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gretchenplz's reviews
305 reviews
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
2.5
This book was so... boring. I will not be gaslit into giving it a higher rating than it deserves simply because of a (admittedly, gagworthy)cliffhanger.
A filler book on book two? Absolutely wild. Even JLA gave us two good books before it all went to shit and got overcomplicated. Couldn’t even give us her signature solid last 200 pages, as we’ve come to expect. More like a good last 40 pages. Yikes.
500 pages of "Everyone wants to fuck Bryce. She's so cool but also clueless! Isn't that so hot!" 100 pages of "Why the fuck is Danika still relevant to this conversation?" 100 pages of "Oh my god, we have the BEST SEX." 100 pages of "Ah, the plot is moving forward!"
There's just so much substance lacking in this series.
I just... don't care about any of these characters. Except Ithan. There are too many, with (somehow, in 1600 pages) not enough development for me to actually feel like I know them or should care about them. I have lots of issues with TOG and ACOTAR, but at least I had some sort of emotional attachment to those characters. At least they made me feel something.
And the secret agent reveal? Yeah, that wasn't a breadcrumb trail. That was neon signs. Painfully obvious.
I mean, yeah, I'm going to read the next book, but I'm probably going to hate it the whole time.
A filler book on book two? Absolutely wild. Even JLA gave us two good books before it all went to shit and got overcomplicated. Couldn’t even give us her signature solid last 200 pages, as we’ve come to expect. More like a good last 40 pages. Yikes.
500 pages of "Everyone wants to fuck Bryce. She's so cool but also clueless! Isn't that so hot!" 100 pages of "Why the fuck is Danika still relevant to this conversation?" 100 pages of "Oh my god, we have the BEST SEX." 100 pages of "Ah, the plot is moving forward!"
There's just so much substance lacking in this series.
I just... don't care about any of these characters. Except Ithan. There are too many, with (somehow, in 1600 pages) not enough development for me to actually feel like I know them or should care about them. I have lots of issues with TOG and ACOTAR, but at least I had some sort of emotional attachment to those characters. At least they made me feel something.
And the secret agent reveal? Yeah, that wasn't a breadcrumb trail. That was neon signs. Painfully obvious.
I mean, yeah, I'm going to read the next book, but I'm probably going to hate it the whole time.
The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Again, a good time if you're not an overthinking hater!
The Fury by L.J. Smith
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5
I'm not saying these books are revolutionary, especially when rereading them in 2024, but they are a really good time if you're not an absolute hater.
The Struggle by L.J. Smith
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.0
People are being way too hard on this book in the reviews. This is a totally fine, YA angsty paranormal romance. It doesn't always have to be that deep.
Plot and character-wise, it's definitely a step up from the first book. I had a good time.
Also @ the person who said, "Where's the sex?"... you do realize this is YA, RIGHT? *eyeroll*
Plot and character-wise, it's definitely a step up from the first book. I had a good time.
Also @ the person who said, "Where's the sex?"... you do realize this is YA, RIGHT? *eyeroll*
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith
dark
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
2.5
I'm on a nostalgia journey because I remember reading this series way back in high school before the tv show was even a thing. I know that they are radically different than the series, but I remember enjoying them a lot.
I will say the first book is weak. Are any of the characters likable? Not really. Is the entire plot and romance shaky? Absolutely. Are there outdated views on current hot topics? Definitely. But come on. It's a teen vampire romance. Of course it's angsty. Of course the love is inexplicably instant. Of course the seniors in high school are bratty, bitchy, and arrogant.
None of that makes it less of a fun trip down memory lane. I can't wait to get to the rest of the books because I remember some pretty interesting things that happen in the rest of the series!
I will say the first book is weak. Are any of the characters likable? Not really. Is the entire plot and romance shaky? Absolutely. Are there outdated views on current hot topics? Definitely. But come on. It's a teen vampire romance. Of course it's angsty. Of course the love is inexplicably instant. Of course the seniors in high school are bratty, bitchy, and arrogant.
None of that makes it less of a fun trip down memory lane. I can't wait to get to the rest of the books because I remember some pretty interesting things that happen in the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death, Car accident, and Death of parent
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
3.5
I was SO ready to say nice things about this book. And then the last 200 pages happened.
The award for the most random and inexplicable "third-act breakup" goes to this book. Like... what is the actual hell just happened? No warning. No hinting. Just made up. Randomly. Out of nowhere. Absolutely absurd.
And then *POOF* magically erased like it never happened. Surely there was SOME other way to move forward the plot without THAT taking place???
All the other twists were painfully obvious, which is why I am so insulted by this one in particular. There was a better way to move the plot forward the same amount without it. But that might have cut 100 pages from the book. And God knows SJM can't possibly put out a book shorter than 800 pages these days.
Also… did SJM panic at JLA’s popularity and decide that she needed to come up with a similarly convoluted power hierarchy/structure?! There was no need!!!
And please don't get me started on the "sudden onset powers!"
That's just SJM being SJM.
I could go on about recycled characters/personalities, but I won't. I'm sure you noticed. Bryce is at least not blonde, so the self-insert is a TAD less obvious. Because she's sooooo not like other girls!!!
I will be waiting for Hunt's complete personality transplant in Book Two and for Bryce to end up with... One of her brother's buddies? Conner's brother? Idk, but I'm sure it will happen.
The ending making me emotional is not enough to erase my memory of all the bullshit. But that just seems to be how SJM's books go. One day she will change her formula and I will fall over in shock. But today is not that day.
Big fan of the demon cat, though!
The award for the most random and inexplicable "third-act breakup" goes to this book. Like... what is the actual hell just happened? No warning. No hinting. Just made up. Randomly. Out of nowhere. Absolutely absurd.
And then *POOF* magically erased like it never happened. Surely there was SOME other way to move forward the plot without THAT taking place???
All the other twists were painfully obvious, which is why I am so insulted by this one in particular. There was a better way to move the plot forward the same amount without it. But that might have cut 100 pages from the book. And God knows SJM can't possibly put out a book shorter than 800 pages these days.
Also… did SJM panic at JLA’s popularity and decide that she needed to come up with a similarly convoluted power hierarchy/structure?! There was no need!!!
And please don't get me started on the "sudden onset powers!"
I could go on about recycled characters/personalities, but I won't. I'm sure you noticed. Bryce is at least not blonde, so the self-insert is a TAD less obvious. Because she's sooooo not like other girls!!!
I will be waiting for Hunt's complete personality transplant in Book Two and for Bryce to end up with... One of her brother's buddies? Conner's brother? Idk, but I'm sure it will happen.
The ending making me emotional is not enough to erase my memory of all the bullshit. But that just seems to be how SJM's books go. One day she will change her formula and I will fall over in shock. But today is not that day.
Big fan of the demon cat, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Man, I need to get back on the water. I miss it.
I understand what the author was going for with the pacing of the book. I really do. But it seemed like the part I cared to hear about the most — the Olympics — was over and done so quickly. Meanwhile, I listened to ten hours of information about the freshman vs. JV vs. varsity boats. Not saying it was bad, just that it was a little off-balance.
If you're a rower, this book definitely hits you differently. There's something about rowing and what makes a rower that only people who have been in the shell, through wind and rain and ice and blisters, will understand.
I understand what the author was going for with the pacing of the book. I really do. But it seemed like the part I cared to hear about the most — the Olympics — was over and done so quickly. Meanwhile, I listened to ten hours of information about the freshman vs. JV vs. varsity boats. Not saying it was bad, just that it was a little off-balance.
If you're a rower, this book definitely hits you differently. There's something about rowing and what makes a rower that only people who have been in the shell, through wind and rain and ice and blisters, will understand.
Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself by Crystal Hefner
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Out of all the Playboy memoirs I've read, this was by far the saddest.
Crystal tells a sad story, full of trauma and pain and grief, and knowing that Playboy was a horrible place for young women doesn't make it any easier to hear, especially right from the victim's mouth. Hearing Crystal tear up and get emotional at places was incredibly difficult.
If you're just in this for the "tea," you'll likely be disappointed, as Holly said much of the same in her book, but witnessing Crystal's healing journey was incredibly worthwhile.
Crystal tells a sad story, full of trauma and pain and grief, and knowing that Playboy was a horrible place for young women doesn't make it any easier to hear, especially right from the victim's mouth. Hearing Crystal tear up and get emotional at places was incredibly difficult.
If you're just in this for the "tea," you'll likely be disappointed, as Holly said much of the same in her book, but witnessing Crystal's healing journey was incredibly worthwhile.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
This is a story of tragedy, pain, and suffering, but it is also a story of love, growth, and joy.
And I think that's really important.
And I think that's really important.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
3.5
3/5 ETA: I can't stop calling this a poor woman's LOTR, so, clearly, I'm still mad about things.
Now that I'm done, I will state that I think reading "The Assassin's Blade" first is the way to go. Not somewhere in the middle. I would have cared more about Sam to not already know his demise and would have been so much more overjoyed at the return of characters in the final books would have felt more rewarding and not an "Oh, I figured they'd be back."
I will concede that I definitely enjoyed this book more than I had others. I have quarrels (many), but I am happy I read the series, and I'm surprisingly settled with the ending.After what happened with Nesta, I'm usually on team "Let the lady keep her powers," but I have been on team "Aelin needs to lose her powers" since Day 1. The girl was already nearing future tyrant status before she discovered her powers, so her giving them up makes sense and is a logical way to let everyone live in the end.
This book was definitely the best in terms of Aelin as a character. This was definitely her at her least annoying (which is certainly saying something, since she is definitely still annoying as fuck), and I did spy some character growth. Finally.
I stand by saying that Aelin and Rowan are the least interesting characters in the series, with Yrene, Chaol, Elide, Lorcan, Manon and the Thirteen, and Dorian just exponentially more compelling, complicated, and worth rooting for. It takes more for a character to be interesting and strong than for them to simply be hot, snarky, and possess otherworldly powers. This is a weakness when it comes to SJM's main characters, 100%.
I also think that she really does herself a disservice by forcing her characters to do things outside their established character set, sewing discontent that she very quickly has to walk back to bring pairs back together. Not every romance needs to have a third-act breakup (Aedion & Lysandra, Elide & Lorcan).
I'm glad that Chaol got the redemption he deserved. He should never have needed it from the beginning, as I don't think that he ever did anything wrong, but I digress.
Manon and the Thriteen. That's all I will say. They might have left a permanent mark on me.
My biggest issue with this book and SJM in particular is the plagiarism. I am not stupid. I know that, across the fantasy genre, there are certain things that crossover from story to story. That there are certain things that will be in every fantasy book that is written. However, authors need to make their use of these concepts unique, to not just blatantly steal dialogue and scenes directly from the works of others. The number of times I went "Hey, that's just like in Lord of the Rings" was too many to count, and that is just endlessly disappointing. I could say the same with Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and even Grey's Anatomy. If I read your dialogue and can immediately place that dialogue as iconic dialogue from another series, you've got an issue. ETA (2/23): Currently rewatching ATLA and screaming because she blatantly stole from this, too!!!!!! The tunnel under the mountains??? GIRL PLEASE>
My other main issue is the fact that SJM clearly did not plan a single thing about this series from the beginning. She didn't even plan anything about this book from the beginning. The surprise reveal of the Fae and Wofl People at the end is a case in point. Just another "Oh, Aelin and Rowan are just smarter and cleverer than everyone else!" It's obvious because of all the storylines that just had to be BOOP quickly ended in this last book so we could BOOP wrap up other plotlines.
Also, this book could have been 400 pages shorter. Fight me.
TW: PTSD, trauma response, etc.
Now that I'm done, I will state that I think reading "The Assassin's Blade" first is the way to go. Not somewhere in the middle. I would have cared more about Sam to not already know his demise and would have been so much more overjoyed at the return of characters in the final books would have felt more rewarding and not an "Oh, I figured they'd be back."
I will concede that I definitely enjoyed this book more than I had others. I have quarrels (many), but I am happy I read the series, and I'm surprisingly settled with the ending.
This book was definitely the best in terms of Aelin as a character. This was definitely her at her least annoying (which is certainly saying something, since she is definitely still annoying as fuck), and I did spy some character growth. Finally.
I stand by saying that Aelin and Rowan are the least interesting characters in the series, with Yrene, Chaol, Elide, Lorcan, Manon and the Thirteen, and Dorian just exponentially more compelling, complicated, and worth rooting for. It takes more for a character to be interesting and strong than for them to simply be hot, snarky, and possess otherworldly powers. This is a weakness when it comes to SJM's main characters, 100%.
I also think that she really does herself a disservice by forcing her characters to do things outside their established character set, sewing discontent that she very quickly has to walk back to bring pairs back together. Not every romance needs to have a third-act breakup (Aedion & Lysandra, Elide & Lorcan).
I'm glad that Chaol got the redemption he deserved. He should never have needed it from the beginning, as I don't think that he ever did anything wrong, but I digress.
Manon and the Thriteen. That's all I will say. They might have left a permanent mark on me.
My biggest issue with this book and SJM in particular is the plagiarism. I am not stupid. I know that, across the fantasy genre, there are certain things that crossover from story to story. That there are certain things that will be in every fantasy book that is written. However, authors need to make their use of these concepts unique, to not just blatantly steal dialogue and scenes directly from the works of others. The number of times I went "Hey, that's just like in Lord of the Rings" was too many to count, and that is just endlessly disappointing. I could say the same with Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and even Grey's Anatomy. If I read your dialogue and can immediately place that dialogue as iconic dialogue from another series, you've got an issue. ETA (2/23): Currently rewatching ATLA and screaming because she blatantly stole from this, too!!!!!! The tunnel under the mountains??? GIRL PLEASE>
My other main issue is the fact that SJM clearly did not plan a single thing about this series from the beginning. She didn't even plan anything about this book from the beginning. The surprise reveal of the Fae and Wofl People at the end is a case in point. Just another "Oh, Aelin and Rowan are just smarter and cleverer than everyone else!" It's obvious because of all the storylines that just had to be BOOP quickly ended in this last book so we could BOOP wrap up other plotlines.
Also, this book could have been 400 pages shorter. Fight me.
TW: PTSD, trauma response, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Suicidal thoughts