alittlelou's reviews
320 reviews

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

2.0

I read this in high school, and I remember just not getting it. I didn't like reading for grades, I only liked reading for hobby. Maybe that is the reason I didn't like it, and maybe I will re-read this once I get through my current TBR. It might be an amazing book, I just rated almost all of my "assigned reading" from high school and middle school 2 or 3 stars at most. Classics are classics for a reason though.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

3.0

I love poetry so much, and I love the meaning of this book. What it's trying to achieve, I admire that. I just can't get behind the short, one sentence, couple word "poems" that feel lazy to me. Rupi Kaur got so popular years ago because of this book and it just feels like anyone could've written this. It's good, it's just not groundbreaking in any way.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

4.0

Now THIS is a Celeste Ng book! I was so disappointed in Little Fires Everywhere that I was scared to read this. I didn't want the ending to feel as unfinished as that one. The ending here is partially unresolved, but in the way I think Ng meant Little Fires Everywhere to be. This book is much, much better. It is page-turning, easy to read, and the final pages end in such a realistic "unknowing" type of way. I really enjoyed this one. ALWAYS give authors a second chance!

Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor

3.0

I think this is a good story, and a nice, short excerpt to further your understanding of this time period while having a personal aspect to it. However, it's just that. It feels like you could be assigned to read this as homework in a high school history class. As far as reading for a hobby/enjoyment, unless you're super into historical fiction, there's not much happening here. I didn't get connected to the characters or the story because I didn't have time to before it ended. There just wasn't enough time here to say anything that hasn't been said before.

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

3.0

I hate going into reading a book with such high hopes. I feel like this might've been a higher rating had it not been for that. I got this recommendation from a youtuber who loves and adores this book and author. It was a 5-star read for her, and it just wasn't that for me. This feels so juvenile that it might be a 5-star for a younger audience, but not for anyone older than 18(who likes reading stuff written for adults). I don't like negative reviews, but I just don't think she and I have the same reading interests. I am excited to give this author another chance though with one of her more adult novels, because the writing is good- just the story was too cute and young for me.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

5.0

I read this as a young teenager or maybe tween, but I remember absolutely loving it. I remember staying up late into the next morning just to read this. There is a scene I remember that scared me, but I don't like this was written for kids 11-13 so that could've been why. I knew this was a series then, but never got around to reading the next couple books. I'm excited to pick the others up now that I'm older and see if they carry the same magic as they did then.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

4.0

I loved this book as a teenager! I'm excited to pick up the other couple books in this series and finish reading in this world. It's the perfect fantasy for kids 12-14.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

3.0

Classics are classics for a reason. I don't usually read classics, but I love romances. This book would've been aggravating if it was written today but knowing the age of the story makes it more tolerable and actually a really good story. This is one of the only books I had to read in school that I actually enjoyed.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

3.0

I liked the story, and I liked the sort of dystopian unlawfulness it had to it, but this was probably the hardest book I've ever tried to read. The writing was so hard to understand for me, and honestly, it's a series of pretty disturbing images to have in your head afterwards. I wouldn't recommend it to my friends, but if you're really into the super indie, disturbing, lingering feelings of books like this, I think it wouldn't be a waste to read.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

4.0

Oh my sweetness. I love this book so much. I'm not sure the type of childhood or upbringing this author had, but I felt not so alone reading this as a teenager. I read this for the first time when I was probably 12 or 13 and I remember it very well. It stuck with me, because I felt I could relate to the story more than anything I had read before this. This book is responsible for my hobby of reading- I had never liked a book (that I picked up on my own) more than this until then. I wish this could've been a series or a movie even. I miss these characters.