Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Stalking
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A swoony story, but I felt the characters were a little two-dimensional.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Violence, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
it wasn't great, but like entertaining. and the smut was good. i like how alex and ava progressed closer together, with that one line: the rules don't apply to you sweetheart like HII LOL!!
and i really liked sorry spoiler seeing them in twisted games with the whipped scene that shii was cute i was like WOAH I LIKE THIS MORE THAN THEIR WHOLE BOOK (joke i think)
ava chen was a really cool character. i do think some plot points were a little ??? if you know what i mean like so random and perfectly timed but i empathize with how she saw the world and i liked her sparkle. alex was a little more complex but i feel like he didn't feel as real to me. but i've always had trouble connecting with morally grey ceos because they don't feel that real!! like guys who come across wealth in other ways? yeah yeah but this guy had this messed up childhood and is like super-rich doesn't need to work but does...
also his grovelling yeah it was top tier but also he just bought her tons of gifts that she didn't need but i guess he progressed over the year...i picture him singing 'until i found you' because if i don't it gets too cringe.
let me talk about some of my favourite quotes and why i highlighted them:
- alex's "i never claimed to be prince charming" because hey! at least he's self aware. and he's LOYAL THIS MAN SAYS 'your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends, and i would burn down the world for you if you wanted' like hellooo where's my morally gray guy who will say that and actually deliver!! because he 120% would. ok but to be fair i guess he has a blackmail profile on everyone (including ava's friends) but it's the thought that counts!
- alex's angry love confession (btw these are out of order but who cares) i love bridget girlboss for pushing him and then he was all BECAUSE I LOVE HER I LOVE HER SO MUCH I WOULD RATHER GIVE HER UP, THAN HURT HER (but he did hurt her and give her up but whatever again THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. but then he chased her to the airport (where he missed her flight) but he still flew so like...yeah...!!!!
- ava moment!! her justified outburst in the earlier chapters when she justifies her optimism and how wonderful things and people happen and i love her loads! my positive sunshine always shines.
- omg that WHOLE SCENE WHEN AVA'S LIKE "i assure you, you have no idea what i want or what's in my best interest" and then alex goes on to list her favourite colour, ice cream flavor and then a whole MONOLOGUE ON HER SEASONS AND IT WAS SO CUTE I WOULD DIE IF SOMEONE SAID 'it's everything you fear, and fir that you love it. because the fear makes you feel alive,' like whatttt what is this standard! ok alex hii xD
- the desire chapter: basically alex is like in every heart there beats one true desire,,,he goes on to say his is is vengeance and ava's is love but the way he describes her love for love it was so RELATABLE AND I WAS SINKING INTO THE FLOOR I LOVE<3
there were a couple other moments (like the she was mine. she just didn't know it yet) but overall very entertaining and i liked!!!!
last note for a brother's best friend trope josh was not angry enough. he was more angry at the end but that made sense i guess but I'M SO EXCITED FOR TWISTED HATE TO SEE THEIR RELATIONSHIP BUILD UP AGAINn ok yeah that's all i love ana huang!
and i really liked sorry spoiler seeing them in twisted games with the whipped scene that shii was cute i was like WOAH I LIKE THIS MORE THAN THEIR WHOLE BOOK (joke i think)
ava chen was a really cool character. i do think some plot points were a little ??? if you know what i mean like so random and perfectly timed but i empathize with how she saw the world and i liked her sparkle. alex was a little more complex but i feel like he didn't feel as real to me. but i've always had trouble connecting with morally grey ceos because they don't feel that real!! like guys who come across wealth in other ways? yeah yeah but this guy had this messed up childhood and is like super-rich doesn't need to work but does...
also his grovelling yeah it was top tier but also he just bought her tons of gifts that she didn't need but i guess he progressed over the year...i picture him singing 'until i found you' because if i don't it gets too cringe.
let me talk about some of my favourite quotes and why i highlighted them:
- alex's "i never claimed to be prince charming" because hey! at least he's self aware. and he's LOYAL THIS MAN SAYS 'your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends, and i would burn down the world for you if you wanted' like hellooo where's my morally gray guy who will say that and actually deliver!! because he 120% would. ok but to be fair i guess he has a blackmail profile on everyone (including ava's friends) but it's the thought that counts!
- alex's angry love confession (btw these are out of order but who cares) i love bridget girlboss for pushing him and then he was all BECAUSE I LOVE HER I LOVE HER SO MUCH I WOULD RATHER GIVE HER UP, THAN HURT HER (but he did hurt her and give her up but whatever again THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. but then he chased her to the airport (where he missed her flight) but he still flew so like...yeah...!!!!
- ava moment!! her justified outburst in the earlier chapters when she justifies her optimism and how wonderful things and people happen and i love her loads! my positive sunshine always shines.
- omg that WHOLE SCENE WHEN AVA'S LIKE "i assure you, you have no idea what i want or what's in my best interest" and then alex goes on to list her favourite colour, ice cream flavor and then a whole MONOLOGUE ON HER SEASONS AND IT WAS SO CUTE I WOULD DIE IF SOMEONE SAID 'it's everything you fear, and fir that you love it. because the fear makes you feel alive,' like whatttt what is this standard! ok alex hii xD
- the desire chapter: basically alex is like in every heart there beats one true desire,,,he goes on to say his is is vengeance and ava's is love but the way he describes her love for love it was so RELATABLE AND I WAS SINKING INTO THE FLOOR I LOVE<3
there were a couple other moments (like the she was mine. she just didn't know it yet) but overall very entertaining and i liked!!!!
last note for a brother's best friend trope josh was not angry enough. he was more angry at the end but that made sense i guess but I'M SO EXCITED FOR TWISTED HATE TO SEE THEIR RELATIONSHIP BUILD UP AGAINn ok yeah that's all i love ana huang!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like how reading both POV’s, the reader gets the ability to piece some things together that with only Ava’s, they wouldn’t have. Like how Ava concedes that Alex doesn’t show emotion: jealousy, disgust, fear, happiness. But we see the emotions play out when Ava is oblivious, since she’s the subject of said emotions. Or when Alex tells her, “If I wanted you, I would’ve taken you already”, Ava thinks he’s turning her down, but we know Alex already declared that Ava is his - from the moment she walked into the ballroom.
I personally don’t like how the first plot twist was carried out, it seemed too unrealistic, like a soap opera. And the second, way too predictable, Which leads me to say, this whole book is a complicated soap opera. Interesting, unrealistic, dramatic, dark. Some parts were cringy, some predictable.
And specific quotes did make me want to throw up, but you get through it. Specifically, “you’re about to find out what happens when you invite yourself into the lion’s den”. And “with her doe eyes and innocent features, she resembled a sacrificial virgin awaiting defilement. My cock throbbed harder”, … yeah.
I also didn’t expect to agree with reviews I had read beforehand, but the Sunshine nickname got old quick.
I mean, halfway though the book I was rolling my eyes when the first plot twist rolled in, and you’ll find out why. I was throwing my book down, looking to the ceiling, exasperated. Like what the fuck.
I read reviews mentioning Alex groveling, and I suppose I pictured him at Ava’s feet pleading, because the reality was underwhelming.
I expected in one of the many sex scenes, for the dynamic to change, Ava to take a little charge. Nope. The smut was still great though, Huang definitely has talent in that department.
If you like Lauren Asher’s work, I would say the two authors wrote similar dynamics, but Huang writes heavier smut with darker and dramatic plot lines, though I prefer Asher’s writing style.
Alex and Ava are like a couple you see in an amusement park line, full of PDA. I wasn’t necessarily rooting for the two, but they’re cute together.
Still, it was a very interesting book, and I do recommend it since it was a great break from all the YA books I’ve been reading lately.
I personally don’t like how the first plot twist was carried out, it seemed too unrealistic, like a soap opera. And the second, way too predictable, Which leads me to say, this whole book is a complicated soap opera. Interesting, unrealistic, dramatic, dark. Some parts were cringy, some predictable.
And specific quotes did make me want to throw up, but you get through it. Specifically, “you’re about to find out what happens when you invite yourself into the lion’s den”. And “with her doe eyes and innocent features, she resembled a sacrificial virgin awaiting defilement. My cock throbbed harder”, … yeah.
I also didn’t expect to agree with reviews I had read beforehand, but the Sunshine nickname got old quick.
I mean, halfway though the book I was rolling my eyes when the first plot twist rolled in, and you’ll find out why. I was throwing my book down, looking to the ceiling, exasperated. Like what the fuck.
I read reviews mentioning Alex groveling, and I suppose I pictured him at Ava’s feet pleading, because the reality was underwhelming.
I expected in one of the many sex scenes, for the dynamic to change, Ava to take a little charge. Nope. The smut was still great though, Huang definitely has talent in that department.
If you like Lauren Asher’s work, I would say the two authors wrote similar dynamics, but Huang writes heavier smut with darker and dramatic plot lines, though I prefer Asher’s writing style.
Alex and Ava are like a couple you see in an amusement park line, full of PDA. I wasn’t necessarily rooting for the two, but they’re cute together.
Still, it was a very interesting book, and I do recommend it since it was a great break from all the YA books I’ve been reading lately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Excrement
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Murder
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Murder
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a depiction of an incredibly unhealthy and toxic relationship. I would even go as far as to label it abusive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Moderate: Abandonment
Toxic and abusive relationship is normalised and romanticised throughout.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Suicide, Vomit
The heroine was intentionally pushed in a pool as a child (attempted murder) and had vivid nightmares about drowning throughout the book.