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kaistephan's reviews
65 reviews
Temple of Secrets by Christina Soontornvat
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
5.0
A solid redemption arc and a thematically sound victory is all I ever want in a book series, and Lotus Island delivers. Only thing I could ask for is more books, but the series seems pretty ended, sadly.
Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau
4.75
A delightful grumpy-sunshine romance where the grumpy is not mean and the sunshine doesn't trample boundaries. I loved the non-romantic aspects of the story as well - Amy coming into her own exploring Toronto, and Victor coming out of his shell. The character arcs were tender and thoughtful, though the pep talks after the third act breakup felt a bit artifcial and rushed. Also I now want to eat my way through Toronto; this is a great read for foodies!
Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
4.5
A violent and campy murder heist full of layered secrets and double crosses. I loved every second of it. Would have liked at least one main cast member who wasn't a horny twentysomething, but each one managed to have a distinct voice and they all balanced each other well. The world was one of the better takes on "Asian-inspired" fantasy that I've read; it falls back on Western tropes enough to shorthand scenery in favor of action, but still feels vivid and unique. Really this book was just plain fun and I need more of that in my life.
Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki
4.0
A touching, nuanced take on asexuality. It starts a bit clunky with a cliched ace feeling like she is the only one in the world who isn't normal, but once she starts looking around a bit more she learns that no one else is as normal as they appear. Her research into asexuality invokes dictionary definitions of a lot of terms but her experiences lead her to the conclusion that there is a lot of variation in human experience. I loved the way her friendship with her college friends developed but some of the other plotlines felt a bit rushed and disjointed.
Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles by Maureen Johnson, Robison Wells
3.25
Like a lot of anthologies, this one is a mixed bag. A lot of essays go with the peppy inspirational route of "theses were my textbook mental illness symptoms, but with the help of medication/therapy/yoga I got better and so can you!" but a lot of them are more introspective or nuanced. Not every essay is going to be for everyone but a reader who finds the book concept intriguing will probably find at least one essay that resonates.
Neverseen by Shannon Messenger
3.75
The series is finally starting to hit its stride and delve into some concepts that were conspicuously unexamined before. Sure, the Evil School is predictably campy and the characters still spend way too much time pretending they don't know what a crush is, but Messenger is still a master of pacing and plot twists and knows how to up the stakes. A little exasperating that it took four monster books to start questioning how perfect elves actually are, and I wouldn't tell someone who was put off by the first three that it's entirely worth it to get to the rest, but it is pleasant to see the series becoming more self-aware.