherwise-
➜ Like i mentioned, the lack of plot.
➜ The characters had very little development throughout and had barely any depth to begin with. Sydney came off as whiny and confused while Ridge was conflicted and douchey.
➜ Cheating. (just.. no)
➜ Romanticising cheating?? (even worse)
➜ All the book focuses on is Sydney and Ridge's relationship, thus the author doesn't really have room to establish any of the character's qualities. Due to this, the side characters also felt very two-dimensional. Warren and Bridgette had a lot of potential, but their characterisation was terribly done. Even in Maggie's case, we're told she's very cool and amazing, yet we don't really see it.
➜ The extremeeeelyyyyy slow pace.groan Like, I get it Ridge. You can't pick between Maggie and Sydney. Did your inner conflict have to go on for over 100 pages, though?
No because literally, these are lines from the book:
“my heart begins to tear in two, half of it remaining where it's always been, with Maggie, and the other half being pulled to the girl beneath me. Nothing in my life has ever felt so good yet hurt so achingly bad. I tear my mouth away from hers, and we both gasp for breath as the desperate grip she has on me keeps me locked against her. I refuse to allow our mouths to reconnect as I struggle to figure out which half of my heart I want to save.” And he proceeds to refer to them as halves of his heart throughout the book, not even kidding T_T
The book tries REALLY hard to justify and maturely depict being in love with two people at once. The confusion, conflict and dramaticism is portrayed well but is ALL that is portayed. bahaha. The characters became far too predictable throughout the course of the book and it significantly goes downhill, as we force ourself through it.
For example, we all know who he's going to end up with anyway and yet it is inevitably dragged on for the confrontation with Maggie in the end.
However, there were also a few things i liked, hence the 2.5 stars.
⦿ How the book started off, was very well done and had a lot of potential. I was surprised that the main character was deaf, and was really excited to see how the author pulls off dialogues and conversation.
⦿ The music of course. Ridge's passion for music despite being deaf was admirable. I loved how he embraced his deafness, didn't complain or constantly think about the what ifs.
⦿ The message conveyed about not letting your disability get in the way of pursuing your dreams is important. Ridge was an incredible musician despite not being able to listen to any sounds.
⦿I also found out tons of stuff about people with hearing impairments which was really cool (turning off the lights to get ridge's attention for instance), it's not something i thought about before this.
⦿ The songs were also pretty cool (i also found out that you can listen to the soundtrack on youtube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8FDAOhC6Nmv2M_OjHAK179-AWAA5fjww)
That's all i have. Clearly there was more i disliked than i liked. The plot, pacing, ending and characterisation were a mess. I really tried to love this one, i did; guess it just wasn't for me. I don't think I'm going to read the other books in the series.
I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're okay with the things i mentioned above.
“Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?”“So?” said Kaz.“Well, usually it's just half the city.”― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdomrating- 4.5/5if that quote doesn't sum up the entire book, i honestly don't know what does.I finished reading this a week ago. It took me a week to recover , just enough, to put how i was feeling on paper. (screen?). Just saying.okay, so here goes nothing. This review contains spoilers for Six of crows and Crooked kingdom. Please DO NOT read it if you haven't read either.________________PREMISE [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] picks off right where [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] ends. It follows Kaz and his crew right after they pull off an impossible heist. Except things didn't turn out the way they thought it would. (when does it ever). Now they're up against powerful forces both from in and outside Ketterdam, with no money, allies or resources.THOUGHTS I liked Crooked kingdom even more than six of crows?? and i REALLY liked SoC. No because I am absolutely in love. I love the morally grey (but still somehow moral?) characters. SO MUCH. I love their character development and their banter. I love the group dynamic and I love the writing. i just love, love and love. “Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don't forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.”But i mean there has to be something i didn't like if i didn't give it 5 stars right? yeah we'll get to that {spoiler alert: i go back and forth over what I didn't like, a little bit (well a lot) and don't actually hate anything as such}, but lets start off with everything i liked:)I think my favourite part of both [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] and [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] is that the characters never lose themselves. In the face of adversity, when talked about in a relationship dynamic and honestly just in general, there was never a moment where i read something, say kaz or nina did and thought to myself- that doesn't seem like something he/she would do, you know? everything just seemed right. It's beautiful how [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] managed to give each character such a strong voice and a sense of individuality while still making sure this doesn't get blurred when they work in a group.Their backstories were further developed and wylan got the attention he deserves! (safe to say, he's definitely one of my favourites now).“Until this moment, Wylan hadn't quite understood how much they meant to him. His father would have sneered at these thugs and thieves, a disgraced soldier, a gambler who couldn't keep out of the red. But they were his first friends, his only friends, and Wylan knew that even if he'd had his pick of a thousand companions, these would have been the people he chose.”Pace inconsistency was an issue for me in [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459], but [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] fares well in that aspect and is fast paced throughout. The transition between the books is smooth and the author doesn't waste any time but gets right into the plot.AND KAZ AND INEJ. I love them so much. (everybody freaking out over them just holding hands is just so funny in my opinion). also this quote absolutely broke me:“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”also nina & matthias and wylan & jesper. all of them. ugh.(there's so many cute moments, can't really pick a quote tbh)Something else i REALLY REALLY liked was the appearance of characters from the grisha trilogy. when characters from different books in the same universe have a crossover kinda or even just referenced, it's my favourite thing ever. worlds colliding. my heart<3. it just made me so happy to read nikolai's humorous sarcastic retorts again:') even if it was only for one chapter. okay, onto what i didn't like:SETBACKSso right off the bat, i know that both [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] and [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] are fast paced books, and i get that. i do. but to me at times it just felt like there was a lot going on? I struggled to keep up with the numerous sub plots and fail- safe plans. it's just A LOT was going on for my mortal brain to comprehend. I'll probably reread it a few months later and see if this changes the second time around.the ending!major spoiler¡ (adding tags too)something else I didn't like was matthias's death. honestly i think most people would agree that it did nothing to the plot whatsoever and felt extremely abrupt.i thought about this for a while and couldn't come to a conclusion so here i am.right so, execution? wasn't the best in my opinion. they went through ALL of that in both djerholm and ketterdam only for matthias to be shot a few streets away, AFTER they'd managed everything? i don't know..very anticlimactic honestly.the idea though? it makes sense in my opinion. I've seen so many people write off the death as unnecessary and i agreed. but after the initial shock and sadness wore off, i really thought about it and i feel like it does have some symbolism and merit. could it have been executed better? absolutely. but well, it is what it is :')and also when i say the death does have some merit to it, i don't mean that in the- (*read in mocking singsong old man voice*) "it's not possible for all of them to be alive after going through all that." or "well, somebody had to die" way. I'm a sucker for happy endings so it wouldn't have been unrealistic to me if they were all alive in the end. i mean they pulled off an entire heist, managed to deceive so many people. THE THEME IS HOPE and being able to pull off the impossible for saint's sake (yes I'm swearing like grishaverse characters now). so no I'm not FOR killing off characters, only to make it seem more realistic.But i thought of it this way and this just makes more sense to me. Matthias has immense character development; he goes from an angry barbarian {saying that makes me so sad now:''''') remember the princess and the barbarian story bahaha} to somebody who understands he grew up in the wrong environment and that he was filled with hate but not born with it. his younger self however was hateful and misogynistic, and he'd probably done a lot of hateful stuff before the ship with nina *sob*. The young fjerdan kid who shot him? he's so much like young matthias. It's almost like his past was catching up to him.So in a way, matthias was essentially killed by his younger self.poetic? RIGHT. still hurts i know:( but seems less unnecessary now doesn't it? moreover, i love how his last thoughts weren't hateful or of revenge, but just about nina and saving fjerda from their mindset. (crying, brb)something else to make you sob and break your heart even more?if you didn't already know this, matthias's first chapter and his last chapter starts and ends with the same words:“Matthias was dreaming again. Dreaming of her"heartbroken for the rest of my life < / 3OVERALLThis book definitely made it to my favourites. The grisha magic system is unique and the plot is captivating and catches you off guard just the right amount. you should absolutely read it, if you haven't already. it'll make you laugh out loud, cry and smile throughout. super excited to pick up the [b:King of Scars 36307634 King of Scars (King of Scars, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.SY75.jpg 57978319] duology next, since i personally loved the grisha trilogy and nikolai is one of my favourite characters:)my other reviewsmy review of shadow and bonemy review of siege and stormmy review of ruin and risingmy review of six of crows
honestly loved the fact that i couldn't guess what the story was about from its title.things we learn:-Semyon's terrible at naming who names a river 'little knife' please--Little knife is infact, extremely cool.“Will you remain here with the father who tried to sell you, or the Prince who hoped to buy you, or the man too weak to solve his riddles for himself? Or will you come with me and be bride to nothing but the shore?”like the other stories in the grishaverse, it did not end the way i expected it to. [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s writing never fails to surprise me. and since i love anything that catches me offguard, i absolutely love all her books.“She lived in happy solitude, and grew old, and never worried when her beauty faded, for in her reflection she always saw a free woman.”These short stories can be treated as standalones since they don't really have any connection to the actual novels and are a great way to get into [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s books. You should absolutely pick it up whether you have read the grisha trilogy and six of crows or not.
rating-5/5
“You keep me grounded, Kai, and I'll keep you wild.”
If there was a perfect book, this would be it.
characters are so flawed and real and have their own stories.
rating -4.5/5
finished this cover to cover in one sitting:))This entire series was extremely fun to read, fast-paced & well-written. super sad that it's over:( but so glad that i decided to read it. I enjoyed the little glimpses into the different povs from all the naturals' childhood, it was really interesting to read. Similarly, while the case was short, i thoroughly enjoyed reading all of them put their heads together, one last time to figure it all out.
A few things the author could've done instead of devoting so much page time to an entire case in this book, was to just show them all happy, thriving, domestic. just living you know? Laurel going to school. Lia being Lia. Michael being Michael. A truth or dare game. idk ? there was so much potential for a more wholesome, fulfilling? ending. Sort of like an epilogue novella. i mean they all probably deserve it after the shit show they've been through at 17.
But instead it was left sort of open ended, hopefully for a spin-off series in the future.
Either-way, I'm just glad i was here for the ride;)
Pick this series up, you absolutely won't regret it!
“Just because you escape one trap, doesn't mean you will escape the next.”
rating - 3/5
I haven't read books with talking animals for a while now. This sure made me nostalgic. A pretty well told story i think, athough it's definitely not my favourite short story in the grishaverse.
I saw the plot twist coming towards the end although the too-clever fox didn't. eyeroll.
(considering there was quite a bit of foreshadowing for it, i'm pretty sure a lot of people did)
However, I really liked koja despite his slight well, more than slight not-too-clever-ness in the end. And Lula's a tiny little sweetheart:) The fact that i was invested in a story that's literally just 30 pages long only proves how good [a:Leigh Bardugo|4575289|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s writing is.
rating- 2.5/5
this review contains spoilers.
2.5 stars only for cap:) and because it made me cri. i.e, evoked emotion which is a good sign.
I HATE that this was marketed as a book with two people who are with each other only for sex, and i had to read a convoluted pov with a really immature voice for like 70 % of the book.
The Miles-Tate dynamic completely undermined miles' tragic backstory and his issues with dealing with his grief. This was Miles' story. Tate had zero contribution to the plot whatsoever, except for letting Miles walk all over her until he sorts his issues out.
Something else that bothered me was how different Mile's pov chapters in the past were in comparison to the rest of the book. his inner monologue was just VERY weird? like it's not only the centre alignment. (which i think was supposed to make it seem like a poem?? idek at this point.) Like it's literally just a normal pov writing but centre alignment. RachelRachelI'm talking to her.I tell her my name is miles. (that. but in centre alignment. almost his entire pov is centre aligned. I don't know why that's so weird to me, but like the waste of space for absolutely no reason, bothers me.)
Apart from this, his past pov was also weird to me because it seemed like the author was trying to portray him as a kid/ immature somehow. I remember there was something about them ‘playing house' which was just plain weird. They're 17 i think? i don't know if Colleen Hoover was trying to be poetic / metaphorical, it just ended up making me feel super uncomfortable. Like okay? she's pregnant, they live together and they're young. i get it. but ‘playing house'??...
The past plot was pretty okay (except for the incestuous and pro-life tones) but the writing was just not it, for me. While, the present Tate-Miles plot was trash but I liked the writing in this case (because she wasn't trying to be poetic/centre alignic)
This was my first Colleen Hoover book and i see why people like her so much, the emotional impact of the book was definitely there?.. Although the writing style wasn't my favourite, I do have a few other CoHo books on my tbr i want to read, so we'll see how that goes:')
rating - 3/5
the way destroy me , makes the reader root for Aaron by showing us his thoughts and pov; fracture me does exactly that with adam's pov except we're still rooting for Aaron.
I didn't love Adam and Juliette together; but I didn't really dislike him.
not so sure i can say that now, i guess.
I get why he wouldn't want to endanger his life or his brother's. That I'm kinda willing to let go (imagine warner being in this situation though. he would literally do everything to save Juliette)
The weakling thing though?? not okay sir. she's crushing bricks and causing earthquakes and your stupid blocking power ass thinks SHE's the weakling? T_T
cruisin my way through these books like there's no tomorrow. on to ignite me<3
"I don't care if it takes you a minute or an hour to get up. All that matters is that you do."
rating-4/5
Honestly the best book, by far in the dirty air series<3 loved it with all my heart.
Switched between the audiobook and the physical copy throughout my read and safe to say that I loved the narration too. (One of my first fiction listens, so that was really fun too!)
I absolutely love the characters as well; Santiago is just>>. I went into this book blind, so I knew nothing except that it was Santi's book. I loved the way the author navigated talking about the accident and his life after being differently-abled. It was a lot more responsibility in terms of character, compared to the other books, for sure. And I think it was done really well:)
The extended epilogue with all the kids was also so so cute. Overall, a great conclusion to the series: D you should definitely give this book a chance!
Contains spoilers
"In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.”
rating- 4/5
overall series rating- 3.5/5
(skipping to my thoughts instead of my usual review format because i just need to get them out of my head.)
The book caught me off guard, not going to lie. I DID NOT expect the plot twist or the turn of events at the end of the book. The first few hours after I finished the book, was just me marvelling at the ending because,
a) not a lot of books surprise me with plot twists, since i think of probable ways it could end in my head. So if a book does have an ending I haven't thought about, I get really excited. (more on that in a bit)
b) i was expecting something predictable, like Alina destroying the fold, being the saviour of Ravka and the likes of that.
I did think of a possible ending that involved her leaving things behind and living a normal life with Mal, but i didn't know how that would work out with her powers being a factor.
(like i said, not sticking to a review format, so might as well include this)
So, coming back to me being excited, the first thing i did, was call my best friend (who has read six of crows, but not the grisha trilogy) and told her how the ending wasn't something i expected and i loved it.
The first thing she said was, "wait aren't you upset that Alina died?" and i was like "OH."
This is what made it cooler in my opinion. I remember how I'd read that six of crows contains spoilers for the grisha trilogy, however i didn't think they'd be given the narrative the rest of the people were given. It kind of makes me feel like I'm a part of this small group of people who actually know what happened in the battle. it makes me feel special okay? shush.
So i found out, on Leigh Bardugo's Instagram highlights where she says it's not necessary to read S&B before SoC, but preferrable because you'll be "spoiled (or deliberately misled by a wicked author)" HAHA
and this whole thing fascinates me so much, i don't even know why. and i've already started ranting so, there's no going back
there's tons of people i know who haven't read the Grisha trilogy but only the Six of Crows duology and they won't know this. (I'm aware they probably don't care, but just let me feel special okay.)
it's just so smart. the fact that, what people think is a spoiler isn't actually one and
also how, if people read SoC first and then move on to these books, they'll still be surprised. Leigh Bardugo is one smart author.
THE ENDING
now, when the initial surprise wore off, i actually began thinking about whether i liked the ending and if this was what i wanted for Alina.
“They had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things—if love can ever be called that.”
The thing with this is, people either absolutely love the ending or hate it.
i have mixed feelings about the ending. The romantic in me who loves happy endings is happy, she's thinking of the love Mal and Alina share, despite everything they've had to face. however there is also a cynic in me and while she's happy that Mal (who's suddenly a new person who wants the best for Alina. A starking contrast to Siege and Storm Mal, whom i did not like at all) and Alina get their happy ending, she's not sure if Alina wanted this for herself.
I'm sure nobody likes risking their lives constantly and the fact that she was considered a living saint, did not help with the-wanting to live a normal life part.
But we all know that Alina grows to like her powers, understands that they're a part of her and using them makes her feel content. She has immense character development in the first two books and starts believing in herself. So does this ending negate all that character development? yes.
In a way the full circle ending: Alina going back to keramzin, just a normal girl, an orphan makes it feel complete. However, the ending makes me happy, not content. I can't help but think about everything Alina could've been and everything she could've done (even WITH Mal by her side, since that's what she's so vocal about * sigh *)
I feel let down that, what could've been a really strong female protagonist in upcoming books, is now just living idly with no powers, (again there's nothing wrong with a domestic life, I'm just a little disappointed that she had to give up her powers.)
To me, it felt like Mal finally got what he wanted. Alina losing her powers, living a normal life with him.
In Siege and Storm, when Mal and Alina are on the run, hiding her powers makes her miserable. In my opinion, Alina's powers going to all the otkazats'ya because of Morozova was not some elaborate noble plotline to give powers to the common folk but a way for making Alina powerless and live her life with Mal without worrying about hiding it.
"Morozova was a strange man. He was a bit like you, drawn to the ordinary and the weak."
An indication of Alina not wanting this for herself is definitely how she describes herself as hollow, empty and not quite like herself without her powers.
"nothing left", i said softly feeling the emptiness inside me, the emptiness everywhere.
CHARACTER ARCS
Mal- still don't like him I'm sorry, but i guess love is love so, I'm trying to be happy for Alina and Mal, believe me i really am.
It's a little hard for me to believe that Mal is suddenly everything we've wanted him to be. I like him in this book, he's trying, acknowledging Alina's feelings and all in all, just not being a d!ck. But what didn't work for me is the transition. i was still seething over Siege and Storm Mal when i went into this book, only to find a whole new person there. it just didn't seem realistic to me.
“It’s a vow that if I can’t be anything else to you, at least I can be a weapon in your hand.”
“You were meant for more than me, and I'll die fighting to give it to you. But please don't ask me to pretend it's easy.”
The darkling- yeah. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little devastated. one of the best written antagonists in my opinion. Leigh Bardugo does a great job at humanising him throughout the books, and especially at the end. the death scene upset me more than Mal's and that's saying something. His backstory is so well developed and the fact that this book gave us most of his backstory, is another reason for me to like it.
“In this moment he was just a boy - brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.”
Nikolai- Absolutely still love him. still my favourite character. his humour is unmatched and brightens up the book when required. the whole darkness plot, in the second half of the book seemed unnecessary to me, but i agree it makes him more interesting in the upcoming books and I'm excited to read King of Scars
“I hope you weren’t looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.”
"You are no Lantsov" snarled the king. NIkolai merely bowed. "I find i can live with that fact"
Genya- love her. although i disliked the whole nichevo'ya bite fate, i love how she embraced it; considering vanity was something that was very important to her. I wanted this to be remedied somehow, but i no longer want that. scars are reminders but they don't have to be terrible.
“Na razrusha'ya. E'ya razrushost."
translation: I am not ruined. I am ruination.
her relationship with David is also something that stands out. they both are beautiful together.
"Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what's inside you? That's steel. It's brave and unbreakable. And it doesn't need fixing.”
I'm excited to see Genya in the upcoming books (i think she's there?) since she'll be leading the second army and i want to see her in a role of authority.
Setbacks
one thing that I've found to be a problem in both shadow and bone, as well as siege and storm is the pace inconsistency. this book fared better in that aspect and did have better transition from slow scenes to fast paced scenes, however towards the end of the book, there was just too much happening. The final battle was very short and didn't seem to have the depth that was required.
And of course, the damned ending.
What I loved
1. the amplifier plot twist.
2. Nikolai Lantsov.
3. also the ending (i can't decide if i like it or not, leave me alone.)
Overall
pros- unpredictable plot twists
cons- bittersweet ending?
Both Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm surprised me, but Ruin and Rising, topped them both. Leigh Bardugo's books just get progressively better and better as the trilogy continues. Her writing has always stood out to me and the story's narrative flows extremely well, which makes them so much easier to read. I couldn't put the books down for too long, and I'm happy i finished the trilogy.
The world of the grisha is captivating and interesting. it's very unique and I'm glad the author decided to expand this world and continue writing more books in this universe.
i can't wait to read more of the grisha world in Six of Crows, I'm super excited for this one:)
I'm not sure how i feel about [b:The Witch of Duva 13643163 The Witch of Duva (Grishaverse, #0.5) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1336644891l/13643163.SX50.jpg 19258458]. It is dark, haunting and beautiful and gave me extremely dark Hansel and Gretel vibes, however i did not like the story as much as I thought i would. Although the ending surprised me, I wasn't impressed with the overall story. (maybe it's just not for me)A few things that put me off were the pace and structure of the story. there was just way too much going on in the end and i struggled to keep up (the fact that i haven't read any folk or grimm's tales before or that i read this at 2 am didn't help either)However i do think it offers a lot for such a short story:) and [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s storytelling stands out, yet again.
Contains spoilers
"The ox feels the yoke, but does the bird feel the weight of it's wings?"
rating- 3.5/5
The first book definitely surprised me, and although I had a few complaints, I loved it. Siege and Storm on the other hand, is harder for me to review.
The book was very, very slow towards the beginning and at certain points, to the point where i was so sure, i wouldn't like it. The pace was inconsistent and a few parts were incredibly slow, while a few had me struggling to keep up with everything that was happening. This is something that bothered me in shadow and bone as well, and I'm hoping will be resolved in the third book. (I understand a few scenes have to be fast paced, but the transition should be smoother so the reader is eased into the fast paced scenes instead of feeling like they were abruptly thrown in into an action sequence.)
However as soon as Nikolai was introduced, the rating of the book in my head significantly increased (i was thinking around 3 haha). Nikolai is definitely my favorite love interest with mal and the darkling as the other options, I'm pretty sure everybody thinks the same way, if not my favorite character (scratch that. he's my favorite character)
Also, was I the only one who wasn't surprised by the Sturmhond plot twist? I mean he's described as a young boy with green eyes, there's no way he's not a love interest. there's also so much foreshadowing for it, considering he never talks about where he's from (any doubts i had were later confirmed when I googled sturmhond fanart- i strongly advise against googling fanart until you're done with the book. google images are the dark web, for, every book spoiler to ever exist is on there.)
PREMISE
Alina and mal are trying to run away from their lives at Ravka but can Alina really hide her powers for too long? On the other hand, the darkling has new powers that further threaten Ravka's future. With the help of a funny, charming privateer she returns to the country she abandoned only to find it worse off. Alina finds herself slipping deeper into the darkling's magic and discovering a different side to herself, while trying to lead the second army, hoping to cope with the hopes of the common people who believe she's a living saint and also dealing with relationship problems (mal. why. just why)
CHARACTERS
ALINA
unlike a lot of people, i liked Alina in the first book. I understood her self deprecating nature and constant self destruction, it was what made her more real to me. Siege and Storm Alina, on the other hand has completely blown me away. I absolutely love her. She's embracing herself and understanding that she has a dark side under all that light. Her hunger for the third amplifier, calling to the darkness, feeling like the fold was a part of her, understanding the volcra, every single thing intrigued me. the character development is immersing and I'm looking forward to witness Ruin and Rising Alina. I'm curious as to how Leigh Bardugo will transition her from being extremely weak and unable to call her power to ultimately what I'm guessing will be the saviour of Ravka and the destroyer of the fold.
"So many men had tried to make her a queen, now she understood that she was meant for something more"
MAL
no. just no, I'm sorry. shadow and bone mal was okay in my opinion, but book 2 mal is just not it. he loves alina, there's no doubt about that. he protects her, and even abandons his post as a tracker, something that is very dear to him, for her. But he loves the Alina who was his childhood bestfriend, who was at the sidelines, not the grisha Alina. he's constantly insecure about the fact that he's an otkazats'ya, while Alina is powerful. I now understand why so many people disliked him in the first book, they saw what was coming and the behaviour that indicated the same. the fact that he is oblivious that Alina isn't doing her best and continues to push his insecurities at her just infuriates me. the darkling('s vision? I'm still a little confused) that made Alina flinch while mal was stupid enough to think that it was about him (I know I'm being harsh but he just can't look past himself.) was the last straw. I don't see Alina with mal and will be very disappointed if that's what happens in the end.
"i don't need to think about it", Mal shouted "and neither does she"
This is him talking about going back to Os Alta when Nikolai, Alina and Mal arrive at Kribirsk. ugh. just, ugh
"At least she didn't flinch when i touched her" he spat
this was when alina had WAY too much on her plate already, i just dislike him so much, i can't, i'm sorry. i don't know if mal can redeem himself after this.
NIKOLAI
I am absolutely and completely in love with Nikolai Lantsov. He is everything. i repeat, everything, mal is not. he understands Alina, while also NOT being extremely morally grey like the darkling. he's humorous, sarcastic and extremely endearing. The birthday dinner scene with Vasily and the political intrigue in it, was one of my favourite scenes in the book.
"When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”
"i like mongrels", i said. "they have cute floppy ears." "my ears are very dignified"
“I took a breath. “Your highness—”
“Nikolai,” he corrected. “But I’ve also been known to answer to ‘sweetheart’ or ‘handsome.”
THE DARKLING
I cannot stop hoping for a redemption arc * sigh *, but then again, this is for the darkling's personality and not as a love interest. I don't see the darkling as a love interest anymore and in my honest opinion, his personality and character wouldn't be suitable for the same. his motivations and backstory are just way too strong to be deterred by something as trivial as feelings. he's still one of the best written and extremely well developed characters. And although he was absent throughout most of this book, the few appearances, use of the nichevo'ya and the visions/appearances Alina could see, left me wanting more.
"we are alike", he said, "as no one else will ever be", the truth of it rang through me. like calls to like.
Things i loved:
1. NIKOLAI. NIKOLAI LANTSOV. ABSOLUTELY.
2. The character development of Alina
3. The ending. i have to admit, the ending is definitely not something i expected. it saved the book for me.
"For the living and the dead, she would make herself a reckoning. She would rise. "
4. Did i mention, nikolai lantsov. yes. him.
Setbacks:
1. as mentioned earlier, the pace inconsistency
2. mal's character development
3. genya. (this was dropped out of nowhere, and goes long lengths to tell us how far the darkling's willing to go, to assert authority and fullfill his motives. it really upset me, considering Alina couldn't even tell her apart from Baghra. i hope this is remedied in Ruin and Rising, because Genya did nothing wrong and does not deserve this. It breaks my heart that she had to choose between helping Alina and her loyalty to the darkling since he gave her status, something that she has never had and has forever wanted.
Overall, despite the issues, i couldn't stop reading and just had to know what was going to happen, which according to me, is a good sign. The world building is immersing and the world of the grisha is growing on me and I absolutely cannot wait to read Ruin and Rising to see what happens to Alina and Nikolai and what's in store in terms of plot:)
rating: 4/5
I really, really liked destroy me. It was short, to the point and does its job as a bridging novella.
The only setback in book 1, was the prose and excessive use of metaphors. This wasn't an issue for me in destroy me, since aaron's pov doesn't read like juliette's. It was easier for me to get through due to the lack of contrived writing.
While the novella itself was short and didn't add to the plot as such, I think the small insight into aaron's pov is essential to his character arc. As a reader we do find out quite a bit. I know it's to humanise him and evoke sympathy, so we can start rooting for him. But I'm still a little bit on the fence about him. Let's see how I like the rest of the series. super excited to continue! :)
rating- 5 / 5
I stayed up till 4 am screaming and crying while reading this book. It put me in all the feels and was just perfect. was it written perfectly? honestly who cares. I'm not here to critically analyse a book, I genuinely LOVED reading.
AARON WARNER. SIR- I was obsessed. Man would say one thing and I would highlight aggressively. The scene where he RUSHES TO HER because he thought she was in danger, courtesy of the clicky pager thing was just chef's kiss>>>>
I was screeching throughout.
THE DRAMA, with Adam. THE ROMANCE. dear god- The way this was YA too; still top tier. love it. THE ACTION. THE PLOT. It just went above and beyond any expectations I had.
Juliette's monologue telling Aaron she sees him for who he is. The training. Her confession. There's just sooo many scenes i really reallyy loved. And KENJI. AHH. His relationship with Juliette is the absolute cutest. he deserves everything.
At this point, this review is all over the place and it's just me stating everything I loved but it is what it is. THIS book is why you should read shatter me. You're a 100% missing out, if you don't know who Aaron Warner is.