lastingliterature's reviews
1001 reviews

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

So cute!!! Anyone who knows me knows I love The Proposal. This is basically a younger, gayer version of that. Han and Kenny are so adorable, and I loved the found family they created. Their stories and growth are so tender and fun to watch play out. Also, Sonoro Reyes created such a great villain. I was FUMING every time she came on the page. I truly didn't want this one to end, and I want to give each of the boys a big hug.

4.5⭐

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is so weird and so captivating. This is definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I placed it on my 2025 20 books recommended by 20 people to shake up my reading for this year. This cover has always intrigued me, and I am so happy I was finally pushed to read it -- hello, mood readers!

I get We Have Always Lived in the Castle vibes from the creepy writing, beautiful wording, sister bonds, and spooky atmosphere. The lyrical writing was my favorite part, and I highlighted a bunch. Plot-wise, I was a bit let down. I wanted more to happen, especially at the end with the "reveal." As a whole, I still very much enjoyed this, and I will definitely have it on my recommend list.

4⭐

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

funny hopeful fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

What a fun read! Absolutely loved the Irish school setting. Aideen & her friends were so fun to follow on all their shenanigans. The book has fantastic representation — it’s rare to see a mother struggling with depression and alcoholism in YA lit. Despite some of the heavier topics, the book was a breeze to read, and I found myself grinning often. Definitely would recommend! 

4.25⭐️ 

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

Wow, the reviews for this are all over the place. 

Simply put, I enjoyed this! Yes, there were some problems. It did take me 10+ chapters to get into it, the names are a lot, pacing was off in places, and some things didn’t “progress” as much as some might wish. It was still so fun!! I had trouble putting it down, and my heart was RACING at many scenes. This book had so many Percy Jackson and Vampire Academy vibes that I adored, and I was so happy to see an increase in the romance since IF. As soon as I finished, I raced to TikTok to see all the thoughts and theories at the end. For me, that means it was a good book. Idk how I’m going to wait for the next one. 

4.5⭐️ for the whirlwind of emotions! 

Next Of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young

4.25

“This book is dedicated to those who think Jess was Rory's best boyfriend. The rest of you are wrong.”

Any book with that dedication gets me excited to read, and Warren definitely had some Jess-like tendencies. This book had the potential to be a 5⭐ read for me. It is extremely compulsive, has enough depth but is balanced with moments of lightness, characters you want to root for, and a very cute love story. My two (kinda big) complaints are how rushed the romance is from hating to I love you, and the unrealistic parent dynamics with both Warren and Chloe -- but especially Chloe's.

Hannah Bonam-Young is a new author for me, and after reading two of her books now, I can't wait for more -- definitely check her out if you haven't yet!

4.25⭐

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi

2.0

I really enjoy Zoboi's books, so I was very excited to request this one on NetGalley. Some of my favorite books are in verse; Punching the Air was a lit circle option in my poetry class for a couple of years. However, S(Kin) just did not work for me. While there is undoubtedly beautiful writing, the story felt so clunky. I never found myself wanting to open this up or read one more chapter. I do think reading on a Kindle took away some of the flow, as well -- depending on your settings with size/font, the line format would get confusing. I am sure there are many readers who will fall in love with this, but it's a pass for me.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc. 

This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

4.5

Okay, Kennedy Ryan!! This was even better than the first. I absolutely love the mature friendships, parenting, parent/child dynamics, and representation with Judah’s sons and a healthy divorced family. Every side character (except you know who) was amazing. Judah and Soledad’s relationship felt realistic, paced well, and steamy. Like the first, my one complaint is it felt so long, and towards the end, it started to drag. 

4.5⭐️

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

emotional hopeful reflective sad

4.5

 “Sometimes, though, you want to remember every minute you spent with someone. You want to remember even the most mundane moments. You wish you had inhabited them more completely, and marked them with yourself more indelibly - not in spite of their ordinariness, but because of it. But you only discover this when it's too late” 

 

I have no excuse for not reading this book before now. I adore Zentner books, and he is one of my top authors I recommend to others. I’ve even had this book on my self for years, both at home and in my classroom! 

 

I do think, though, that I might have subconsciously stayed away from this one. This was published a couple of years after my best friend passed away. And still, today, her death still feels like a bruise on my heart. Much of what Carver feels still hits a decade later after my loss. 

 

As you can tell, this book is sad. While there are moments of levity, much of the story is Carver’s deep sense of guilt while everyone around him seems to blame him. Which leads to my one big gripe with this novel: the blame!! While grief can make anyone a bit crazy, I do find it hard to believe this many people would blame Carver for the accident. No one in the story ever placed any blame on Mars himself for opening a text and responding while driving. That bothered me. 

 

Otherwise, this is a great novel, and I cried twice. 

 

4.5⭐ 

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer

4.5

Wait, this was so cute!!! The plot is creative, the balance between silly/cute/serious is perfect, and the romance is squeal-worthy. What more could you want? 

Also, the Midwest vibes are everything to me.

4.5⭐

Fleabag: The Scriptures by Phoebe Waller-Bridge

5.0

My poor, poor heart. It'll never pass!!!

This is a masterpiece. Reading it was a fully different experience than watching and just as good. As soon as I finished, I had to go back to a couple of scenes again (*looks at camera*). Beat. For reasons...

Anyway. An easy 5⭐