libraryofsummer's reviews
44 reviews

Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1 by Tatsuki Fujimoto

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1 by Karuho Shiina

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

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

4.0

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

 Are you looking for a book about murder, theater, Shakespeare, gays, sex, forbidden lovers, and an abusive white man? Read this.

I absolutely hated the first half of If We Were Villians, the pacing was incredibly slow and I just thought it was painfully boring. Around page 150, things started to really pick-up. I was able to predict most of the plot points fairly quickly but I still really enjoyed how they played out. The ending was also very well done. It gave us some closure while still leaving a sliver of hope for our protagonist and his lover.

As immersive and unique I thought the writing style was, there were many things I found questionable. For example, someone simply analyzing a person's physique was compared to a slave trader at an auction. Literally, what the fuck?

By the time I finished reading I was utterly confused with my own emotions. I wanted to cry, scream, and smack all the characters in the face at once. I'm also aware that this review is all over the place and poorly expressed but I guess it's fitting to how this book left me feeling. 

Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 8 by Hisaya Nakajo

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.0

(SPOILERS)
This was quite the bittersweet ending. I'm glad that Mizuki and her friends are no longer carrying the burden of her secret but it was sad to see her leave Osaka High. However, I'm so very happy that she was able to meet so many wonderful people and that this series ended all their stories on a positive note. It was also nice to see flashbacks and different POVs of some of the side characters. Overall, I'm glad that I was able to witness Mizuki's crazy journey and to be able to meet all these characters I now love very dearly. 

Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 7 by Hisaya Nakajo

emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.5

(SPOILERS)
I really enjoyed reading these three volumes! I absolutely loved seeing both Sano and Mizuki blossom into such brave and patient characters. I'm so excited to see what comes next, especially since their romantic feelings are starting to strengthen and Mizuki's secret is starting to unravel.

Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 6 by Hisaya Nakajo

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

(SPOILERS)
Yay, I'm so happy that Sano is beginning to rebuild his relationships with his father and brother! I also really liked seeing the development of Nakatsu's character. I think he's very admirable and loving, definitely one of my top three favorite characters in this series.

Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 5 by Hisaya Nakajo

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

Kadoma is so perfect and adorable, that's all I have to say.

Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 4 by Hisaya Nakajo

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

(SPOILERS)
Eek, so many excited things happen in these volumes! There was their modeling gig, the school dance, and then Mizuki going back to America. Everything was just so entertaining! I really liked seeing all the different outfits included in these volumes. The modeling and school dance scenes were especially fun to look at. Watching Sano and Gilbert interact was also quite suspenseful. 

Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 3 by Hisaya Nakajo

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 2 by Hisaya Nakajo

emotional funny slow-paced

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

3.75

I feel like these three volumes were a lot slower when compared to the first three volumes. I found myself feeling a bit bored at times and I ended up skimming through it quite a bit.