amalas_bookstop's reviews
79 reviews

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

I thought this was a pretty simple plot. The story opens with Effy who attends the Architecture College at the University she attends. She did test high enough to attend the literature college however the school has an archaic rule that states women are not allowed. After entering a competition she is awarded an opportunity to stay at and design her favorite authors home who is recently deceased. It is through this opportunity she meets the love interest Preston and uncovers secrets that will have the potential to rewrite history.

Ava Reid is a really descriptive writer. I think she did a really good job of exploring some of the more triggering topics in this novel in a very age appropriate way as this is a YA novel. I also really enjoyed how she described the anxiety that Effy was feeling every day. There was only one scene between the love interests Preston and Effy that seemed to toe the line a little, seemed more like adult content.

I only have a few critiques. First, I thought the pace of this story was a little slow and very predictable. Once you get to the end the twist (if you could call it that) was not a surprise more of a confirmation. The ending seemed to also drag a little for me as well. I found myself skimming. Secondly, based on the cover and title I thought this book would have dark academia vibes, but this doesn’t quite hit the mark. While the overall atmosphere does seem pretty bleak. The university has a very minor role and I just don’t get the prestigious atmosphere like I have gotten in other dark academia novels.

Overall it was a great break from my usual tastes, but I will probably never think of it again.

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The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.75

So the second book was battle after battle after battle. I really enjoyed the comedic relief parts between friends and I kind of wish this book had more of that. It seemed like this book was full throttle without a break. I would have gladly had less battle scenes for more friendship building. I honestly might feel more connected to the characters.

However, she does have me still intrigued on how this war ends. I am glad this ended with Rin with some backbone. She got a little annoying to me throughout most of this book. But I totally get character development.

I am looking forward to reading the last one!

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Daisy Haites by Jessa Hastings

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dark emotional tense fast-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

4.5

I love this universe so much!

I am honestly trying to figure out why these are considered contemporary romance novels. I honestly think these are just adult fictions with heavy coming of age themes. I felt that a little with the first book and I feel it even more now. Especially since none of the relationships are anything to really aspire to. I think her brother Julian is more drama than BJ.

I had to read about halfway before I got comfortable with Daisy. I found myself still looking for Magnolia in the beginning, because I truly think she is my favorite. However where Magnolia had me in my fluttery feels, Daisy keeps you extremely grounded. Which is isn’t a bad thing!

I am giving this 4.5 stars, there were just a few things (like the footnotes in Daisy perspective) that kept me from completely lingering in Daisy’ viewpoint, like I did in Magnolia.

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Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder by Asako Yuzuki

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informative mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.0

This was a really cozy mystery, a slow burn.

The is novel opens with Rika she is a journalist who has the opportunity to interview Kaji who is waiting for a retrial for three murders she was convicted of. The author also includes a side plot of Rikas friend Reiko and their journey as well.

I came into this story expecting a little bit more of the murder plot and figuring out if Kaji actually murdered three men. However, this book very much focuses on Rika and her discovery to know more of herself as she goes through these series of interviews with Kaji that focuses on great cuisine and its nuances.

The author uses this story to really ask the question, what is indulgence, especially when it comes to Japanese women, food, and relationships. In fact this book probably could have been 100-200 pages shorter without the extreme focus on every meal Rika either ate or made. Her coming of age story as an adult woman was definitely the highlight of the story. Kaji was used to help her break out of the traditional norms society places on women and to help her come to terms with childhood grief.

The writing was very descriptive and beautiful and the translation was well done. I would often want to get up and eat something extremely buttery as I read this story. However if you are looking to read this for more thrill or horror this is not the book.

I definitely recommend that you read this book with a nice steaming bowl of buttery rice and soy sauce. It will not disappoint!

Content Warnings

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I hope R.F. Kuang had as much fun writing this as I did reading this!

R. F. Kuang is a master of language. This book had everything I love about a very fast paced read. She hooked me from the very beginning with the death of Athena and I was here for the thrilling ride of June Hayward. The ending even keeps you guessing. She has a way with toying with perceptions that is just delightful.

I am not so slowly making my way through her catalogue and I have not been dissatisfied yet. This a refreshing way to take on the racial challenges within the publishing industry.

Any book that I can’t put down in three days deserves nothing less than 5 stars!

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Chlorine by Jade Song

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

I think I am still trying to get my mind around what I just read. So I am giving it 4 stars, I think?

At the start of this book you meet Ren Yu, a girl that born for the water. It starts with a love for mermaids and joining the swim team, it then slowly evolves into something else. This is a coming of age story that deals with tons of problems and pressures of being a teenage girl, both physically and mentally.

This book doesn’t have tons of dialogue but that could be by design Ren is so obsessed and driven she doesn’t really need anyone else. Even though she does have a best friend in Cathy who she tolerates best among everyone. As you read it is very easy to get deeper up into her all in mentality and slow entry into reality of becoming a mermaid.

Another really good novel by a debut author!

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Maame by Jessica George

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

This book is a coming of age story of a young Ghanaian woman in her 20s living in London. Throughout the story she tackles work related race stressors, relationships, grief, family, moving out for the first time and finding a voice.

I can hardly believe this is Jessica George’s debut novel. The way she was able to capture grief had me in tears (and I do not cry easy). After reading her forward I realized her dad is no longer with us. Which totally explains how she was able to have Maddie tap into that grief.

I loved how she was able to explain complex topics like love and culture. It was very relatable and her characters felt so real.

If you are looking for a realistic black woman version of a coming of age story, this is it!

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Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings

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dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

How is the weather over there, Parks?

I am going to try and explain why this was a 5⭐️ read for me, because this relationship was one of mutual destruction and quite honestly I should hate it, but I don’t.

First off Jessa Hastings writing is absolutely amazing, the way she is able to describe feelings without straight saying them is so buttery smooth to my synapses.” Pine trees of mistakes so tall we can’t see over them and rivers of things we didn't say so wide we can’t get around.” I can hardly believe his is her debut novel, I am going to need to buy more tabs, because I don’t know if I can handle the rest of the series.

Our two main characters are Magnolia “Parks” and BJ Ballentine “Beej”. They have pretty much grown up together. Magnolia literally does not remember a time she did not know him. Throughout the whole story you watch them dance around the topic of why they are no longer together. They have created an amazing family of found friends from boarding school. At times when they did not have parents to count on they could count on each other. My absolute favorite relationship was between Magnolia and her sister Bridget (she is my fav). I loved the way they talked to each other so much. Bridget is pretty much our voice of reason in the book, she is constantly calling out Magnolia and BJ on their dysfunction.

Their relationship is absolutely something I would never want a friend/sister/brother to ever go through. They both use other people as objects when they get upset with each other. BJ sleeps around and Magnolia fake dates. However, I can understand how fear can make you go to a level you never thought you reach. Magnolia is so relatable, I can be the exact same way and say things are “fine” when they are so far from it not only does she lie to everyone in that sense, but she also lies to her self and creates this false narrative of how she really is doing. I hope that as I continue to read the series she is able to grow as a woman, find her self worth, and demand that from others.

This is the first book in a long time where I tabbed and spent time looking up merch. Of course I would love the not romance/romance book. There is just something about the depth of feelings that they have for each other, that is so believable, where they cannot face a reality that they don’t have each other in it.

I would totally recommend this to someone who has experience loss, not just in relationships. I think you would be able to relate to the feeling of not being able to let go. I cannot wait to move on to the next book.

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Finders Keepers by Stephen King

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Ummm…all I can say is wow! And I am immediately diving into the third book.

I can’t believe it has taking me this long to start reading Stephen King. After I am done with this trilogy, I am starting at the beginning.

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James by Percival Everett

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense 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

The easiest 5 stars I have given this year!

This book is a retelling of Huckleberry Finn through the perspective of Jim. From the start Percival Everett writes a Jim that is wise, but also cautious. The books starts with him teaching younger children how to live as slave in this world (how to stay under the radar, how to correct a white person while still making them believe they are right, etc.). From the beginning letting us know that the way they speak around white people is totally different than how they speak normally. Which I am eternally thankful for, because I hated reading Jims vernacular in Huckleberry Finn.

The book kept amazing pace amazingly well and in the end it almost read as a bit of a thriller (it has quite a bit of suspense). While Everett did change events of their adventures this came across as way more realistic to what would would have been for Jim to travel through the South. I saw this as an improvement. It was somewhat needed to give Jim a better character ark as he slowly shed the skin of slave and became James.

“I will not let myself, my mind, drown in fear and outrage. I will be outraged as a matter of course. But my interest is in how these marks that I am scratching on this page can mean anything at all. If they can have meaning, then life can have meaning, then I can have meaning.”

I totally recommend reading this after you read Huckleberry Finn, in fact schools should start recommending this as a package deal.

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amalas_bookstop's reviews 79 reviews

amalas_bookstop's reviews
79 reviews