grace_astudentreading's reviews
430 reviews

What Lies in Darkness by Christina McDonald

dark emotional mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

Another amazing Jess Lambert novel from Christina McDonald! Jess stole my heart in her first book, and my love for her has only grown, especially in this book. Jess is just so fierce and determined and strong and broken but healing and trying her best to be better. She undergoes absolutely fantastic character development over the course of this story, with the reappearance of Mac in her life, the anniversary of her accident, and her hard-won sobriety. I really cannot aptly describe how much I love Jess. Of course, she is not the only character in this book. There are two other point of view characters, and I enjoyed reading both of them. The different narrators were really done, with each one feeling unique and adding so much to the story. I loved how they all layered together to create the full picture of what happened that Christmas Eve. The mystery had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, with so many great twists and turns I never saw coming. The resolution was so complex in the end and brilliantly done. Overall, I highly recommend!

Thank you Christina McDonald for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass

emotional hopeful

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

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

This book was pure magic! It was sweet and beautiful and heartfelt. For starters, I loved the setting of this book with ever fiber of my being. I loved how beautiful it was in all its descriptions, with its flowers and vines and overall fairytale essence. I loved how much emotional significance it held to the characters, and how it worked to facilitate the main character’s development and the romance. Now as for the main character and the romance, I loved both. Grant is a nuanced and complex character. He struggles so much in the book, overwhelmed by his depression, romantic failures, and drudged up painful memories from his childhood. But over the course of the book he is able to do some great healing. And find the love he deserves. Ben is the perfect compliment to Grant, and I loved their shared childhood history and how much angst it contributed to the romance. Along with Grant and Ben, I loved Grant’s family, especially his aunt and uncle. They are so supportive and kind. So overall I loved this book and I highly recommend it!

Thank you Viking and Netgalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass

lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

So I am going to start this review with the disclaimer that my opinion of this book was heavily impacted by the fact that I already knew how it would end. And for that reason, I struggled to be fully invested in all the romantic relationships and love interest characters. However, I did still enjoy the story. I liked watching Micah navigate all his firsts, even when they were messy or awkward or a flop, and he had strong character development. And I loved his art and how he used it to express himself through Instaloves and his mural. I also loved Hannah and Micah’s family. Hannah is probably the best best friend ever, and Micah’s family is so wholesome and supportive.  But what I found in this book that truly made it totally worth the read was all the fairytale references. They made the book absolutely adorable and created such a fun vibe for a young adult rom com. So even though I ‘spoiled’ the ending for myself I was still able to enjoy Micah and his friends and family, and overall I would recommend this book.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This book was somehow both adorable and thrilling, with a perfect balance between the two that speaks to strong writing. It blew my expectations away, especially when I reached the end and realized the balance had never been broken. Alongside the strong writing, this book had incredibly strong characters. I loved all three Rubicon women. Lana is a true force of nature, brimming with determination. It was so much fun watching her solve a murder by shear force of will. While Beth was definitely quite different from Lana, I loved her just as much, She is kind and caring and steady, and I want her rock garden. And last but certainly not least we have Jack. Jack is the glue that manages to bring Lana and Beth back together. She is also so fierce, with a fantastic dream for her future. All together the Rubicon women manage to come together and be a family, albite a messy one. My one critique was in regards to the plot. Some things just felt too obvious, while other’s seemed a bit of a stretch. But overall I really enjoyed this book.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No

3.0

I am not exactly sure what I expected from this book, but it was not what I got. And at the end of the day it wasn’t anything that really blew me away. To start with the character, which is probably what I care the most about. Maggie Bird had a lot of potential as a main character given her complication background, but I never felt like I was fully invested in her new identity as a chicken farmer. I don’t think we spent enough time in Purity with her to see her bond with the place, which made her motivation to protect it harder to get behind. And quite frankly I found Jo, our other main character, just plain annoying. All that said, I did enjoy the writing style and organization. I loved how it switched between past and present, and the pacing was very well done. The plot was thrilling and action packed and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Overall, this was an enjoyable story with a fresh and fun concept that got me happily through my train ride, but I don’t think I will be continuing with the series in the future.

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is only my second S. A. Cosby but I can already tell he will be a favorite author for years to come. Like Razorblade Tears, this book pushed me far out of my comfort zone, but I loved every page of it. Bug is an incredibly complex and compelling main character. Obviously, as this is at the end of the day a thriller, there is a lot of external conflict. There is intense and violent action, and crazy fights and car chases, and twists and turns everywhere. But what hooked me and made me truly love this book was the internal conflict Bug faced. The true heart of this book is not the heist, it’s Bug’s relationship with his father. That is what drives Bug to make the choices he makes over the entirety of the book. It’s the root of his biggest fears and his life goals. It’s a source of pain and a source of hope. It’s his achilles heel. So yes I was all here for the car chases and the one man wrecking machine, but I was absolutely enthralled by Bug’s inner turmoil. And the ending in regards to that was perfect. Overall, I highly recommend this book and S. A. Cosby as an author.

Joined at the Joints by Marissa Eller

lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Advanced reader's copy review

This is the year where I read books that make me feel seen and I love it. First Dear Wendy and now this book. While I may not have the same diagnosis as Ivy and my symptoms are thankfully not as severe, I totally relate to her joint pain and stiffness. I also relate to her social anxiety. And lastly I relate to her love of cooking, brunch, and cooking shows (especially Chopped). So I truly adore Ivy as a main character. I love that I can relate to her. I love her devotion to her family and the unique and wholesome relationship she has with each member. I love her development learning to open up about her illness more and let people in and advocate for herself better. I love her absolutely adorable romance with Grant. I think Grant might be the best young adult love interest I have ever read. He is such a good person, and so totally in love with Ivy. He is always there to support her and gets along with her family and is overall a ridiculously perfect boyfriend. Overall this is a ridiculously amazing book, and I cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you Holiday House and Edelweiss for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

This book was much more in line with my expectations than the last one. And while I did not enjoy it quite as much as the first book in the series, I still definitely loved it! For starters I loved Charmain. She is a bookworm, which is automatic green flag in a character. She also shares my affection for pastries. But aside from our similarities, I also loved her for her character development. She begins the book incredibly sheltered, and has to learn how to be her own person and stand for herself. And of course I loved the other characters, especially Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer. I was thrilled to be back with them for a whole book, and it was so funny to read them an outsider’s perspective. As for the setting, this was probably one of my favorite parts of the book. The house was absolutely fascinating, and I wish we had gotten more time in it with Charmain exploring it. As for the plot, it was as complex, clever, and fun as I have come to expect from Diana Wynne Jones. Overall I loved this book and highly recommend!

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

So here is my deal with this book: I read the synopsis and thought it had nothing to do with Sophie and Howl. Then I read the reviews which told me it had everything to do with Sophie and Howl. And then I read the book and established that both the synopsis and the reviews were correct. And to be quite honest my feelings on that are mixed. On the one hand, I did not really enjoy the first 250 pages of this book. I did not care that much about the main character and found the plot kind of boring. It was easy to read so I didn’t feel the need to dnf and the 250 pages really did fly by, but I wasn’t riveted or really invested. On the other hand, I loved the ending. It was funny and chaotic and messy yet clever. Everything came together and made sense, and everyone got a happy ending. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending was truly brilliant and amazing. It made the rest of the book worth it to me. So overall I don’t regret reading this book and I did enjoy it in the end but it did not meet my expectations.

Nothing but the Truth by Robyn Gigl

emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.0

Advanced reader's copy review

Another amazing book in the Erin McCabe series! This one opened so hard and fast with so much action I was immediately and happily dragged into the story. For starters, I continue to worship Erin as a main character. I love her so much and her arc in this story is absolutely amazing. She had great internal conflict between the continued effects of the events of the last book and her life choices in this book. And of course, I continue to love the side characters. Mark and Peg and Sean and Liz are all amazing! And Swish was the best! I loved getting to see him practicing law more. I think I am finally learning to appreciate the court scenes, and I actually really enjoyed all of those scenes. The way the court became like a giant game of chess that truly had me riveted. I did struggle a bit with Jon, who I didn’t feel Erin connected with as much as she did with her clients in the other books. But I still really liked him by the end of the story. Overall, I continue to love this series with my whole heart and highly recommend this installment!

Thank you Kensington for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review