lauren_miller's reviews
754 reviews

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.

it was fine, but I put the audio down for a day or two and then felt zero pull to pick it back up. wasn't totally sold on the developing chemistry either. looking forward to more M/M sports romances though!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I was impressed by the concept and literal writing of the first ~70%, though I found myself kind of meh in terms of attachment. but that last 30%??? I was locked in and ended up sobbing like a baby. V.E. Schwab just knows the way to my heart...

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.75

unfortunately, instead of cozy and charming, I found this kind of a chore. Kiela was an exhausting protagonist. instead of relatable and sweet, I found her martyr tendencies and lack of self-confidence really irritating. Larran was alright, but we really glossed over his childhood and the connection he had with Kiela back then; I wanted WAYY more anecdotes about their time together beyond just that single cove interaction. the other members of the pinecone society kind of blended together in terms of characterization. it was kind of ridiculous that Fen-however-you-spell-his-name laid it all out there for the captain and there were literally NO consequences?? the different creatures were interesting and the overall use of spells was cool, but nothing in the book wow'd me or spoke to my heart. basically, I found myself very underwhelmed and not really itching for book two. 

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim

adventurous mysterious 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

4.0

The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

in terms of vibes alone, this reminded me a lot of Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn, especially with respect to abuse and loneliness. Hazel is not solitary by choice,—she takes up the mantle of purpose superimposed upon her without question, and everything that happens after leads us down a long and winding path, with front row seats to the feeble, fallible, incredibly simple but oh so cruel and dramatic nature of human beings. I was engaged but not necessarily impressed by the first two thirds, but the ending really sold me, however expected—perhaps even cliché—it was. my biggest critique is that Hazel’s voice didn’t seem to change much despite how much she ages. that said, I found her an acceptable protagonist and did ultimately warm up to her choices, as well as her relationship with Leo. and despite my notes, truthfully I did binge this audiobook in less than 48 hours, so…

Lavender Clouds: Comics about Neurodivergence and Mental Health by Bex Ollerton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

DNF @ pg. 21

honestly, ironically, i'm too anxious to read this. it's just stressing me out...

The Empress by Kristin Cast

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

unfortunately, I did not enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. 

I was disappointed to find the tarot cards played no part beyond the setting, not even with regard to the power of the empress card. as someone who has dabbled for quite a few years, I was hoping for more "lore" or intention behind the use of pentacles and cups.

I was also really frustrated by Hannah. I know the author probably meant for her to seem relatable, but I found her pathetic and kind of clueless. I guess it should've been a clue when she didn't put pressure on her own stab wound... her inability to curb her self-righteous behavior should've gotten her killed or ended their ruse several times, and each time she "got away with it," I found myself a little more reticent to continue. I also don't shy away from smut in books, but the whole "good girl" thing was really lost on me; Hannah already had very little autonomy, so having her submit to Cain like that just felt like too much, you know? and don't even get me started on the whole maxing out her credit card thing. if you've been harping the whole book that the FMC is poor, it's so out of left field to have her defrost her credit card and max it out in the name of a makeover, even if she is going to disappear to another realm. it just felt so inauthentic to her character... 

lastly, the ending was a bit ridiculous. I firmly believe that no member of royalty, let alone two, would allow

such a transfer of power to occur

, regardless of the fact that Cain and Hannah saved the whole kingdom. I also doubt the kingdom of cups would have sent such a message; if my envoys were murdered on the side of the road, I'd be preparing for war, not willing to continue trade negotiations... when I say everything was wrapped up in a far too convenient, happy bow, I mean it. I did consider DNFing several times, and the other readers that did, I salute you. this was not for me and unfortunately, I do not think I would willingly recommend it without a million disclaimers first. 

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

what the actual ffffff

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

holy shit.

upon reflection: it's actually hilarious that so many of my favorite booktubers & tokers have given this 1 and 2 star ratings. and used the phrase "fast fashion books." were we even reading the same book?? obviously this is not the peak of literature, but as someone who reads and edits books for a living... y'all are just cranky lol. is it a bit too long? yep. were there more sex scenes than necessary? ha, welcome to modern romance. was it cookie cutter? i should think the fuck not.

the biggest thought I had when reading Fourth Wing is that it was wayyy better written and far more serious than I was expecting given all the commentary about it. and this sequel is no exception. in fact, i would actually dare to put this opinion out there: In terms of "serious" YA dystopian writing, I would say it goes The Hunger Games > The Empyrean > Divergent. the quality is there, but we're talking entertainment, not World Fantasy or Hugo awards.

to end my rant, I will concede that yes, maybe medium plays a huge part in people's reviews (which is NOT being acknowledged by the general masses). if I had physically read every single word of this 500+ page book, I might be singing a very different tune. but I didn't. I listened to this nearly 29-hour audiobook in 12 hours flat and had a fucking ball. so I will stand by my 5 stars. at the end of the day, I had a great time and that's what really matters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Violence