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abbier_14's reviews
161 reviews
The Institute by Stephen King
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was giving stranger things vibes while also reminding me of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer which i read a few years ago and wanna do a re read eventually, combined with black mirror.
- This book was tense and I think the pacing was great. Especially near the end when the stories of the kids in the back half, the staff, and Luke were all intertwining which added to the drama and suspense. I was scared to read ahead and often skipped to the last word of the chapter lol to mentally prepare myself.
- The concept of The Institute was interesting I love media about kids with powers being trapped in facilities and stuff idk why but its always a fun plot. I think the inner workings of the place was well thought out with all the experiments and tests and stuff. Ive seen some reviews that find how run down The Institute was as unbelievable and just plot convenience, but me personally I think it added to the eerie vibe and I could see how it would get to that state.
- The characters' personalities were alright, no one I hated but also no one im gonna stan. The one thing I didn't like though was the dialogue and I think this is a thing about Stephen King books that fall down a lot of the time. He has a tendency to use loads of phrases and references that idk just feel kinda out of place and clunky? It just makes every character feel dated even if they are like 14 years old which is the case in this book.
I was cringing a bit at the dialogue between the kids (maybe projection from being a cringe child myself lol) and it did take me out of the story a bit. I kept thinking 'oh yeah this is definitely written by an old man instead of an organic conversation between two kids' which obviously ruined the immersion in some aspects of the story. However these are abnormal kids in an abnormal situation so maybe this is actually realistic dialogue between them lol.
- Yeah I think this was concluded well although all those kids are gonna need decades of therapy so its difficult to think of this as a HAE. It was a bit confusing at the end when that guy with a lisp came back but I can just omit that from my memory without it ruining the book.
Also I will say I was enjoying the police guys story at the beginning so it was kinda sad how he had a very minor part. I thought it was going to flip perspectives but it ended up just focusing on the kids. It would have been nice to just get a glimpse at what he was doing, even if it was just boring mundane tasks or him settling into the new small town.
- This book was tense and I think the pacing was great. Especially near the end when the stories of the kids in the back half, the staff, and Luke were all intertwining which added to the drama and suspense. I was scared to read ahead and often skipped to the last word of the chapter lol to mentally prepare myself.
- The concept of The Institute was interesting I love media about kids with powers being trapped in facilities and stuff idk why but its always a fun plot. I think the inner workings of the place was well thought out with all the experiments and tests and stuff. Ive seen some reviews that find how run down The Institute was as unbelievable and just plot convenience, but me personally I think it added to the eerie vibe and I could see how it would get to that state.
- The characters' personalities were alright, no one I hated but also no one im gonna stan. The one thing I didn't like though was the dialogue and I think this is a thing about Stephen King books that fall down a lot of the time. He has a tendency to use loads of phrases and references that idk just feel kinda out of place and clunky? It just makes every character feel dated even if they are like 14 years old which is the case in this book.
I was cringing a bit at the dialogue between the kids (maybe projection from being a cringe child myself lol) and it did take me out of the story a bit. I kept thinking 'oh yeah this is definitely written by an old man instead of an organic conversation between two kids' which obviously ruined the immersion in some aspects of the story. However these are abnormal kids in an abnormal situation so maybe this is actually realistic dialogue between them lol.
- Yeah I think this was concluded well although all those kids are gonna need decades of therapy so its difficult to think of this as a HAE. It was a bit confusing at the end when that guy with a lisp came back but I can just omit that from my memory without it ruining the book.
Also I will say I was enjoying the police guys story at the beginning so it was kinda sad how he had a very minor part. I thought it was going to flip perspectives but it ended up just focusing on the kids. It would have been nice to just get a glimpse at what he was doing, even if it was just boring mundane tasks or him settling into the new small town.
The Binding by Bridget Collins
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall this is a fresh and interesting concept, however its not the typical type of book that I love so unfortuntely I was bored in some parts.
This book did feel a little bit like a chore to read especially in the first part as well as in the third section where Lucian didn't recognise Emmett. However the second part where their romance is developing was really good and enjoyable.
I did like how the concept of binding was thought out. For example in Lucian's and Emmetts case it was used as punishment for their relationship so that their families wouldn't be shamed and they could go on and lead normal lives. We also saw people using it kind of like prostitution where they would sell their memories for money in order to live which I though was interesting, and then obviously Lucian's dad using it to get away with taking advantage of the servants.
One thing I didnt like was the time period this was set in. Im not a historical book gal so adding that with the new concept of binding I had to learn made the book a bit confusing and hard to follow at the start. Obviously it was needed to be set in the past so that the punishment of binding is realistic for Lucian and Emmett, but all this Brigerton esque family drama at the end with Lucian was just boring and took away from the main focus of the book.
However the ending was sooo tense and stressful I didn't want to read on lol I was scared of what was going to happen. But im glad its a HAE, or its left mysterious enough for you to interpret it as a HAE despite them still having to navigate being gay in their time period.
I think this book deserves 3 because of how interesting the concept is and I think me slogging through this book is more evidence of me being impatient rather than this book being bad.
This book did feel a little bit like a chore to read especially in the first part as well as in the third section where Lucian didn't recognise Emmett. However the second part where their romance is developing was really good and enjoyable.
I did like how the concept of binding was thought out. For example in Lucian's and Emmetts case it was used as punishment for their relationship so that their families wouldn't be shamed and they could go on and lead normal lives. We also saw people using it kind of like prostitution where they would sell their memories for money in order to live which I though was interesting, and then obviously Lucian's dad using it to get away with taking advantage of the servants.
One thing I didnt like was the time period this was set in. Im not a historical book gal so adding that with the new concept of binding I had to learn made the book a bit confusing and hard to follow at the start. Obviously it was needed to be set in the past so that the punishment of binding is realistic for Lucian and Emmett, but all this Brigerton esque family drama at the end with Lucian was just boring and took away from the main focus of the book.
However the ending was sooo tense and stressful I didn't want to read on lol I was scared of what was going to happen. But im glad its a HAE, or its left mysterious enough for you to interpret it as a HAE despite them still having to navigate being gay in their time period.
I think this book deserves 3 because of how interesting the concept is and I think me slogging through this book is more evidence of me being impatient rather than this book being bad.
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Urgh it pains me to rate it 2 stars I really thought I was gonna like this one I had heard great things.
First of all there was no character development or likeable characters:
- Gavin was just meh. I felt for what he was going through but I could not empathise with him. I also wanted more baseball focus but whatever.
- Thea was absolutely atrocious. She just wallowed in her own sadness the entire time and didn't even try to save her marriage even though it would be literally good for everyone in the situation and she could see her husband was trying. (Although I am conflicted with this because I do agree that she shouldn't just randomly forgive her husband once he starts putting in effort for once)
- Liv (Thea's sister) was what I hate most in a character personified. I hateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee when side characters do the whole "if you hurt her Ill kill you" schtick it just annoys the hell out of me for some reason. And Thea has the audacity to tell Liv she isnt responsible for the breakdown of her marriage but in my eyes she is, or at least she isnt helping it improve. She lives in their house for somereason and all she does it talk badly about Gavin infront of the children and his face. This just creates a negative vibe and discourages Thea from actually healthily engaging with Gavin as her sister wants to 'protect her'. Im sorry but Thea is a grown woman and there is more at stake then her heart I mean think of the children.
- The bookclub. Honestly whats the point of even including them if youre not gonna bother to flesh out any of the characters further than stereotypes? (to set up for later books but thats beside the point) The guys were just names I couldnt distinguish between them at all. They added nothing apart from I guess very poor 'banter', it would have been more organic for Gavin to just come up with the idea of reading romance books on his own because to me the bookclub was completely irrelevant despite being the literal title.
- Like other reviews have pointed out the children did not act their age at all. Honestly I pictured them in my head at 6 year olds and didnt even realise they were meant to be younger. I dont know why the author wanted the children to be that young when I dont think it would have enhanced the story in any way? Also it was so sad to read when each twin favoured another parent like I cant imagine how heartbraking that would feel to be rejected by your own (2 year old) child.
The attempt at conflict/plot:
- WHY WHY WHY. The conflict between Thea and the other WAGs (specifically Rachel) was giving me mile high flashbacks. I never see why this is needed, especially when the book was trying to be feminist and break 'heteronormative stereotypes' why on earth would you pit women against each other when you control the narrative of your own story. Thea was giving Not like Other Girls energy with her whole 'I married Gavin for my babies not for baseball waaa waa I want to paint and have to work a job unlike you'. It just pains be because Rachel was obviously a caricature and written to be the worst woman alive so you dont feel sorry for her, when in reality the more feminist thing to do would be to accept diversity of the WAGs by also accepting Rachel. Not trying to make the WAGS less stereotypical by only making your lifestyle the only acceptable one. Like huh?
- I dont understand the need for Gavin to have a stutter? Is this to add to Thea's NLOG thing where she is the only person in the entire universe to not care about the stutter? It was constantly brought up like it had any relevance or was adding anything to the story. It was sooooo funny when Gavin was on the call to his dad and he was like 'Son we knew she was the one when she didnt make fun of your stutter'. I was like ok....love the shoehorned in underdeveloped struggles.
- So Gavin has this whole plan to 'woo' Thea by taking her on loads of dates and stuff, but we only see one date? The pacing and plot of this book was just so off because Thea and Gavin were fighting for the longest time but then they also just suddenly made up? URGH! And then we have the like third act breakup but actually no it happens at 90%? Then we suddenly make up by crashing Thea's dad's wedding and saying I love you? and Gavin is somehow able to give Thea an orgasm for the second time in 3 years? (What a stupid reason to divorce im sorry i dont even want to acknowledge this part of the book because it is so ridiculous) This book was both drawn out and frustrating but then rushed and additionally frustrating at the same time. They have so many ups and downs in their relationship which is meant to be there for tension but it just doesnt. Like Gavin had to walk on eggshells around Thea because every little thing she would blow up at him about. Like that whole scene where she found the romance books i was just baffled the whole time how she could find a problem with it and why it must call for the end of their relationship.
- Then the author tried to tackle daddy issues and stuff? Like that 3 minute conversation with her Dad in the car somehow cured all her trauma and made her trust Gavin enough to fall in love with him? idek anymore. And then this is meant to also explain the sisters behaviour as she doesnt want to lose Thea to marriage or something? wow way to encourage me and my life decisions and not make me feel like crap. But then it also makes the whole divorce thing not make sense because Thea is terrified of divorce as she doesnt want her daughters to experience her childhood, yet she is happy to flippantly ask Gavin for a divorce over missed orgasms? Yeah it was just weird this whole trapping thing like it was so poorly handled and not something Gavin had even thought of himself so it was all in the delusional head of Thea which makes me think why was this ever mentioned in the first place.
- One minor thing but at first I was really struggling with the third person perspective. This is the first book I have read in a long time that has been third person (from what i have noticed/remembered anyway) and it threw me off for a bit. I was like who is the person narrating and how do they know all this stuff about the characters? Is this like their grandchild doing a retelling in the future lol? I think I prefer first person as it enables two different perspectives with completely different vibes which adds to the suspense as you could have one person that is in love but doesnt realise the others feelings, and then you go to the other perspective they are secretly gushing inside. However with third person it doesnt really work as you know everyones feelings and thoughts at all times which makes me feel more distant to the characters and doesnt reflect the different moods.
Anyway I am still interested in the second book because Mack seemed like the most attractive member of book club despite his immature and arrogant comments. But it does mean I will have to mentally prepare myself to deal with Liz even more lol.
First of all there was no character development or likeable characters:
- Gavin was just meh. I felt for what he was going through but I could not empathise with him. I also wanted more baseball focus but whatever.
- Thea was absolutely atrocious. She just wallowed in her own sadness the entire time and didn't even try to save her marriage even though it would be literally good for everyone in the situation and she could see her husband was trying. (Although I am conflicted with this because I do agree that she shouldn't just randomly forgive her husband once he starts putting in effort for once)
- Liv (Thea's sister) was what I hate most in a character personified. I hateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee when side characters do the whole "if you hurt her Ill kill you" schtick it just annoys the hell out of me for some reason. And Thea has the audacity to tell Liv she isnt responsible for the breakdown of her marriage but in my eyes she is, or at least she isnt helping it improve. She lives in their house for somereason and all she does it talk badly about Gavin infront of the children and his face. This just creates a negative vibe and discourages Thea from actually healthily engaging with Gavin as her sister wants to 'protect her'. Im sorry but Thea is a grown woman and there is more at stake then her heart I mean think of the children.
- The bookclub. Honestly whats the point of even including them if youre not gonna bother to flesh out any of the characters further than stereotypes? (to set up for later books but thats beside the point) The guys were just names I couldnt distinguish between them at all. They added nothing apart from I guess very poor 'banter', it would have been more organic for Gavin to just come up with the idea of reading romance books on his own because to me the bookclub was completely irrelevant despite being the literal title.
- Like other reviews have pointed out the children did not act their age at all. Honestly I pictured them in my head at 6 year olds and didnt even realise they were meant to be younger. I dont know why the author wanted the children to be that young when I dont think it would have enhanced the story in any way? Also it was so sad to read when each twin favoured another parent like I cant imagine how heartbraking that would feel to be rejected by your own (2 year old) child.
The attempt at conflict/plot:
- WHY WHY WHY. The conflict between Thea and the other WAGs (specifically Rachel) was giving me mile high flashbacks. I never see why this is needed, especially when the book was trying to be feminist and break 'heteronormative stereotypes' why on earth would you pit women against each other when you control the narrative of your own story. Thea was giving Not like Other Girls energy with her whole 'I married Gavin for my babies not for baseball waaa waa I want to paint and have to work a job unlike you'. It just pains be because Rachel was obviously a caricature and written to be the worst woman alive so you dont feel sorry for her, when in reality the more feminist thing to do would be to accept diversity of the WAGs by also accepting Rachel. Not trying to make the WAGS less stereotypical by only making your lifestyle the only acceptable one. Like huh?
- I dont understand the need for Gavin to have a stutter? Is this to add to Thea's NLOG thing where she is the only person in the entire universe to not care about the stutter? It was constantly brought up like it had any relevance or was adding anything to the story. It was sooooo funny when Gavin was on the call to his dad and he was like 'Son we knew she was the one when she didnt make fun of your stutter'. I was like ok....love the shoehorned in underdeveloped struggles.
- So Gavin has this whole plan to 'woo' Thea by taking her on loads of dates and stuff, but we only see one date? The pacing and plot of this book was just so off because Thea and Gavin were fighting for the longest time but then they also just suddenly made up? URGH! And then we have the like third act breakup but actually no it happens at 90%? Then we suddenly make up by crashing Thea's dad's wedding and saying I love you? and Gavin is somehow able to give Thea an orgasm for the second time in 3 years? (What a stupid reason to divorce im sorry i dont even want to acknowledge this part of the book because it is so ridiculous) This book was both drawn out and frustrating but then rushed and additionally frustrating at the same time. They have so many ups and downs in their relationship which is meant to be there for tension but it just doesnt. Like Gavin had to walk on eggshells around Thea because every little thing she would blow up at him about. Like that whole scene where she found the romance books i was just baffled the whole time how she could find a problem with it and why it must call for the end of their relationship.
- Then the author tried to tackle daddy issues and stuff? Like that 3 minute conversation with her Dad in the car somehow cured all her trauma and made her trust Gavin enough to fall in love with him? idek anymore. And then this is meant to also explain the sisters behaviour as she doesnt want to lose Thea to marriage or something? wow way to encourage me and my life decisions and not make me feel like crap. But then it also makes the whole divorce thing not make sense because Thea is terrified of divorce as she doesnt want her daughters to experience her childhood, yet she is happy to flippantly ask Gavin for a divorce over missed orgasms? Yeah it was just weird this whole trapping thing like it was so poorly handled and not something Gavin had even thought of himself so it was all in the delusional head of Thea which makes me think why was this ever mentioned in the first place.
- One minor thing but at first I was really struggling with the third person perspective. This is the first book I have read in a long time that has been third person (from what i have noticed/remembered anyway) and it threw me off for a bit. I was like who is the person narrating and how do they know all this stuff about the characters? Is this like their grandchild doing a retelling in the future lol? I think I prefer first person as it enables two different perspectives with completely different vibes which adds to the suspense as you could have one person that is in love but doesnt realise the others feelings, and then you go to the other perspective they are secretly gushing inside. However with third person it doesnt really work as you know everyones feelings and thoughts at all times which makes me feel more distant to the characters and doesnt reflect the different moods.
Anyway I am still interested in the second book because Mack seemed like the most attractive member of book club despite his immature and arrogant comments. But it does mean I will have to mentally prepare myself to deal with Liz even more lol.
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
I couldn't put it down.
The author is really good at making you love characters or hate them. The towns people were really sweet and Alexis's family and friends were awfulll eww. Its kinda annoying that i didnt get to see this side of Neil before i read 'just for the summer' because i would have felt way less sorry for him lol.
The plot was good I liked it and at first I was worried because the synopsis seemed boring and like there wouldn't be much going on. However I didnt like the third act breakup as much as i did with just for the summer. This felt very immature for a 37 year old character (I will say at times it was difficult to remember that she was 37 but this may be because im just relating it to my life and I also cant think of how the author is meant to make her feel 37 lol? maybe not enough sudoku or something) and there was miscommunication unfortunately (or just no communication at all). And it was so weird we had a scene where they spoke about their feelings and situation mature like adults but then that didnt continue.
However I will say that I liked that although the third act breakup had miscommunication, the author still developed the reasoning behind it well like she did with the backstories in just for the summer. In this one Alexis had a lot to get through and decades of living to certain expectations that I can understand how hard it would have been for her to leave all of that behind. I think her struggles were interesting and felt more developed that your typical 'you are a disappointment to the family' trope.
I wish we got to see more of the aftermath of their reconnection I sometimes hate when third act breakups resolve too late. However I really liked how Alexis solved the problem of still being a doctor while getting to live with Daniel its cute how she opened up all those surgeries and stuff. The romance was also really good I like how it developed from being casual to more feelings being involved (although he did fall hard and fast lol). The setting was cute too.
Overall this was really good, nothing much to complain about and I finished it in a day so that tells you how I feel about it. This was refreshing to read after a disapointing book and ticked all the boxes.
The author is really good at making you love characters or hate them. The towns people were really sweet and Alexis's family and friends were awfulll eww. Its kinda annoying that i didnt get to see this side of Neil before i read 'just for the summer' because i would have felt way less sorry for him lol.
The plot was good I liked it and at first I was worried because the synopsis seemed boring and like there wouldn't be much going on. However I didnt like the third act breakup as much as i did with just for the summer. This felt very immature for a 37 year old character (I will say at times it was difficult to remember that she was 37 but this may be because im just relating it to my life and I also cant think of how the author is meant to make her feel 37 lol? maybe not enough sudoku or something) and there was miscommunication unfortunately (or just no communication at all). And it was so weird we had a scene where they spoke about their feelings and situation mature like adults but then that didnt continue.
However I will say that I liked that although the third act breakup had miscommunication, the author still developed the reasoning behind it well like she did with the backstories in just for the summer. In this one Alexis had a lot to get through and decades of living to certain expectations that I can understand how hard it would have been for her to leave all of that behind. I think her struggles were interesting and felt more developed that your typical 'you are a disappointment to the family' trope.
I wish we got to see more of the aftermath of their reconnection I sometimes hate when third act breakups resolve too late. However I really liked how Alexis solved the problem of still being a doctor while getting to live with Daniel its cute how she opened up all those surgeries and stuff. The romance was also really good I like how it developed from being casual to more feelings being involved (although he did fall hard and fast lol). The setting was cute too.
Overall this was really good, nothing much to complain about and I finished it in a day so that tells you how I feel about it. This was refreshing to read after a disapointing book and ticked all the boxes.
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
who liedddd to me and said this was a romance!???!! what on earthh i was so disapointed this was so boring.
trying to see the point in anything i just read. Barely any plot and there was so much potential to better establish the kingdoms and explore them but it was just wasted. I hate fight scenes in books and this had a lot which also raised my blood pressure and cortisol levels. The setting was simutaneously overexplained (I can count on my hand the amount of dialogue scenes and i hate long prose its so boring) but also so lacking that i couldnt picture anything in my head. This made the fight scene at the end so difficult to follow because i had no clue what was going on.
the characters? they could pass by me on the street and i wouldnt know a thing. So underdeveloped they were just names. Lira and the guy had basic basic basic conflicts with her wanting to be queen and him not wanting to be king and stuff but it was so bad. The dialogue was fighting for its LIFE to develop tension and banter but it was so juvenile omg it was like enemies to lovers 101 (in a bad way).
The romance was the worse betrayal i have ever experienced in my life. They kissed three times and one of them was 'off screen' im sorry but what. I was so confused about whether this was YA or not because they would swear and make sexual jokes but then not kiss?? No chemistry was established they just randomly kiss out of nowhere (in the middle of battle once when all their friends are dying around them lol) like I didnt even know they were attracted to each other because they didnt act like it at all!!. The youtuber who used this as evidence for a great enemies to lovers needs her subscribers revoked bc wtf was this. Tension did not get the memo it was no included in this.
And that ending ewwwwwwww. So confusing I dont even understand. They are king and queen and live on land and ocean with everyone at peace even though sirens are murders responsible for killing monarchs for years? yeah ok whatever a poopoo ending for a poopoo book was to be expected anyway.
BIGGEST LET DOWN IM GENUINELY UPSET AND MAD WASTING MY VALUABLE TIME
trying to see the point in anything i just read. Barely any plot and there was so much potential to better establish the kingdoms and explore them but it was just wasted. I hate fight scenes in books and this had a lot which also raised my blood pressure and cortisol levels. The setting was simutaneously overexplained (I can count on my hand the amount of dialogue scenes and i hate long prose its so boring) but also so lacking that i couldnt picture anything in my head. This made the fight scene at the end so difficult to follow because i had no clue what was going on.
the characters? they could pass by me on the street and i wouldnt know a thing. So underdeveloped they were just names. Lira and the guy had basic basic basic conflicts with her wanting to be queen and him not wanting to be king and stuff but it was so bad. The dialogue was fighting for its LIFE to develop tension and banter but it was so juvenile omg it was like enemies to lovers 101 (in a bad way).
The romance was the worse betrayal i have ever experienced in my life. They kissed three times and one of them was 'off screen' im sorry but what. I was so confused about whether this was YA or not because they would swear and make sexual jokes but then not kiss?? No chemistry was established they just randomly kiss out of nowhere (in the middle of battle once when all their friends are dying around them lol) like I didnt even know they were attracted to each other because they didnt act like it at all!!. The youtuber who used this as evidence for a great enemies to lovers needs her subscribers revoked bc wtf was this. Tension did not get the memo it was no included in this.
And that ending ewwwwwwww. So confusing I dont even understand. They are king and queen and live on land and ocean with everyone at peace even though sirens are murders responsible for killing monarchs for years? yeah ok whatever a poopoo ending for a poopoo book was to be expected anyway.
BIGGEST LET DOWN IM GENUINELY UPSET AND MAD WASTING MY VALUABLE TIME
Betting On You by Lynn Painter
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A little bit disappointing after reading Better than the movies :( Maybe i should have had a break in between them but I was too excited that i had to start after reading immediately after the sample at the back of the book.
Not horrific but also lacking stuff that BTTM had, so i think its worth 3 stars but that doesnt mean its bad.
- I didnt connect to Bailey or Charlie as much as I did to Libby and Wes. Both B and C felt hollow after L and W. Like Libby was soo quirky she had so many hobbies and qualities that made her herself that Bailey just felt bland. Charlie was even worse in that regard we had some scenes like where he would offer to give people lifts home that were meant to show he had a softer side but it was eh. His teasing also wasnt as charming as Wes's and didnt add much to the chemistry or dynamic.
- The story line also wasnt as good as BTTM even though they were very similar. This is why i should have not read them back to back. BTTM had fake dating to get with someone, which is what BOY had but this time both MCs were hung up on exes.
I think it was because BTTM felt more realistic (as realistic as a fake dating trope can be), whereas Charlie and Bailey were rarely around their exes when they were fake dating so it didnt make as much sense.
And then the betting thing. I get thats how they started talking and everything but idk also doesnt help with the realism. IK IK i shouldnt have picked up a book literally called betting on you if i dont like betting tropes in books but i trusted Lynn to make it good.
However what i will say is that the third act breakup was actually set up well in this book unlike BTTM. Charlies history of divorce which makes him untrusting of relationships and the whole bet thing making Bailey feel like their relationship was fake was perfect grounds for a breakup tbh. It was just ashame that we didnt get many pages after they made up so we barely got to see when they were actually together, but thats fine it may be setting up for a sequel.
Ok so the whole divorce trauma thing. At first I wasnt really vibing with that side of the plot because i didnt connect to it like the grief in BTTM, but I think it was alright in the end? Bailey made peace with Scott and got over her fear of change, and I guess Charlie trusts relationships again. I think it was dealt with with a touch of a heavy hand though, as the characters would go on and on about divorce and that wasnt something i was really prepared for. But then i guess I just dont really understand how much being a child of divorce becomes part of your identity.
- I think the story building was also lacking. I was reallyyy struggling with the timeline. So at first I thought that the were working their summer job, but then they had prom at the end. IDK how prom works in Nebraska but i thought it would be just before summer break actually starts. Additionally i thought Bailey was a junior, but then Charlie was saying something about his senior prom. So unless he is a year older than her, and I know they go to different schools so its a possibility but I was just a little confused at that.
Also I think the setting was not established throughout the book. We had a really cool description of a fun hotel to work in, but then it was kinda placed on a back burner and we werent ever really in the hotel again. I thought that was gonna be more central and where most of the interaction would take place, like flirting while controlling the slides, but no water park was mentioned at all.
Additionally, I dont even see the point of mentioning that Bailey had online friends because they were only mentioned about 3 times in the book and were never relevant apart from a throwaway comment.
So a lot of what was put in the description to make them seem important actually werent which was weird.
However after saying all of this it was a cute light romance book which you can't go wrong with.
Not horrific but also lacking stuff that BTTM had, so i think its worth 3 stars but that doesnt mean its bad.
- I didnt connect to Bailey or Charlie as much as I did to Libby and Wes. Both B and C felt hollow after L and W. Like Libby was soo quirky she had so many hobbies and qualities that made her herself that Bailey just felt bland. Charlie was even worse in that regard we had some scenes like where he would offer to give people lifts home that were meant to show he had a softer side but it was eh. His teasing also wasnt as charming as Wes's and didnt add much to the chemistry or dynamic.
- The story line also wasnt as good as BTTM even though they were very similar. This is why i should have not read them back to back. BTTM had fake dating to get with someone, which is what BOY had but this time both MCs were hung up on exes.
I think it was because BTTM felt more realistic (as realistic as a fake dating trope can be), whereas Charlie and Bailey were rarely around their exes when they were fake dating so it didnt make as much sense.
And then the betting thing. I get thats how they started talking and everything but idk also doesnt help with the realism. IK IK i shouldnt have picked up a book literally called betting on you if i dont like betting tropes in books but i trusted Lynn to make it good.
However what i will say is that the third act breakup was actually set up well in this book unlike BTTM. Charlies history of divorce which makes him untrusting of relationships and the whole bet thing making Bailey feel like their relationship was fake was perfect grounds for a breakup tbh. It was just ashame that we didnt get many pages after they made up so we barely got to see when they were actually together, but thats fine it may be setting up for a sequel.
Ok so the whole divorce trauma thing. At first I wasnt really vibing with that side of the plot because i didnt connect to it like the grief in BTTM, but I think it was alright in the end? Bailey made peace with Scott and got over her fear of change, and I guess Charlie trusts relationships again. I think it was dealt with with a touch of a heavy hand though, as the characters would go on and on about divorce and that wasnt something i was really prepared for. But then i guess I just dont really understand how much being a child of divorce becomes part of your identity.
- I think the story building was also lacking. I was reallyyy struggling with the timeline. So at first I thought that the were working their summer job, but then they had prom at the end. IDK how prom works in Nebraska but i thought it would be just before summer break actually starts. Additionally i thought Bailey was a junior, but then Charlie was saying something about his senior prom. So unless he is a year older than her, and I know they go to different schools so its a possibility but I was just a little confused at that.
Also I think the setting was not established throughout the book. We had a really cool description of a fun hotel to work in, but then it was kinda placed on a back burner and we werent ever really in the hotel again. I thought that was gonna be more central and where most of the interaction would take place, like flirting while controlling the slides, but no water park was mentioned at all.
Additionally, I dont even see the point of mentioning that Bailey had online friends because they were only mentioned about 3 times in the book and were never relevant apart from a throwaway comment.
So a lot of what was put in the description to make them seem important actually werent which was weird.
However after saying all of this it was a cute light romance book which you can't go wrong with.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow this cant be the same author that wrote that god awful Mr Wrong Number.
Its clear that the author is best suited to YA because her writing was actually good. It was a little cringy but in a comforting way. It felt like I was watching one of those netflix original movies like To All the Boys Ive Loved Before so the book was predictable but I think thats why I liked it. You know what youre getting and thats what I wanted to read in the moment.
The characters were nice if a little shallow but its fine as both the MMC and MFC were alright. The book is veryy fast pace so there isnt that much room for delving deep into all of the characters lives. However the conflict that was done about her stepmom and grief was really good, and how it ties into her trying to live a perfect life like her mom is the director. The third act breakup was kinda meh and had miscommunication all over it, but they are teenagers so i guess I can forgive it.
Wes and Libby were cute and had a nice enemies to friends to lovers trope going on. Classic and fun to read.
Its clear that the author is best suited to YA because her writing was actually good. It was a little cringy but in a comforting way. It felt like I was watching one of those netflix original movies like To All the Boys Ive Loved Before so the book was predictable but I think thats why I liked it. You know what youre getting and thats what I wanted to read in the moment.
The characters were nice if a little shallow but its fine as both the MMC and MFC were alright. The book is veryy fast pace so there isnt that much room for delving deep into all of the characters lives. However the conflict that was done about her stepmom and grief was really good, and how it ties into her trying to live a perfect life like her mom is the director. The third act breakup was kinda meh and had miscommunication all over it, but they are teenagers so i guess I can forgive it.
Wes and Libby were cute and had a nice enemies to friends to lovers trope going on. Classic and fun to read.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
At first I dismissed fourth wing as overhyped booktok garbage but how wrong I was lol. I decided to take a chance because I wasn't even really that impressed with the synopsis but it paid off. The best way I can describe this book is that it feels like im reading a fanfiction but in a good way. Everything seems catered to the readers and the author really knows what we want. I think its because it has a school setting with dragons so its kinda reminding me of harry potter fanfictions and stuff.
- At first I was panicking because the synopsis mentioned how 'small' the main character Violet was and I was like nooo im getting The Hating Game flashbacks. Honestly that was one of the main reasons why I wasnt drawn to the synopsis because it sounded so pathetic and like it would be her only character trait, and as a tall girl idgaf about small characters or height differences.
However I was wrong and I like how her height was handled. Seeing Violet have to adapt to the challenges like the gauntlet herself was refreshing which really showed her strength and ingenuity. I think I do like Violet as a character and it was nice that she was still badass without being overly competitive. She was really supportive of her team and others which is a nice trait.
- Again at first I didnt know if I would like Xaden as im kinda over grumpy rude MMCs but he was alright ig. I will say the romance wasn't as central to the story as i thought it would be. They first kissed around 55% which felt very slow burn to me seeing as that was like 300 pages, and then after that we would go chapters without seeing them together. I think the buildup was way better than the actual getting together for me and i would have preferred wayyy more tension filled interactions than we got. But I still think their relationship is cute and I LOVE that their dragons are mated.
- The setting was really good I miss fantasy boarding schools. Hopefully we get to know more about the other quandrants in the next books because all of that seemed interesting as well. I am not that used to fantasy so trying to distinguish between character, dragon, and place names was difficult but I think I got it in the end.
I think their classes were cool and the challenges they had to do were well thought out (Parapet sounds scary as hell), although the battle scene was a little boring.
- The plot is a little confusing I will admit, mainly the backstory element. So Xaden's dad is a separatist? but im not sure what that actually means? So there was this treason conspiracy thing which got everyone executed and the children sent into foster care? Ill probably get more information on this in the next book as it seems the ending might flip all of that on its head anyway. But I dont think me not understanding ruined the book, its just something I will have to pay more attention to in the next one or if I re-read.
But yeah loved the characters and the setting I couldnt put it down, ill probably fail my a levels because of it lol .
- At first I was panicking because the synopsis mentioned how 'small' the main character Violet was and I was like nooo im getting The Hating Game flashbacks. Honestly that was one of the main reasons why I wasnt drawn to the synopsis because it sounded so pathetic and like it would be her only character trait, and as a tall girl idgaf about small characters or height differences.
However I was wrong and I like how her height was handled. Seeing Violet have to adapt to the challenges like the gauntlet herself was refreshing which really showed her strength and ingenuity. I think I do like Violet as a character and it was nice that she was still badass without being overly competitive. She was really supportive of her team and others which is a nice trait.
- Again at first I didnt know if I would like Xaden as im kinda over grumpy rude MMCs but he was alright ig. I will say the romance wasn't as central to the story as i thought it would be. They first kissed around 55% which felt very slow burn to me seeing as that was like 300 pages, and then after that we would go chapters without seeing them together. I think the buildup was way better than the actual getting together for me and i would have preferred wayyy more tension filled interactions than we got. But I still think their relationship is cute and I LOVE that their dragons are mated.
- The setting was really good I miss fantasy boarding schools. Hopefully we get to know more about the other quandrants in the next books because all of that seemed interesting as well. I am not that used to fantasy so trying to distinguish between character, dragon, and place names was difficult but I think I got it in the end.
I think their classes were cool and the challenges they had to do were well thought out (Parapet sounds scary as hell), although the battle scene was a little boring.
- The plot is a little confusing I will admit, mainly the backstory element. So Xaden's dad is a separatist? but im not sure what that actually means? So there was this treason conspiracy thing which got everyone executed and the children sent into foster care? Ill probably get more information on this in the next book as it seems the ending might flip all of that on its head anyway. But I dont think me not understanding ruined the book, its just something I will have to pay more attention to in the next one or if I re-read.
But yeah loved the characters and the setting I couldnt put it down, ill probably fail my a levels because of it lol .
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
imagine telling your kids you met on reddit lol
- The characters in this were great. They felt fully fleshed out (especially Justin, Emma, and her mum) and they weren't that annoying. I also didnt mind the kids which I usually think can be written poorly in books but they were alright. Tbh justin seems a little too good to be true like the effort he was putting in was chefs kiss.
- The plot was also good. It was a little cringey at the start when they were having their meet cute on reddit lmao but honestly I dont think there is a way for that convo to not be cringey. But after that it was good. It was kinda like a twist on the fake dating trope because they were technically actually dating but they were also trying to limit feelings. I really liked their chemistry and the tension was so good.
This is one of the best third act breakups ive ever read. Usually I hate third act breakups because they feel so forced and stupid after miscommunication. However this was actually developed and felt right for the characters, it wasnt out of no where for a random reason.
Honestly I wouldn't have even minded if they weren't together at the end as i didnt know if this was a hae or not. I know that sounds weird like how can the chemistry be good if they also would be better off not together at the end, but I think it was because they went through so much character growth with their own personal struggles that I would have been fine with them going their separate ways.
- I think the best part of this book isnt the romance but its the characters own struggles. Emma's backstory of a neglectful mum was done sooo well and it connected to her personality which all made sense with her traveling. I also really liked Justins backstory with his mum and having to take care of his siblings i think it added dimentions to them aside from them just dating. I felt so bad for emma and frustrated on her behalf of how bad her childhood had been. Her mum sucks im sorry I dont feel empathy for her at all. Im glad emma has now found her family and has become no contact with her mum.
But yeah this was so good i couldn't put it down.
- The characters in this were great. They felt fully fleshed out (especially Justin, Emma, and her mum) and they weren't that annoying. I also didnt mind the kids which I usually think can be written poorly in books but they were alright. Tbh justin seems a little too good to be true like the effort he was putting in was chefs kiss.
- The plot was also good. It was a little cringey at the start when they were having their meet cute on reddit lmao but honestly I dont think there is a way for that convo to not be cringey. But after that it was good. It was kinda like a twist on the fake dating trope because they were technically actually dating but they were also trying to limit feelings. I really liked their chemistry and the tension was so good.
This is one of the best third act breakups ive ever read. Usually I hate third act breakups because they feel so forced and stupid after miscommunication. However this was actually developed and felt right for the characters, it wasnt out of no where for a random reason.
Honestly I wouldn't have even minded if they weren't together at the end as i didnt know if this was a hae or not. I know that sounds weird like how can the chemistry be good if they also would be better off not together at the end, but I think it was because they went through so much character growth with their own personal struggles that I would have been fine with them going their separate ways.
- I think the best part of this book isnt the romance but its the characters own struggles. Emma's backstory of a neglectful mum was done sooo well and it connected to her personality which all made sense with her traveling. I also really liked Justins backstory with his mum and having to take care of his siblings i think it added dimentions to them aside from them just dating. I felt so bad for emma and frustrated on her behalf of how bad her childhood had been. Her mum sucks im sorry I dont feel empathy for her at all. Im glad emma has now found her family and has become no contact with her mum.
But yeah this was so good i couldn't put it down.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.0
I decided to sleep before writing this review to collect my thoughts because when i finished the book my mind was blank for what I wanted to say.
I guess that just describes the book then. It was average, nothing too harmful or outragous but it isnt going to stick with me for the rest of my life. However i still think it is a three star because it is alright for a debut, and I can imagine this being a light digestible read (haha get it) if you are like lying on a beach or something.
- The characters were alright. I loved Cai and Jarred (i cant even remember if that was his name and i finished it 12 hours ago), and the others were fine. I wish we got to learn more about the aunts but whatever.
I think that is the biggest thing with this book is it feels as though we just skimmed the surface of information about the world. We are given just enough facts for things to make sense but not enough to full dive deep about the things that really matter and would be interesting.
- This world had soooo much potential however we barely explored anything. Book eating was not very central to the book, there were times where Devon would eat a book of information to learn it and im like 'thats so cool i wish i could learn more' but we never did. Like it could have been so cool to see how this ability affected their lives but they just were normal? They just felt like humans who occasionally ate books which was so frustrating because the start was giving me twilight vampire vibes and i was like yesss I cant wait.
I think this is due to the book eaters being separate from humans that it actually makes them seem more human. We have no real points of comparasion because they are so cut off. Imagine how cool it would be if we learnt that so many people we thought were humans like inventors and stuff were actually book eaters because they basically could learn anything in the time it takes to eat a meal which is how they are so smart.
Devon did kinda touch upon this when she said she didn't feel smart even though she has eaten so many books and im like how??? She would literally be amazing at standardised tests which are used to measure intelligence so i dont understand. See things just werent explored, blank throwaway lines that are just left in the air.
- Also the plot left a lot to be desired. I was drawn in from the start but Im guessing that was from wanting to learn more information after being just thrown in to the book. This plot is basically like a run away heist thingy which is the opposite of what I thought it was going to be. When I pictured it i imagined a kind of dystopian world where they were trapped kinda like Piranesi .
However I will give it merit I was scared at the end I didnt want to keep reading due to tension and I didnt want something bad to happen lol. The plot does try to be interesting by having Devon working for both teams so we dont know what side is going to win in the end.
However im conflicted over the ending. So on one hand Im glad it isnt so happy due to Cai basically being gone due to consuming a book eater (and something else which I have already forgotten). However I feel like it ends too abruptly.
What is going to happen to the families now? we have basically forgotten about them as they havent been mentioned for ages. They have no access to redemption which means mind eaters are going to either roam free of be killed. Unless Devon is going to start to become the supplier of redeption but it sounded as though she just wants it for her son. And because the knights are disbanded it means no one can keep the dragons in check or can boss around the families anymore. Does that mean the families are going to go back to their old ways of killing the mind eaters? but surely Devon is sympathetic to them as she wouldnt want anyone to kill her son? Are the families now free to marry who they want? Yes that was Devon's goal for her daughter but how are they going to prevent inbreeding which was already caused harm to the women's reproductive system.
Basically the ending was confusing more than anything and I would rather have had a cryptic prologue than nothing at all. There are way more consequences to Devons actions that are not acknowleged.
I think all in all it would have been better if things were explored a bit more in depth as I think that would have solved my main problems of not understanding the ending and the world being superficial.
I guess that just describes the book then. It was average, nothing too harmful or outragous but it isnt going to stick with me for the rest of my life. However i still think it is a three star because it is alright for a debut, and I can imagine this being a light digestible read (haha get it) if you are like lying on a beach or something.
- The characters were alright. I loved Cai and Jarred (i cant even remember if that was his name and i finished it 12 hours ago), and the others were fine. I wish we got to learn more about the aunts but whatever.
I think that is the biggest thing with this book is it feels as though we just skimmed the surface of information about the world. We are given just enough facts for things to make sense but not enough to full dive deep about the things that really matter and would be interesting.
- This world had soooo much potential however we barely explored anything. Book eating was not very central to the book, there were times where Devon would eat a book of information to learn it and im like 'thats so cool i wish i could learn more' but we never did. Like it could have been so cool to see how this ability affected their lives but they just were normal? They just felt like humans who occasionally ate books which was so frustrating because the start was giving me twilight vampire vibes and i was like yesss I cant wait.
I think this is due to the book eaters being separate from humans that it actually makes them seem more human. We have no real points of comparasion because they are so cut off. Imagine how cool it would be if we learnt that so many people we thought were humans like inventors and stuff were actually book eaters because they basically could learn anything in the time it takes to eat a meal which is how they are so smart.
Devon did kinda touch upon this when she said she didn't feel smart even though she has eaten so many books and im like how??? She would literally be amazing at standardised tests which are used to measure intelligence so i dont understand. See things just werent explored, blank throwaway lines that are just left in the air.
- Also the plot left a lot to be desired. I was drawn in from the start but Im guessing that was from wanting to learn more information after being just thrown in to the book. This plot is basically like a run away heist thingy which is the opposite of what I thought it was going to be. When I pictured it i imagined a kind of dystopian world where they were trapped kinda like Piranesi .
However I will give it merit I was scared at the end I didnt want to keep reading due to tension and I didnt want something bad to happen lol. The plot does try to be interesting by having Devon working for both teams so we dont know what side is going to win in the end.
However im conflicted over the ending. So on one hand Im glad it isnt so happy due to Cai basically being gone due to consuming a book eater (and something else which I have already forgotten). However I feel like it ends too abruptly.
What is going to happen to the families now? we have basically forgotten about them as they havent been mentioned for ages. They have no access to redemption which means mind eaters are going to either roam free of be killed. Unless Devon is going to start to become the supplier of redeption but it sounded as though she just wants it for her son. And because the knights are disbanded it means no one can keep the dragons in check or can boss around the families anymore. Does that mean the families are going to go back to their old ways of killing the mind eaters? but surely Devon is sympathetic to them as she wouldnt want anyone to kill her son? Are the families now free to marry who they want? Yes that was Devon's goal for her daughter but how are they going to prevent inbreeding which was already caused harm to the women's reproductive system.
Basically the ending was confusing more than anything and I would rather have had a cryptic prologue than nothing at all. There are way more consequences to Devons actions that are not acknowleged.
I think all in all it would have been better if things were explored a bit more in depth as I think that would have solved my main problems of not understanding the ending and the world being superficial.