inknosedowl's reviews
85 reviews

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This is the second time I have read this book and low and behold, it’s still amazing. It’s been long enough time between reads that I am basically reading this series for the first time again and it truly holds up. The twists are just as surprising the second as there were the first. Excited to continue to reread the series. 

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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

5.0

This is not the first time nor do I think it will be the last time I start the Unwind series. If you havent read this series it is a necessity to your bookshelf.
I read this book for the first time when I was in Junior High and I loved the moral grayness about it, but rereading it as an adult with the political climate that we are in, it couldnt be more relatable. The fact that there was a Heartland War fighting over Pro life and Pro Choice and both sides lost in a way was jarring to say the least. 
Unwind talks about choice and the right to ones body, but also the benefits of something like organ donation by going about it in the most gruesome way. Neal Shusterman does not shy away from showing that way. 
This book has affected my life in so many different ways I didnt even realize it until I was reading it this last time. The books I read and the things I believe are apart of this book and I will always be grateful for that impact on my life.
I believe that this series will stand the test of time. It can be relatable in so many different ways and can affect everyone no matter where you are. I love this series and I hope everyone else does too. 

Final Offer by Lauren Asher

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-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

4.0

This is the last book of the Dreamland Billionaires series and I’m honestly sad that it’s over. I enjoyed it so much and I wish it didn’t have to end! 
This last book was good and I loved Alana, but I am a dark haired spooky girl all the way and Cal wasn’t that. I thought he was so sweet, but I liked the other two books a little better. I enjoyed the ending with their father and thought it very fitting for what their grandfather was doing with his will. 
The spice level in this book was about the same as the other two books. Had to wait a little bit to get the spice, but it was worth it. 

Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Second book in the Dreamland Billionaire series and it was just as good as the first! I love that he fell for her first I don’t see like that in romance a lot and it was nice to see. The literally only complaint I have about this book is I wish there was more smut with these two. The stories are amazing but ugh the passion that these two had it could’ve been so many good scenes. There was less than the first book! But honestly the romance is so good it is still 100% worth the read. 

The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

I have been putting off reading this book worried that Tik Tok had lead me astray, but I wish I had read it sooner! This book deserves all the hype it’s gets it is amazing. It had me similitude though out the entire book. I feel like it is a unique idea with amazing characters that grow with the story. I was also worried that there would be cringy language in the writing, but Lauren Asher avoided that and wrote their story amazingly. There were no gross pet names or anyone miscommunication tropes, just a great story and a good ending. 
I highly recommend this book! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. 

Ashes to Dust by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

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? Yes

3.75

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. I thought the premise was very intriguing and clever and she took me right away. It felt very well paced to me and I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it when I would put it down. 

the only reason I am not giving this book at least 4 stars is because of the ending. It felt almost unfair that Markús just confessed after everything that had happened. It makes sense since he wanted to keep things buried in the past, but it just felt very abrupt. There were clues like the hair in the basement and the salmon priest and knife, but it almost felt unfair. Also the last page itself was very abrupt and felt unfinished so I had to give it a lower rating.

Overall it was a pretty good mystery and I think I’ll try her other books and see if they’re just as good. 

Gleanings by Neal Shusterman

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed going back into the universe of the Scythe series. I loved seeing more stories in the universe and how it connected with the original series. It has been a while since I read the original series, so I admit I was struggling a little bit with remembering certain people. Overall a VERY enjoyable book and if you get the Barnes and Noble exclusive it has an extra story that is for sure worth the purchase. 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.75

This book is just like the cover says, “A rom-com lovers dream of a book.” This was a very sweet and enjoyable read. I love how the story revolves around people falling in love around books. Isn’t that ever book lovers dream? The start of the book felt a little meh to me, like it was going to be just a boring romance book, but at some point of loosing myself in the pages I got more hooked. 

I love that she didn’t have to give up her city job at the end. Henry mentions at the beginning of the book how Hallmark movies are pretty ridiculous and they always leave for the small town and I honestly agree. I love that this was actually different

If you love romance I would for sure recommend this book. It makes you feel all gushy inside and she writes it in a good way. The only thing that I really had a hard time with was Libby calling Nora Sissy constantly. It’s just not how siblings talk to each other, but that is the only criticism i have. It’s not an earth shattering book, but its still so adorable and exactly what I needed to read after a 900 page book about the apocalypse! 

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.

I have honestly stopped reading this book for a while, but the main reason I stopped was because the main character is SO WHINY. it was distracting from the rest of the book. I really like this author, so I may try again but probably not any time soon.  

Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon

adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This book truly doesn’t hold any punches. While this on book is mostly post apocalyptic there are different generes that okay into the story that are just as important. The key plot point is fantasy and he writes descriptions of the gore that happens after the holocaust as if they are horror. It’s not anything like I’ve read before in this genre. 
The two main things I have issue with this book is first of all how long it is. It could been a duology making it a little easier to read. The other issue, that I think would plays into separating the book, is character development. He wrote a lot of descriptions of the world and the physical description of people, but did not focus on character development as much as I would’ve liked. Some horrible things happen to the characters and I think I would felt a little more if there were more scenes with connections in them. The story was almost good enough to make up for it though. 
I would for sure check trigger warnings before reading this book it can be very gory in some parts. Over all amazing book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, War, and Violence