ashleyreads88's reviews
593 reviews

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

I feel like The Weight of Blood is such an important book.  It shows how racism and identity shape somebody.  Maddy, while going to school lived a somewhat sheltered life, she wasn't allowed to be her true self. 

She was bullied by her classmates and abused by her father.

I loved Maddy and Kenny, and how their relationship developed.  I loved the inclusion of the podcast, and how it was unique and added to the story.  The Weight of Blood is a book that needs to be read.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

After reading The Summer I Turned Pretty, I realized it is without a doubt the quintessential summer book.  I loved Belly as a character, and her relationship with Susannah, Jeremiah, and Conrad.  At times I didn't like Taylor, I felt that she gave off mean-girl vibes.  I loved how Conrad and Jeremiah were just as protective of Belly as Stephen was.  I truly loved reading this book. 

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

Alex Approximately was a fun book to read.  I loved Bailey's relationship with her dad and the relationships she formed at her summer job at the Cavern Palace.  I felt that all the characters were well-written.  I loved the romance, how there were rough patches, and

how Bailey and Porter overcame them.  However, early on, I put together that Porter was actually Alex even before the reveal,

but it did not take away from me enjoying the story.

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

I loved this book especially how Zorie loves astronomy.  I loved the best friends to best enemies to best friends again to lovers trope.  I also loved the friendships and the complex family dynamic.  Starry Eyes wasn't short on the drama either.  The Romeo and Juliet vibes made the story exciting.  This was such a fun, adventurous read and I enjoyed reading it.

Second Chance Hero by Kimberly Readnour

emotional fast-paced

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

First things first, I loved the baseball aspect of the story, as baseball is my favorite sport to watch.  I also loved the second-chance romance between Zach and Lacey, I loved Zach's relationship with Zoe it was wicked cute.  I enjoyed reading this book.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

Having read and loved The Hate U Give and On The Come Up, I knew I would love Concrete Rose.  Concrete Rose is a prequel to The Hate U Give.  I loved Maverick's back story and how much he grew as a character.  I loved his relationship with the Wyatts, his mother, Lisa, and how he wanted to be better.  Concrete Rose is a great coming of age story and I highly recommend it.

Night by Elie Wiesel

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Night, while a short book is heavy.  It's heartbreaking.  It was at times difficult to read due to the topic.  Night is a first-hand account of a father and son's experiences at Auschwitz and Buchenwald.  I can't even imagine the horrors that Elie and others went through.  I am so happy that I finally read this book, I learned a lot from reading it.  Night put things into perspective.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

slow-paced

I don't think I read this book at the right time for me.  I will give it another chance in the future when I'm ready to read it.

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

fast-paced

I loved reading these poems, they were beautifully written, heartbreaking, honest, and hopeful.

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

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

Did I enjoy this book? Yes.  I enjoyed the magic aspect and felt that it was easy to understand.  I also loved how Nastya cared for her brother.  The romance was sweet and I loved how it developed.  This book was an interesting take on the tale of the Romanovs.