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anniestevens's reviews
118 reviews
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
one of my new favorite books. tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow tells a beautifully crafted story of how complex and complicated human relationships are and how how humans can love each other and, often, be in love with one another, but never lovers. this novel depicts friendship in a way that i truly don’t think i’ve ever really seen written in literature before—stunning, raw, and messy.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
it’s witty, fun, & romantic, casey mcquinston once again writes the perfect romance story to read when you’re in a rut.
the characters are so loveable & sweet & i honestly want to be friends with all of them. this is also the very first book i’ve read where there is a chinese main character, & as a chinese person myself, it really made my heart feel warm.
based off of her last novel, i did expect jane & august to get together, & call me heartless but i kind of wish they didn’t. don’t get me wrong! they’re connection, & relationship, i love, but i’m such a sucker for books where they don’t end up together.
the characters are so loveable & sweet & i honestly want to be friends with all of them. this is also the very first book i’ve read where there is a chinese main character, & as a chinese person myself, it really made my heart feel warm.
We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
there’s so much i want to say but i don’t even know where to begin.
honestly, this book was kind of boring, mediocre at best. through out the whole series i was team jeremiah until this book. he was just kinda and asshole & a shit boyfriend in my opinion. he didn’t take anything revolving the wedding seriously & belly is a better person than i am bc if he kept saying the stupid shit he was saying to her i’d be like “if marrying me is such a joke, why don’t i dump your ass and you can join the circus & act like the fucking clown you want to be.” just as i kept reading he continuously gave me the ick & i’m actually bummed abt that bc i rlly did like him.
i would have loved to seen more of belly & jeremiah’s relationship & the good part of it. most of the time it just felt awkward. & i can’t believe i’m saying this, but conrad was actually pretty tolerable in this book, some times. i will admit though the whole “i’m a fuck yo & bad for belly blah blah blah shit” was getting irritable but what ever.
the ending felt a little.. awkward to be honest. like honestly, i can’t imagine dating, hell, almost MARRYING a guy & then only a few years later, end up marrying his brother. i also do wish we could’ve seen some of conrad & belly’s relationship. it just felt kinda.. forced.
also, just the whole plot of the story just felt, odd. like really, you’re telling me these literal CHILDREN are getting married? she’s literally my age. ain’t no way in hell.
i did find it very sweet though how conrad kept writing to belly even though she never wrote him back, & then the one time she did—he kept the reply in his wallet. <3
honestly, this book was kind of boring, mediocre at best. through out the whole series i was team jeremiah until this book. he was just kinda and asshole & a shit boyfriend in my opinion. he didn’t take anything revolving the wedding seriously & belly is a better person than i am bc if he kept saying the stupid shit he was saying to her i’d be like “if marrying me is such a joke, why don’t i dump your ass and you can join the circus & act like the fucking clown you want to be.” just as i kept reading he continuously gave me the ick & i’m actually bummed abt that bc i rlly did like him.
i would have loved to seen more of belly & jeremiah’s relationship & the good part of it. most of the time it just felt awkward. & i can’t believe i’m saying this, but conrad was actually pretty tolerable in this book, some times. i will admit though the whole “i’m a fuck yo & bad for belly blah blah blah shit” was getting irritable but what ever.
the ending felt a little.. awkward to be honest. like honestly, i can’t imagine dating, hell, almost MARRYING a guy & then only a few years later, end up marrying his brother. i also do wish we could’ve seen some of conrad & belly’s relationship. it just felt kinda.. forced.
also, just the whole plot of the story just felt, odd. like really, you’re telling me these literal CHILDREN are getting married? she’s literally my age. ain’t no way in hell.
i did find it very sweet though how conrad kept writing to belly even though she never wrote him back, & then the one time she did—he kept the reply in his wallet. <3
It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
i’m really bummed honestly, especially how i felt after reading the first book.
the first book made me desire summer and crave summer. it gave me FOMO (lol) even though the characters weren’t real, i found myself yearning to be at cousins, on the beach with the boy and susannah. but this book… it’s the opposite. i understand with susannah’s death, the vibe & setting of the book will be different, but overall, i didn’t like it.
the pacing felt off, the timing felt off, & i just overall found the book pretty boring honestly. the characters felt pretty dull & lifeless & their personalities were as pleasant as soggy cardboard. the best part of this entire book was probably when laurel cussed out adam. which was about only a paragraph long. i was also looking forward to seeing more of her & jere’s relationship since i got a spoiler & knew they’d end up together in this book, but was disappointed to see how lifeless it was. they’re relationship felt forced & rushed & very ingenuine. i would’ve loved to see how they fostered their relationship & their feelings for one another:
in the end, i still found belly unlikeable & was unsatisfied until the bitter end.
the first book made me desire summer and crave summer. it gave me FOMO (lol) even though the characters weren’t real, i found myself yearning to be at cousins, on the beach with the boy and susannah. but this book… it’s the opposite. i understand with susannah’s death, the vibe & setting of the book will be different, but overall, i didn’t like it.
the pacing felt off, the timing felt off, & i just overall found the book pretty boring honestly. the characters felt pretty dull & lifeless & their personalities were as pleasant as soggy cardboard. the best part of this entire book was probably when laurel cussed out adam. which was about only a paragraph long. i was also looking forward to seeing more of her & jere’s relationship since i got a spoiler & knew they’d end up together in this book, but was disappointed to see how lifeless it was. they’re relationship felt forced & rushed & very ingenuine. i would’ve loved to see how they fostered their relationship & their feelings for one another:
in the end, i still found belly unlikeable & was unsatisfied until the bitter end.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
funny
inspiring
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
i honestly enjoyed this book a lot
more than i thought i would. it’s a wholesome, lighthearted, sweet romance that i think definitely deserves the praise it’s been getting. if you’re in a reading slump, this is the perfect book to help get you out of it. while reading, i also listened along to the audiobook—which i highly recommend doing. the voice actor, ramón de ocampo red truly a terrific job at brining alex to life & henry. i this this book is better with the audiobook, the witty, silly, and goofy parts were delivered perfectly & it really had me laughing out loud.
however, i understand that this book is fictional & is not supposed to be realistic, but i do find it sometimes a little too unrealistic. i’m all for love & love love, but the idea that it is supposed to be two major political figures definitely puts a kink in things. these are supposedly two very influential, important, powerful, & prominent people & things that normally would be seen as major crises & probably would cause international uproar, were portrayed as “minor inconveniences.” this book also portrays a very progressive & liberal world & even though i’d love that, realistically, that’s not true.
so i’m really 50/50. i think this book is easygoing & really does make me laugh, but sometimes it seems a little too fictional & overwhelming. i really liked that they tried to tackle every social issues but also, they tried to tackle every social issue. sometimes it got too much & this seemed too forced since they tried to solve every injustice within like 400 pages.
more than i thought i would. it’s a wholesome, lighthearted, sweet romance that i think definitely deserves the praise it’s been getting. if you’re in a reading slump, this is the perfect book to help get you out of it. while reading, i also listened along to the audiobook—which i highly recommend doing. the voice actor, ramón de ocampo red truly a terrific job at brining alex to life & henry. i this this book is better with the audiobook, the witty, silly, and goofy parts were delivered perfectly & it really had me laughing out loud.
however, i understand that this book is fictional & is not supposed to be realistic, but i do find it sometimes a little too unrealistic. i’m all for love & love love, but the idea that it is supposed to be two major political figures definitely puts a kink in things. these are supposedly two very influential, important, powerful, & prominent people & things that normally would be seen as major crises & probably would cause international uproar, were portrayed as “minor inconveniences.” this book also portrays a very progressive & liberal world & even though i’d love that, realistically, that’s not true.
so i’m really 50/50. i think this book is easygoing & really does make me laugh, but sometimes it seems a little too fictional & overwhelming. i really liked that they tried to tackle every social issues but also, they tried to tackle every social issue. sometimes it got too much & this seemed too forced since they tried to solve every injustice within like 400 pages.
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
i’ll love nick nelson & charlie spring forever
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i give this book a 3/5 stars. it’s not the best book i’ve ever read, but it also not bad.
i don’t really like the beach. the sand is itchy & hot & gets everywhere. when it’s windy & it gets fucking slashed against your legs it feels like i’m in a wood chipper. or when it’s blazing outside & the sand feels like it’s going to scold the bottoms of my feet, like who enjoys that? and the ocean, i don’t understand how the ocean is so close to us, it’s literally on our planet, but somehow, we’ve explored space more than the ocean. like how does that NOT freak anyone out? there’s for sure a fucking kraken or whatever in the ocean. and playing in it is juts UGH. i’m always scared i’m going to get sucked in by a riptide or fucking knocked out by a big ass wave. and when the water gets in your eyes and mouth—EW. but this book, & belly & the boys made me wish for an endless summer. they made me wish i enjoyed the ocean & the sun. i wanted to be with them running on the beach & splashing in the water. i think jenny han did an excellent job at making her readers desire the possibilities of summer.
okay, now what i disliked about it is i thought belly was so annoying. and don’t get me wrong, i like reading about unlikeable characters, but she’s just so… irritating. and i know, i know she’s only 15 & she’s young & immature, &… honestly i was annoying at 15 too so i can’t give her too much crap, but her obsession over conrad was just giving me a migraine honestly. like how have you liked him for THAT long. at this point it’s got to be a disease, now i’ve never had a first love, so maybe it is like that—intense & irrational but there’s nothing you can do about it. it’s just UGH he was a little shit this whole book. i know, i know, he was suffering, but goddamn i know people who are suffering too & they don’t act like little shits conrad. sometimes i just wanted to CLOCK him.
and honestly,
i really didn’t like that she “ended up” with conrad. i liked cam, he was a goo match, i loved jeremiah too. honesty, anyone but conrad. i’m sorry but when laurel said “conrad’s being a little shit” i actually never agreed with anything more.
i don’t really like the beach. the sand is itchy & hot & gets everywhere. when it’s windy & it gets fucking slashed against your legs it feels like i’m in a wood chipper. or when it’s blazing outside & the sand feels like it’s going to scold the bottoms of my feet, like who enjoys that? and the ocean, i don’t understand how the ocean is so close to us, it’s literally on our planet, but somehow, we’ve explored space more than the ocean. like how does that NOT freak anyone out? there’s for sure a fucking kraken or whatever in the ocean. and playing in it is juts UGH. i’m always scared i’m going to get sucked in by a riptide or fucking knocked out by a big ass wave. and when the water gets in your eyes and mouth—EW. but this book, & belly & the boys made me wish for an endless summer. they made me wish i enjoyed the ocean & the sun. i wanted to be with them running on the beach & splashing in the water. i think jenny han did an excellent job at making her readers desire the possibilities of summer.
okay, now what i disliked about it is i thought belly was so annoying. and don’t get me wrong, i like reading about unlikeable characters, but she’s just so… irritating. and i know, i know she’s only 15 & she’s young & immature, &… honestly i was annoying at 15 too so i can’t give her too much crap, but her obsession over conrad was just giving me a migraine honestly. like how have you liked him for THAT long. at this point it’s got to be a disease, now i’ve never had a first love, so maybe it is like that—intense & irrational but there’s nothing you can do about it. it’s just UGH he was a little shit this whole book. i know, i know, he was suffering, but goddamn i know people who are suffering too & they don’t act like little shits conrad. sometimes i just wanted to CLOCK him.
i really didn’t like that she “ended up” with conrad. i liked cam, he was a goo match, i loved jeremiah too. honesty, anyone but conrad. i’m sorry but when laurel said “conrad’s being a little shit” i actually never agreed with anything more.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
beautiful, heart wrenching, and emotional. a story of self-acceptance, & coming of age. releasing, that people, & humans are ultimately going to disappoint us, & there is no use of yearning for the past & for things we never had.