____nique's reviews
12 reviews

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just tried to read this because I saw a Facebook post that if you want a good cry, the best recommendation is to read this book— and it didn’t disappoint!

I'm ecstatic because this is the first time in a long time that a book has exceeded my expectations so dramatically. I just pass this book off every time I see it on my recommendations because I expected it to be a cringey book with a cliche plot, as many books with film adaptations are. However, once I got into the story, I could not put it down. I also enjoy Jojo Moyes' writing style; she has an extremely well-crafted storytelling style that makes a connection with her readers.

Also, I love everything about the story–it's the perfect blend of comedy and drama, and the romance isn't one of those typical romcom stories that makes you want to vomit because it's so cheesy. Everything is so well-put together that even the characters, whether side or main characters, have their own distinct identities, making the story a well-crafted puzzle piece. I will now watch the film because I believe Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are the best actors to bring Louisa and Will to life, but I am also hoping that the film will not ruin the book for me.

Overall, I give this book a well-deserved five stars.

Content Warnings

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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challenging funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is one of the most confusing books I have ever read.

I’ve been wanting to read this book since I don’t know when, but I was so hesitant before because I thought this would be another depressive self-loathing brain-rotting book. However, when I read its blurb, I was caught off guard and started reading it. I read it for nearly a month because I was so busy and had a lot of academic readings due, and I wanted to give my brain and eyes some time to relax by not reading any words.

Anyway, this is one of the most perplexing books I've ever read, not because the plot is difficult to follow, but because Kuang writes her main character exceptionally well. Until now, I had not decided whether I disliked Juniper Hayward or empathised with her. At the start of the story, I was certain that she was extremely irritating and that what she did was unforgivable. However, in the middle of the story, Kuang makes a turning point at which you might think June's actions were justified– but given how cruel June's actions were, it would also reflect on the reader whether or not one supports June's white supremacist views and would ignore the main point of the story about the marginalized sectors, particularly Asian immigrants.

This is a fantastic read, but I found some parts repetitive and others irrelevant and tedious to read. But, overall, I enjoyed reading these types of genres!

Content Warnings

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Nothing beats reading in relaxing my brain cells and just allow my imagination to run wild.

I can't believe I'll enjoy a novel about a tennis player without knowing anything about the sport (I only play tennis on Xbox 😭). I love how this book just naturally paints a picture in my head– the setting of every scene, the nail-biting tennis matches, and each player's characteristics were all so perfectly depicted– I guess it's one of Taylor Jenkins Reid's strengths as a writer, she always has this perfect blueprint and framework for her novels and characters, which makes her stories enjoyable to read.

Also, this is the lightest book I've read of hers– although, I was still on the verge of crying when Javier died– but so far, this is her first book that I read with a light conflict to resolve, and yet has a plethora of lessons to be learned. I also like how, despite Carrie's cameo in Malibu Rising being about cheating, her main story in this book does not revolve around romance and is about discovering herself through the lens of lawn tennis.

I wish I bought a physical copy of this book. Such a fun book to read.

Queridas de Rizal by Ambeth R. Ocampo

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informative lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.75

This is my second book by Prof. Ambeth Ocampo! I just bought this book in the hopes that the information I find here will help me update the research paper I wrote for my Rizal class on Rizal's lovers. And I recall reading his other works/essays from my Rizal class in my junior year of college, and for the first time in my academic career, I was not bored when reading history (I'm a little history nerd, but elementary and high school history books are so boring!!).

I love how Sir Ambeth's voice in his writings made it appear as if he were just casually talking to you about history, you could feel his passion and eagerness to share what he had researched and studied for the rest of his life. I also believe that, given the prevalence of disinformation and historical distortion, Sir Ambeth could play an important role in fighting for the integrity of history because he has this certain connection with Gen-Z readers that makes history worth reading and studying for.

However, I did not give this book a 5-star rating because I found some of the sections repetitive (which I understand given that it is a collection of essays about Rizal's lovers). But overall, I loved this book!! I'm on my way to check out the rest of his Looking Back series.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

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dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I saw this on Fully Booked– the cover page piqued my interest and made me want to read it when I read its blurb. Thankfully, I fought the urge to buy the physical copy of this book because I would be so disappointed if I did as I didn’t enjoy reading it. The first chapter of it was eye-catching and it was the main reason why I continued reading it. However, the chapters following that were disappointing. Maybe the story was not just for me, but I really can’t see the logic and sense of reading a story without an actual plot (I mean, I would get it if the story is non-fiction, but a fiction book without a plot? Oh, come on!)

Since it has no plot, I found the book very tedious and tiring to read– it took me 2 weeks to finish it which was unusual for me as I only read books at least a week. The chapters were just too long; I found the descriptive words very detailed; and the stories in each chapter were not really linked to the main storyline (if a storyline/plot really does exist in this book). Some readers prefer this kind of writing, but I found it unnecessary which prevented me from connecting with the story.

I can see the similarities between this book and The Year of Rest and Relaxation. They both gave me mixed feelings towards the book because I genuinely think that the story, characters, and overall setting of this book have potential, but something in the writing was lacking that made the story feel lost somewhere. So sad, I would’ve loved to enjoy reading these kinds of stories, but my impatient ass cannot stand it.

Content Warnings

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I tried reading an Abby Jimenez book because I kept seeing it on my social media. But, honestly, I did not enjoy reading this book. I always find myself annoyed at every chapter and reading it felt like almost a chore. It was also so predictable, I was just halfway through and I already knew what would happen next– and I was right at all my guesses. What I enjoyed was the characters, they were lovable– however, I still think that some of the chapters are cliche because the characters are so unrealistic. I'm very sure I'll never find a man as patient, understanding, and attractive as Josh; it was almost as if reading about him made it obvious that the character was written by a woman because no real man could possibly think or act like him HAHAHA.

Content Warnings

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has been dethroned by this book!! I thought I would be disappointed in reading this because I had a hard time reading it in the first parts of the story. However, due to my laziness to find other books to read, I started reading it again and I was so glad that I did. This book, I think, is one of the best and my favourite books of all time. I rarely find myself relating to a book as much as this one did—I mean, a book about the oldest daughter of four siblings who resented her father for being such an asshole? That is my life story! I adore how TJR shaped her characters so wonderfully– they are so realistic that you would actually think her characters were all based on a real person. I was always on the verge of crying because I relate to Nina Riva so much. Also, I love how her books appear to be romance novels– but it was not actually all about romance– they tackle real-life problems like LGBTQ+ in SHOEH and family problems here in Malibu Rising. I’m out of words, I just think Taylor Jenkins Reid is a genius writer.

Content Warnings

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

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dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I kept seeing this on the Facebook Book Club I joined, and I decided to read it because I hadn't seen any negative reviews. At first, I assumed that this would be a boring and cringey thriller book because the plot reminded me of Hoover's Verity. But it was a good book! Although the plot is a little predictable to me, I still enjoy reading it. I like how the author turned the story into an advocacy piece for ending violence against women and children. Also, its creepiness was balanced; it wasn't overly creepy or disturbing. I also compared Andrew, the villain, to Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones. I also like how fast-paced the book is; if I had continued reading it on the day I downloaded it, I could have finished it in one sitting. However, I'm having second thoughts about reading the sequel books because I'm afraid I'll find the story repetitive and redundant, ruining the story for me. However, I believe Freida McFadden is a good modern thriller writer!! Love it.

Content Warnings

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I just finished reading this book in a span of 2 days!! I had wanted to read this for a long time, but I hesitated to start another Taylor Jenkins Reid book because I knew she would make me feel things, and she really did 😭. While reading this book, I fought the urge not to search and look it up on the Internet since I was hoping that this book was based on real life and that the band in the story was real. However, I should’ve known that this is the writing style of TJR and that I should not have trusted anything TJR says, especially every time she said that her books were based on actual events HAHAHA.

On the other hand, that puts into perspective that TJR is an incredible and genius writer. I’m unsure if my standards are just low at the moment, but I can’t imagine how she pulled off a novel with that kind of unique writing style– like everything was written as if it were in a documentary or interview. I loved how everything was described in the story; I felt as though I had travelled back in time to see the 1970s band in action, and the portrayal of drug addicts and the atmosphere of being in a rock band was spot-on. Though some of the characters, particularly Daisy Jones, were exceedingly irritating to me, those are the best qualities they could have. I was pleased that every character reflected the overall tone TJR intended to portray in the narrative.

The ending could have been better and more polished. Even though I adore Camilla, I found the ending's emphasis on Camilla rather than Daisy Jones as the main character kind of cliche and uninteresting. But, overall, my imagination and I enjoyed reading this book– TJR never fails me.

Content Warnings

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

At first, I found the story too hard to grasp as it follows a past-present story structure where every chapter setting and storyline transfer and change from past to present. As a really short-attention-spanned reader, I thought this book would make me stop reading and start getting slumped again. However, because of the irresistible fun characteristics of the characters, I tried persevering to finish the book. I love Chani’s sense of humour and how it matches the vibe Gabe Parker gives off as a celebrity.

The plot was not that complicated and exciting– there was no serious issue to resolve– honestly if both characters just sat and talked about their dramas from the beginning, the story would be just 30 pages long. I also found the story too early to start, as if the issue was immediately put on the table at the beginning of the story, and the story froze from that until the end. I found the middle part of the story, especially the retelling of what happened ten years ago between Chani and Gabe, very tedious. If not for the lovable characters and the author’s humour, I would probably stop reading it. On the other hand, I also loved how it balances the story’s lightness, as if this book would give me nothing but good vibes, kilig, and smiles throughout.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book as I just read it for about 2 days. The writing could be improved, and it was not the best romance book, but the characters were all so lovable that it gave off real rom-com movie vibes. (I hope to watch this on the big screen soon!!)

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____nique's reviews 12 reviews

____nique's reviews
12 reviews