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itsawrapxx's reviews
193 reviews
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
🫣 I wanted to love this! This is my kind of second-chance romance, and I appreciated the way the story delved into mental health and the journey of grief. Buttt... I don't know what it was; I couldn't connect to Yasmen and Josiah's love. I wasn't getting any of the feels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Grief
Snowflake by Nia Forrester
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the book instead. I had to speed up the narration because I thought it was being read slowly, and their narrating style sometimes took me out of the story. I wouldn't consider this a slow burn, but I appreciated how the love between Ash and Kal was well-paced. I wish the book also delved more into the relationships Ash had outside Kal, like with her mother and the professor. I feel like there was no kind of attempt at resolve in those relationships.
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage
Sun Keep Rising by Kristen R Lee
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
A touching story that grapples with the challenges of teenage pregnancy while trying to navigate poverty and gentrification. Usually, I find it difficult to enjoy books that deal with teenage pregnancy. However, I was invested In B'onca's journey from the beginning to the end and was rooting for her to overcome her circumstances despite it all. There were moments in the book that had me in tears because I sympathized with her character so much. I enjoyed this book, but there were some plot lines that I wish were more fleshed out, like the problem she was having with Scooter's parents. The ending came too soon for me, and there were still loose ends I would have liked to see tied.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse
Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to love this, which could be because I am not the intended audience; it didn't speak to me. The book's ending seemed a little rushed, and the secret revealed by the end was pretty predictable and did not come as a surprise.
Go Deep by Rilzy Adams
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
This was a fun read! I enjoyed the banter between Navaya and Xander. I usually am not a big fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, but this one was done well, and you really believe in their friendship. I was not a big fan of the miscommunication toward the end, but nonetheless, I'm a fan!
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
5.0
I tried to read this when I was a teenager and ended up DNFing, but with the book now a TV adaptation, I reread it. I thoroughly enjoyed it this time around! It is a timeless read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Sexual assault
Restore Me by J.L. Seegars
emotional
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
3.5
I actually struggled to get through the book, and I mainly attribute it to the plot just not being my cup of tea. If you love smut, this would be right up your alley. I think one or two sex scenes could have been cut for some more character development. Or just cut overall because the book was a little too long. The reason Dom and Solane "hate" one another is really on shaky grounds. I mean, Dom doesn't "hate" her at all, and Solane is confused as to why Dom dislikes her so much. And the encounter that leads Dom to be obsessed with Solane in the first place had me sid-eyeing Dom because it didn't seem that deep. At least not the way he was holding on to that one encounter they had at a college party from 12 years ago. And not enough for the number of times we had to endure Dom referring to Solane as angel 😅. Even with it being so long it reads as a pretty fast switch that Solane makes from disliking Dom to wanting him with no one else but her.
The Fold by An Na
5.0
I really did not know what fold surgery was until I read this book. this book really enlightened me on a topic I was not aware of.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
5.0
Had to read this for school, and with the exception of "A Thousand Splendid Suns", it was hard to remember the last time I cried so hard.