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bookedwithsylvia's reviews
96 reviews
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So I am going to start by saying I had this book for MONTHS before I actually decided I wanted to read it and now it is by far one of my favorites. I have my Bachelors in Psychology (minored in Sociology) and just got accepted into a Counseling Psychology program đ⨠and this book just gave what it needed to give!
It was a bit confusing to understand at first but everything made sense at the end and it was mind blowing! I was so into how theo faber was telling the story it was as if I was walking in his shoes! so many of the things he said regarding why people go into the field of psychology made me think âis the author reading my mind?!â Of course i love psychology and I want to help people but you just have to read this book to know what I mean haha.
My only wish was that it didnât leave off at a cliffhanger! But I figured this is one of those books that you just gotta make of it what you will when it comes to the ending. I actually read this book through audiobook but I will definitely pick it up again and read the physical copy just to dive back into it just to analyze it better and see if I missed anything the first time around :)
I personally think this book wasnât too slow or too fast, it introduced everything when it needed to be introduced and it was just a very solid book in my opinion.
It was a bit confusing to understand at first but everything made sense at the end and it was mind blowing! I was so into how theo faber was telling the story it was as if I was walking in his shoes! so many of the things he said regarding why people go into the field of psychology made me think âis the author reading my mind?!â Of course i love psychology and I want to help people but you just have to read this book to know what I mean haha.
My only wish was that it didnât leave off at a cliffhanger! But I figured this is one of those books that you just gotta make of it what you will when it comes to the ending. I actually read this book through audiobook but I will definitely pick it up again and read the physical copy just to dive back into it just to analyze it better and see if I missed anything the first time around :)
I personally think this book wasnât too slow or too fast, it introduced everything when it needed to be introduced and it was just a very solid book in my opinion.
Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
4.0
When I was in high school I read a book that was also set in a psychiatric facility, so as soon as I read the synopsis for this book at my local Barnes and Noble I knew I had to read it. I also have my B.A. in Psychology so this book was a must for me to read.
Suicide Notes was humorous but at the same time brought to light very serious issues and it had that great balance without making it too awkward or cringy.
Jeff was a character that you wonât be able to stop yourself from caring for him. Throughout the book I just wanted him to understand himself better and learn that his family and the doctor only had his best interest in mind. This book is emotional and tackles very hard subjects so make sure you check trigger warnings or do some research on it before reading it.
Overall I think the Jeffâs journey of discovering more about himself and realizing who he is was refreshing in a âwe need more books like thisâ kind of way. So i definitely recommend it if youâre a part of the LGBTQ+ community and need reassurance that you are perfect just the way you are!
Suicide Notes was humorous but at the same time brought to light very serious issues and it had that great balance without making it too awkward or cringy.
Jeff was a character that you wonât be able to stop yourself from caring for him. Throughout the book I just wanted him to understand himself better and learn that his family and the doctor only had his best interest in mind. This book is emotional and tackles very hard subjects so make sure you check trigger warnings or do some research on it before reading it.
Overall I think the Jeffâs journey of discovering more about himself and realizing who he is was refreshing in a âwe need more books like thisâ kind of way. So i definitely recommend it if youâre a part of the LGBTQ+ community and need reassurance that you are perfect just the way you are!
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
5.0
The Heart Principle single handedly took me out of my reading slump! This book was just what I needed and it was such a beautiful read.
Sometimes itâs kind of hard to love the female character because as a female I tend to be a bit picky when it comes to the female main characters but Anna was written to perfection! I love her in every way, there was nothing that I can point out that I didnât like and every time her family said something mean to her I immediately got upset and wanted to defend her!
As for Quan he was just as perfect, my first book boyfriend of the year and although it is now April I still think heâs my favorite book boyfriend lol and Iâve read quite a few books since then because as I said this book fixed my whole reading slump dilemma and heâs still on top. The next month I read 12 books which in comparison to January and February was a huge improvement haha.
Although I accidentally read The Kiss Quotient series out of order and started with the heart principle I 100% recommend starting the series this way because meeting Quan first and then reading more about him in other books just gave me butterflies each and every time!
Sometimes itâs kind of hard to love the female character because as a female I tend to be a bit picky when it comes to the female main characters but Anna was written to perfection! I love her in every way, there was nothing that I can point out that I didnât like and every time her family said something mean to her I immediately got upset and wanted to defend her!
As for Quan he was just as perfect, my first book boyfriend of the year and although it is now April I still think heâs my favorite book boyfriend lol and Iâve read quite a few books since then because as I said this book fixed my whole reading slump dilemma and heâs still on top. The next month I read 12 books which in comparison to January and February was a huge improvement haha.
Although I accidentally read The Kiss Quotient series out of order and started with the heart principle I 100% recommend starting the series this way because meeting Quan first and then reading more about him in other books just gave me butterflies each and every time!
The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I went back and forth between my rating of this book because it was just so hard! I loved Rowans character development and his personality overall even the asshole parts haha he was just great for me.
Zahra was amazing, in so many aspects. The way that she is just there for people was kind of familiar to how I try to be but also reminded me that itâs ok to ask for help when I need it, so to me Zahra has a special place in my heart!
I was extremely happy to see a diverse set of characters with the inclusion of disabilities that to me was beautiful â¤ď¸ as well as mental health conversations :)
The introductions of the Kane brothers was amazing with a little taste of whatâs to come in Terms and Conditions! Which i have yet to read but will get to it soon I promise! some chapters just seemed to mellow to me as an I didnât enjoy them as much as others which is really just a matter of opinion but the book itself was so great and made me laugh as well as cry which is exactly how I like my book experiences to be!
⢠Grumpy/sunshine
⢠Workplace romance
⢠Billionaire romance
Zahra was amazing, in so many aspects. The way that she is just there for people was kind of familiar to how I try to be but also reminded me that itâs ok to ask for help when I need it, so to me Zahra has a special place in my heart!
I was extremely happy to see a diverse set of characters with the inclusion of disabilities that to me was beautiful â¤ď¸ as well as mental health conversations :)
The introductions of the Kane brothers was amazing with a little taste of whatâs to come in Terms and Conditions! Which i have yet to read but will get to it soon I promise! some chapters just seemed to mellow to me as an I didnât enjoy them as much as others which is really just a matter of opinion but the book itself was so great and made me laugh as well as cry which is exactly how I like my book experiences to be!
⢠Grumpy/sunshine
⢠Workplace romance
⢠Billionaire romance
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Personally the book was hard to get into which is why I rated a 4.5 it was just a bit too slow for me in the beginning. But I stayed with it and refused to not finish it, to help me I followed it along with the audiobook and let me just say the audiobook was beautiful! The book itself was also amazingly written and I could really imagine the story with the combination of the physical copy and the audiobook.
I felt for Addie and the life she lived with nobody remembering her, as people we crave and want social interaction which was something she didnât really have. Only one she could interact with was Luc but he didnât make it easy, as someone that typically likes the bad guys it was hard to like him.
Eventually I did like him but it was towards the end and that still didnât change that I was rooting more for Henry lol cause Henry was just better at expressing his feelings for Addie.
The ending was more of a cliffhanger which made me cry but overall the book was full of adventure and it had a lot of valuable lessons in it.
I felt for Addie and the life she lived with nobody remembering her, as people we crave and want social interaction which was something she didnât really have. Only one she could interact with was Luc but he didnât make it easy, as someone that typically likes the bad guys it was hard to like him.
Eventually I did like him but it was towards the end and that still didnât change that I was rooting more for Henry lol cause Henry was just better at expressing his feelings for Addie.
The ending was more of a cliffhanger which made me cry but overall the book was full of adventure and it had a lot of valuable lessons in it.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
5.0
As an immigrant this book was super touching to me. I did come to the United States at a younger age and in different circumstances of course but having to learn how to navigate in this country was hectic and I can definitely still relate to Esme in that aspect.
Khai quickly became one of my favorite book boyfriends because after getting to understand him better it wasnât hard to love him. He deeply cared for others he just didnât realize that he did it in a different way and just seeing his character development had me sobbing in the middle of the night.
The Bride Test broke my heart and put it back together all in one night and I still think about Khai at random times of the day itâs really unbelievable how the Diep brothers are able to stay at the top of my book boyfriend list.
Khai quickly became one of my favorite book boyfriends because after getting to understand him better it wasnât hard to love him. He deeply cared for others he just didnât realize that he did it in a different way and just seeing his character development had me sobbing in the middle of the night.
The Bride Test broke my heart and put it back together all in one night and I still think about Khai at random times of the day itâs really unbelievable how the Diep brothers are able to stay at the top of my book boyfriend list.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Alright so I must admit I have had this book since January but I definitely think I have been missing out and shouldâve read it sooner! I know that not everybody is going to enjoy the same books I do because of varying experiences but I really enjoyed this one.
The only thing I had a really hard time with was the point of view as well as the sudden changes into Oliveâs thoughts, but I loved the banter they had going on it felt really natural to read and the way their relationship developed wasnât all that awkward for me. I know the sudden kiss in the beginning mightâve not been everybodyâs favorite thing but every story has to start somehow and in this case it was just a very fun and sudden start which I found exciting.
Something I found really neat was the little hypothesis statements at the beginning of each chapter! Also a bit of information some of yâall might want to know is that there is a bonus of chapter 16 in Adamâs pov đĽľđś
Donât worry I am going to tell you how to get to it! All you have to do is go to Ali Hazelwoodâs Instagram profile and click the link, it is so easy! But if that doesnât work for some reason you can just search it up in google âThe Love Hypothesis Adamâs pov chapter 16â or anything along those lines and itâll take you to her newsletter in which you just have to navigate it and get it sent to your email after having signed up to her newsletter! happy reading â¤ď¸
The only thing I had a really hard time with was the point of view as well as the sudden changes into Oliveâs thoughts, but I loved the banter they had going on it felt really natural to read and the way their relationship developed wasnât all that awkward for me. I know the sudden kiss in the beginning mightâve not been everybodyâs favorite thing but every story has to start somehow and in this case it was just a very fun and sudden start which I found exciting.
Something I found really neat was the little hypothesis statements at the beginning of each chapter! Also a bit of information some of yâall might want to know is that there is a bonus of chapter 16 in Adamâs pov đĽľđś
Donât worry I am going to tell you how to get to it! All you have to do is go to Ali Hazelwoodâs Instagram profile and click the link, it is so easy! But if that doesnât work for some reason you can just search it up in google âThe Love Hypothesis Adamâs pov chapter 16â or anything along those lines and itâll take you to her newsletter in which you just have to navigate it and get it sent to your email after having signed up to her newsletter! happy reading â¤ď¸
List of Ten by Halli Gomez
5.0
I havenât really seen this book a whole lot but I absolutely recommend reading this one. As soon as I saw the cover I gravitated towards it and the synopsis just absolutely sold it for me! After reading it I was left speechless because of how emotional it was to read.
I did read List of Ten on my birthday weekend which means I definitely cried on my birthday weekend but I would do it all over again if I could! I immediately got attached to Troy Hayes but in a older sister kind of way since he is sixteen and I had just turned twenty-two lol. I wanted to protect him and reassure him that everything would be ok, he just pulled at my heartstrings and I wanted to just be there for him â¤ď¸
Now, although I truly did love this book I highly recommend knowing your triggers and researching the triggers this book contains before reading it! Is it an eye opening experience to read List of Ten? Absolutely, but make sure youâll be okay reading content that mentions tough subjects such as having suicidal thoughts. Thereâs just so much to say about list of ten, itâs emotional, sarcastic, hopeful and I wish I could read it again for the first time.
I did read List of Ten on my birthday weekend which means I definitely cried on my birthday weekend but I would do it all over again if I could! I immediately got attached to Troy Hayes but in a older sister kind of way since he is sixteen and I had just turned twenty-two lol. I wanted to protect him and reassure him that everything would be ok, he just pulled at my heartstrings and I wanted to just be there for him â¤ď¸
Now, although I truly did love this book I highly recommend knowing your triggers and researching the triggers this book contains before reading it! Is it an eye opening experience to read List of Ten? Absolutely, but make sure youâll be okay reading content that mentions tough subjects such as having suicidal thoughts. Thereâs just so much to say about list of ten, itâs emotional, sarcastic, hopeful and I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Lucky Star by Susannah Nix
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Aaaah this book was one of the most enjoyable reads I have had this month. I got approved for the arc and immediately dived in because I saw that the publishing date was right around the corner! And it is out NOW!đ¸
Alright, now for the review! Boone is probably on the top of my list of book boyfriends because he was just đđĽ all the times he showed how much he cared melted my heart! This is a celebrity romance so it did feel like Evie was living my dream of being with my celebrity crush haha (Chris Evans đ) which made me that much more eager continue reading!
I wasnât aware until I did more research on the book that it is actually a part of a series and let me just say right now that I will absolutely be reading the other books because I donât know what Susannah Nix put in this series but I am obsessed!!! Seriously how have I been missing out on The Starstruck Series âď¸đ¸
One thing I wanted to mention is that I wish the dual pov was a bit more clear. I was able to get the hang of it pretty quickly but it wouldâve been super nice to not have to figure it out if that makes sense haha. However! I was pretty shocked when halfway in I noticed it was third person point of view because I quite honestly didnât even notice. What I mean by that is that usually that makes it hard for me to get into a book but with Lucky Star I just dove right in and it was perfect!
Last but not least as some of yâall may have noticed Lucky Star is out and this is a romance you just cannot miss out on â¤ď¸âď¸
Alright, now for the review! Boone is probably on the top of my list of book boyfriends because he was just đđĽ all the times he showed how much he cared melted my heart! This is a celebrity romance so it did feel like Evie was living my dream of being with my celebrity crush haha (Chris Evans đ) which made me that much more eager continue reading!
I wasnât aware until I did more research on the book that it is actually a part of a series and let me just say right now that I will absolutely be reading the other books because I donât know what Susannah Nix put in this series but I am obsessed!!! Seriously how have I been missing out on The Starstruck Series âď¸đ¸
One thing I wanted to mention is that I wish the dual pov was a bit more clear. I was able to get the hang of it pretty quickly but it wouldâve been super nice to not have to figure it out if that makes sense haha. However! I was pretty shocked when halfway in I noticed it was third person point of view because I quite honestly didnât even notice. What I mean by that is that usually that makes it hard for me to get into a book but with Lucky Star I just dove right in and it was perfect!
Last but not least as some of yâall may have noticed Lucky Star is out and this is a romance you just cannot miss out on â¤ď¸âď¸
Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5âď¸ and 4âď¸
I really wanted to love this book and in some sense I did but the romance just didnât quite resonate with me. At least not consistently. This is the first time Iâll have two different ratings for a book because I just couldnât decide but also because I think some elements of Dating Dr. Dil weâre truly important.
The romance wouldâve been so much better if there had been no mention of Charlie because it completely changed the delivery and importance of the spicy scenes. Now, I donât agree with all the hate Prem gets and although he isnât perfect and we expect this perfect book boyfriend when we pick up a new book he was honest from the beginning even if he didnât realize how deep in love he was until later.
I admired Kareena as a whole because I related to her a lot. culturally I just saw similarities that resonated with me even though I am Mexican if that makes sense as well as her older sister role. Constantly having tias the equivalent of aunties asking about âwhereâs the boyfriendâ and then âwhenâs the weddingâ later evolving into asking about children haha itâs just a lot. I am the middle child so not the oldest but with the way my family operates I might as well be so God did I feel like Kareena needed a damn break!
Dating Dr. Dil mightâve not been the perfect romance for me but itâs the perfect book for any older sisters or middle/older sisters to relate to as well as culturally diverse readers!
I really wanted to love this book and in some sense I did but the romance just didnât quite resonate with me. At least not consistently. This is the first time Iâll have two different ratings for a book because I just couldnât decide but also because I think some elements of Dating Dr. Dil weâre truly important.
The romance wouldâve been so much better if there had been no mention of Charlie because it completely changed the delivery and importance of the spicy scenes. Now, I donât agree with all the hate Prem gets and although he isnât perfect and we expect this perfect book boyfriend when we pick up a new book he was honest from the beginning even if he didnât realize how deep in love he was until later.
I admired Kareena as a whole because I related to her a lot. culturally I just saw similarities that resonated with me even though I am Mexican if that makes sense as well as her older sister role. Constantly having tias the equivalent of aunties asking about âwhereâs the boyfriendâ and then âwhenâs the weddingâ later evolving into asking about children haha itâs just a lot. I am the middle child so not the oldest but with the way my family operates I might as well be so God did I feel like Kareena needed a damn break!
Dating Dr. Dil mightâve not been the perfect romance for me but itâs the perfect book for any older sisters or middle/older sisters to relate to as well as culturally diverse readers!