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kimreads14's reviews
60 reviews
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
I’ve decided to DNF this book at around 60%…
It’s probably my fault but I assumed this book to be Adult but to me this read very YA.
While I love a good YA book I just couldn’t let go of my expectation for the story evolve into a more mature voice. When I say mature I don’t mean spicy. However, I am getting bored of the YA trop that shows perfect FMCs. FMCs who have no training and still end up being the best and strongest with little to no training 😒
I also didn’t buy the whole love triangle so that’s that I guess 🤷♀️
I do want to give props to the author for creating a world that felt unique, but not special or interesting enough to keep me reading unfortunately.
It’s probably my fault but I assumed this book to be Adult but to me this read very YA.
While I love a good YA book I just couldn’t let go of my expectation for the story evolve into a more mature voice. When I say mature I don’t mean spicy. However, I am getting bored of the YA trop that shows perfect FMCs. FMCs who have no training and still end up being the best and strongest with little to no training 😒
I also didn’t buy the whole love triangle so that’s that I guess 🤷♀️
I do want to give props to the author for creating a world that felt unique, but not special or interesting enough to keep me reading unfortunately.
Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Traffic Lawyer by Norval Ecir
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of The Traffic Lawyer by Norval Eric.
This book had such a fun and interesting background idea. An ex-superstar Yale law graduate has become something of a failure by simply handling out-of-state speeding tickets. When attending his class reunion (something he had no intention to do, at first), he ends up representing his ex-bff who is accused of murder. Cool right? Well yeah, the premises were setting you up for a great story...
The execution, however, was very poor 😩. The story is all over the place, and the plot is hardly believable. The mystery/crime aspect of the novel is borderline SCI-FI. Actually, it's not borderline SCI-FI it IS. And while I am a big fan of SCI-FI, the injection of the genre did not work here.
There are also technically 3 to 4 plot lines at the same time, but they all 'converge' at the end wrapped in a pretty if not clumsy bow 🎀 . The whole thing is seriously messy, and I'm surprised that the author's team didn't try to reign in all of this. The dialogues were hardly credible and most characters felt very caricature-y, and were just not likable.
On top of all that, the background idea I thought was great just became annoying. The constant reminder of how amazing he was, how great Yale Law school is etc. I also wonder if the author is aware of a little thing called Bar Reciprocity. If you know any lawyers, even ones from Yale Law 👀, you know that they don't just pass 40 bar exams for fun.
Unfortunately, this book was incredibly messy and poorly executed. 1.5⭐️ for me
This book had such a fun and interesting background idea. An ex-superstar Yale law graduate has become something of a failure by simply handling out-of-state speeding tickets. When attending his class reunion (something he had no intention to do, at first), he ends up representing his ex-bff who is accused of murder. Cool right? Well yeah, the premises were setting you up for a great story...
The execution, however, was very poor 😩. The story is all over the place, and the plot is hardly believable. The mystery/crime aspect of the novel is borderline SCI-FI. Actually, it's not borderline SCI-FI it IS. And while I am a big fan of SCI-FI, the injection of the genre did not work here.
There are also technically 3 to 4 plot lines at the same time, but they all 'converge' at the end wrapped in a pretty if not clumsy bow 🎀 . The whole thing is seriously messy, and I'm surprised that the author's team didn't try to reign in all of this. The dialogues were hardly credible and most characters felt very caricature-y, and were just not likable.
On top of all that, the background idea I thought was great just became annoying. The constant reminder of how amazing he was, how great Yale Law school is etc. I also wonder if the author is aware of a little thing called Bar Reciprocity. If you know any lawyers, even ones from Yale Law 👀, you know that they don't just pass 40 bar exams for fun.
Unfortunately, this book was incredibly messy and poorly executed. 1.5⭐️ for me
Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill
3.0
I’ve rarely been this confused about a book, so I can’t even imagine what the author must have felt like for 20 years.
This book doesn’t give any answers, so if that’s what you’re looking for… bad luck 🤷♀️
It will make you into the caricature of your favorite conspiracy uncle the whole time you’re reading it. But in the end, it’s likely that you won’t really remember anything other than everyone who worked on this case when the murders happened seem to have been dirty 👀
It’s not a masterpiece, it’s not horrible… it just is, and sometimes you have to accept it ☺️
This book doesn’t give any answers, so if that’s what you’re looking for… bad luck 🤷♀️
It will make you into the caricature of your favorite conspiracy uncle the whole time you’re reading it. But in the end, it’s likely that you won’t really remember anything other than everyone who worked on this case when the murders happened seem to have been dirty 👀
It’s not a masterpiece, it’s not horrible… it just is, and sometimes you have to accept it ☺️
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
3.75
First rating 3.75⭐️… but I think I need to digest it a bit more before sticking to a final rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Torture, War, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Colonisation, Drug use, Excrement, Genocide, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Brilliantly funny!
A feel good “WTF are we going to do” book, with a pinch of romance!
The aunties are hilariously fabulous.
When the description says “laugh out loud” it isn’t an hyperbole!!! I looked like a lunatic LOLing in the streets while listening to this book, but it was worth it ☺️
Excited for the next one
A feel good “WTF are we going to do” book, with a pinch of romance!
The aunties are hilariously fabulous.
When the description says “laugh out loud” it isn’t an hyperbole!!! I looked like a lunatic LOLing in the streets while listening to this book, but it was worth it ☺️
Excited for the next one
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
- 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
5.0
5 ⭐️
This book was absolutely AMAZING!
Everything from the back story regarding why Leslye Penelope decided to call her FMC Clara to the magical system.
I mean seriously, who would say no to a magical heist set during the Harlem Renaissance???
Every character were perfectly crafted, and I really enjoyed the small snippets that helped introduce the majority of the "crew members" from their birth to them getting their Charms/Tricks (well except for Zelda 👀, IYKYK)
The magic system of Enigmas, Grays, Over There, and Second Sight was easy enough to understand and splendidly from the very early beginning of the book, which made diving into it so much easier.
10/10 would recommend
I'll soon be looking at the rest of the author's work under L. Penelope ☺️
This book was absolutely AMAZING!
Everything from the back story regarding why Leslye Penelope decided to call her FMC Clara to the magical system.
I mean seriously, who would say no to a magical heist set during the Harlem Renaissance???
Every character were perfectly crafted, and I really enjoyed the small snippets that helped introduce the majority of the "crew members" from their birth to them getting their Charms/Tricks (well except for Zelda 👀, IYKYK)
The magic system of Enigmas, Grays, Over There, and Second Sight was easy enough to understand and splendidly from the very early beginning of the book, which made diving into it so much easier.
10/10 would recommend
I'll soon be looking at the rest of the author's work under L. Penelope ☺️
Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot
challenging
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Before I get into the actual review, do yourself a favor: LISTEN to the audiobook, and read the book at the same time! By listening to the audiobook, you'll be able to GET what is meant to be understood, especially when Harriot shares family histories. Reading the physical book at the same time will allow you to take notes.
Ok now for the review:
Mr Harriot, THANK YOU. Thank you for all the research that you did, and for sharing it with the world. The second part of the title is The Un-Whitewashed Story of America, and honestly, it is ON POINT.
So many times in classes on US history, I was like... "but wait this doesn't add up". Well, now it does.
Michael Harriot gives an unforgivable and unbothered account of how the US came to be the US, how through the labor of hundreds of thousands of people, they came to "rule the world." But most importantly, he goes into detail. Details of every important part of the story, from revolution attempts to detailing how the New World experiment almost failed before it got started.
Harriot covers so many seminal moments of US history and how these were either shaped by blacks or shaped to control blacks.
This book is mind-blowing! And if 6 ⭐️ were available, I would give them to this book.
PS: the audiobook also allows you to laugh out loud because while the topic is sad and shows so much about human cruelty, Michael Harriot also manages to input some humor at the right times.
Absolutely incredible!
Ok now for the review:
Mr Harriot, THANK YOU. Thank you for all the research that you did, and for sharing it with the world. The second part of the title is The Un-Whitewashed Story of America, and honestly, it is ON POINT.
So many times in classes on US history, I was like... "but wait this doesn't add up". Well, now it does.
Michael Harriot gives an unforgivable and unbothered account of how the US came to be the US, how through the labor of hundreds of thousands of people, they came to "rule the world." But most importantly, he goes into detail. Details of every important part of the story, from revolution attempts to detailing how the New World experiment almost failed before it got started.
Harriot covers so many seminal moments of US history and how these were either shaped by blacks or shaped to control blacks.
This book is mind-blowing! And if 6 ⭐️ were available, I would give them to this book.
PS: the audiobook also allows you to laugh out loud because while the topic is sad and shows so much about human cruelty, Michael Harriot also manages to input some humor at the right times.
Absolutely incredible!