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_cherry_'s reviews
116 reviews
Frangipani by Célestine Vaite
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was made with so much love.
I love how Materena always put an emphasis on loving women and how women are strong.
I disliked every man in this book though except for Moana, he was sweet. I was honestly so happy Leilani and her bf broke up.
Also, there’s a dash of transphobia so be weary of that; however, I think they were still welcoming to the Georgette.
I love how Materena always put an emphasis on loving women and how women are strong.
I disliked every man in this book though except for Moana, he was sweet. I was honestly so happy Leilani and her bf broke up.
Also, there’s a dash of transphobia so be weary of that; however, I think they were still welcoming to the Georgette.
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Eh
The .5 is for the last conversation between Serapio and Naranpa
The .5 is for the last conversation between Serapio and Naranpa
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History by Nur Masalha
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
As someone who grew up religious but no longer considers themselves religious it was crazy hearing about the Bible and how much of it has been treated as history (which is so true for the school and church I grew up in; they acted like that shit was the law) and how that has contributed to Zionism.
It also made me realize how much of the church I grew up in contributed to Zionism.
It also made me realize how much of the church I grew up in contributed to Zionism.
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
I just got really bored and needed an audiobook version of this to get through it.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
it was…. Fine
I wasn’t rooting for the romance which made the second half of the book meh because the second half of the book hinges on the romance.
Also how the hell did him saying “I wish to live” turn into him being the Sea God and then Shin just being some regular dude like what.
Plus they said once people forget about them and stop worshipping them the gods lose their memories but people kept worshipping the Sea God so Shin shouldn’t have lost him memory. It just fell apart for me.
I wasn’t rooting for the romance which made the second half of the book meh because the second half of the book hinges on the romance.
Also how the hell did him saying “I wish to live” turn into him being the Sea God and then Shin just being some regular dude like what.
Plus they said once people forget about them and stop worshipping them the gods lose their memories but people kept worshipping the Sea God so Shin shouldn’t have lost him memory. It just fell apart for me.
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It’s fine. Nothing to hate about it but also nothing to love about it.
West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Idk why past me put this on my TBR because what exactly about this book screamed to past me that I would like this
Within the first 50/60 pages I was already so tired of them repeating that they’re forbidden and they’re families are feuding and how Angelo is a nice guy meanwhile he’s literally advocating for gentrification half of the book which was soooo weird. At least he eventually called out his uncle for it and stopped working for him but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
Also I didn’t get the yearning and “we can’t be together”ness that you usually get from forbidden romance.
I also couldn’t buy into the whole meeting randomly one night and being obsessed with one another.
So I gave up and just read the dialogue in the book.
I liked the Spanish in the book however you do not need to translate EVERY SINGLE TIME a character speaks Spanish. It was just annoying and taking me out of the book.
Within the first 50/60 pages I was already so tired of them repeating that they’re forbidden and they’re families are feuding and how Angelo is a nice guy meanwhile he’s literally advocating for gentrification half of the book which was soooo weird. At least he eventually called out his uncle for it and stopped working for him but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
Also I didn’t get the yearning and “we can’t be together”ness that you usually get from forbidden romance.
I also couldn’t buy into the whole meeting randomly one night and being obsessed with one another.
So I gave up and just read the dialogue in the book.
I liked the Spanish in the book however you do not need to translate EVERY SINGLE TIME a character speaks Spanish. It was just annoying and taking me out of the book.
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
okay….
I did not like this as much as Legendborn I don’t even think i can say i liked it all
My rating might go down to 2-2.5 stars if i think about it any longer.
Update:
So I thought about it longer….
1. So much happens in the book but also nothing happens at all. Bree ends the book exactly where she started which is still wanting to learn how to use her powers. It’s so frustrating to go through 500 pages just to see her progress very little in that aspect
2. Another weakness was that Bree was very passive in this story. In Legendborn she had a clear goal, she was making steps toward that goal and was successful in finding out what happened to her mother. In Bloodmarked, she had a goal (find Nick and be able to use her magic), but she doesn’t make steps toward either of those things; then at the end, the goals aren’t really accomplished. Plus things just keep happening to her she rarely drives the plot forward.
3. Whhhhhhhyy did the author decide to go down that route with the whole Root thing. I remember finishing Legendborn and being excited for the next book cause we found out another way to use magic that wasnt the racist Order’s way. Plus root connected Bree to her mother and all her ancestors only for it to go nowhere and then she just cuts herself off from it???? Like 400 pages of Bree saying “I need to learn how to use my Root” yet she never actually makes any steps to do that?! She has a direct link to the previous generations, the literal plane where she can talk to them, and it only comes up twice in the book AND she never uses it to get to know any of these woman and have a community with them which you think she would seeing as they’ve all lost their mothers as well. THEN we have the weirdest scene ever where Bree is yelling at Vera for putting the curse on them but Bree is completely forgetting the circumstances of that whole situation. Like Vera was raped and was on the run and was about to be murdered or enslaved again; she made that deal out of desperation to protect her life and her child why is Bree acting like she was some evil power hungry villain who didn’t care about her descendants. That whole scene was so baffling. AND THEN at the end of the book where Bree cuts herself off from her Root and her ancestors and is like I’m not your weapon anymore… WHEN WERE YOU EVER!? Am I forgetting something!? like Vera was literally never the bad guy. The whole Root and ancestors storyline was so disappointing especially since I was excited to see that after reading Legendborn. I thought it would’ve been great for Bree to bond with these women over being stuck with this power and losing a mother. Also at the end when she’s like Arthur can’t teach her (cause he’s evil duh) and Vera can’t teach her but the Shadow King can….? Oh ok I guess. Also also it’s weird how mad she is that Vera can’t teach her or none of the women in her family can teach her like duh they don’t know how to use this power they were hunted for it and taught to fear it like why are you so mad at them!!!
4. The Nick kidnapping thing was so silly. First it’s we need to find Nick then it’s no Bree we have to keep you safe then it’s actually Nick is only an hour away and we found him then he ran off lol. The most useless plot of this book if we’re being honest. Then the memory walks made me mad cause they used it once to tell her where he might be then never again like y’all could literally talk to each and give her more information on your destination but nooooo we have to drag this out.
5. Nick’s father getting killed that easily and Isaac being taken that easily was hilariously bad cause I thought they would now be the villains cause (if I remember correctly) in Legendborn they’re acting in secrets and it’s not revealed till the end their evil plan so I thought the second book they would be here more being villainous but no they’re just easily taken like oh ok.
6. Sel…….. he had so much potential. He was awful in the first book but towards the end I could see him changing and the beginnings of a friendship with Bree was possible as long as he did some groveling but noooo. He’s still an asshole. The worst part about it was when it felt like the author was talking directly to the reader trying to convince us his actions in the first book werent that bad and justified and we should just forgive him which I didn’t like at all. Like stop using your characters as mouthpieces and just show us he’s remorseful. I feel like a lot of Bree and Sel’s relationship was telling not showing and it was really disappointing cause I was excited to see them go from enemies to friends to lovers.
**A nitpick why didn’t Bree just pick up the phone and Google what cariad means 😑**
7. Another thing a lot of this felt repetitive. They’d be in a safe space, an ambush would happen, Bree’s power would just go off, Bree would go unconscious from said power burst, she’d wake up in a new safe location, someone would tell her to go talk to Sel and defend Sel a little, she’d go talk to sel, then another ambush rinse and repeat.
8. The only character that grew on me was Alice which is funny cause I could not stand her in Legendborn. She fell into that annoying “you’re growing apart and getting all these new friends and leaving me behind waaahh” trope that I cannnot stand, but in this she was actually supportive and fun so at least one character improved.
9. In conclusion, I don’t think I’m going to read the third or fourth book
*** Was this originally not suppose to be a duology or did I just make that all up in my head!?***
When I had finished Legendborn, I felt as if I had gone a this emotional journey, and Bree had really grown and learn to face her grief. I was intrigued to read about her learning about her new magic, but Bloodmarked lacked all of the heart that Legendborn had. All I’m left with is slight curiosity about Bree learning from the Shadow King, but I really can’t even be excited for that because Bloodmarked showed me exactly how that plot line will go.
**I should’ve known I wouldn’t have liked this when they revealed the cover art for Bloodmarked and I didn’t like it. Legendborn’s cover art is so pretty like what happened here😭**
I did not like this as much as Legendborn I don’t even think i can say i liked it all
My rating might go down to 2-2.5 stars if i think about it any longer.
Update:
So I thought about it longer….
1. So much happens in the book but also nothing happens at all. Bree ends the book exactly where she started which is still wanting to learn how to use her powers. It’s so frustrating to go through 500 pages just to see her progress very little in that aspect
2. Another weakness was that Bree was very passive in this story. In Legendborn she had a clear goal, she was making steps toward that goal and was successful in finding out what happened to her mother. In Bloodmarked, she had a goal (find Nick and be able to use her magic), but she doesn’t make steps toward either of those things; then at the end, the goals aren’t really accomplished. Plus things just keep happening to her she rarely drives the plot forward.
3. Whhhhhhhyy did the author decide to go down that route with the whole Root thing. I remember finishing Legendborn and being excited for the next book cause we found out another way to use magic that wasnt the racist Order’s way. Plus root connected Bree to her mother and all her ancestors only for it to go nowhere and then she just cuts herself off from it???? Like 400 pages of Bree saying “I need to learn how to use my Root” yet she never actually makes any steps to do that?! She has a direct link to the previous generations, the literal plane where she can talk to them, and it only comes up twice in the book AND she never uses it to get to know any of these woman and have a community with them which you think she would seeing as they’ve all lost their mothers as well. THEN we have the weirdest scene ever where Bree is yelling at Vera for putting the curse on them but Bree is completely forgetting the circumstances of that whole situation. Like Vera was raped and was on the run and was about to be murdered or enslaved again; she made that deal out of desperation to protect her life and her child why is Bree acting like she was some evil power hungry villain who didn’t care about her descendants. That whole scene was so baffling. AND THEN at the end of the book where Bree cuts herself off from her Root and her ancestors and is like I’m not your weapon anymore… WHEN WERE YOU EVER!? Am I forgetting something!? like Vera was literally never the bad guy. The whole Root and ancestors storyline was so disappointing especially since I was excited to see that after reading Legendborn. I thought it would’ve been great for Bree to bond with these women over being stuck with this power and losing a mother. Also at the end when she’s like Arthur can’t teach her (cause he’s evil duh) and Vera can’t teach her but the Shadow King can….? Oh ok I guess. Also also it’s weird how mad she is that Vera can’t teach her or none of the women in her family can teach her like duh they don’t know how to use this power they were hunted for it and taught to fear it like why are you so mad at them!!!
4. The Nick kidnapping thing was so silly. First it’s we need to find Nick then it’s no Bree we have to keep you safe then it’s actually Nick is only an hour away and we found him then he ran off lol. The most useless plot of this book if we’re being honest. Then the memory walks made me mad cause they used it once to tell her where he might be then never again like y’all could literally talk to each and give her more information on your destination but nooooo we have to drag this out.
5. Nick’s father getting killed that easily and Isaac being taken that easily was hilariously bad cause I thought they would now be the villains cause (if I remember correctly) in Legendborn they’re acting in secrets and it’s not revealed till the end their evil plan so I thought the second book they would be here more being villainous but no they’re just easily taken like oh ok.
6. Sel…….. he had so much potential. He was awful in the first book but towards the end I could see him changing and the beginnings of a friendship with Bree was possible as long as he did some groveling but noooo. He’s still an asshole. The worst part about it was when it felt like the author was talking directly to the reader trying to convince us his actions in the first book werent that bad and justified and we should just forgive him which I didn’t like at all. Like stop using your characters as mouthpieces and just show us he’s remorseful. I feel like a lot of Bree and Sel’s relationship was telling not showing and it was really disappointing cause I was excited to see them go from enemies to friends to lovers.
**A nitpick why didn’t Bree just pick up the phone and Google what cariad means 😑**
7. Another thing a lot of this felt repetitive. They’d be in a safe space, an ambush would happen, Bree’s power would just go off, Bree would go unconscious from said power burst, she’d wake up in a new safe location, someone would tell her to go talk to Sel and defend Sel a little, she’d go talk to sel, then another ambush rinse and repeat.
8. The only character that grew on me was Alice which is funny cause I could not stand her in Legendborn. She fell into that annoying “you’re growing apart and getting all these new friends and leaving me behind waaahh” trope that I cannnot stand, but in this she was actually supportive and fun so at least one character improved.
9. In conclusion, I don’t think I’m going to read the third or fourth book
*** Was this originally not suppose to be a duology or did I just make that all up in my head!?***
When I had finished Legendborn, I felt as if I had gone a this emotional journey, and Bree had really grown and learn to face her grief. I was intrigued to read about her learning about her new magic, but Bloodmarked lacked all of the heart that Legendborn had. All I’m left with is slight curiosity about Bree learning from the Shadow King, but I really can’t even be excited for that because Bloodmarked showed me exactly how that plot line will go.
**I should’ve known I wouldn’t have liked this when they revealed the cover art for Bloodmarked and I didn’t like it. Legendborn’s cover art is so pretty like what happened here😭**