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amelia_m3llark's reviews
12 reviews
The Deal by Elle Kennedy
3.5
I was surprised at how much I liked this book. I typically never go for romances, and since The Deal is in a college campus setting and the main love interest is the captain of the hockey team, my expectations were pretty low (admittedly, I was expecting Wattpad-level writing.) But it surprised me how cleverly written this book was. I think it handled some sensitive subjects really well and I was actually rooting for the couple to get, and stay, together. The way Garrett and Hannah slowly start to fall in love with each other is really cute, and their chemistry is definitely there. If you’re in the mood for a cute hockey romance with a little bit of spice that’s ALSO really well-written, definitely give this one a try. There’s also a TON more hockey romances by Elle Kennedy that are in the same little college universe, so I think I’ll check some of those out, too!
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black
3.25
Cutesy; doesn’t add too much to the original trilogy but provides a little more insight in terms of Cardan’s backstory and his perspective on things. I LOVEEEE the artwork, too; definitely does Cardan and Jude’s character descriptions justice.
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
3.5
I don’t know if I was just sad that this series was almost over or something, but the last 100 pages of this book were just not a great read for me. The first part was really good, though. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace for it.
The Wicked King by Holly Black
4.75
I have literally never given a book 5 stars before, and this was super close to that. Everything about The Wicked King drew me in and kept me interested. Jude and Cardan are absolutely perfect and I love them with all my heart. Just be warned that the ending is shocking, and you WILL be wanting to pick up the next book immediately after finishing this one.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
3.75
I don’t want to spoil too much, just go read it!! It’s very YA and very targeted toward high school girls, but don’t let that stop you if you are not that intended audience... just a warning so you know what you’re getting into. This first book is really good in my opinion, but the series really does get so much better from here. And if you hate Cardan now, just wait! He’s my favorite book bf.
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
2.0
This book was WAY more well-written than its predecessors. However, that isn’t saying much. Since I rated Ignite Me 2 stars, you’d better believe reading this pissed me off in multiple ways. Spoilers ahead, so scroll past this review if you don’t want major plot points ruined for yourself.
Admittedly, and much to my surprise, I actually did ship Warnette by the end of this book. At least they have chemistry. But I don’t appreciate the way Warner was calling Juliette stupid when she was confronting him about important stuff. For example, Juliette really did think Warner forced her to torture that toddler in the simulation chamber, no matter how obviously fake it seemed to Warner. That is genuine trauma right there, and instead of comforting her, Warner made sure to make Juliette feel as ridiculous as possible that she ever believed that. Also, I felt kind of gaslighted in that first section of the book, what with all these “revelations” Juliette was forced to have about Warner as a person. What if Tahereh Mafi actually had Warner go through a real redemption arc, instead of him actually just “being a good guy all along”? Feels more like emotional manipulation than an actual change in Warner’s personality.
Another thing I hated was the action scene at the end. The final battle was WAY too easy for Juliette. You’re telling me that 75 of the country’s best soldiers, chosen to guard the boat their Supreme Commander was on in the midst of a war, all just stood there and shot at Juliette after her very clear demonstration just a few minutes earlier that she was LITERALLY BULLETPROOF? It’s too ridiculous to believe. This battle was not well-thought-out whatsoever.
And finally, although I suppose Juliette and Warner’s relationship is mildly wholesome, it’s also really cringe. Warner’s super smart, and Juliette’s super dumb, and some of the conversations they have highlight this in a way that just makes me wonder how Warner can put up with Juliette’s stupidity without even batting an eye. If she didn’t have superpowers, I really don’t think Warner would like her all that much. She really would just be a pretty face who can’t throw a punch to save her life, and there’s not much unrecognized potential he can unlock out of that.
I know I said that was my last grievance about Ignite Me, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to accuse this book of just being boring. I can confidently say I don’t care about anyone in the Omega Point crew except for Kenji. So it gets really tiresome when the only “plot” that is happening for the first 350 pages are just a huge soap opera playing out between all of these people, which mainly consists of shouting matches between Adam and Juliette while everyone else is quite obviously listening to every word. It’s basically what was happening at Omega Point all over again, except now in Adam’s house. These kind of repetitive storylines make it so painfully clear that the author is just dragging out the book as long as she possibly can.
But there’s Ignite Me for you. If someone were to ask me to describe it to them, I’d tell them it’s mid. Not just any kind of mid, though; it’s the kind of mid where the book is borderline terrible, but just barely squeaked into that category. Not much of an accomplishment for Juliette Ferrars, but she gets a disgusting amount of hype on BookTok without my opinion, anyway.
Admittedly, and much to my surprise, I actually did ship Warnette by the end of this book. At least they have chemistry. But I don’t appreciate the way Warner was calling Juliette stupid when she was confronting him about important stuff. For example, Juliette really did think Warner forced her to torture that toddler in the simulation chamber, no matter how obviously fake it seemed to Warner. That is genuine trauma right there, and instead of comforting her, Warner made sure to make Juliette feel as ridiculous as possible that she ever believed that. Also, I felt kind of gaslighted in that first section of the book, what with all these “revelations” Juliette was forced to have about Warner as a person. What if Tahereh Mafi actually had Warner go through a real redemption arc, instead of him actually just “being a good guy all along”? Feels more like emotional manipulation than an actual change in Warner’s personality.
Another thing I hated was the action scene at the end. The final battle was WAY too easy for Juliette. You’re telling me that 75 of the country’s best soldiers, chosen to guard the boat their Supreme Commander was on in the midst of a war, all just stood there and shot at Juliette after her very clear demonstration just a few minutes earlier that she was LITERALLY BULLETPROOF? It’s too ridiculous to believe. This battle was not well-thought-out whatsoever.
And finally, although I suppose Juliette and Warner’s relationship is mildly wholesome, it’s also really cringe. Warner’s super smart, and Juliette’s super dumb, and some of the conversations they have highlight this in a way that just makes me wonder how Warner can put up with Juliette’s stupidity without even batting an eye. If she didn’t have superpowers, I really don’t think Warner would like her all that much. She really would just be a pretty face who can’t throw a punch to save her life, and there’s not much unrecognized potential he can unlock out of that.
I know I said that was my last grievance about Ignite Me, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to accuse this book of just being boring. I can confidently say I don’t care about anyone in the Omega Point crew except for Kenji. So it gets really tiresome when the only “plot” that is happening for the first 350 pages are just a huge soap opera playing out between all of these people, which mainly consists of shouting matches between Adam and Juliette while everyone else is quite obviously listening to every word. It’s basically what was happening at Omega Point all over again, except now in Adam’s house. These kind of repetitive storylines make it so painfully clear that the author is just dragging out the book as long as she possibly can.
But there’s Ignite Me for you. If someone were to ask me to describe it to them, I’d tell them it’s mid. Not just any kind of mid, though; it’s the kind of mid where the book is borderline terrible, but just barely squeaked into that category. Not much of an accomplishment for Juliette Ferrars, but she gets a disgusting amount of hype on BookTok without my opinion, anyway.
The Ivies by Alexa Donne
2.75
I was so invested in this book. It was so cleverly written, twisty, and ridiculous plot-wise in the best way. The whole concept of a murder mystery set in a boarding school with Mean Girls? I was fated to like The Ivies from the beginning. Also, I loved how obviously flawed all the characters were. The MC could truly trust no one, and everyone was hiding secrets of their own.
But speaking of the MC, Olivia, she really grated on my nerves at times. The entire 2 reasons Olivia is supposed to be likeable are because she’s poorer than everyone else at the school, and she did less shitty things to secure her own coveted Ivy League spot. Yet Olivia constantly gives her peers grief for what they had done. She probably would have helped her friends do all kinds of things too, but they decided to keep her out of it. And Olivia took part in some sabotage knowingly! This girl has no right acting so high-and-mighty because she betrayed/blackmailed less people.
But the real reason this book gets 2.75 stars from me is the ending. Man, this story felt so well thought-out and mysterious until that ending.Look, I had guessed Tyler was the murderer from the beginning. He just seemed like the type. What I was really eager to know was his motive. I don’t know what I was expecting. I thought it would be really cool if Tyler had been faking his stupidity all along and was really planning to overthrow Emma’s whole SAT business scheming thing. But instead Tyler killed Emma just for a good sob story on his RD essay? Couldn’t he just have paid someone besides Megan to write it for him? And seriously, that one line from him after the big reveal is too awful not to quote: “Do you know how hard it is to be a rich, above-average white guy in college admissions?” To say that with a straight face is a level of ignorance so astronomically high, it’s just cringeworthy to put into a book. I get that the backlash from bratty, undeserving kids and their families after a college rejection can become a huge problem, but if the author was going to try and turn this into a social commentary of sorts through Tyler, that was not the way to go.
Another grievance I have with this book is the lack of character development Olivia gets. The last 20 pages or so were just confusing. What did she learn from this entire experience? Apparently, to continue lying to everyone around her, except now on a bigger scale: Olivia’s dealing with the press, basically, and by extension, the general public. You’d think after all that meddling that Olivia did these past couple hundred pages, and how it all blew up in her face, that she would learn her lesson and stop pulling stunts like that. But she finishes this absolute mess of an ending by vowing to herself to continue lying, and also to “claw her way to the top,” whatever that means. Olivia got into the best college she could, given the circumstances. She cut off all the toxic people in her life, aka literally all her peers at Claflin. She had an entire YEAR to think back and reflect on her poor decisions throughout her senior year. Essentially, Olivia has had every opportunity to turn over a new leaf, but instead she is set on returning to her old ways with pretty much no explanation as to why. And does it pay off? Does Olivia’s stubborness come back to bite her in the butt? We’ll never know, because the book screeches to a halt in one of the most unsatisfying endings I’ve ever encountered in a piece of writing.
I know that was a lot, but I really did like the writing style of this author. I’m just reeling from that god-awful ending. Maybe she had a looming deadline to meet or something, because I sincerely want to believe that I can pick up another title by Alexa Donne and enjoy it much more than I enjoyed The Ivies.
But speaking of the MC, Olivia, she really grated on my nerves at times. The entire 2 reasons Olivia is supposed to be likeable are because she’s poorer than everyone else at the school, and she did less shitty things to secure her own coveted Ivy League spot. Yet Olivia constantly gives her peers grief for what they had done. She probably would have helped her friends do all kinds of things too, but they decided to keep her out of it. And Olivia took part in some sabotage knowingly! This girl has no right acting so high-and-mighty because she betrayed/blackmailed less people.
But the real reason this book gets 2.75 stars from me is the ending. Man, this story felt so well thought-out and mysterious until that ending.
Another grievance I have with this book is the lack of character development Olivia gets. The last 20 pages or so were just confusing. What did she learn from this entire experience? Apparently, to continue lying to everyone around her, except now on a bigger scale: Olivia’s dealing with the press, basically, and by extension, the general public. You’d think after all that meddling that Olivia did these past couple hundred pages, and how it all blew up in her face, that she would learn her lesson and stop pulling stunts like that. But she finishes this absolute mess of an ending by vowing to herself to continue lying, and also to “claw her way to the top,” whatever that means. Olivia got into the best college she could, given the circumstances. She cut off all the toxic people in her life, aka literally all her peers at Claflin. She had an entire YEAR to think back and reflect on her poor decisions throughout her senior year. Essentially, Olivia has had every opportunity to turn over a new leaf, but instead she is set on returning to her old ways with pretty much no explanation as to why. And does it pay off? Does Olivia’s stubborness come back to bite her in the butt? We’ll never know, because the book screeches to a halt in one of the most unsatisfying endings I’ve ever encountered in a piece of writing.
I know that was a lot, but I really did like the writing style of this author. I’m just reeling from that god-awful ending. Maybe she had a looming deadline to meet or something, because I sincerely want to believe that I can pick up another title by Alexa Donne and enjoy it much more than I enjoyed The Ivies.
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
1.5
I gave this 1.5 stars, only fractionally better than the first book in the series. I’m just so conflicted about Unravel Me, and not in a good way. Sometimes the characters will genuinely have good scenes and dialogue. The use of prose will actually make sense for once. And suddenly, everything’s clicking together for me. I start to understand why, maybe, this series is so beloved on BookTok. But then someone will say something so stupid, or so unlike their character that I’m ripped from the scene and hate this series all over again.
Also, at this point it seems like the only time something interesting will happen is when Warner is causing trouble of some kind. The first couple hundred pages were a struggle to get through without him. It actually put me in a reading slump tor a little while, because it was just so boring.
I’m still struggling to see why people like Warner.I get that he’s oh-so tortured because of his shitty father and mommy issues. But he literally told Juliette he doesn’t care about anyone but her??? And he doesn’t regret ANYTHING he’s done??? Are we just going to let go of the whole baby-torture scene? Because that still doesn’t sit right with me, and besides physical attraction, I’m not really seeing the chemistry between Warner and Juliette.
My last grievance about this book: It’s so unnecessarily LONG for so little plot. I don’t want to hear about how Juliette really wants to touch Adam, because direct skin-to-skin contact gives her some weird sense of pleasure. Feels vaguely sexual for no reason, and makes me uncomfortable all around. Also,I really don’t care about how Adam and Juliette still yearn for each other or whatever after they’ve broken up. The amount of times Juliette chases Adam down a hallway because he’s all grumpy about something again, and him then saying some angsty bullshit about “why the hell can’t we be together?” and Juliette thinking to herself, Why do I always end up talking with him alone, omg, it was a mistake to go after him!, is boringly repetitive.
Also, at this point it seems like the only time something interesting will happen is when Warner is causing trouble of some kind. The first couple hundred pages were a struggle to get through without him. It actually put me in a reading slump tor a little while, because it was just so boring.
I’m still struggling to see why people like Warner.
My last grievance about this book: It’s so unnecessarily LONG for so little plot. I don’t want to hear about how Juliette really wants to touch Adam, because direct skin-to-skin contact gives her some weird sense of pleasure. Feels vaguely sexual for no reason, and makes me uncomfortable all around. Also,
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
1.0
I read this book twice. The first time I went through it in three days, and didn’t think much of it. I actually thought it was an okay book, if not great. Then I reread it a month later with one major difference: I really took my time and paid attention to every word. That’s when I rated it one star and felt embarrassed that I had ever come remotely close to enjoying it.
As I am writing this, I am fifteen years old. Shatter Me is a completely age-appropriate book for me to be reading (from what I understand it’s 14+). I’m a sucker for dystopian series and the enemies to lovers trope. Also, I’m VERY easily influenced by BookTok. Once you put all these together, it’s obvious that the only way this review could be biased is if it was POSITIVE. And this is clearly not.
I hate the main character, Juliette, with a big, fat, fiery passion. I get it, she’s had a really terrible childhood. But that doesn’t excuse how whiny and stupid she is.
Juliette also has no agency. Considering how overpowered she is as a character, you’d think she’d be at least a little bit capable of making her own decisions. Nope! This book entirely consists of Juliette being bossed around by either Adam or Warner, and being shipped off to various facilities that try to unlock her “potential” or something.
Warner is an absolute jerk. I know a lot of people love him, and they say he gets better in the later books. However, every time Warner made an appearance, he gave me some really icky vibes. Just because he’s super hot (just like everyone else in this book), doesn’t excuse him being an absolute creep to Juliette. He also apparently doesn’t know what consent is.The only time I cheered on Juliette was when she shot him.
Adam is the most flat character I have ever encountered in a book. The only things you really have to know about him are that he has pretty eyes, and a weird obsession with protecting Juliette at all costs. She thinks it’s love. I think he’s mainly just using Juliette for sex and treating her like a baby (but I guess he’s not wrong there; she sure has the mental capacity of one.)
And then there’s Kenji. He’s alright, I guess, but his excessive use of the word “bro” and the like is not cute, just annoying. Other than that, he’s the only tolerable character.
All in all, if you enjoyed this book, that’s fine. Just don’t use your critical thinking skills while reading, because if you do, I have a feeling your opinion on Shatter Me will change alarmingly fast.
As I am writing this, I am fifteen years old. Shatter Me is a completely age-appropriate book for me to be reading (from what I understand it’s 14+). I’m a sucker for dystopian series and the enemies to lovers trope. Also, I’m VERY easily influenced by BookTok. Once you put all these together, it’s obvious that the only way this review could be biased is if it was POSITIVE. And this is clearly not.
I hate the main character, Juliette, with a big, fat, fiery passion. I get it, she’s had a really terrible childhood. But that doesn’t excuse how whiny and stupid she is.
Juliette also has no agency. Considering how overpowered she is as a character, you’d think she’d be at least a little bit capable of making her own decisions. Nope! This book entirely consists of Juliette being bossed around by either Adam or Warner, and being shipped off to various facilities that try to unlock her “potential” or something.
Warner is an absolute jerk. I know a lot of people love him, and they say he gets better in the later books. However, every time Warner made an appearance, he gave me some really icky vibes. Just because he’s super hot (just like everyone else in this book), doesn’t excuse him being an absolute creep to Juliette. He also apparently doesn’t know what consent is.
Adam is the most flat character I have ever encountered in a book. The only things you really have to know about him are that he has pretty eyes, and a weird obsession with protecting Juliette at all costs. She thinks it’s love. I think he’s mainly just using Juliette for sex and treating her like a baby (but I guess he’s not wrong there; she sure has the mental capacity of one.)
And then there’s Kenji. He’s alright, I guess, but his excessive use of the word “bro” and the like is not cute, just annoying. Other than that, he’s the only tolerable character.
All in all, if you enjoyed this book, that’s fine. Just don’t use your critical thinking skills while reading, because if you do, I have a feeling your opinion on Shatter Me will change alarmingly fast.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
3.25
I genuinely enjoyed this book. Although it doesn’t compare to the original Hunger Games trilogy, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a really fascinating read.
I wouldn’t say it was fun, though… and that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Admittedly, it took me a while to read and didn’t really grab my attention. But that’s the thing about reading: just because a book doesn’t have a super fast-paced storyline doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I know a bunch of people have been saying this, but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes isn’t really a villain origin story. Coriolanus was evil all along, and would have always chosen a position of power, no matter who he would need to hurt along the way.
I think it’s so great that Suzanne Collins created a villain like Coriolanus Snow. While reading this book, there are certain parts where you’ll find yourself thinking that Snow really isn’t all that bad. You feel compelled to root for him and relate to him on a deeper level than you would think. But despite all this, appearances can be deceiving. It’s pretty amazing how Collins managed to write Snow to be someone who is seemingly likeable, yet doesn’t have a tragic backstory to explain his actions. Snow chose this life, and he wanted it all along.
Overall, pretty cool book. It’s so refreshing to read a prequel as unique as this one.
I wouldn’t say it was fun, though… and that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Admittedly, it took me a while to read and didn’t really grab my attention. But that’s the thing about reading: just because a book doesn’t have a super fast-paced storyline doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I know a bunch of people have been saying this, but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes isn’t really a villain origin story. Coriolanus was evil all along, and would have always chosen a position of power, no matter who he would need to hurt along the way.
I think it’s so great that Suzanne Collins created a villain like Coriolanus Snow. While reading this book, there are certain parts where you’ll find yourself thinking that Snow really isn’t all that bad. You feel compelled to root for him and relate to him on a deeper level than you would think. But despite all this, appearances can be deceiving. It’s pretty amazing how Collins managed to write Snow to be someone who is seemingly likeable, yet doesn’t have a tragic backstory to explain his actions. Snow chose this life, and he wanted it all along.
Overall, pretty cool book. It’s so refreshing to read a prequel as unique as this one.