alexsbookishadventures's reviews
181 reviews

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Okay, this book was the best so far. I understand all the hype around Warner! But Warner was also the only thing that made this book bearable, along with Kenji. Juliette became so irritating. Of course, she is again the girl with superpowers who thinks she can save the world on her own and that storyline bothered me a lot. I also think the side characters deserve more storylines. All those characters can tell great background stories, but everything is overpowered by poor little Juliette.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This book was good! It had great character development and all the characters had something unique that appealed to me. But this book started to feel more and more like a standard dystopian novel. The powers the others possess are basic: healing, becoming invisible, flexible arms, it felt like a Marvel comics team. And this book fell for the curse of the second book in a series, namely story padding and little action. Juliette also began to irritate me more and more and became a basic whiny girl. I am excited to see more Warner though and I now understand why he is everyone's book boyfriend. 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I finally gave in to the hype and I actually enjoyed this book. Despite the poor reviews, I was a fan of the writing style. I thought it nicely captured Juliette's mental state and gave an insight into her mind. However, I did miss a bit more suspense in the book. It was a nice build-up for subsequent books, but lacked a spark. The characters were already nicely described though, but I don't understand where the obsession with Warner comes from. I am curious to find out why Juliette can touch Adam and Warner though.

Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

 OMG I adored this book so much! This is my first Lauren Asher book and I understand the hype! Julian and Dahlia have a lot of history together and I loved seeing their relationship evolve. The book started out as a slowburn and I was waiting 200! pages for a first kiss, but it felt quite right actually. But afterwards, I felt like the story was too long and I was getting a bit bored. And I hate to say too much spice, too little conversation. I love the banter between them and the way Julian remembers every little thing had me melting! Their love didn't feel forced at all and I love how they both freely talk about their emotions. And Dahlia was doing this all while battling depression and anxiety, what a girl boss! Now I want to renovate some houses too and have a Julian as a bonus. Now I'm ready to also dive into the Dreamland billionaires series 

Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing 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

3.5

I thought it was a good book, but it didn't grab me. I thought the life lessons and the growth of the characters were so beautifully described. They felt like real teenagers. Except maybe the NHL part, a college team would have been more believable. I think the instant love just didn't appeal to me. It was too fast-paced and lacked evolution and growth. Both characters are relatable and all the side characters are really awesome! Overall, this is a nice coming-of-age book. 

Wat de hulp weet by Freida McFadden

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.0

I did not like this book as much as the first part. The story was not gripping enough I thought and Millie was even more annoying than the first book. Also Brock was mega irritating and ruined the book a bit. It was implausible that he approved of everything Millie did. I did like the dark atmosphere in the book. And I actually didn't predict the plot twist either. But the big wow factor like the first part just wasn't there. The book did read smoothly again, so that's we But the 'spark' just wasn't there for me.

But Enzo really saved the book! Only from his half, there was something good in the book.

Scharlakenrode magie by Wesley Chu, Cassandra Clare

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This book is really made for all Malec shippers! And I am one of them <3
It had been a long time since I had read anything from the Shadowhunters series, so I made a resolution to pick up the series again this year. And I don't regret that decision at all! I didn't expect that there would be so much pure, cute romance in this book and could still remain exciting and magical. The plot remains exciting throughout the book, with funny elements and fantastic side characters. My heart was really melting the whole time when Alec and Magnus were saying something about each other and thinking about each other. Their love feels so real and pure and getting to know their backgrounds and emotions was great as well. Now I feel like picking up the rest of the series again this year and catching more glimpses into Alec and Magnus' life and love. 

De gestolen erfgenaam by Holly Black

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

I am really obsessed with the Elfhame world and Holly Black's writing style. The magical elements are so beautifully and gruesomely described. I am a big fan of Suren and it was fun to be inside her head. Throughout the story she grows from scared and unloved girl into a beautiful powerful woman. It was also nice that she wasn't the stereotypical perfect girl, but looked monstrous. And Oak takes this book to the next level. No one can write romantic suspense as well as Black and I was giggling the whole time. 
I may have missed some plot in the middle of the story, but it was a beautiful, epic journey that was completely made up for by the characters. I can't wait for the next book.

Tien voor twaalf by Lisette Jonkman

emotional lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Het was een heel leuk kerstverhaal, maar focuste te veel op Lex's verdwijning. Ik had liever meer gezien tussen Hilde & Niels. Ook was het moeilijk om verder te lezen als Demi of Sara ook nog maar iets zeiden. Ik had graag meer van Niels gezien, want ze hebben nog geen heel gesprek gehad of ze zijn al smoorverliefd op elkaar. Weten ze elkaars achternaam wil? Dit voelde gewoon veel te snel aan. 

Kerst met jou by Gracie Mills

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.0

The stories were very short and I definitely felt the Christmas spirit. But because they were so short, everything felt so unrealistic. It really started with a climax between Ethan & Dana, but the stories after that really weakened. It's hard to write a review on this, simply because not that much happens.