aprilyang1's reviews
96 reviews

Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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 holds a special place in my heart because it is the first time I truly felt represented in a book. The Hmong as a community often go unnoticed, unless you're from an area with a prominent Hmong community. Lori M. Lee's work is groundbreaking as one of the first, if not the first, Hmong authors to feature a Hmong character, endorsed by someone as influential as Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series). It's a feat I never even thought possible. Through Pahua Moua, Lori showcases that we are more than the stereotypes imposed upon us and more than our physical appearance.

Pahua is an exceptional character, embodying strength, confidence, and vulnerability all at the same time. She reminded me of myself so much it’s actually a little crazy. Lori does such a great job building the background to Pahua’s life and personal struggles while also creating this magical world that emulates Hmong culture. I found myself wondering how non-Hmong readers envisioned this world and Pahua’s experiences because it just felt so relatable to what I know and what I’ve experienced. I think everyone should read this book, no matter how old you are, to learn something new about other people and maybe even discover something about themselves.

Also, I want to point out that there have been two distinct moments where I felt truly represented and proud to be Asian: after watching 'Crazy Rich Asians' and reading the first few chapters of this book.

I truly truly hope that this series can become more known and readers can enjoy this series as much as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson 🫶🏻

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake

adventurous emotional funny 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

4.5

As expected, this was such a good book! I mean, Kendare Blake does not let me down. I can't stop thinking about Reed and the other Aristene even though it’s been days after I finished it. Although the start felt a bit slow, the whole premise alone kept me going and could’ve kept me going regardless of how I felt. The descriptions, the plot, the suspense, the fighting… it was all so *chefs kiss*. Honestly, I thought the slower beginning helped build up the story really well, so I did not mind it and appreciated it so much as I kept reading. 

I really loved the friendship between Reed, Lyonene, and Gretchen. They had each other's backs while balancing what's right for themselves and the greater good. It was heartwarming to see. Reading this book made me realize that not every nice girl in a story has to turn out to be a backstabber lol It’s truly crazy how many books and movies show girls backstabbing other girls after being nice or pretending to be nice. Of course, none of the girls were perfect and had their humaness, but in the end they stuck by each other. 

Without spoiling the ending, I do want to say, I love the ending even though it’s not the choice I found myself wanting Reed to choose in the moment. That is to say, I’m not sure I would’ve really been happy had Reed gone towards the direction I was rooting for 🤷🏻‍♀️ ? All this vague beating around the bush to say, when I compare to Blake’s Three Dark Crown series, I find it so interesting how she can make us understand and fleshes out choices that might’ve been different from what we would’ve chosen.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

funny lighthearted 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

I love how I could empathize with both Colin and Penelope. Penelope, often overlooked by society, has grown used to her wallflower status because of societal constraints. Despite her intelligence and inner strength, she can't even begin to believe someone like Colin could have romantic feelings for her. Colin, on the other hand, struggles with feeling inadequate compared to his older siblings despite appearing to have everything he could ever want, a feeling I can relate to as a younger sibling.

I think their relationship complements each other's strengths and vulnerabilities. I know some say Colin makes “dumb” choices, but I think they reflect his internal struggle and confusion. Going from viewing Penelope as a friend to something more should be challenging and uncertain. I mean, this is someone you have seen as a friend or friend of your younger sister for 10+ years… it would be difficult when all the sudden you are starting to see them in a different light. Did I feel like Colin was forceful and demanding and hiding behind a “joke” or being “mischievous”? Yes *eye twitch*. But, we pick our battles with these books lol.

Something that can NEVER do me wrong is the Bridgerton family dynamic! Hyacinth, Eloise, and Violet bring so much joy to the story. I also loved getting the little snippet with Daphne as well. Although Benedict and Sophie's story was more thrilling for me, each chapter's mini cliffhangers kept me saying “ok one more chapter” too many times. I’m super excited to see how Netflix takes this story and makes it their own!

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

funny lighthearted 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

5.0

Yes, the characters are flawed (I’m talking to you Benedict), but at the same time we have to remember the era and, I think, we have to acknowledge the growth. Sure, Benedict was teetering between manipulative and respectable, but he was also someone who saw his faults, understood his wrongs, and tried to right them. 

Beyond that, the story was just so fun. I loved the Cinderella parallel, the banter between Benedict & Sophie was cute and had me kicking my feet and squealing at my walls, Violet Bridgerton & her daughters were such a joy to read about, and Sophie was honestly a bit of fresh air. Sophie was strong, but at the same time a little insecure. She was strong in her morals & beliefs, but also faltered (because she’s human). She was independent and could take care of herself, but she was also a woman in love (and sometimes that involved wanting to be saved my a man 🤷🏻‍♀️). She wasn’t too perfectly like this or too perfectly like that, she was just a woman. And Benedict, while skewed in some of his ways, was just a man. Both of them, products of the society they were born in, but somehow made it work for each other. 

Definitely my favorite Bridgerton story as of right now. 

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas (Light Novel) by Yoru Sumino

emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

Honestly, a bit of a surprise I liked this as much as I did. A beautiful reminder that no one is living on promised time, no one is guaranteed tomorrow, none of us know exactly how we will leave this Earth, and no one can ever be prepared. It was quick, touching, simple, witty, and yet the message was so clear. 

While it is your classic boy meets sick girl story, it’s simultaneously so much more. Another review used the term “life-affirming” and… I think that word encompasses this story while also not describing it to the full extent. You’ll sit there and think you know what is going to happen and how you’ll feel by the end of the book, but I don’t think you’ll actually be ready. I mean yes, it is exactly what you think it is, but it goes so much deeper than that. Even though things might not accurately translate from Japanese to English in the way Sumino might have anticipated, there is so much depth. Sumino takes you on an emotional journey of doubt, self-realization, love, acceptance, growth, and more while keeping the story short, suspenseful, and emotional.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

dark emotional inspiring sad 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? Yes

5.0

I’ve sat with my emotions and thoughts about this book for a while and I’ve written and deleted a million words, but I still can’t seem to come up with anything that truly represents what this book has done. Katouh’s word choice, her description, her absolute creative ability to make us feel as if we were there with Salama throughout the entire story is absolutely incredible. Yes, this is historical fiction, but this is closer to reality for many people. Real people who have dreams and goals and desires.

I don’t know what else to say or how to say it, so I’ll just leave you with Katouh’s words, “Syrians have rarely been able to tell their stories. What the world knows are the cold, hard facts reported by the media and relayed in books. The focus is on the political parties at play, reducing Syrians—the casualties, the victims, the orphans, the displaced—to numbers. This novel delves into the human emotion behind the conflict, because we are not numbers. For years Syrians have been tortured, murdered, and banished from their country at the hands of a tyrannical regime, and we owe it to them to know their stories. I wanted this story to exist free from the confinements of stereotypes.” She continues, “But, despite the atrocities, my characters have to face I hope you see them as more than their trauma. They represent every Syrian out there with hopes and dreams, and a life to live. We are owed that life. This book was very difficult to write, but I tried to leave one message through every page, every line, and every letter. That message is hope. And I hope you, carry it your heart.”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Death of parent, War

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

The second book in the Spin the Dawn duology by Elizabeth Lim AND my second buddy read with my boyfriend! We both read Spin the Dawn around the time I started this bookstagram actually. It's a bit funny (at least to us, or maybe just me, lol). Turns out, he enjoyed the first book more, and I thought it was good but not great. On the hand, I totally loved the second book, and he found it good but not great!

I absolutely loved this journey. For me, it was so addicting. I had that “on the edge of my seat” feeling because of how high stakes it felt. The romance felt more authentic and developed compared to the first book and the world's complexity felt deeper with elements like powers, oaths, and amulets.

Some might say (some being my bf lol) that it got a bit repetitive, causing it to drag, and there were a few inconsistencies. BUT who cares? The story, overall, was just so good! It hit me right in the feels, had me bawling my eyes out, made my heart ache, yet left me feeling content.

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.5

I really, desperately even, wanted to like this book. My first cowboy romance and honestly, I was a bit let down. I’m not someone who dislikes the insta attraction trope or even best friends brother trope, but this was just too cringe and too much for me. The entirety of the initial romance was 100% physical sexual attraction. There was no emotional or any other kind of connection, no matter how much Luke & Emmy tried to convince themselves or us. Their objectification of each other, mainly Luke towards Emmy, was also… icky feeling. Luke talked about Emmy like she was an object and he was constantly trying to make her “mine”. 

Also, can we PLEASE talk about how he did a huge romantic gesture with his horse in a field, just to say something about the day she walked into his bar wearing the skirt she wore?? All that just to talk about what she was wearing and not even who she was… 

Anyway, I love the cowboy concept and the ranch idea. But, unfortunately, maybe it was just how this was written. I still want to try another cowboy romance and maybe I’ll even try the second book because I loved Wes.

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.0

I was pretty excited for this book, but it did not live up to my expectations. I loved the concept of it, but I felt like it wasn’t executed the way I excepted it or needed it to. 

A major reason I didn’t love it was because it felt superficial and stereotypical. The characters could have been so much more complex if they were fleshed out more. Everything felt very surface level and childish. There were so many details I wish the authors went into more but didn’t and it felt unfinished and unsatisfying. The characters who were apart of the sex industry also felt very stereotypical, almost as if that aspect was their whole personality. Also, Bee and Nolan are grown adults… yet every choice felt very high school romance. I wish Bee had more of character development arc because it felt like a majority of the end relied on Nolan’s decisions. Bee was claiming she no longer wanted to be a certain type of way when it came to her relationships, yet she allowed the same thing to repeat just because of Nolan.

However, despite all the things I did not enjoy, this book was extremely sex positive. It just felt reassuring and supportive in so many ways. It was interesting because I’ve never read anything with this sort of representation. Did the characters in the sex industry feel a little stereotypical? Yes… but there were aspects I could appreciate. 

I enjoyed the ending and the concept, but was definitely disappointed.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

4.0