adkam_'s reviews
80 reviews

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

5.0

By God, she’s done it again

Sucker Punch: Essays by Scaachi Koul

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

4.5

So fantastic on audio that I can’t imagine having read it any other way. I am simultaneously in awe of Scaachi and afraid of her (how a human person is capable of being this vulnerable out in the open, I simply cannot fathom!!!)

Oathbound by Tracy Deonn

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.25

I genuinely don’t know that there’s a fiction author—YA or otherwise—who loves their MC more than Tracy Deonn loves Bree Matthews. There’s just such obvious care and intention pressed into every page of this book

On a craft level, this is a 5 star read. The

heist element

of the plot is stupid fun, the magic system is richer than ever before, and the switch to multi-POV chapters didn’t ever undermine Bree’s voice … pero like, as a girl who loves found family,

said family being apart for most of the story was SO frustrating (Sel, my beloved, I missed you dearly)

Anyways, I need book 4 like I need air, and once that’s on shelves I’m gonna need Tracy to get on her Zoom and write an adult romance because her pen is something serious

Private Rites by Julia Armfield

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

Pure Innocent Fun: Essays by Ira Madison III

funny informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

Though I typically tend to avoid them, I’m glad I ended up going for the audiobook here because Ira’s delivery of the epigraphs alone makes it worth the listen

Ultimately, I just wish more of this had worked for me because I fear this will probably end up being a pretty forgettable read (trust and believe I’ll continue to tune into Keep It though)

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.25

A perfect premise and narrative structure wasted on poor pacing and uneven characterization. Such a saccharine ending for a drama too

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

2.5

Didn’t feel connected to a single character so I guess these two (and a half) stars are for the diving and the diving only

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

Absolutely ripped through this one. Was mildly annoyed with a couple of things (mostly how long it took for certain members of the crew to be reunited + that short ass epilogue) but I still had a ball! Miss Gillig, you are now one of my elite employees, I will see you in May for The Night and the Moth

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

Got off to a bit of a slow start but once it got going it had me hooked, like the sequel is calling my name

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte

challenging dark funny medium-paced

3.5

Jia Tolentino was speaking real when she said that this book is depraved—like truly rotted and gutted—sometimes in compelling ways, sometimes not. Devoured this in one sitting and the first three stories sang (I was genuinely gagged at every turn) but the back half fizzled for me. I still don’t know whether to be impressed or irritated by that ending—and what I will rate this remains a mystery to me even as I type these words lmao