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leslielopezholder's reviews
364 reviews
The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz
funny
lighthearted
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I think this story could have had so much more potential if it had stronger development in the beginning. Their connection felt rushed and then we're thrust into the five stages where there's little communication between Dalisay and Evan. So it was hard to root for the relationship since there was no real foundation to work off of.
However, I loved seeing Filipino representation and different cultural nuances intersect with romantic tropes. It was also refreshing to see someone have more traditional values, as that isn't often represented in romance stories! But I was let down that that the author didn't hold as strongly to this in the end.
However, I loved seeing Filipino representation and different cultural nuances intersect with romantic tropes. It was also refreshing to see someone have more traditional values, as that isn't often represented in romance stories! But I was let down that that the author didn't hold as strongly to this in the end.
Home Is Where We Start: Growing Up in the Fallout of the Utopian Dream by Susanna Crossman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
The story itself was interesting but I felt like it kept getting bogged down by all the psychological information. It at times read as an academic text which I’m sure would be interesting to some people but I just want the author to get back to the story.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
I have to start by saying that I am only one of the many others who loved the first book. When I read THITCS, it broke my reading slump, made me cry, and will always be one of those stories that stay with me. However...
I was nervous going in this book because of how much I had built up the first book and knowing that sequels usually never match up (at least personally). Unfortunately, I think this is the case for me. I read in another review that this was more of a tell rather than show type of story and that was one of my top dislikes with it, to the point where I felt the tone was inconsistent with the first book. Again, like others said, it felt "preachy" which is frustrating because all the points the author was trying to make, I agree with! But rather than writing in a way that would flow with the story/worldbuilding/context, it felt forced.
My other big fault with this book has nothing to do with the content itself, but with the form. I listened to this as an audiobook and I wonder if that ruined the experience for me. I don't think the narrator had enough distinction between the adult characters so I found myself confused at times as to who was speaking. Then I felt the voices for the children were out of place and took me out of the story. Overall, it exacerbated my initial dislike with the book and made the story feel cheesy (in a bad way) too often.
Despite all this, I enjoyed revisiting all of the characters that I loved from the first book and to see how Arthur and Linus fit the parent role and seeing the "found" family grow stronger.
I was nervous going in this book because of how much I had built up the first book and knowing that sequels usually never match up (at least personally). Unfortunately, I think this is the case for me. I read in another review that this was more of a tell rather than show type of story and that was one of my top dislikes with it, to the point where I felt the tone was inconsistent with the first book. Again, like others said, it felt "preachy" which is frustrating because all the points the author was trying to make, I agree with! But rather than writing in a way that would flow with the story/worldbuilding/context, it felt forced.
My other big fault with this book has nothing to do with the content itself, but with the form. I listened to this as an audiobook and I wonder if that ruined the experience for me. I don't think the narrator had enough distinction between the adult characters so I found myself confused at times as to who was speaking. Then I felt the voices for the children were out of place and took me out of the story. Overall, it exacerbated my initial dislike with the book and made the story feel cheesy (in a bad way) too often.
Despite all this, I enjoyed revisiting all of the characters that I loved from the first book and to see how Arthur and Linus fit the parent role and seeing the "found" family grow stronger.
The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar Martínez
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
I wanted to like this more than I did. While there are some crucial perspectives and stories that are shared, I feel that the way this book is organized made it hard to take it all in and felt repetitive at times. Especially when I listened to it as an audio book!
That being said, there is such important information in this, that I still think that people should read it.
That being said, there is such important information in this, that I still think that people should read it.
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
File this under #goodforher stories. To start, the writing was a mixed bag for me. At times I found the dialogue to be a little cheesy and other times, the description was so vivid, I felt a little nauseous. But I love a good weird story, especially with all the different layered perspectives.
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
funny
medium-paced
- 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
Absolutely loved the queer representation amongst the backdrop of food and travel! However, there were some overused tropes and this story would've been so much stronger without it. And while some of the side characters were interesting, I felt the story was diluted by the amount of them. Because they each got too little time, I couldn't connect with them fully.
But this is such a fun adventure and we need more of these romance stories!
But this is such a fun adventure and we need more of these romance stories!