Scan barcode
justkarlah's reviews
105 reviews
End of Days by Susan Ee
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
I wish the Watchers got more time in the books. It felt like they would have had interesting stories to tell!
Don't really have much else to say, except that this series is still one of my favorites even ten years later!
Don't really have much else to say, except that this series is still one of my favorites even ten years later!
World After by Susan Ee
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
One of my favorite things about this series is the short chapters. None of them are more than ten pages long!
We continue Penryn's journey in the aftermath of the attack on the aeire. This book is slower than the first, but it is still packed with a ton of ass kicking and sword fighting.
There's not as much Raffe in this book, although we do get to learn a bit more about his past.
I'm excited to read the final book in this trilogy!
We continue Penryn's journey in the aftermath of the attack on the aeire. This book is slower than the first, but it is still packed with a ton of ass kicking and sword fighting.
There's not as much Raffe in this book, although we do get to learn a bit more about his past.
I'm excited to read the final book in this trilogy!
Angelfall by Susan Ee
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I first read this series back when it first came out, and I fell in love with it. It was different from all the books that were popular back then, and my first time reading dark fantasy about angels (I still can't believe it's been over 10 years!).
Reading it again now, my only complaint is how young Penryn is. Growing up makes you realize how YOUNG a 17-year-old really is. It's true she had to 'grow up' mentally and take care of her younger sister since their mother wasn't capable of doing so, but it still feels wrong how young she is. Especially when she's falling for an immortal angel.
I liked the characters, good and bad. They all seemed to have their own personalities and backgrounds, and didn't feel two-dimensional.
This was a fast-paced book; you're basically at the edge of your seat the entire time. Penryn's determination to save her sister forces her to join Raffe, an angel who's wings were cut off and who now has to walk back to where the angels are in San Francisco. Their alliance leads to an eventful trip full of danger, both from humans and monsters alike.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a dark fantasy series about angels and the end of the world.
Reading it again now, my only complaint is how young Penryn is. Growing up makes you realize how YOUNG a 17-year-old really is. It's true she had to 'grow up' mentally and take care of her younger sister since their mother wasn't capable of doing so, but it still feels wrong how young she is. Especially when she's falling for an immortal angel.
I liked the characters, good and bad. They all seemed to have their own personalities and backgrounds, and didn't feel two-dimensional.
This was a fast-paced book; you're basically at the edge of your seat the entire time. Penryn's determination to save her sister forces her to join Raffe, an angel who's wings were cut off and who now has to walk back to where the angels are in San Francisco. Their alliance leads to an eventful trip full of danger, both from humans and monsters alike.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a dark fantasy series about angels and the end of the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
A cozy fantasy book with a happy ending and a grumpy/sunshine trope.
The characters are all loveable; there's a variety of representation, which I loved.
Some parts do feel a little rushed, mostly to keep the storyline going, but it was still an enjoyable read. The romance part was pretty sudden, at times extra cheesy, but it was cute to read about. It's supposed to be a cozy read after all.
I wish the magic was talked about more! It was one of my favorite things to read about. Would have loved to read more about how it works and what spells/potions were commonly used by witches in this world.
If you're looking for a sweet, cozy fantasy book about witches and found family, I would recommend this book.
The characters are all loveable; there's a variety of representation, which I loved.
Some parts do feel a little rushed, mostly to keep the storyline going, but it was still an enjoyable read. The romance part was pretty sudden, at times extra cheesy, but it was cute to read about. It's supposed to be a cozy read after all.
I wish the magic was talked about more! It was one of my favorite things to read about. Would have loved to read more about how it works and what spells/potions were commonly used by witches in this world.
If you're looking for a sweet, cozy fantasy book about witches and found family, I would recommend this book.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.25
Got hooked pretty much from the beginning, which rarely ever happens so it was a nice surprise. There were A LOT of twists and turns in this book, and they're all kinda thrown at you one after the other. I do agree with some of the other reviews that it almost felt like too many plot twists, to the point where you're left confused and wondering what's real and what's not.
Scarlett grew on me, with her determination to save her sister even though the fear inside her constantly kept making her freeze/make bad decisions.
We don't get much of Tella in this book, but I'll admit, I was not her biggest fan. Maybe she'll become more likeable in the second book once we get to read more about her.
Started reading this because I fell in love with Once Upon a Time. So far it's not as captivating as that storyline, but I think that's mostly because it was kind of confusing trying to keep up with all the lies and deceptions. Still, I look forward to the second book!
Scarlett grew on me, with her determination to save her sister even though the fear inside her constantly kept making her freeze/make bad decisions.
We don't get much of Tella in this book, but I'll admit, I was not her biggest fan. Maybe she'll become more likeable in the second book once we get to read more about her.
Started reading this because I fell in love with Once Upon a Time. So far it's not as captivating as that storyline, but I think that's mostly because it was kind of confusing trying to keep up with all the lies and deceptions. Still, I look forward to the second book!
The Stand-In by Lily Chu
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A cute, quick read.
The MC's struggle with self-confidence and trying to better herself were relatable. The romance felt a little rushed, almost like it just happened overnight, even though they knew each other for less than a month (some of which was spent not being civil with each other). Loved Sam's character, though!
Everything is pretty much predictable, which is okay since most romcoms are,but the reveal that they're sisters? I did NOT see that coming.
Could've been stretched out a bit more to really sell us on the romance, but it was still an enjoyable read.
No spicy scenes, if anyone was wondering.
This book has mentions of depression, a parent with Alzheimer's, sexual harassment, and some racism.
The MC's struggle with self-confidence and trying to better herself were relatable. The romance felt a little rushed, almost like it just happened overnight, even though they knew each other for less than a month (some of which was spent not being civil with each other). Loved Sam's character, though!
Everything is pretty much predictable, which is okay since most romcoms are,
Could've been stretched out a bit more to really sell us on the romance, but it was still an enjoyable read.
No spicy scenes, if anyone was wondering.
This book has mentions of depression, a parent with Alzheimer's, sexual harassment, and some racism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Sexual harassment
Anastasia by Sophie Lark
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
I grew up with Anastasia being my favorite princess movie, so you can imagine how excited I was when I found this book!
It's one of the longest books I've ever read, but I feel like it was the perfect length. You get to read all about their world, the magic that exists there, and the life that Anastasia grew up in being the daughter of the Tsar. Of course, there's plenty of romance throughout, too.
It took me about a month to finish the whole thing (there are parts that feel like they drag on a bit, which made me put the book down on occasion), but it was interesting for the most part. There's plenty of surprises and moments that left me speechless, as well as plenty of Damien and Anastasia interactions that made me smile/want to cry.
This book has a POV from Anastasia and Damien, but mostly Anastasia. The author did a great job differentiating between the two so you always knew who was narrating a chapter without having to double check.
If you were/are interested in Anastasia or her family, I would recommend this book! It gives a different perspective to the world of the Romanovs with the magical world it's set in,AND Anastasia gets a (somewhat) happy ending!
It's one of the longest books I've ever read, but I feel like it was the perfect length. You get to read all about their world, the magic that exists there, and the life that Anastasia grew up in being the daughter of the Tsar. Of course, there's plenty of romance throughout, too.
It took me about a month to finish the whole thing (there are parts that feel like they drag on a bit, which made me put the book down on occasion), but it was interesting for the most part. There's plenty of surprises and moments that left me speechless, as well as plenty of Damien and Anastasia interactions that made me smile/want to cry.
This book has a POV from Anastasia and Damien, but mostly Anastasia. The author did a great job differentiating between the two so you always knew who was narrating a chapter without having to double check.
If you were/are interested in Anastasia or her family, I would recommend this book! It gives a different perspective to the world of the Romanovs with the magical world it's set in,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Animal death and Gore
Where Oceans Burn by Casey L. Bond
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The world building and character introductions were lengthy at the beginning of the book. It takes more than 100 pages for the plot to really get going, which would normally have made me DNF a book, but it was interesting enough to keep me going.
It really starts to get interesting about halfway through the book, where Elira first starts to change her views on the world and the things she was taught to be true.
The romance part felt a little forced at first, like she had no other choice since she was stuck with the guy for some time, but in the end it grew on me. Especially toward the end.
There's betrayals, surprise alliances, and a lot of "brows kissed" moments.
Will probably read the second book to see what happens with the two main characters and the war!
It really starts to get interesting about halfway through the book, where Elira first starts to change her views on the world and the things she was taught to be true.
The romance part felt a little forced at first, like she had no other choice since she was stuck with the guy for some time, but in the end it grew on me. Especially toward the end.
There's betrayals, surprise alliances, and a lot of "brows kissed" moments.
Will probably read the second book to see what happens with the two main characters and the war!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and War
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
I have no words. I'm still trying to process the ending to this book, the CLIFFHANGER we were left with until next year.
Kinda saw one of the main plot twists coming about halfway through the book, but it's played out so well! It still left me shocked.
Wren and Oak are polar opposites in personalities and the way they grew up, but it was so easy to root and hope for them individually.
Unfortunately, we didn't get any Cardan or Jude appearances, but it was interesting to read about Oak as a young adult, and to learn about the little girl he was almost forced to marry when they were both kids.
Definitely recommend it!
Kinda saw one of the main plot twists coming about halfway through the book, but it's played out so well! It still left me shocked.
Wren and Oak are polar opposites in personalities and the way they grew up, but it was so easy to root and hope for them individually.
Unfortunately, we didn't get any Cardan or Jude appearances, but it was interesting to read about Oak as a young adult, and to learn about the little girl he was almost forced to marry when they were both kids.
Definitely recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
Felt repetitive, was forcing myself to keep reading until I realized there's too many books out there that I'd rather use my time to read instead.