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bookishends's reviews
465 reviews
Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel by Jessica Brody
5.0
I enjoyed the original Save the Cat Writes a Novel, but for some reason, I sucked this one up even more. As someone who loves reading YA and has written YA novels, there was a wealth of information in the book, and the example books used fit very well. This definitely inspired me to plot my next book.
The Ten Day Edit: A Writer's Guide to Editing a Novel in Ten Days by Lewis Jorstad
3.5
This is a great book for people new to editing their writing or who haven’t found a system that works for them. I took away a few things that I’m going to incorporate into mine, but for the most part, this process was a little overcomplicated and excessive for me. The outlining book in this series has been the most helpful so far.
Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
4.75
I’m a little obsessed with how this book got to the heart of how sometimes pathetic it is to like a man. And if you’ve ever been in a situationship, especially with someone who couldn’t attach, this book can be downright triggering at times. I cringed at how much Adelaide kept trying and trying because I had once been there before too.
Rory was a real piece of work, and even I felt gaslit by him at times. I wanted to sympathize with what he’d been through, but I truly couldn’t.
Adelaide was a great character to follow, and I loved how the author made her mental health such a big aspect of the story. Early on it felt like just her personality or quirks, and then as the story progressed it was clear something deeper was going.
The only thing that I occasionally had trouble with was the third person/omniscient pov because there were a few times where I thought we were focused on one character, but we were actually focused on a different character.
Overall, I felt this book so deeply to my core, and I desperately need another book by the author.
Mastering Character Arcs: How Fifteen Universal Journeys Can Power Up Your Novel’s Cast by Lewis Jorstad
3.0
There were some really helpful pieces of information in here, and it made me think deeper about my characters. I didn’t love the organization of the book though and wish that everything about a certain arc would have been included in that arc’s chapter instead of being scattered about.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
5.0
I don’t know how Emily Henry does it, but she has some secret sauce that makes her books some of the most emotionally well-done books. This is my second of hers, Beach Read being the first, and I can’t believe I waited this long to read it.
Watching Poppy and Alex rekindle was a delight, and there was lots of squealing, blushing, and laughing on my end. The dual timeline served the story so well, and it really endeared me to the characters and their relationship even more.
There were several times while reading that I was like ‘What the heck happened in Croatia?’ But boy was the journey getting there so worth it.
Overall, I had a great time with this one, and I will not wait another four years to read another of hers. She has a true gift when it comes to romance.
Too Soon for Adiós by Annette Chavez Macias
4.5
I love books where characters are grappling with grief and how to move on while mourning, so based on that theme alone the book was a hit for me. But Gabby also trying to navigate a relationship with her biological father and connect with a part of her culture she hadn’t been exposed to was the icing on top.
The romance aspect gave me all the feels. It was balanced well and never took away from Gabby’s personal journey. Diego was the perfect love interest because every step of the way he was attentive, patient, and supportive. Even though he and Gabby got off to a rocky start (mainly because Gabby was trying both of our nerves), I enjoyed seeing them slowly come to understand each other.
This was such a good story, and I hate it took me so long to find out about it. I would definitely recommend it for readers who love character growth, food being integral to the plot, and a good ‘Who hurt you?’ moment.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
3.0
Every Summer After was an enjoyable read. It took me a bit to get used to the main character’s voice, but I really liked the dual timeline and the timing of the reveal of what happened between Percy and Sam. I don’t think I was in love with the characters, but the setting and storyline made up for that. So while this wasn’t one of my favorite reads, I would read another one of the author’s books.
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
2.5
Honey Girl had all the makings to be a book I really enjoyed, but I felt very underwhelmed. I love sad books, but the state of Grace’s mental health was more self-destructive than I expected. And while I loved the idea of her impromptu marriage to Yuki, I wasn’t sure it blended well into the plot. Yuki felt more like an afterthought when I expected the romantic storyline to be as strong as the coming of age/figuring life out storyline. The writing itself also didn’t gel for me, and I didn’t always find the conversations between Grace and her friends to feel authentic. So while the book had its good moments, it’s not something that will stick out as memorable to me.
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne
3.0
It’s not the be-all and end-all when it comes to editing as I found I didn’t always agree with the authors’ preferences, but there are a lot of gems in here regarding proper technique and more of the elusive craft rules, like show don’t tell. I also really appreciated the checklists at the end of chapters, so I could definitely see myself using this book in the editing stage of my own books to create a more well-written story.