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alibookedup's reviews
266 reviews
Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a strong fantasy debut by Ehigbor Okosun -- you have everything you need from a strong female protagonist named Dèmi to a world that comes alive with unique magics inspired by Nigerian mythology and culture. The details throughout are bright and engaging. I never guessed which way the journey would take and it usually did not disappoint. I think a lot of fantasy readers will enjoy this book and those to follow it.
I will say I did struggle through the last 25% of it. There was a strong plot with well laid out hero vs. villain vibes, but something just felt a bit off for me. I felt like a lot of the secrets revealed were a little too much at once and that they didn't come together as flawlessly as I would've hoped. A lot of the action scenes and rules of the Oloso magic also felt stilted like I was missing important information. For example, I found myself having to reread scenes because I felt like I had skipped a line or missed a detail where in fact it was never given or a new rule of how the magic system worked was just thrown into the fray. Many times, I also felt like names for new and not long lasting characters were thrown around like they had been around the whole book when in reality I had no idea who was being talked about.
However, I did mostly enjoy our main trio. Dèmi was a pretty fleshed out character and she carries a lot on her shoulders in a pretty badass way. I personally would've liked if the characters surrounding her could have been given more fluff. Colin, in particular, I found dull because I thought he was just the pining best friend, and while I enjoyed their ride or die friendship, that's the only thing about him that's somewhat interesting until you learn a little bit about him in the very last bit.
All in all, an entertaining adventure filled read that I would give a solid 3.5 stars. I think this series will become a hit with a large crowd and I think Ehigbor Okosun is writing a story that has a very unique edge that many will enjoy.
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy for review!
I will say I did struggle through the last 25% of it. There was a strong plot with well laid out hero vs. villain vibes, but something just felt a bit off for me. I felt like a lot of the secrets revealed were a little too much at once and that they didn't come together as flawlessly as I would've hoped. A lot of the action scenes and rules of the Oloso magic also felt stilted like I was missing important information. For example, I found myself having to reread scenes because I felt like I had skipped a line or missed a detail where in fact it was never given or a new rule of how the magic system worked was just thrown into the fray. Many times, I also felt like names for new and not long lasting characters were thrown around like they had been around the whole book when in reality I had no idea who was being talked about.
However, I did mostly enjoy our main trio. Dèmi was a pretty fleshed out character and she carries a lot on her shoulders in a pretty badass way. I personally would've liked if the characters surrounding her could have been given more fluff. Colin, in particular, I found dull because I thought he was just the pining best friend, and while I enjoyed their ride or die friendship, that's the only thing about him that's somewhat interesting until you learn a little bit about him in the very last bit.
All in all, an entertaining adventure filled read that I would give a solid 3.5 stars. I think this series will become a hit with a large crowd and I think Ehigbor Okosun is writing a story that has a very unique edge that many will enjoy.
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy for review!
Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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
I will read mostly anything about witches, but this book is what caught the core of what makes me WISH I was a witch. The magic and how the witches are so wholly connected and bound to the earth was so beautiful. I loved how cozy the island of the Witchery was and how it just captured the beauty of nature and wholesome existence. The rules particularly of the covens and how the magic worked was super interesting from "the rush" of the magic into the sea, low magic, and high magic. Mostly I loved how it made me want to dive into the sea under the moonlight and wander into the woods to harvest spells from the earth.
I also really liked Mortana's, the main character, personal journey. I actually felt like it was super unique with how both sides of what she wanted - securing her family's safety or securing her ability to not settle in the expected- played out. I found myself torn, just as she was, between what she had to choose and I appreciate that one side or the other wasn't made blatantly "evil" to make her decision easier. It became a decision I did not envy and that is a rare thing among a lot of stories. Along that note, I think her relationships with both covens made the decisions that much harder. I loved Ivy as her best friend, her father, and even her mother who at times clashed with Tana, but was not blatantly loathsome, as well as Wolfe, Galen, and the freedom of their coven. Everyone had their reasonings for certain decisions while at the same time made them full of genuine love.
The one thing that didn't hit only because I feel like it was rushed was Wolfe. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed Wolfe and Tana. I just felt like they fell in love so fast that it felt unbelievable at times. I know that is the usual pacing in so many books due to page limit and time, especially a stand alone like this, but I still wish it had grown a little more before immediately becoming love.
All in all, I would definitely add this books to my shelf and am now intrigued to read Griffen's other works.
I also really liked Mortana's, the main character, personal journey. I actually felt like it was super unique with how both sides of what she wanted - securing her family's safety or securing her ability to not settle in the expected- played out. I found myself torn, just as she was, between what she had to choose and I appreciate that one side or the other wasn't made blatantly "evil" to make her decision easier. It became a decision I did not envy and that is a rare thing among a lot of stories. Along that note, I think her relationships with both covens made the decisions that much harder. I loved Ivy as her best friend, her father, and even her mother who at times clashed with Tana, but was not blatantly loathsome, as well as Wolfe, Galen, and the freedom of their coven. Everyone had their reasonings for certain decisions while at the same time made them full of genuine love.
The one thing that didn't hit only because I feel like it was rushed was Wolfe. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed Wolfe and Tana. I just felt like they fell in love so fast that it felt unbelievable at times. I know that is the usual pacing in so many books due to page limit and time, especially a stand alone like this, but I still wish it had grown a little more before immediately becoming love.
All in all, I would definitely add this books to my shelf and am now intrigued to read Griffen's other works.
Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Honestly, not as bad as I expected. It was okay, but still a fun entertaining ride.
What I liked:
- Tricksy Skillz
- morally grey feelings for a morally grey character. enjoyed the tension of falling for your enemy.
- also enjoyed the internal conflict that main character faces of being a part of Pestilence's journey to spread the plague while also befriending him
- more action, gore, and high stakes moments than I expected
- the ending
- the slow burn and the evolution of Sara and Pestilence's relationship
What I didn't like:
- I know it's about the Four Horseman, but a lot of the religious talk and God phrases were too heavy handed.
- "the horseman" and "my horseman" were said WAY TO MANY TIMES
- main character referred to herself in the third person/saying her last name referring about herself
- the main character kinda annoyed me. I know she was conflicted with Pestilence but she kept leading him on so rudely all the time. also the way she spoke sometimes just seemed like the author forcibly trying to make her "hip" and it just ended up being really cringey.
- expected the spice to be more, but was sorely disappointed with the actual follow through. probably a 2.5/5 spice rating for me.
- story eventually came a little repetitive (pestilence getting wounded, Sara being surprised by helping him, him rejuvenating, they rest and move on to the next house where more people die of sickness, and repeat) but I know there's only so many different things that can happen to an undying diety spreading the plague
What I liked:
- Tricksy Skillz
- morally grey feelings for a morally grey character. enjoyed the tension of falling for your enemy.
- also enjoyed the internal conflict that main character faces of being a part of Pestilence's journey to spread the plague while also befriending him
- more action, gore, and high stakes moments than I expected
- the ending
- the slow burn and the evolution of Sara and Pestilence's relationship
What I didn't like:
- I know it's about the Four Horseman, but a lot of the religious talk and God phrases were too heavy handed.
- "the horseman" and "my horseman" were said WAY TO MANY TIMES
- main character referred to herself in the third person/saying her last name referring about herself
- the main character kinda annoyed me. I know she was conflicted with Pestilence but she kept leading him on so rudely all the time. also the way she spoke sometimes just seemed like the author forcibly trying to make her "hip" and it just ended up being really cringey.
- expected the spice to be more, but was sorely disappointed with the actual follow through. probably a 2.5/5 spice rating for me.
- story eventually came a little repetitive (pestilence getting wounded, Sara being surprised by helping him, him rejuvenating, they rest and move on to the next house where more people die of sickness, and repeat) but I know there's only so many different things that can happen to an undying diety spreading the plague
Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Let me just preface that I went into this book totally blind - I have not thought about Paris Hilton since probably the 2000s when I was in middle school. This was a book picked for my book club and I went into it not being excited at all. I have nothing against Paris Hilton - she just was never a celebrity I kept up with.
I absolutely enjoyed this memoir. It's honestly a 4.5 star read for me and no one was more surprised about that than me. Everything she went through with Provo Canyon School, CEDU, and all the other schools is INSANE. No one can say she is not a strong person for coming out of those schools and becoming the success she is today. Seriously, the amount of times she kept running and fighting back is astounding and inspiring. Behind her baby voice and facade she puts on, she is an intelligent business woman and I commend her for everything she's worked for in spite of the trauma that she went through. Not everyone might see her as such, but I came out of this book with new respect for her.
I know some people didn't like the way her book was written, but I actually enjoyed that aspect of it because it seems very much like her - the bouncing around to different topics, the name brand, the name dropping, all of it - so I didn't really count that against her.
I absolutely enjoyed this memoir. It's honestly a 4.5 star read for me and no one was more surprised about that than me. Everything she went through with Provo Canyon School, CEDU, and all the other schools is INSANE. No one can say she is not a strong person for coming out of those schools and becoming the success she is today. Seriously, the amount of times she kept running and fighting back is astounding and inspiring. Behind her baby voice and facade she puts on, she is an intelligent business woman and I commend her for everything she's worked for in spite of the trauma that she went through. Not everyone might see her as such, but I came out of this book with new respect for her.
I know some people didn't like the way her book was written, but I actually enjoyed that aspect of it because it seems very much like her - the bouncing around to different topics, the name brand, the name dropping, all of it - so I didn't really count that against her.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
reflective
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
5.0
This book is so different than Kuang’s other books, but no less entertaining. It’s a quick read compared to her more hefty books like Babel without feeling like it’s missing anything from the story.
I did not love June Hayward by any means, but reading from her POV was definitely interesting and entertaining. Her thoughts are raw and ugly but also honest and real. I found myself laughing at so many of her obnoxious stereotypes but contemplating over a lot of her more realistic opinions. Kuang did a beautiful job balancing that dynamic and using it to propel her commentary that no one is blameless in this dog eat dog world.
Which brings me to her social commentary — absolutely fantastic!
It’s about white people appropriating non-white work, shaping it to their own standards while justifying their actions simultaneously. It was so interesting to see Kuang call out white people for profiting off non-whites, but also calling out Asian people too. It was the last thing I expected and also what this book needed to be such a success. It’s also about diving into the life altering process of “making it” in book industry, but how it can also be a lonely and fickle place for writers. Lastly it touches on cancel culture and censorship and how that’s affecting society today.
Kuang really doesn’t pull her punches for ANYONE and I absolutely admired that. She credits and discredits everywhere it is due. No question she doesn’t deserve to be a favorite author of many.
10/10 would recommend anything she writes if you want a thought-provoking and entertaining read.
I did not love June Hayward by any means, but reading from her POV was definitely interesting and entertaining. Her thoughts are raw and ugly but also honest and real. I found myself laughing at so many of her obnoxious stereotypes but contemplating over a lot of her more realistic opinions. Kuang did a beautiful job balancing that dynamic and using it to propel her commentary that no one is blameless in this dog eat dog world.
Which brings me to her social commentary — absolutely fantastic!
It’s about white people appropriating non-white work, shaping it to their own standards while justifying their actions simultaneously. It was so interesting to see Kuang call out white people for profiting off non-whites, but also calling out Asian people too. It was the last thing I expected and also what this book needed to be such a success. It’s also about diving into the life altering process of “making it” in book industry, but how it can also be a lonely and fickle place for writers. Lastly it touches on cancel culture and censorship and how that’s affecting society today.
Kuang really doesn’t pull her punches for ANYONE and I absolutely admired that. She credits and discredits everywhere it is due. No question she doesn’t deserve to be a favorite author of many.
10/10 would recommend anything she writes if you want a thought-provoking and entertaining read.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
I usually hate second chance romance with miscommunication but Emily Henry nailed it. It’s so much more than petty miscommunication but how certain fears and habits are instilled in every one of us from our parents and experiences. I loved that Harriet finding her happy place is not just about Wyn, but about her group of friends too. It’s shows all kinds of love and where Harriet and her friends thrive as well as fall short. It was a beautiful story about love, fear, grief, life, and most importantly finding the people and places that make you happy.
Also Emily Henry as always did a fantastic job with evolving her side characters and not forgetting about them for the romance. They are all very much entertained and I loved everyone in the friend group! I also really enjoyed the past and future parallel plot lines!
Also Emily Henry as always did a fantastic job with evolving her side characters and not forgetting about them for the romance. They are all very much entertained and I loved everyone in the friend group! I also really enjoyed the past and future parallel plot lines!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
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
3.5
What I liked:
- Serves you 2000s YA nostalgia with a persevering female character, a love triangle, and a dystopian/utopian world (depending what side you look at it from), and all the fantasy elements you need with dragon riding.
- Gives you The Hunger Games and Divergent meets How to Train Your Dragon.
- The romance was spicy and reminded me that it’s very much not a YA book.
- loved the dragons and that they controlled the world more than the humans. I found it really unique, especially how the bonds of the dragons and their riders evolved and functioned.
What dropped the ball for me:
- the storyline was pretty predictable. I was able to guess pretty much everything that happened. It also sometimes felt a little repetitive with the daily life of the characters and made a lot of parts feel slow for me.
- the characters were also a bit too on the nose with their archetypes. You have Violet - a supposedly weak yet stubborn female who discovers her strength to combat everything she thought she knew. Xaden - the bad boy enemy who’s not as much of a villain has everyone is led to believe and falls for main character. Dain- the good boy and childhood friend who has unrequited feelings for the main character and is a perfect soldier for the government he fights for. Jack - a mean bully who has a random, violent hatred towards Violet and strives to kill her at every turn.
- Serves you 2000s YA nostalgia with a persevering female character, a love triangle, and a dystopian/utopian world (depending what side you look at it from), and all the fantasy elements you need with dragon riding.
- Gives you The Hunger Games and Divergent meets How to Train Your Dragon.
- The romance was spicy and reminded me that it’s very much not a YA book.
- loved the dragons and that they controlled the world more than the humans. I found it really unique, especially how the bonds of the dragons and their riders evolved and functioned.
What dropped the ball for me:
- the storyline was pretty predictable. I was able to guess pretty much everything that happened. It also sometimes felt a little repetitive with the daily life of the characters and made a lot of parts feel slow for me.
- the characters were also a bit too on the nose with their archetypes. You have Violet - a supposedly weak yet stubborn female who discovers her strength to combat everything she thought she knew. Xaden - the bad boy enemy who’s not as much of a villain has everyone is led to believe and falls for main character. Dain- the good boy and childhood friend who has unrequited feelings for the main character and is a perfect soldier for the government he fights for. Jack - a mean bully who has a random, violent hatred towards Violet and strives to kill her at every turn.
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
Super unique magical story! I loved that it was about alchemy and transmutation— my FullMetal heart was in love.
I loved loved loved the romance! It was a sweet, slow burn with my favorite part being realistic. Both Margaret and Wes had a lot of emotional baggage to go through and I love that they do it together without it being entirely forgotten. It shows that the process of healing is long and hard but beautiful and rewarding.
I wish there was a little bit more behind the hala like that it was actually something they had to protect or the spirit of her brother, but I suppose that was the point. It was more there as symbolism for humanity and how darkness can not exist without the light.
If you vibe with FullMetal Alchemist mixed with the Hunger Games, you’ll like this
I loved loved loved the romance! It was a sweet, slow burn with my favorite part being realistic. Both Margaret and Wes had a lot of emotional baggage to go through and I love that they do it together without it being entirely forgotten. It shows that the process of healing is long and hard but beautiful and rewarding.
I wish there was a little bit more behind the hala like that it was actually something they had to protect or the spirit of her brother, but I suppose that was the point. It was more there as symbolism for humanity and how darkness can not exist without the light.
If you vibe with FullMetal Alchemist mixed with the Hunger Games, you’ll like this
War by Laura Thalassa
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
I really enjoyed this more than pestilence!
What I liked”
- “wife”
- “for your soft heart”
- war was a more amusing and attractive male counterpart and I was very here for the Khal drogo vibes (without rape)
- Miriam as a MFC was also more enjoyable - she was less annoying for me personally than sarah. I loved her strength, attitude, and determination. In other words, she was a badass!
- much more interesting backstories delved into with both war and Miriam. I felt the world expanding in really interesting ways. Loved war talking about his brothers and some chapters from his perspective along with Miriam and her grief of losing her family
- faster romance, spicier, and really cute moments. their relationship progression was just the right speed
- he fell first
-loved that there were more things interacting with war and Miriam like Zara and the Phobos soldiers. Having a community made from war prisoners was really interesting
- wars redemption
- “surrender”
- THE ENDING!!!!
What I didn’t like:
- sometimes I still felt like the author would have Miriam say things to sound cool or hip that felt super out of character. It was really distracting in pestilence and I feel like she reigned it in more this book but there were still sometimes that Miriam said cringey things. Like “he knocked me up real good”. 🫣🫣🫣
- plot sometimes still felt repetitive but way less so than previous book. Because the pacing was way better it was less noticeable
- there was always some iteration of saying “the horseman”, “my horseman”, etc. it’s honestly just said way too much in both books but I did feel like it was better in this one
What I liked”
- “wife”
- “for your soft heart”
- war was a more amusing and attractive male counterpart and I was very here for the Khal drogo vibes (without rape)
- Miriam as a MFC was also more enjoyable - she was less annoying for me personally than sarah. I loved her strength, attitude, and determination. In other words, she was a badass!
- much more interesting backstories delved into with both war and Miriam. I felt the world expanding in really interesting ways. Loved war talking about his brothers and some chapters from his perspective along with Miriam and her grief of losing her family
- faster romance, spicier, and really cute moments. their relationship progression was just the right speed
- he fell first
-loved that there were more things interacting with war and Miriam like Zara and the Phobos soldiers. Having a community made from war prisoners was really interesting
- wars redemption
- “surrender”
- THE ENDING!!!!
What I didn’t like:
- sometimes I still felt like the author would have Miriam say things to sound cool or hip that felt super out of character. It was really distracting in pestilence and I feel like she reigned it in more this book but there were still sometimes that Miriam said cringey things. Like “he knocked me up real good”. 🫣🫣🫣
- plot sometimes still felt repetitive but way less so than previous book. Because the pacing was way better it was less noticeable
- there was always some iteration of saying “the horseman”, “my horseman”, etc. it’s honestly just said way too much in both books but I did feel like it was better in this one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Child death, and War
Hard Dough Homicide by Olivia Matthews
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
2.0
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to enjoy this one - the synopsis really had me excited to dive into a cozy mystery involving a bakery and I really love the book cover. I usually love low-stake fantasy and mystery type books, but unfortunately, this one was not for me and I am sad to say that I almost didn't finish it.
The key themes surrounding this low-stake and cozy mystery were there, but overall everything else was lacking. The story and characters were extremely repeitive and eventually became unnecessary. The main characters and other surrounding characters were formed, but not fully fleshed out. I regret to tell you that I don't know anything about Lyndsey, our heroine, other than she was bullied in high school (no explicit details ever given), she had a crush on Bryce, she loves her family, and she owns 40% of the bakery. That seems likes a good amount of information, except that it is all you are ever told over multiple occasions.. In other words, this type of information can work and is important if it is expanded on and allows growth for your characters. However, the characters stayed relatively stagnant the entire book and I felt like they were just cardboard cutouts of what could have been interesting characters. Lastly, I felt the mystery was very slow and the reveal for the murder was a bit disappointing.
I will say that I did enjoy the Grenadian culture and food imprinted into the story. It's always good to see different peoples, cultures, and foods represented in books so I feel like that is where a lot of the story went right. It was also really helpful that even though this is the second in a series, you can still read it as a standalone book like me.
Overall, I think this book had a lot of potential, but could've been way more interesting if more time was spent on pacing, character development, and diving more into explicit details. Despite it not being my favorite, I think others might still enjoy it if you are looking for an easy, breezy mystery read.
I really wanted to enjoy this one - the synopsis really had me excited to dive into a cozy mystery involving a bakery and I really love the book cover. I usually love low-stake fantasy and mystery type books, but unfortunately, this one was not for me and I am sad to say that I almost didn't finish it.
The key themes surrounding this low-stake and cozy mystery were there, but overall everything else was lacking. The story and characters were extremely repeitive and eventually became unnecessary. The main characters and other surrounding characters were formed, but not fully fleshed out. I regret to tell you that I don't know anything about Lyndsey, our heroine, other than she was bullied in high school (no explicit details ever given), she had a crush on Bryce, she loves her family, and she owns 40% of the bakery. That seems likes a good amount of information, except that it is all you are ever told over multiple occasions.. In other words, this type of information can work and is important if it is expanded on and allows growth for your characters. However, the characters stayed relatively stagnant the entire book and I felt like they were just cardboard cutouts of what could have been interesting characters. Lastly, I felt the mystery was very slow and the reveal for the murder was a bit disappointing.
I will say that I did enjoy the Grenadian culture and food imprinted into the story. It's always good to see different peoples, cultures, and foods represented in books so I feel like that is where a lot of the story went right. It was also really helpful that even though this is the second in a series, you can still read it as a standalone book like me.
Overall, I think this book had a lot of potential, but could've been way more interesting if more time was spent on pacing, character development, and diving more into explicit details. Despite it not being my favorite, I think others might still enjoy it if you are looking for an easy, breezy mystery read.