alyssamae's reviews
97 reviews

What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

light-hearted & easy to read, but an inspiring message and a heartwarming tone. i loved every short story.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

i really liked this book when i was younger but then i realised this book is full of micro-aggressions, subtle racist remarks, and stereotypes. 

A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber

fast-paced

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

3.0

there were a few plot holes/questions that are completely unanswered & some characters were used just to add some sort of story & then were thrown to the side. what was the point in LaLa here? i love LaLa but the way she was used was so fucking boring and made no sense at all?? it added nothing and lacked substance. some plot points were also useless and added pages to the book but nothing else (i.e guild of heroes). could’ve really used a few extra pages just to explain things a bit more, go into more details, and get more use for some of the characters. i think the 3 POVS messed with the story heavily bcoz there were some chapters that were completely filler and unnecessary. i’m so so disappointed as this was my most anticipated book of the year. could’ve been a 5/5 series.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

4.25

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.75

i liked it, i felt engrossed within the story but i don’t really feel attached to any characters.. i will read on & hope i begin to feel something for them. i think revenge is a bit pointless but it’s the main point of the story so maybe that’s why. i stand with kitay fr

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

read this in a day. completed devoured it! love love love.

HOWEVER! do not go into this expecting a magical powers type of fantasy. this is very much a romance first, fantasy second book. the magic/fantasy side of it is not entirely fleshed out, and the world itself is relatively normal. the mention of anything magical is brushed off a bit and we aren’t given a tremendous amount of detail about anything (besides a few things about the gods).

The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther

lighthearted 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? No

2.75

was fun & quick to read! used it as a palette cleanser for all the fantasy i’ve been reading. the story was a bit silly & there weren’t really any stakes or broken rules - but it was an enjoyable read. skipped thru a bit of it because the story just fell a bit flat. a happy summer type of book, though.

Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

adventurous dark emotional hopeful slow-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

3.75

not inclined to read book 2 so knocking the rating slightly. maybe one day. i think it’s because i wasn’t attached to any of the characters, though i did enjoy the story & the relationship between max & tisannah had me kicking my feet at some points! 

The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.5

def a middle book. very very slow beginning, found myself skipping thru bits of description and dialogue. ending came together nicely and i enjoyed the character interactions. her battle between jared and her family felt a bit repetitive - those are the bits i would skip thru. still hooked and eager to start the final book!