claudcloud's reviews
264 reviews

Iron Heart by Nina Varela

adventurous mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

Just like the first book, I wanted so much more from it. The plot is nothing new, the writing, while accessible, falls quite flat, the conclusion is largely predictable, and I was struggling to care about the characters (!!!!! can you believe it) and about their relationship - when one (1) paragraph detailing the reunion of two side characters that you only met 20 pages before makes you feel more than the entire series has so far, that's a sign 😅

That being said, I am very glad to have finally gotten to this duology, and I do think it is worth a read, especially if you're someone who's taking their first foray into queer literature! I can definitely see myself recommending it to the younger audiences that it's actually for (I need to accept that most YA is just... not for me anymore, as sad as that makes me to think about 😭)

Crier's War by Nina Varela

lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

This was just okay for me - I wanted so much more from the world-building, the setting, the drama, and even the characters themselves... Am always a sucker for sapphic enemies-to-lovers, though, so I'm excited to see where Ayla and Crier's story goes next!

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

"'For anyone who wants it all,' she begins, 'may you find something that is more than enough.'
She wonders whether what comes next could ever live up to the expectations.
She doesn't know. You never can.
She turns the page anyway."

...Yeah I am firmly on the Emily Henry train and I am not getting off any time soon. Absolutely no complaints, though!

I don't know what she puts in these to make them feel like absolute magic but rest assured this was perfect for the perfectionist, book-loving, anxiety-ridden little thing that I am - and those final couple of lines are going to stay with me forever 😭

Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I wanted to love this way more than I did because the edition I own is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL, but between a world that felt like it lacked any depth, characters that you have no way to get attached to (other than our main trio who, surprise surprise, are the exact same trio we've been getting since the 2010s), a magic system that... honestly just wasn't that interesting, and the very trope-y vibe that also enabled me to predict a lot of the plot within the first hundred pages, it unfortunately ended up falling quite flat.

The premise had a lot of potential, and I can't say that I didn't enjoy my time with this book, but I just wanted so much more from it, especially since it's a 500-page chonker!!

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

challenging inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Beautiful reflections on art and how an artist should approach it! After this brief introduction to the themes that Rilke explores in his poetry, I can definitely see myself picking up more of his work.

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

"We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here."

Trust John Green to write a book that is as filled with whimsy as it is deeply poignant in its exploration of the human condition! This was both fun and very thought-provoking; and also very validating, especially for someone who also struggles with mental illness like John does. 

I (obviously) give "The Anthropocene Reviewed" 4 stars!

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Coming to us from our very own lesbian Jesus, I was so excited to finally pick this up and re-live the Girls Like Girls music video through her writing! It has some very strong points that I really appreciated, like its exploration of grief, which is as poignant as it is delicate, and also its discussions of internalized homophobia that occur throughout (and that, thankfully, are resolved, albeit a little too quickly!)

I fully take responsibility for and acknowledge the fact that I'm no longer the intended audience for YA, which is why they're generally starting to be rated a little lower - but I did still very much enjoy this and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to any queer kids who want to finally feel seen. That's why books like this exist, that's why they're so, so unbelievably important, and that's why I hope we never stop seeing more of them!!

When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri
Did not finish book. Stopped at 57%.

DNF at 57%

It's so bad, I want to give you a 0. But that's not possible, so I give you a 'this book completely wasted my time'.

Aside from the mediocre plot and writing, the characters are the most insufferable bunch of people I've ever read about - especially miss Katie Daniels, who's so wrapped up in her need for society to be binary and in gender stereotypes that she has a aneurysm when she encounters women who?? Shockingly?? Don't like to wear dresses, or makeup, or bras?? After living in New York City for years?? I absolutely hate her, and I don't say that lightly. Cassidy is equally obnoxious though, so I suppose they deserve each other, even if I would personally rather claw my own eyes out than read another word about them ever again 😊

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

3.5

This only gets this high of a rating because I feel like the rep and diversity in it is wonderful, I enjoyed our two main characters, and it genuinely made me tear up when Theo's parents finally acknowledge all of the effort he's put in and tell him they're proud of him (hahahah we love parental issues!! 🙃)

That being said... the rest of the book was predictably basic, and I don't get why enemies to lovers is even a comp for it. Gabi's parents were just horrendous, and the very short, very rushed moment of finally realizing how wrong they are that they get right at the end of the novel doesn't feel like enough for me. I didn't really care about any of the side characters either, and their development was just lacking.

It's a cute story that I would definitely recommend for someone much younger, and I definitely believe that this book is super important for queer kids who need and deserve to see themselves in literature, which is also why I'm rating it this high - but YA is starting to become very hit-and-miss for me. I'm just not really the target demographic anymore, and that's ok!

Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS by Myeongseok Kang, BTS

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

아포방포 💜