gorgi's reviews
125 reviews

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

okay, so my thought and feelings. it was an interesting book to say the least and it definitely keep me on the edge of my seat while i was reading it. i enjoyed the majority of the book though at some points i was bored because it felt like a repeat of what had just already happened. i loved the characters and i liked how they all had their own dynamics that added to the story and made it more detailed. i didn't like the fact that i went into the book hoping for some thriller but that there was absolutely none and the book was nowhere near scary. my fav character would have to be enzo as i just loved how he played a role in the book and his personality was really cool to be honest. i really liked the plot twist though i could see it coming i didn't exactly predict it which was what made it a lot better.

i loved the fact that Nina was innocent and was just pretending to be a crazy lady to get away and that Andrew was actually the bad guy of the story. it was really interesting to read about Nina's backstory and about how she was tortured by Andrew and then for Millie to start getting tortured was so cool. what really was the shocker and plot twist was that Millie went to jail for murder and that she is a murderer. WHAT!!!! i never saw that one coming. that fact that Nina hired Millie to kill Andrew was so shocking and i loved how that plot twist was revealed too. and of course, when she killed Andrew and got away with it and then started a business up of killing all the men that hurt women. that was honestly a slay.

i really enjoyed how the plot twists were dropped and revealed as the book progressed but i just would have loved the scary thriller aspect on top of housemaid to make the book just that little bit better. but great book by Freida McFadden. 

Skyshade by Alex Aster

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

rage. that's all i feel, or nothing maybe. i went from loving the series to hating it. skyshade is just a bunch of crap. this book isn't even needed and frankly does not accomplish anything as apparently there are still another two books to come. honestly the series should have stopped after lightlark and been a standalone. skyshade is not worth reading at all. i cannot even tell you what happens throughout the majority of skyshade. literally it was a complete waste of time and i really wish i had never read it. i felt like there was not really a plot, at least not anything i was interested in following along with and i swear all the characters just decided to become stupid, idiotic and dumb. like isla. i hate her with everything in me, i seriously cannot express my hatred to her enough. she makes the worst and the most stupid decisions anyone has ever made.  Isla is just a frustrating character that doesn't know her left from right. Like girl, what are you doing? Make up your mind about literally anything. she is the most indecisive person on the planet and i cannot believe that i liked her in lightlark. She consistently does things that make no sense, and you cannot fathom to understand why she makes the decisions that she does, and you just want to scream at her through the page. i could literally spend this whole review just ragging about how much i hate her. she is like the worst main character i have ever read about. the plot is jumbled up and is all over the place and half the time you cannot even keep up with it because one page they are sleeping and then the next it's the middle of a battle. the plot is so random and makes no sense whatsoever. Most of the major plot points feel a little random. It’s all kind of disjointed and makes for a frustrating reading experience. I chucked my kindle across the room so many times i lost count and the amount of time i had to slam it closed because i did not want to read the crap on the page was ridiculous. when i finished the book i was so relieved that i was done with it and could move on, i would have thrown my kindle across the world just to get away from the book. I thought skyshade would have to be the last book in the series and evidently, that is not true. It ends on a stupid cliffhanger. This series should have been a trilogy and if not even better a standalone. There is simply no need to keep dragging this annoying horrific series out. just stop. and the cliffhanger, i don't even care. everyone can just die and boom, the series would be over.

honestly i don't even know why it's being dragged out. isla clearly loves grim more as whenever she is with oro she is always betraying him or teling him to go away because she is not worthly of him yet when she is with grim it's all hugs and kisses. so CLEARLY, she loves grim more and my poor baby oro is not going to live, so just hurry up and get this series over and done with already.

bottom line is that i hated skyshade and you will never catch me dead holding the book again. 

Like a House on Fire by Cate Kennedy

adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-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

2.25

so i had to read like a house on fire for school and I've got to say not bad. honestly for a school book this is one of the better books i have read. i enjoyed how it was full of short stories and i like how each story was based on the same theme and how they all had to overcome their problems. some stories were entertaining while some stories i did not enjoy but i was able to annotate it and i was impressed by some of the nice small plot twists that were thrown my way. overall, nice little book for school and i wouldn't mind having to read it again. 

Nightbane by Alex Aster

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

ahhhhh, what a book. my feelings are so mixed. i can't tell if i hated it or loved nightbane. i loved how the book picked up right were lightlark left of and that there was not like a year in between. i thought that was well done because it felt like the story just flowed on and that there was no change between the books. as the book progressed i loved how isla and her relationships grew and how she came to finding herself and that she was not just being a sheep and following along with others. again, most of the characters i liked except as nightbane went on, i began hating isla. she was a great character in lightlark but throughout nightbane i just hated her and the decisions that she was making. one thing that really really ticks me off is when a character thinks that they are not good enough and that no one deserves them. I'm just like get over it and throughout the whole of nightbane this was the vibe that isla was giving off and i just wanted her to shut up. she went from the top of my i love characters to the bottom. i still love oro and think he is the best character along with azul and i think those two would have to be my fav characters now. once again i have gone through this whole book hating and despising grim with all of my existence so i still do not understand why the book community love him but oh well. i was shocked with a few of the mini plot twists that were dropped randomly throughout nightbane and i enjoyed how the book twisted your mind and made you really think about what was going to happen. i enjoyed how the book was also like a little training arc for isla.

i loved how she boned with an animal and that it was the same as her mother's as well. i really liked lynx. i thought he was cute and funny and i loved how he gave attitude towards isla but that he adored oro. that made my heart melt.

the plot twist at the end of the book was crazy as well. i was astounded as i did not think that the book was going to end that way. i was in complete rage. i threw my kindle across the room because i was so mad. i don't think i have ever felt that much rage in me over a book so i was absolutely astounded.

for starters when the oracle siad that isla had to kill either oro or grim i was really interested. of course i would kill isla if she killed grim but i was really excited for the slim chance that grim would be dead. BUT NO..... of course she didn't kill any of them in nightbane so now i have to read skyshade to find out who dies. that was one thing that made me drop the books rating because come on, just hurry up and kill one already. and then to find out that grim and isla are married!!!!! and that they are bonded together so that one dies the other dies. i was furious beyond words. my poor baby oro loses his love to the horrible selfless wrench grim. i was not having it. and then to find out that isla had dies, i honestly wish she had of stayed dead!!!! but what really topped the line was having the book end with her leaving oro behind and going with grim to be with him, just to end the stupid war. and she even leaves saying i love you oro but i also love grim. come on!!!! so rage is what i felt finishing that book and i swear if she does not end up with oro i might actually kill someone.   

so yes. i ended the book in terrible rage and was so angry. so please go into this book prepared. 

King of Greed by Ana Huang

adventurous emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing

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

5.0

wow. i never thought i would like a romance book so much. it was so entertaining and i couldn't believe that i did not get bored one single time. i read king of greed in one sitting and in two hours none the less. i was so surprised with myself i couldn't believe it. i loved how king of greed was not the normal i love you but we can't be together, but who cares kind of book. i liked how it was romance but one that had to be fought for and earned and fits into real life and is believable and not some fake Fantasy romance. king of greed can be real and i think that's what made me like it so much more than other romance books.  solid 5 stars. loved it an i would totally read it again. 

Lightlark by Alex Aster

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

i was not expecting to read what i have just read. what i imagined this book to be about was totally different and i loved it. Lightlark had me hooked from the start. i was drawn into the world and the characters and i loved how the story started and how the world was set out. the characters were well done and i loved how no character was just there for the sake of it and how every character played a role in the story. the world building was done nicely, though i do admit at times it was hard to picture where the characters were and what was happening, but for the vast majority of the book i was able to imagine where they were and what was going on which was really good. I've heard that some people have not been able to follow along with the setting and environment and haven't been able to picture it but i didn't find that to be a problem. it depends on if you are into the story whether or not you are able to picture the setting but i think that lightlark explained it very well and will shut down anyone who complains about it. the characters were also made immaculately. i loved how each and every character had their own personality, and they were all individual people and did not blend into one another. they all stood apar from each other and that made it really easy to keep track of who was who. i also loved how the book made me feel something for each character. it wasn't like i just loved someone and then hated the next and then the rest of the characters i had no thought on. NO! i had a strong opinion on all the characters, and it was amazing how quickly i changed my opinions. at one point in time i would be loving a character and then they would go and do something stupid and i would hate them. i found that the book was able to manipulate my feelings towards the character at each turn of the page. by keeping me on the edge of my set with how quickly the characters would change made me feel more connected to the book and made me a lot more interested in reading it. i loved the main character Isla and i loved how she grew as the book went on.

i would have loved it more if she actually had the curse because i would have been cool for her to have to kill one of the boys in her love triangle because of love, but i still enjoyed it how she faked having the curse and how she was different and didn't have any powers, until we find out in the end that she actually does have powers.

i loved oro and found that he was one of my favorite characters as the book went on.

when he does that little betrayal when she tells him that she doesn't have powers, i was furious at him, i despised him and hated the fact that i hate liked and trusted him but then when we find out he is doing it to help her and that he loves her, i screamed with joy and was soooo happy that my fav character was not bad.

i loved the plot twist in lightlark as well, i was so shocked and never would have seen it coming from a mile away. it caught me so by surprise i was even sad about it. the plot twist made me feel like my heart was being ripped from my chest.

when we find out that celeste is evil and not isla's friend and has just been using her, i was so hurt because she was one of my fav characters and i loved their little friendship. i was so hurt by the betrayal. i wish that had been written differently and that celeste was not evil but even i have to admit that it made for a great plot twist.

i really enjoyed how this book ended and where the characters ended up because for once i felt like everything i wanted was coming true, which made me really happy. i read this book in two days and if i really wanted to i could have read it in one, and i would happily pick lightlark back up right now and read it all over again it was that good.

now as i was reading lightlark i found a few comparisons to powerless and because of this i think it's why i haven't given this book 5 stars. for starters both powerless and lightlark had the main characters not having a power and they both had love triangles with the most powerful beings, and they both wore dresses to be different. but apart from that they were completely different books.

this book was so close to being a 5 star read and i nearly gave it 5 stars but the book is a solid 4.75 star read.

also just to add on i hate grim i hated him from the start and i don't get how anyone could like him and i certainly don't care if they have history. i HATE him. oro is soooo much better and to prove that he could use her powers to save her threw the love bond.... sooooo..... clearly oro is better. case closed. kill grim and oro and isla can live happily ever after. the end. 

i strongly recommend that you read this book as i loved it.

also one more thing. i love azul and when i thought he was bad i was also very upset, but he isn't and i love him so much and i would even love it if he was a love interest and the love triangle was oro, isla and azul. that would make lightlark a 5 star read

i shall shut up now.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

i am blown away. simply blown away. i don't think words can address all the feelings that i felt while
reading Illuminae. i don't want this review to be a normal it was a good book and now let's move on
with life, i want to convey all my ups and downs of this book, all my feelings and everything that went
through my mind. first of all i don't think I've ever read a book that has not fit the normal stock standard
story telling of a book. all books i have read have been chapter after chapter, either from 1st or 3rd point
of view and that's that. Illuminae is different. the book is not stock standard. Illuminae is told through an
epistolary style while using a mix of interviews, emails, reports and updates. i really loved how the story
was told through this perspective as it made the book so much more interesting and unique reading
experience. at first i did not think i would enjoy this reading style but it surprised me how much i was
drawn into the story and how it was being told. the book also using many visual images. The images
and pictures make it feel like you're reading a real file of documents while adding some flavor and
interesting pictures that draw the reader into the book.

i especially loved all the cute little
anagrams and images from Ezra Mason. the rose and heart were so cute and made me smile so much
and my heart was bursting with joy. i loved them so much.

the plot was beyond good. at first
the world building and story line was kinda hard to picture and follow but once you get into the book
everything just falls into place and makes so much sense. all of a sudden i felt like i was able to picture
everything that was happening and i could follow along with the story as clear as day. Illuminae did not even start of to be a slow book. you open the pages and straight away you are pulled into the action and the chaos happening in the story. i loved how even though it's not told through a normal story telling perspective you still get to connect with all the characters and the world that they are in. i also adored the characters. i don't know why or how but after reading just a few pages about a character i loved them.

cough, cough James McNulty

i felt so alive when reading about certain characters and even if i didn't know them that well my heart still reached for them. my top three fav characters would have to be Ezra Mason, Kady Grant and James McNulty. they were just simply beautiful characters. i felt like i was able to connect with them only after a few sentences. though i liked many other characters these three would have to be my tops. Illuminae also made me cry sooo much. i felt like every character that was dying i was crying for. i honestly did not expect to cry so much but i was baling my eyes out.

i cried when they had to say goodbye to James because he was hurt and then i was sobbing, literally sobbing when we find out James is dead because he shot himself and i was in tears when reading the video he made that Kady watched. i was sobbing so much for him. and then..... i was aching with tears when ADIAN said that Ezra was dead. i felt like my heart had just been taken from me. i was like noooooo... he can't die in the first book. 😭😭😭 but it's okay because he is still alive. and of course, yes i cried when i found out he was alive. some little happy tears finding out my baby was actually still alive. i also felt tears coming along when Dorian and Byran died and i thought Kady was gonna die.

all the tears i cried made me feel like i was personally dying. so yes, this book is more on the dark side than light. :(  also felt like i was clinging onto dear life while reading this book as i felt like i was always on the edge of me seat every time i turned the page. the amount of surprised Illuminae throws at you while reading it is crazy.

When Kady decided to help ADIAN i was honestly totally shocked. i hated ADAIN for killing her mother and then as the book progressed i kinda started to feel sorry for ADAIN but i still don't forgive it for its actions.

if i had one critique, the only thing i would change would be to have a bit more world building and setting up as that way i would be able to picture the starting landscape a bit more. but that's it, apart from the i found the book perfect. now to rap this up because I'm sure no one wants to read all of this. please read this book. yes, it may have 600 pages but honestly, when you really think about it, it's nothing. i loved this book and i hope that someday if you pick it up, i hope that you will love it too. okay, I'll shut up now. 

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

what another well written book by Freida McFadden. the boyfriend gets straight into it and does not hesitate to get into the action. i loved how fast paced this book was and how it wasn't like any of her other books and was very different. the plot was really good and i liked how the book was clearly set out so that you can see where the changes happen and when the clues start getting dropped. i really enjoyed reading the POV from a character when they were younger and how there was either the before chapters or the present-day chapters. i loved having the two different perspectives in the different chapters and i think that just enhanced the book to be so much better. i liked how the death

slash deaths for those of you who have read it.

was done and written and how the plot was based on it but the whole story line and book had another purpose, and it wasn't all just about the killer. the plot twist was also very well done. this was book really stumped me when it came to guessing who the killer was or behind the attacks. i thought it was a simple this is the killer and that's that but i was so wrong. i never saw that twist coming but now looking back on it i really should have guessed it and i am disappointed in myself to say the least.

i never would have guessed Gretchen to be Daisy, not in years not ever. i was SOOO shocked it was her all along and that she is the crazy one. i really thought it was just tom, plain and simple. oh well

i liked the characters and their character arcs as everyone was important and shown and i liked how even the bad characters who you think aren't going to be in the book for long actal.ly play an important role. i would have liked the revealing of everything and the murderer to have been done a bit better and more thought out but apart from that the book was very well done and well written. i do recommend reading the boyfriend if you like Freida McFadden and her murder mystery books.  

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

love!!! this book was so well written and i loved all the details. every chapter was like a new adventure. it was so good. i loved the murder mystery of everyone this Christmas has a secret, it was so thought out and really got your brain thinking. i really liked how every character played an important role and i loved how the murder was told. it was great how the book incorporated a few Christmas things and i loved how it was set up like an advent calendar. i was surprised that i was actually able to guess who the murder was but i will say that it was extremely tricky. for most of the book i was tossing up between two people before i came to a solid conclusion. i loved how the story was told and how all the pieces seem to just fall into place as the book progresses. the only think i would have liked to be added to this book to make it a five-star read would have been a tiny bit more action or thriller/scary aspect. and i would have loved one character in the book to have played a little bit more of a role, but apart from that this book was fire and i strongly recommend it. a fire read with a solid 4.75 stars. 

King of Pride by Ana Huang

adventurous challenging funny informative lighthearted medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

much better than the first book although it did start of really slowly. i liked the characters much better in this book and enjoyed the story line as well. i only found the book hard to get into was because it was kinda on the repetitive. one thing that was disappointing for me was that i enjoyed kai better in king of wrath than i did in king of pride. i felt like his character just declined over time but i still loved him as a person and would read another book about him. i liked how king of pride included characters a lot from other books and how the other characters played a role in this book. I thought the plot line with Issabella was well done and i liked reading from her POV. it was a nice romance book and even though it took me a while to read i did like it. nice 3.75 read.