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hannahsnerdycorner's reviews
115 reviews
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a cute little romance read with some very complex issues to do with gender and harassment combined.
I was first intrigued by this book because there aren't many gamer romances as far as I'm aware, and was especially pleased to see the main plot point in the synopsis was that she pretended to be a guy online to avoid harassment because I feel like you can't really have a gamer girl story without acknowledging the harassment that comes with it.
It takes place mainly in a school and features bullying, a star student who is only that because his family is incredibly rich, and strong female friendships.
The love interest it adorable and understanding, but the main character might take some getting used to as she's rather confident and loud - in a good way.
For a romance novel, there isn't much romance, but this is due to the fact that the characters are 17, and there's a major plot of female harassment which, in my opinion, deserved its center stage.
I was first intrigued by this book because there aren't many gamer romances as far as I'm aware, and was especially pleased to see the main plot point in the synopsis was that she pretended to be a guy online to avoid harassment because I feel like you can't really have a gamer girl story without acknowledging the harassment that comes with it.
It takes place mainly in a school and features bullying, a star student who is only that because his family is incredibly rich, and strong female friendships.
The love interest it adorable and understanding, but the main character might take some getting used to as she's rather confident and loud - in a good way.
For a romance novel, there isn't much romance, but this is due to the fact that the characters are 17, and there's a major plot of female harassment which, in my opinion, deserved its center stage.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved this book! It did take a while to get into due to the extremely detailed set up of the world and the flashbacks - but these were done very well and left a lot of mystery to unpack still, even if you weren't concerned by the murder that happens at some points.
There's a large cast of characters and yet you still feel that all of them are fleshed out and detailed. You really grow to love the three main characters even though all three have clear negative traits - another thing that makes all of the characters so good, nobody is perfect.
My main complaint is that it took me a while to get into this book, though that may be due to the reading slump I'm currently fighting my way through, but mainly it was due to the highly descriptive chapters which made reading physically slower for me. However it is a very complex world/magic system so it needs a lot of explaining - at least Alex is new to it all too, so you often learn alongside the character.
There's a large cast of characters and yet you still feel that all of them are fleshed out and detailed. You really grow to love the three main characters even though all three have clear negative traits - another thing that makes all of the characters so good, nobody is perfect.
My main complaint is that it took me a while to get into this book, though that may be due to the reading slump I'm currently fighting my way through, but mainly it was due to the highly descriptive chapters which made reading physically slower for me. However it is a very complex world/magic system so it needs a lot of explaining - at least Alex is new to it all too, so you often learn alongside the character.
Scorned Prince by Brady Hunsaker
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Scorned Prince introduces you to the world and premise throughout the entire book, almost reading like a prequel, however this does not make it a bad book. In fact it is a rather good book which kept me invested in the characters, or at least Katsi - this isn’t to say Prince Migo is a bland character or an unliveable character, rather that I simply preferred Katsi and found her version of the world more interesting for the first half of the book until Migo’s pov became more interesting.
The writing is pretty good, if not slightly blunt at points, but this decreases as you go through the book, showing the bluntness is partially meant to introduce you to the world more concisely.
The side characters are instantly likeable and I want to find out more about them in the next two books.
The main characters’ relationship with each other is one of prejudice before they realise they are two
sides of the same coin (along with some jealousy of Katsi’s boyfriend so we’ll see where that goes).
Overall I enjoyed this book as a setup for the next two books and am definitely eager to read the next one despite the fact that it did not end on much of a cliffhanger.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall I would only recommend this book to someone who read It Ends With Us and was desperate for some closure.
Don’t get me wrong: I loved It Ends With Us, I just don’t think this book was necessary and see it as a money-grab on Colleen’s end.
It’s mostly just a fluff book about Atlas and Lily and it barely develops anything. It all happens too quick whilst simultaneously the story drags out because you lose attachment to the plot because the characters seem to calm each other so easily that every possible stressful thing seems minute as they fix it in the next chapter.
Atlas fell flat as a character as he is perfect so there’s no development to be done for him and Lily seems to be over the abuse way too quickly: there are a few moments where she feels anxious or scared but again, Atlas calms her so we don’t feel any real tension.
Don’t get me wrong: I loved It Ends With Us, I just don’t think this book was necessary and see it as a money-grab on Colleen’s end.
It’s mostly just a fluff book about Atlas and Lily and it barely develops anything. It all happens too quick whilst simultaneously the story drags out because you lose attachment to the plot because the characters seem to calm each other so easily that every possible stressful thing seems minute as they fix it in the next chapter.
Atlas fell flat as a character as he is perfect so there’s no development to be done for him and Lily seems to be over the abuse way too quickly: there are a few moments where she feels anxious or scared but again, Atlas calms her so we don’t feel any real tension.
Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo
adventurous
funny
fast-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
4.0
Princess of Souls has a great quest-driven plot to find the sword that is capable of killing even an immortal. The group of 4 (the 2 main characters and their best friends) fit together so well and there's so much banter! Plus the 2 best friends are so lovable that I wanted their POVs too!
It is a dual POV book, which I love because we get to see what the love interest is thinking. Also it helps us understand each of their motivations in keeping secrets - which of course they do because one has decided to kill the other.
The actual quest is action filled with a couple of chapters of relief between each part which gives a nice reprieve from it and allows time for character development and bonding, whilst having the looming threat build up too.
I liked how the romance was slow; the main bulk of the book is spent building a friendship forged from trust - and trust is something that doesn't come naturally. Instead the relationships most focused on are that of parent-child which was refreshing. Selestra and her mother are arguably the most important relationship because whilst they love each other (or at the very least did at some point), they have opposing aims and loyalties.
Overall I'd say the book is about letting go and finding your identity so you can be your own person which is a beautiful sentiment for a book in my opinion - which also fits with the fact that it is a Rapunzel retelling.
p.s. The little references to her letting her hair down are nice references to Rapunzel.
It is a dual POV book, which I love because we get to see what the love interest is thinking. Also it helps us understand each of their motivations in keeping secrets - which of course they do because one has decided to kill the other.
The actual quest is action filled with a couple of chapters of relief between each part which gives a nice reprieve from it and allows time for character development and bonding, whilst having the looming threat build up too.
I liked how the romance was slow; the main bulk of the book is spent building a friendship forged from trust - and trust is something that doesn't come naturally. Instead the relationships most focused on are that of parent-child which was refreshing. Selestra and her mother are arguably the most important relationship because whilst they love each other (or at the very least did at some point), they have opposing aims and loyalties.
Overall I'd say the book is about letting go and finding your identity so you can be your own person which is a beautiful sentiment for a book in my opinion - which also fits with the fact that it is a Rapunzel retelling.
p.s. The little references to her letting her hair down are nice references to Rapunzel.
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I went into this book with expectations of a best friends to lovers, jock and ballet high school student romance. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that they weren't in high school and were instead in their (I think) mid-twenties because, seriously, I want more romance books to be actual adults because personally it feels more realistic - that's my cynical brain at its finest. I was also happily surprised by the fake dating - I don't know if I just missed that part of the blurb or what but I didn't know it was fake dating, and if you don't already know: I love fake dating.
An aspect I loved was the fact that "The Cheat Sheet" was actually a cheat sheet in the book along with how it explained what a cheat sheet is in American football.
I loved the side characters so much that I found myself preferring the side characters over the main characters Bree and Nathan. This was probably aided by the fact that Nathan is not what I'm attracted to (even in book boyfriends) and I found it difficult to relate to Bree. However this is not to say that others wouldn't fall head over heels for Nathan and identify with Bree, it's just that for me, I didn't.
The thing I found made it hard for me to enjoy the book was the style. It's written in a very colloquial (casual) way to the point that it felt like the characters were talking to me, or writing in their diary, which I personally don't like, but if you love that stuff: great, you will probably like this book! There was also a lot of CAPITALS for when they got excited and thoughts that trailed off (not to the point that you don't know where the thought was going though) and then got interrupted with things like "no, I shouldn't think that" which kind of made it feel much more like a tell-not-show rather than show-not-tell.
Slight spoilers in the next paragraph: you learn it very early on though (like 3-4 chapters in)
One thing I thought I'd like was the dual POV, but due to the writing style I found it disappointing because we learn in Nathan's first chapter that he is also head over heels in love with Bree which kind of just leads to my next point:
Spoiler risk over
If the miscommunication trope is where you end up yelling at the characters to just get over themselves and tell the other the truth then this book is the definition of the miscommunication trope.
Overall I'd say The Cheat Sheet is a very hit or miss kind of book - where you either love it or you don't. If you like the things I mentioned, then you will probably love it, but if you are like me, you'll probably just feel a bit disappointed.
An aspect I loved was the fact that "The Cheat Sheet" was actually a cheat sheet in the book along with how it explained what a cheat sheet is in American football.
I loved the side characters so much that I found myself preferring the side characters over the main characters Bree and Nathan. This was probably aided by the fact that Nathan is not what I'm attracted to (even in book boyfriends) and I found it difficult to relate to Bree. However this is not to say that others wouldn't fall head over heels for Nathan and identify with Bree, it's just that for me, I didn't.
The thing I found made it hard for me to enjoy the book was the style. It's written in a very colloquial (casual) way to the point that it felt like the characters were talking to me, or writing in their diary, which I personally don't like, but if you love that stuff: great, you will probably like this book! There was also a lot of CAPITALS for when they got excited and thoughts that trailed off (not to the point that you don't know where the thought was going though) and then got interrupted with things like "no, I shouldn't think that" which kind of made it feel much more like a tell-not-show rather than show-not-tell.
Slight spoilers in the next paragraph: you learn it very early on though (like 3-4 chapters in)
One thing I thought I'd like was the dual POV, but due to the writing style I found it disappointing because we learn in Nathan's first chapter that he is also head over heels in love with Bree which kind of just leads to my next point:
Spoiler risk over
If the miscommunication trope is where you end up yelling at the characters to just get over themselves and tell the other the truth then this book is the definition of the miscommunication trope.
Overall I'd say The Cheat Sheet is a very hit or miss kind of book - where you either love it or you don't. If you like the things I mentioned, then you will probably love it, but if you are like me, you'll probably just feel a bit disappointed.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? No
3.5
To be honest I went into this with high expectations and came out of it thinking it was overhyped.
The riddles were all solved rather quickly without giving me time to even consider what the answer would be, and the answers weren't something I would've thought of. Normally that's a good thing, but in this instance I mean I had no hope of guessing because there wasn't any set up/clues.
Also the ending seemed a little disappointing since there wasn't really any conflict, just them finding out why their grandfather left his inheritance to Avery, which was speculation anyway, so they could be wrong since they all seem so unsure.
The epilogue on its own would've been good, however, the answer is in the previous chapter, and it isn't subtle.
Overall it was a good book, and it kept me reading, but the ending was anti-climactic. Mostly I was there for the reason why Jameson and Grayson hate each other - which I was simultaneously surprised/intrigued to find out exactly what happened and not at all surprised by it - as well as who Avery is going to end up with (which I thought was also fairly clear from the beginning, but I'm always here for the love story).
Most of the book I kinda just thought "yeah that tracks", "yeah that seems about right".
I haven't really touched on the positives because all I can really say is "yeah it's a good book" *shrugs shoulders*.
The riddles were all solved rather quickly without giving me time to even consider what the answer would be, and the answers weren't something I would've thought of. Normally that's a good thing, but in this instance I mean I had no hope of guessing because there wasn't any set up/clues.
Also the ending seemed a little disappointing since there wasn't really any conflict, just them finding out why their grandfather left his inheritance to Avery, which was speculation anyway, so they could be wrong since they all seem so unsure.
The epilogue on its own would've been good, however, the answer is in the previous chapter, and it isn't subtle.
Overall it was a good book, and it kept me reading, but the ending was anti-climactic. Mostly I was there for the reason why Jameson and Grayson hate each other - which I was simultaneously surprised/intrigued to find out exactly what happened and not at all surprised by it - as well as who Avery is going to end up with (which I thought was also fairly clear from the beginning, but I'm always here for the love story).
Most of the book I kinda just thought "yeah that tracks", "yeah that seems about right".
I haven't really touched on the positives because all I can really say is "yeah it's a good book" *shrugs shoulders*.