anjoureadsbooks's reviews
77 reviews

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This is a brilliant and phenomenal read. It’s a YA fantasy that draws deeply from west African mythology and it features Yoruba gods, language and culture. It is a layered story of oppression, marginalization and the journey to freedom. The world building and the magic system is really great and easy to understand. The world is loosely parallel to Nigeria in the sense that majority of the states were incorporated into this world. 

I quite like the characters(except one person). I truly loved reading the different POVs. Each one added something to the story.

Zélie is a young girl who has gone through so much trauma and she really just wants to protect herself and her family but ends up having a greater responsibility of protecting and liberating her people. She doesn’t have everything figured out. She struggles and pushes her limits and learns. I love her so much. She’s my favorite.

Tzain, her brother is also one of my favorites. He’s loving and caring and protective.

Amari, the princess is a character whose development I also really enjoyed. She went from a cowering, people pleaser to a more brave, bolder, self assured person. She’s still growing and I’m looking forward to seeing her grow even more.

Inan is one of the most complex characters in this book. I have a love-hate relationship with him. He has a lot of inner struggles. His POVs were actually quite interesting to read. He’s been conditioned to believe so many things and unlearning is hard for him. He also craves his father’s approval so he wrestles a lot between right and wrong. 
He hardly stands on business, changes his mind too easily, he’s fickle and not as brave as his sister. And by the end of this book, I hated his guts. 
Overrall, most of these characters struggle with a lot of things. Their beliefs are challenged and you pretty much understand each person’s perspective.

I’m really excited to read the sequel and seeing the characters continue their journey.


Notes:
-Re: Worldbuilding: I do wish there was more language/tribe diversity. But I’ll allow it and excuse because it is fantasy.

-The romance was slightly rushed but I consider it necessary so it’s okay.

A Broken People's Playlist by Chimeka Garricks

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Rent: Paid in Full by Jesse H Reign

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

adventurous funny relaxing

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

3.5

This is a very simple, light hearted and easy to grasp story with low stakes. Perfect for people who are new to Sci-Fi.
I loved the introduction of ART into SecUnit’s journey. Enjoyed hearing him interact with other humans for work. Story had a slow start but I enjoyed it regardless.

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

dark emotional hopeful informative lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Don't Leave Me by Eden Emory

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Saint by Sierra Simone

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was so much better than the first two books (Priest and Sinner).
Actually it’s the best in the series.

I love everything about this story but here are a few I want to highlight:
-The angst. My heart was aching for the both of them so bad omgggg.
-They way mental health was handled with so much care.
-The healthy mix of sweet and spicy. Compared to Priest, the spice wasn’t excessive and each time it happened, it was actually necessary to the plot.
-The commentary around religion and secular life, the culture of shame and control. I really love how it was discussed.
-The ending was perfect as well. I loved how things were resolved. It was just wonderful. Tugged at my heartstrings.🥹😭♥️

PS: Check your trigger warnings before starting this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Suicide and Death of parent

Sinner by Sierra Simone

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I enjoyed this. It had more depth than the first book. I appreciated the commentary on racism, religion, purity culture, and philanthropy. I loved the spice as well. I loved the fact that they had a happy ending, I just don’t like the way it was done. I also wish we had Zenny’s POV.  But overall, it’s a really good read. If you like age gap and you don’t mind forbidden romance with religious taboo vibes, you’ll love this.

The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

funny relaxing fast-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? No

3.5

The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo

emotional funny reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

3.75