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110 reviews
Because of Her by Devon May
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to the author for an ARC copy!
This was a beautiful story of coming back to the one you love and figuring out if you can be together after so many years and a whole lot of life in between.
Cassidy deals with infertility and though I can't relate to wanting children, she gave me a good look into how difficult it can be and how much it can mess up your life when having biological children is a big dream of yours. I was a little sad to see how bitter she ended up feeling toward other women and even their kids at times, but also recognize that everyone reacts differently and there are so many ways to grieve a life you've always wanted to have.
There was a bit more back and forth between Cal and Cass than I would've hoped, but their relationship is STEAMY, and Maisie sure threw in a whole different aspect to consider! I adore Cass and Maisie's relationship and how it evolves into something very beautiful.
I loved Cal's devotion and how he would do anything he could to show Cass how he felt. The anxiety and panic attacks were well described and I was happy to see how their support systems helped them through them, as a priority, putting everything else aside when needed.
Some of the side characters felt a little empty for me like they were sometimes there to only react in a certain way or cause an issue, just for the sake of having an issue. That felt minor though, so I did really enjoy the whole story. I kind of hoped there would've been a little more bodily diversity, but was happy there was at least some cultural diversity.
I NEED to know more about Amira and Noah! I want to know everything!
This was a beautiful story of coming back to the one you love and figuring out if you can be together after so many years and a whole lot of life in between.
Cassidy deals with infertility and though I can't relate to wanting children, she gave me a good look into how difficult it can be and how much it can mess up your life when having biological children is a big dream of yours. I was a little sad to see how bitter she ended up feeling toward other women and even their kids at times, but also recognize that everyone reacts differently and there are so many ways to grieve a life you've always wanted to have.
There was a bit more back and forth between Cal and Cass than I would've hoped, but their relationship is STEAMY, and Maisie sure threw in a whole different aspect to consider! I adore Cass and Maisie's relationship and how it evolves into something very beautiful.
I loved Cal's devotion and how he would do anything he could to show Cass how he felt. The anxiety and panic attacks were well described and I was happy to see how their support systems helped them through them, as a priority, putting everything else aside when needed.
Some of the side characters felt a little empty for me like they were sometimes there to only react in a certain way or cause an issue, just for the sake of having an issue. That felt minor though, so I did really enjoy the whole story. I kind of hoped there would've been a little more bodily diversity, but was happy there was at least some cultural diversity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Pregnancy and Miscarriage
Daughter of Fire: A Novel by Sofia Robleda
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC.
This is one of the first historical fiction I've read and I definitely enjoyed it!
There is a lot of grief and pain, from losing loved ones to dealing with settlers wiping out and oppressing your indigenous people. It's a complicated situation to be a daughter of both sides AND the one that needs to protect that indigenous people's history.
I loved Catalina and her growth through the story, her struggle to live by both sides of her roots and at the same time reject some parts of them felt familiar to me and I loved seeing her navigate it. I enjoyed the romance subplot and liked some of the important male characters Catalina interacts with (some guys are just downright nasty, but very well written as the nastiness serves a purpose). The characters felt well rounded out and I wouldn't mind reading more about some of them! I want to hear more about Cristobál!
I wasn't 100% focused on every detail so that's likely why most of the plot twists came as surprises to me, but when they happened the characters' reasons felt realistic to me. The writing was so enjoyable and the story was well thought out.
I loved learning about the Popol Vuh through Catalina's story and learned some history too!
This is one of the first historical fiction I've read and I definitely enjoyed it!
There is a lot of grief and pain, from losing loved ones to dealing with settlers wiping out and oppressing your indigenous people. It's a complicated situation to be a daughter of both sides AND the one that needs to protect that indigenous people's history.
I loved Catalina and her growth through the story, her struggle to live by both sides of her roots and at the same time reject some parts of them felt familiar to me and I loved seeing her navigate it. I enjoyed the romance subplot and liked some of the important male characters Catalina interacts with (some guys are just downright nasty, but very well written as the nastiness serves a purpose). The characters felt well rounded out and I wouldn't mind reading more about some of them! I want to hear more about Cristobál!
I wasn't 100% focused on every detail so that's likely why most of the plot twists came as surprises to me, but when they happened the characters' reasons felt realistic to me. The writing was so enjoyable and the story was well thought out.
I loved learning about the Popol Vuh through Catalina's story and learned some history too!
Moon Dust in My Hairnet by J.R. Creaden
adventurous
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC.
I was a little bit torn on my opinion of this book, at the same time I loved it but also kind of wanted it to end.
I love the range of representation, from neurodivergence to physical disabilities, POC & queer identities, and poly relationships. At times they were approached somewhat sloppily, so it felt clumsy. The normalization of therapy and needing support were very nice, though sometimes cliche. (Not inherently a bad thing, I just didn't enjoy it this time.) I did enjoy the way grief was approached.
The world-building wasn't to my taste and I didn't enjoy the writing style too much, but these are completely personal tastes so I just didn't happen to be the target audience for those. The pacing felt confusing to me, it felt like "there's imminent danger and we need to act quickly!" But at the same time, we might skip a week and a half. It was difficult for me to figure out how much time there would be to get something done.
I hoped to relate to the MC more, but as there are so many variations of autism, we ended up being extremely different. I mainly felt sad for and pitied the MC but I didn't end up liking her too much. I really wanted to like them, but kind of wanted to read more from another character's POV instead. I did love the growth she went through after actually seeking proper help!
I found the characters somewhat irrational and confusing when they seemed to be changing their minds without explaining their reasons. I kind of felt like Lane could've had at least some resentment etc. towards her mother around the end, instead of completely accepting everything as soon as she gets praise.
The twists felt like a little too much for me, I almost couldn't keep up anymore. The whole thing felt a little too stuffed with SO MANY new things for Lane to navigate. Even though that's realistic since life doesn't care how many things are going on, it might throw another crisis at you, I felt like we wanted to address too many issues in one book and had to add them to the mix.
I was a little bit torn on my opinion of this book, at the same time I loved it but also kind of wanted it to end.
I love the range of representation, from neurodivergence to physical disabilities, POC & queer identities, and poly relationships. At times they were approached somewhat sloppily, so it felt clumsy. The normalization of therapy and needing support were very nice, though sometimes cliche. (Not inherently a bad thing, I just didn't enjoy it this time.) I did enjoy the way grief was approached.
The world-building wasn't to my taste and I didn't enjoy the writing style too much, but these are completely personal tastes so I just didn't happen to be the target audience for those. The pacing felt confusing to me, it felt like "there's imminent danger and we need to act quickly!" But at the same time, we might skip a week and a half. It was difficult for me to figure out how much time there would be to get something done.
I hoped to relate to the MC more, but as there are so many variations of autism, we ended up being extremely different. I mainly felt sad for and pitied the MC but I didn't end up liking her too much. I really wanted to like them, but kind of wanted to read more from another character's POV instead. I did love the growth she went through after actually seeking proper help!
I found the characters somewhat irrational and confusing when they seemed to be changing their minds without explaining their reasons. I kind of felt like Lane could've had at least some resentment etc. towards her mother around the end, instead of completely accepting everything as soon as she gets praise.
The twists felt like a little too much for me, I almost couldn't keep up anymore. The whole thing felt a little too stuffed with SO MANY new things for Lane to navigate. Even though that's realistic since life doesn't care how many things are going on, it might throw another crisis at you, I felt like we wanted to address too many issues in one book and had to add them to the mix.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
This is a great teen series, a ton of fun, and a big adventure! This is quite fast-paced and SO MUCH happens in just one book, but that's really fun especially if you're looking for an event-rich read.
I read this a few years back and loved it, this time I think I loved it even more! Somehow I was a little more in tune with the whole story and understood much more. The characters feel very relatable to me even as a 23-year-old and I find comfort in their support and understanding of each other. I especially love Percy and his mom's relationship, they're such a sweet family.
I love the dynamics of the Half-Blood Camp and the way Olympus works. The gods felt realistic in that I could see them behaving the way they did and everything had pretty solid reasoning in my opinion.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Great, I thought. We just blowtorched a national monument.
This is a great teen series, a ton of fun, and a big adventure! This is quite fast-paced and SO MUCH happens in just one book, but that's really fun especially if you're looking for an event-rich read.
I read this a few years back and loved it, this time I think I loved it even more! Somehow I was a little more in tune with the whole story and understood much more. The characters feel very relatable to me even as a 23-year-old and I find comfort in their support and understanding of each other. I especially love Percy and his mom's relationship, they're such a sweet family.
I love the dynamics of the Half-Blood Camp and the way Olympus works. The gods felt realistic in that I could see them behaving the way they did and everything had pretty solid reasoning in my opinion.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
I enjoyed how the story flowed and how tense and gloomy the mood was. I loved how complex the characters were and I enjoyed learning different sides of them along the story.
Personally, I was not too fond of citation-type writing, but I am glad that it phased out a lot the further we got into the book. The POV changes somewhat confused me in the beginning, but I quickly got used to them and enjoyed the glimpses into Arthur's side of things. The balance felt very natural and nice to me.
This was somewhat of a heavy read, but it worked out for me this time! I love how the house works and the whole Underland situation was so interesting.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I had a good time with this one!
The truth is I want him and I'm scared of wanting him and ashamed of being scared. The truth is I'm a coward and a liar and a cold bastard, just like my mother, and in the end I will let him drown to save myself. I should cut and run right now, before it's too late, before he finds out what kind of person I really am.
I enjoyed how the story flowed and how tense and gloomy the mood was. I loved how complex the characters were and I enjoyed learning different sides of them along the story.
Personally, I was not too fond of citation-type writing, but I am glad that it phased out a lot the further we got into the book. The POV changes somewhat confused me in the beginning, but I quickly got used to them and enjoyed the glimpses into Arthur's side of things. The balance felt very natural and nice to me.
This was somewhat of a heavy read, but it worked out for me this time! I love how the house works and the whole Underland situation was so interesting.
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A refreshing twist on a classic fairytale! The LGBTQ+ representation was so lovely to read and the diversity (and how normal it is) in characters was just refreshing for me. (I've only recently gotten back to reading and started paying attention to how used to I was to everything being so white and straight.) These made the whole book much more relatable to me.
I enjoyed the worldbuilding and meeting all the characters of this story, the pacing was really to my taste in the beginning. With that said, I did feel like the end was rushed. Some of the dialogue felt a bit like forced explaining/feeding the reader an idea to ponder. It might be good for readers that are only getting into analysing what they read to wake that curiosity to look into the characters or story deeper, but just didn't hit the spot for me personally.
The book makes it very clear how easily people in power can erase and change history by silencing the ones that know and writing a new version. The oppression of women is a huge theme in this story and I hate how much we can relate to it in the real world too.
I enjoyed the worldbuilding and meeting all the characters of this story, the pacing was really to my taste in the beginning. With that said, I did feel like the end was rushed. Some of the dialogue felt a bit like forced explaining/feeding the reader an idea to ponder. It might be good for readers that are only getting into analysing what they read to wake that curiosity to look into the characters or story deeper, but just didn't hit the spot for me personally.
The book makes it very clear how easily people in power can erase and change history by silencing the ones that know and writing a new version. The oppression of women is a huge theme in this story and I hate how much we can relate to it in the real world too.
Walk The Dark by Paul Cody
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Had the chance to read an ARC copy, provided by NetGalley.
This was such an interesting dive into the world of a prisoner and the reasons he ended up in this situation. The difficult childhood, repeating patterns of trauma and drug use play such a huge part in how Oliver ends up here. Breaking a cycle is never easy and first you’d need to notice that there is a harmful cycle that’s repeating and decide to fix it.
This was such an interesting dive into the world of a prisoner and the reasons he ended up in this situation. The difficult childhood, repeating patterns of trauma and drug use play such a huge part in how Oliver ends up here. Breaking a cycle is never easy and first you’d need to notice that there is a harmful cycle that’s repeating and decide to fix it.
I like how the narration goes back and forth with describing the current time in prison and looking back on his life. I also really liked how we built up to finding out why exactly he was imprisoned. Oliver’s inability to pinpoint the exact ages and time in his life things happen feels relatable from a trauma standpoint. Everything kind of mushes together into just scenes that happen, but you’re not sure what order they happened in or how old you were.
I loved coming to the part that opened up the meaning of the book’s name. It plays a big part in Oliver’s life.
Oliver describes the women in his life beautifully and nicely, even when they’re not necessarily being very nice and lovely. I like how his mother has multiple nicknames she’s always used, it feels like a way to disconnect yourself from your past self and life. It also seems that Oliver is at least somewhat repeating this behavior for himself too.
The book brings up the realities of being imprisoned for decades and the issues you might face if you get released. The world is changing so quickly and technology is sometimes hard to keep up with even if you’re using it every day. Who’s going to help when you’re thrust into a world of smart phones, social media and streaming services?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Stalking, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment
Call Your Mother by Tracy Gold
hopeful
inspiring
5.0
Beautiful rhymes and heartwarming sentiment!
This is such a beautiful book for a supportive mother, will most likely be even more impactful for a single mother.
The parental relationship is depicted beautifully and I hope every child can have such a loving parent that will and wants to support their child through everything.
As usual, it's not for every family, but this can be a good story to teach your child that you, as a mother, want to always be there for them.
This is such a beautiful book for a supportive mother, will most likely be even more impactful for a single mother.
The parental relationship is depicted beautifully and I hope every child can have such a loving parent that will and wants to support their child through everything.
As usual, it's not for every family, but this can be a good story to teach your child that you, as a mother, want to always be there for them.
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
What a great sequel! I love the pacing and Martha has a way to keep me engaged and wanting to read more at all times.
Murderbot is so relatable to me and I love the way it analyses everything, is learning exactly how different it is from humans and navigates spaces where it needs to blend in.
The setbacks on Murderbot's journey were exciting and engaging. The way Murderbot deal wth the stupidity of humans, yet wants to protect them is so endearing. I absolutely loved the communications and teamwork between Murderbot and ART, I hope to ump into ART later in the series too!
The world is so interesting to me and I loved the way different species and entirely different pronouns were introduced and were used so easily and normally by Murderbot (as they should be). I really can't wait to read the next part!
adventurous
funny
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“You would think a SecUnit who had been shot to pieces multiple times, blown up, memory purged, and once partially dismantled by accident wouldn’t be on the verge of panic under these circumstances. You’d be wrong.”
What a great sequel! I love the pacing and Martha has a way to keep me engaged and wanting to read more at all times.
Murderbot is so relatable to me and I love the way it analyses everything, is learning exactly how different it is from humans and navigates spaces where it needs to blend in.
The setbacks on Murderbot's journey were exciting and engaging. The way Murderbot deal wth the stupidity of humans, yet wants to protect them is so endearing. I absolutely loved the communications and teamwork between Murderbot and ART, I hope to ump into ART later in the series too!
The world is so interesting to me and I loved the way different species and entirely different pronouns were introduced and were used so easily and normally by Murderbot (as they should be). I really can't wait to read the next part!
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Did not finish book. Stopped at 70%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 70%.
I didn't stay very captivated this time and just didn't spark my joy of reading. Really want to try again another time, maybe when I'm in a better reading flow