aprilyang1's reviews
96 reviews

Wildfire by Hannah Grace

funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Having read Icebreaker and thinking it was good but not great, I thought Wildfire would follow suit, but I was actually really surprised. There were details about Russ that reminded me of my own bf and Aurora for myself (less on my part, but I’m going to argue they were smaller characteristics lol). It felt like I was able to look into my own relationship a bit. I also think Grace did a great job keeping cohesive characteristics despite the alternating character chapters.

One things for sure… this book is not timeless 😅 there are some physically cringe moments and questionable dialogue, which originally had me rating this a 4/4.5, but the raw and real emotions that I felt and that were exhibited between Russ and Aurora made up for it all. The realisticness of each situation, how they reacted, who they turned to, what the outcomes were… it all just felt right. I felt like this story focused  on that emotional connection and complexity while still being spicyyy 🌶️ 

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

slow-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

1.5

I liked a couple things about this book, but I disliked a lot more. The concept was great with the heist and stealing back art that was originally stolen. I loved that. The topics about diaspora, museums contributing to the trafficking of stolen art, struggles children of immigrants go through and all that were interesting. But, there was no depth. The story was shallow with no real details or characterization. Each character was so interchangeable they all were essentially the same person if you took away the external details or situations that made them different. It didn’t help that the writing was so… repetitive and unnecessary. The amount of times the word “sky”, “Durham”, and “wind” repeated itself made me want to cry. The characters all seemed to suddenly remember how the wind felt or how the sky looked when they did the most mundane thing. I couldn’t forget that they went to China two months ago or how the cold November nights felt even if I wanted to because they wouldn’t let me.

This book was also less about the heists and more about the struggles of the characters. I mean, listen, as a child of immigrants myself I get it. I understand almost every struggle the characters voiced. I understand the struggle of choosing a career that’s worth what your parents went through, feeling not good enough for either country you identify with, and even wanting to be great at everything because you have the privilege your ancestors couldn’t even imagine, but really? The reason you’re going to risk going to jail for robbing these museums is because you want a change? because you’re bored with life? It just doesn’t feel like it is a strong enough reason or even a good reason. 

I could really go on and on about little things I didn’t understand or things I didn’t like (like why was Daniel even needed for his nimble lock-picking abilities if he was going to use a bat to break the glass case open..?), but we might be here forever. I mean, like I said, the concept of the book is amazing and the conversations between Daniel and his dad tugged on my heartstrings, but overall… I can’t say I enjoyed this book. I liked the second heist, but nothing before or after. That being said, I’m rating this a 1.5 out of 5 stars. the .5 for the concept & the less than 10 pages I enjoyed. 

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark 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

4.5

I know that a lot of people did not like this book or were disappointed in it, but I absolutely loved it??

More than anything this book felt like a mind game. The whole time I felt like I was battling with myself because despite how I saw Coriolanus as a boy I’m reminded of  who he ultimately became. It’s like an internal battle as I remember that he IS an evil character no matter how much I want him to make better choices. I have so many deeper thoughts and “what if” feelings (like how would he have turned out if he wasn’t “groomed” or “manipulated” to have a specific way of thinking?, how could exposure have positively influenced his ignorance?, etc.) but I won’t go into too much detail. 

I think there is some similarity in how Collins writes her characters within this world. Similar to Katniss, Coriolanus struggles between that boundary of good and evil. However, unlike Katniss you can see how he is more in tune with that evil and corrupt side. He’s selfish, self-centered, insecure, and most importantly, a narcissist (he’s crazy!). But, at the same time he shows inklings of some sort of morality (albeit usually motivated by selfish reasons). It’s an interesting dynamic, especially since you already know his outcome. Another thing I found interesting was the interactions between capitol student mentors and the tributes. It was a dynamic that we didn’t see in the original hunger games.

I felt like this was such an interesting story and made me teeter between the lines like Katniss and Snow. It was something new of sorts. In my opinion, Collins managed to take a concept/storyline we’re all familiar with and make it deeper and more complex.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny 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

4.0

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring 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? No

4.0

“But I can make a choice. I can choose to love you still. I can choose to love the person you are now.”

-

A touching story of a human who lives among robots dreaming of nothing more than to live a simple life with those he loves most. TJ Klune somehow creates a story that is simultaneously complex yet simple, funny yet dark, and heartwarming yet heartbreaking. While it slowed a bit in the middle, the overall story really did a number on my heart. It makes you think about whether there is a clear good and evil. Is forgiveness for past mistakes possible? Does it only happen when your current choices reflect a change? Victor's adventure really provokes strong emotions, and the ending leaves a complicated feeling of contentment coupled with emptiness. An absolutely beautiful story.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

adventurous 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

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

adventurous slow-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? No

3.0

This is… a bit tricky. The first 60ish% of the book was a real struggle for me. In the beginning, stakes didn’t seem high enough. With Inez in Egypt, the story seemed to stall with dinners and repetitive back-and-forth conversations. On top of that, the characters weren't very likable (at least in the beginning), making it hard for me to stay with the story. Seriously, every description of Whit seemed to involve his arms crossed and him leaning against something 😩. Lucky for me, everything took a turn for the better towards the middle/end—the romance, characters, stakes, decisions, action, and magic.

All this to say, the last 30-40% were amazing!! I mean despite how much I did not really enjoy the beginning, the last bit of the story literally changed my mind and convinced me that I NEED to read the second book. The stakes were high, the characters were better developed, it flowed naturally, and decisions felt like it made sense. So, take that as you will! 😅

3 ⭐️ because the ending, plot twists, and romance, especially towards the end, were top-notch. 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0