artmuseam's reviews
204 reviews

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. this heart pounding sequel put me through an insane emotional rollercoaster. one moment im crying, and then the next im falling in love all over again, and then im unable to breathe from fear of what is about to come. i absolutely loved how this book gave more of roman’s perspective this time rather than iris’s, as we already got from the first book. i was a bit skeptical at first when reading the synopsis, since i absolutely HATE memory wipe storylines and usually never want to continue books that go through that. but this story was different, with the memory wipe not being a main part of the story anymore by the time i got to the middle. once again, my heart broke several times at how raw and visceral the story was with the reality of war and how it changes people. by the time i finished reading, i was so sad because i couldn’t believe the story of iris and roman were over!! please tell me there will be more…two books will never be enough for me :( as much as i hate that this was a conclusion, im still so happy and grateful to have read this series and experienced adventure unlike anything else. 5/5 stars <3
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

this is probably one of the most confusing but extraordinary books i’ve ever come across. first, i particularly enjoyed the ways in which different storylines from various timelines all connected together through “easter eggs”, but i didn’t entirely understand the significance of how each storyline was connected to each other. i also didn’t like the storyline occurring in the middle. perhaps this is just me being uptight on my end, but when i read something that is difficult to decipher and takes a while to actually understand what the convoluted words are saying, i lose motivation to read on. in fact, i had to skim through that entire part just for the sake of finishing the story and seeing what happens in the end. i will say, however, that the other storylines were quite thrilling and kept me at the edge of my seat. when i noticed those easter eggs, i grew excited and wanted to find the significance—only to realize there wasn’t really one (unless i misread, or just completely skipped over it?) the concept itself was very interesting and the different writing styles (aside from the middle one) created a lively and visceral setting for the entire book. who knows, maybe i will have to give this a reread in the future to actually grasp it. this was definitely a confusing, thought provoking, and disoriented read that i weirdly enjoyed. 4.5/5 stars
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

this book was definitely one of the darkest and heaviest themes i faced when reading a historical-fantasy novel. while it had a fast-paced action sequence that had me hooked throughout the story, i was more interested in the character of rin and loved the challenge set by the author to decide whether i supported rin or not. i eventually found that answer later on, but i think this book wasn’t as compelling as i expected it to be for me to want to read the rest of the series. i still appreciated the grim realities of war that rf kuang did not shy away from within this book, as it serves as a reminder to the tragedies people had to face during those times. overall i would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in east asian history and fantasy. 4/5 stars
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

there’s nothing more that i love than reading through the eyes of some very questionable and psychotic beings. this book was definitely something i didn’t expect, considering that the only premises i had was that it involved elements of fantasy and dark academia. but the ideas of powers and how that can transform people?? and studying the ways in which a villain doesn’t seem like a villain if others are doing WAY worse? everything was so interesting and kept me hooked the entire time! i will say the ending felt a bit rushed, but i think it was written in that way to set up the plot for the next book—which i WILL be reading by the way!! i recommend this to anyone who loves villain stories/fantasy. 4/5 stars
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

still crying after i just finished reading this book :,) this was the first book i read written by tj klune and i definitely don’t think this will be my last. so much emotion and love and hope trapped into an adventure that left me glued to the book once it started. i loved this concept of robots in a whimsical world where machines find consciences and love…it was so well done. to my surprise, i became obsessed with every single character in this book—especially nurse ratched!! i can’t even count the amount of times she made me laugh but honestly she stole the show. and little rambo reminded me of a roomba vacuum and i thought that was so adorable! finally, vic and hap…i seriously want more of them. i am so sad that this book is over because i truly enjoyed joining this adventure with the characters and this book served as a reminder of how powerful love is. 5/5 stars :)
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

DAMN. i wish i read this book before i saw the film because wow…i absolutely loved this so much. i don’t know why the reviews aren’t as high for this book, but the slow descent of snow’s madness into evil and seeing everything happen through his messed up mind was SO WELL DONE. lots of lines stuck out to me and i couldn’t help but get excited at all the philosophy easter eggs thrown into here. i know this just seems like another hunger games story but i think in an analytical point of view, this character study was so interesting and fascinating to read. i definitely recommend this book to anyone who has not yet read it but seen the movie!! 5/5 stars
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

alright so i walked into this book with a LOT of expectations considering the hype around it and im not going to lie…it was just alright. i didn’t really like the narration style of the main character, violet, especially because she sounded more like an moody and angry 16 year old instead of the driven and determined 20 year old rider she was supposed to be. i think her character development was also pretty much expected, which made me not like her that much..the world building was overall great and easy to follow, and i liked how there were a lot of other characters that the readers got to meet so we weren’t just focusing so much on violet. now i will say this, (and some people might get mad) but the overall writing and story of this just sounded like it was written by a 14 year old kid writing fanfic on wattpad. i didn’t find the language engaging or poetic at all, nor did it have any level of maturity to it. just a bunch of f bombs thrown around and then very graphic sex scenes that kind of took me out of the book. the nickname thing too….CRINGE. CRINGE CRINGE CRINGE. every time i saw the nickname i audibly sighed out of annoyance. there were so many better ways for xaden to call violet a nickname and it just had to be that. the ending was also greatly expected and i felt like the actual climax of the story wasn’t very compelling. i was expecting to be at the edge of my seat, holding my breath, but the climax was pretty mid. the only thing i genuinely liked about this book was how fast-paced it was. other than that, not really sure why everyone hypes this book up so much. not my cup of tea :/ 3/5 stars
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Animal Farm by George Orwell

Go to review page

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

5.0

a short but reflective read that mimics the russian revolution through a collective group of farm animals. i wish i had read this book back when it was required for some high schools, as mine did not study this book, but having read it now still has left an impact on me. i think this is something that everyone should read at one point in their lives. 5/5 stars
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

i’m gonna be honest, i’m not entirely sure of what to make for reviewing this book. the beginning and the middle were so insanely slow that by the time i got to about a little over half the book, i  felt as if the plot had not advanced even an inch. the concept of this book had left me excited to read it, but the execution of it was starting to give me second thoughts. now i know that this is more of an underlying metaphor of grief instead of being an explicit scifi/speculative piece, but the mystery of leah after her return from the submarine and the changes she went through were too much to focus on rather than this metaphor. i felt like i was missing so many answers to questions i had, and the conclusion did not resolve these at all. the writing itself was quite beautiful and compelling, but the story’s plot barely existed and i was left disappointed by the end. 2.5/5 stars
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

HOLY. CRAP. where do i even start with this masterpiece? i genuinely did not expect this book to take me through an emotional rollercoaster with a romance that would leave me screaming in joy and weeping in despair at the same time. this ya fantasy novel left me unable to put it down as soon as i started it; i finished in two days! and of course, how can i ever miss an opportunity to read another beautiful enemies-to-lovers story? i really loved how ross crafted both the theme of love and war in such an intricate way that had me confused on how to specifically categorize this story, because one could say it was a romance while another could say it was an heartbreaking war story. i need the second book now or else i will literally combust. 5/5 stars!! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings