flightyreads's reviews
79 reviews

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I was beyond excited when I got the email for this book. I remember being a teenager when Hayley Kiyoko’s music video came out. It was all I listened to/watched for months on end. I was even more excited when I read this book was based on the music video!

Girls Like Girls tells a story that many young queer people face: falling in love in an ignorant town. Coley has gone through a traumatic upbringing when she arrives to the scene, but so has Sonya (in her own way). However, Coley is prepared to ignore the hate she may receive, but golden girl Sonya is too scared to try at first. 

 I only wish that this story fleshed out its many characters more. I ended the book feeling as though I knew Coley and Sonya, but I desperately wanted to know more about the colorful side cast, like Curtis and Alex. Especially with Alex, we got basically a bomb drop of crazy information on him, just for him to barely show up afterwards. I also wish we had more climax— so much of the story focused only on Coley’s growth but not her actual journey’s end with Sonya until the final pages. 

All in all, fans of Hayley Kiyoko and young queer individuals will love this story that brings such a famous video in recent history back to light.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Note: I have received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I started this book excited to read about a girl and her dragon. I ended this book reflecting on what intersectionality in feminism looks like. 

To Shape A Dragon’s Breath very clearly draws on the real and devastating effects of colonialism and white oppression on the world, and how racism destroys everything with hate. Anequs expects to grow up and inherit her family’s home, and continue her life taking care of her community. While the threat of white (“Anglish”) settlers hangs over their heads, Anequs wants for little as her community cares for her as she does them. 

When Anequs is forced to attend the Anglish school as to not put her community at further risk from either her dragon or the Anglish, she goes to learn how to care for her dragon. Anequs goes to this school already a complete person with her own culture and heritage, yet the Anglish see her as primitive because of the cultural differences. Even the friends that Anequs makes often make ignorant remarks and take offense at being called on them. Instead of apologies, Anequs is often met with their tears because they didn’t mean to do anything hurtful, and then expect comfort for it. 

Anequs is young, and the reader may often forget this for how clever and mature she is, especially when set against ignorant and hateful people. I am very eager to see where she and Kasaqua will travel to together next, as Anequs has a long journey and tough battles ahead. 

I recommend this book for everyone regardless of your journey in life, but especially for those who have had harder ones. 

The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

4.25

Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

Around the halfway point of this book, I was struggling. I thought the realization we were waiting for the main character to come to was easy to figure out and I could not understand why it was taking so long. I kept remarking to my partner about how a good 10% of the book. But then the last part of the book changed everything. 

Of course the book needs to be this long, and you need to finish it regardless of how long it may take you. I firmly believe, like Meyerson seems to, that you carry every book you’ve ever read with you. And what I will carry with me from this story is that everyone’s journey is paced differently, and you cannot influence the speed at which others progress. But you CAN spread kindness and empathy to everyone you come actoss, and you can absolutely leave the world a better place than you found it. 

I would recommend this book for everyone to have, but to read when they feel is right. Think of Amy Meyerson not as a romantic love scribe, but as a scribe for self-discovery. 

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense slow-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

5.0

Tracy Deonn continues to build a world where you want to root for the main character so she can root for herself. Instead of focusing on the romantic subplots between characters, Deonn recognizes that these characters must grow up first, and gives them the space to do so. I love this series and will forever be glad I found it. 

The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara Gnodde

reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

As someone who primarily reads fantasy and romance, I was not expecting to enjoy this book has thoroughly as I did. By far, my favorite part of this book was the autistic character being treated as a complete person. Too often in life are autistic people seen as lacking an essential part that neurotypical people have. Art is different, but that just means the people in his life adjust around him. 
This book is interesting in that it does not fit into just one trope in fiction books. It has romance, academia, mystery, and more roller into one. At the end of the day, the characters find an unexpected family not entirely related by blood, allowing them to continue their growth. This story, while fiction, feels like it could happen to just about anyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake

challenging mysterious reflective tense slow-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

3.5

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring slow-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

5.0

“I would live alone for 50 years to have one day with you.”

This is my new favorite book. Never before has one novel left me feeling so fulfilled without desiring more. Shannon wrapped every single story up in breathtaking grace, from the reclusive, once-spurned character, to the lovers who cannot be together physically. Every ounce of exposition served a purpose and not a word was wasted. A story not just about saving the world, but realizing who and what the world is made of. I genuinely cannot recommend this book enough. 

Pack of Secrets by Amara Mae

adventurous slow-paced

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

2.5

Note: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

A longtime fan of omegaverse fiction, I was very excited to see one marketed as New Adult. However, this book hardly touches on the interesting dymamics that make the omegaverse so interesting, instead just reusing the ancient plotline of “main character is a weak but underestimated omega.” Additionally, I was excited for some romance as the book mentions the true mate trope and the given book description has her making out with her best friend, but

I’d hardly call a 1 sentence kiss “making out.”

I give this a 2.5/5 rating because while the original reason I picked this up fell flat, I am curious about the other plotlines in this book. I believe the author has plenty of room to turn things around in the second book. 

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

Something about Hazelwood’s writing draws me in and I can never put it down! I finished this book in about 3 hours and loved every page. I only wish we had even more domestic scenes with the main couple, and more resolution with the female lead’s Twitter struggle. 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I picked this book up during the pandemic, desperate for an escape. Bree’s world is a reminder that fantasy can be an escape for many but that real world trauma is an unfortunate background for many tales. Every character feels so lifelike and is impossible to misunderstand. Reading something with such clear writing is refreshing, even when it brings sad plotlines with its brilliance.