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alexalala's reviews
197 reviews
Beach Read by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Synopsis: August is a writer of gritty literary fiction. January writes romance novels that fly off the shelves. Both of them have horrible writer's block and happen to be living next door to each other in their respective beach homes. They make a pact - each will write in the other's genre to get past their writer's block. They grow closer as each writes their novel, but they definitely won't fall in love, right?
The good: I love Emily Henry's talent for writing non-cringey banter between characters. I laughed, I teared up at the character's growth, and it was overall a really enjoyable read. Henry has a unique style putting her books together and I think that's why they're so popular and feel different than a lot of other romance novels.
The meh: This could have easily worked a friendship as well, there didn't seem to be huge stakes for their relationship. I think I have a problem with romance for the same reason I enjoy it: it's not very intense or groundbreaking. It follows familiar tropes, and so does this one: rivals to lovers and grumpy x sunshine. Because of that this book was pretty predictable.
The verdict: Great summer read, romance with more than just the relationship.
You will like this if you enjoy: summer reads, small towns, vacation, rivals to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, grief and loss, and slow burns.
The good: I love Emily Henry's talent for writing non-cringey banter between characters. I laughed, I teared up at the character's growth, and it was overall a really enjoyable read. Henry has a unique style putting her books together and I think that's why they're so popular and feel different than a lot of other romance novels.
The meh: This could have easily worked a friendship as well, there didn't seem to be huge stakes for their relationship. I think I have a problem with romance for the same reason I enjoy it: it's not very intense or groundbreaking. It follows familiar tropes, and so does this one: rivals to lovers and grumpy x sunshine. Because of that this book was pretty predictable.
The verdict: Great summer read, romance with more than just the relationship.
You will like this if you enjoy: summer reads, small towns, vacation, rivals to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, grief and loss, and slow burns.
The Dawn of Yangchen by F.C. Yee
Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.
Very slow and political, will likely return later.
Network Effect by Martha Wells
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Will return later, love this series!
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous romance author - but she doesn't believe in love anymore. She tries to push her deadline back (again) but her hot book editor won't allow it. When her father dies unexpectedly, she must return back to her hometown for his funeral. But when a literal ghost ends up on her doorstep, she will go through an emotional journey that shakes all her beliefs.
The good: This was a cute romance! It felt bittersweet throughout and was enjoyable. I'm a fan of romance books where romance isn't the only focus, ie. there is an interesting and emotional subplot that the MC must get through - and this was one of those. I read it pretty quickly and found it very readable. The magical realism of this book made it really fun to read and made it stand out from other romance books I've read.
The meh: Florence we get it, he's tall and you want to climb him - AKA some repetitiveness got a bit grating through this book. Additionally, I wasn't a huge fan of the love interest.
Overall, this was a good read and I had no major complaints.
You will enjoy this if you like: magical realism, small town romance, ghosts, grief and family, books and the book industry, learning to love after a breakup.
The good: This was a cute romance! It felt bittersweet throughout and was enjoyable. I'm a fan of romance books where romance isn't the only focus, ie. there is an interesting and emotional subplot that the MC must get through - and this was one of those. I read it pretty quickly and found it very readable. The magical realism of this book made it really fun to read and made it stand out from other romance books I've read.
The meh: Florence we get it, he's tall and you want to climb him - AKA some repetitiveness got a bit grating through this book. Additionally, I wasn't a huge fan of the love interest.
Overall, this was a good read and I had no major complaints.
You will enjoy this if you like: magical realism, small town romance, ghosts, grief and family, books and the book industry, learning to love after a breakup.
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
4.0
The sequel to one of my favorite books, She Who Became the Sun, He Who Drowned the World continues the story of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, who has come from obscurity to become one of the most powerful leaders in an alternate China. She'll go up against Madam Zhang, a queen who has an army that could beat her, and Baoxiang, the scholar son of the late Prince of Henan who has maneuvered his way into the capital. Zhu will have to team up with Ouyang, the disgraced eunuch general who sliced off her arm. Together, they may be able to take the throne and get Ouyang's revenge against the Great Khan.
The good: As before, the writing by Shelley Chan in this book is exquisite. Her imagery and poetic language was both haunting and easy to parse. They masterfully wove the 3-5 narratives together in a way that made sense and built upon our knowledge of the world. The characters were incredibly complicated and diverse, and I was excited to see most of the voices. The author made sure to pull at our heartstrings with heartbreaking deaths, sacrifices, and debauchery which still hurts me after reading it. I loved the complicated relationships as well, between Zhu and Ouyang, Zhu and Ma, Baoxiang with his dead family, and Madam Zhang with her lovers and her own body.
The meh: I felt this book lost some of the charm of the first book, which was mainly communicated through its humor. Though I recognize this was a book primarily about suffering, I felt it didn't quite match the tone of the first book. This may be good for some people but I missed the banter from the first book. I also had a problem with the climax being the very end of the story. I very much wanted to see a falling action and the consequences of some of the decisions made by Zhu and other characters.I also felt like Baoxiang and Ouyang gave in to Zhu's commands too easily in the last few pages. It's for this reason that I'm giving the book 4 stars instead of 5, as I was a bit disappointed in the ending.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. I can't remember the last time a complicated fantasy series like this drew me in so quickly and forced me to read so fast.
You will like this series if you like: complicated relationships with others and self, ambitious people, political intrigue, war, suffering, consequences, and hard questions.
The good: As before, the writing by Shelley Chan in this book is exquisite. Her imagery and poetic language was both haunting and easy to parse. They masterfully wove the 3-5 narratives together in a way that made sense and built upon our knowledge of the world. The characters were incredibly complicated and diverse, and I was excited to see most of the voices. The author made sure to pull at our heartstrings with heartbreaking deaths, sacrifices, and debauchery which still hurts me after reading it. I loved the complicated relationships as well, between Zhu and Ouyang, Zhu and Ma, Baoxiang with his dead family, and Madam Zhang with her lovers and her own body.
The meh: I felt this book lost some of the charm of the first book, which was mainly communicated through its humor. Though I recognize this was a book primarily about suffering, I felt it didn't quite match the tone of the first book. This may be good for some people but I missed the banter from the first book. I also had a problem with the climax being the very end of the story. I very much wanted to see a falling action and the consequences of some of the decisions made by Zhu and other characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. I can't remember the last time a complicated fantasy series like this drew me in so quickly and forced me to read so fast.
You will like this series if you like: complicated relationships with others and self, ambitious people, political intrigue, war, suffering, consequences, and hard questions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Self harm, Xenophobia, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Démi is a magic wielder in this Nigerian inspired world. Unfortunately for her and her mother, the magic wielders have undergone a harsh genocide by the hand of the king a few years earlier. When her mother is killed for helping a young man, Démi escapes and vows to avenge her people.
The good: I loved the worldbuilding and this universe. The elemental magic was very cool. The story dragged you right in and you could feel the pain that Démi went through very palpably. Jonas was also a fun character and I enjoyed seeing his back and forth with Démi and Colin. The author is clearly well versed in the real world culture and mythology. I liked how unique this voice is in a market that is full of European based fantasies.
The meh: The book stopped pulling me in around the midway point and I felt I didn't care so much what happened next. The stakes didn't feel high enough to make me want to find out what was going to happen. Démi, though seemed age and trauma appropriately focused on revenge, was getting very repetitive and blaming the wrong people for what happened to her mother. She was also leading Colin on a lot, which seems like an odd thing to do to someone who you consider family. The romance felt forced and it was obvious that Démi and Jonas would get together from the start of the novel. There seemed to be an element of fated mates but that was contradicted by saying there was choice involved. Speaking of contradictions, the first half of the book we learn that taking a life will lead to losing magic or death/disability, but then Démi is actually sort of promoted for it in the end? Odd. This also felt much more YA than adult fantasy which I've read it's being marketed as, so I'm not sure what to make of that. I think this book suffered from too many tropes shoved into one, too many ideas and contradictions, bland characters, and a forced romance.
The verdict: You may like this book if you enjoy sort love triangles, mythology, Africa-inspired worlds, elemental magic, a spirit world, magic persecution, and revenge plots.
Démi is a magic wielder in this Nigerian inspired world. Unfortunately for her and her mother, the magic wielders have undergone a harsh genocide by the hand of the king a few years earlier. When her mother is killed for helping a young man, Démi escapes and vows to avenge her people.
The good: I loved the worldbuilding and this universe. The elemental magic was very cool. The story dragged you right in and you could feel the pain that Démi went through very palpably. Jonas was also a fun character and I enjoyed seeing his back and forth with Démi and Colin. The author is clearly well versed in the real world culture and mythology. I liked how unique this voice is in a market that is full of European based fantasies.
The meh: The book stopped pulling me in around the midway point and I felt I didn't care so much what happened next. The stakes didn't feel high enough to make me want to find out what was going to happen. Démi, though seemed age and trauma appropriately focused on revenge, was getting very repetitive and blaming the wrong people for what happened to her mother. She was also leading Colin on a lot, which seems like an odd thing to do to someone who you consider family. The romance felt forced and it was obvious that Démi and Jonas would get together from the start of the novel. There seemed to be an element of fated mates but that was contradicted by saying there was choice involved. Speaking of contradictions, the first half of the book we learn that taking a life will lead to losing magic or death/disability, but then Démi is actually sort of promoted for it in the end? Odd. This also felt much more YA than adult fantasy which I've read it's being marketed as, so I'm not sure what to make of that. I think this book suffered from too many tropes shoved into one, too many ideas and contradictions, bland characters, and a forced romance.
The verdict: You may like this book if you enjoy sort love triangles, mythology, Africa-inspired worlds, elemental magic, a spirit world, magic persecution, and revenge plots.
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
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
5.0
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Nora is an amazing literary agent - but fails in her love life. She's been left for other people's small town romances, and told she was cold and unfeeling. When her sister asks her to come on a babymoon with her to Sunshine Falls, she has to accept. Unfortunately, her enemy is there too, and they must work together to help her author finish her next great novel.
The good: What a fun read! The banter was on point and it was a breezy read like most romance novels. I loved that romance wasn't the only focus of the book, and that it also delved into her relationship with her sister. We see Nora, Charlie, and Libby are more complicated characters than I typically see in romance novels (not to say that's good or bad, it just drew me into the story more). It's also fun how much books fit into the lives of these characters and on the page.
The meh: This isn't didn't blow my mind, it was just an enjoyable summer read. I like to be smacked in the face by my books generally, but this was a nice break from that intensity.
The verdict: You will enjoy this book if you like small-town romance, books, banter, breezy reads, and sister relationships.
The good: What a fun read! The banter was on point and it was a breezy read like most romance novels. I loved that romance wasn't the only focus of the book, and that it also delved into her relationship with her sister. We see Nora, Charlie, and Libby are more complicated characters than I typically see in romance novels (not to say that's good or bad, it just drew me into the story more). It's also fun how much books fit into the lives of these characters and on the page.
The meh: This isn't didn't blow my mind, it was just an enjoyable summer read. I like to be smacked in the face by my books generally, but this was a nice break from that intensity.
The verdict: You will enjoy this book if you like small-town romance, books, banter, breezy reads, and sister relationships.