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lillieslibraryy's reviews
446 reviews
Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi
3.5
Sequels are hard books to nail and unfortunately Cursebound missed the mark. I really enjoyed Faebound and was so excited to see where book 2 would go, and I still feel the same about the rest of the series. But, I was somewhat let down by this book. I found a lot of the characters had regressed and lost what made them them in Faebound. Some of the decisions didn't line up with what we'd seen from them and they seemed even more naive than book 1. I also found a lot of the plot points to be easy to guess, which isn't bad, I just prefer to have a tougher time figuring stuff out. The pacing felt off as well, so much happened in so little pages that it was almost too much. I would have rather this been a duology, with both books being on the longer side.
All that being said, it definitely had parts I loved and enjoyed, from the mystery about the curse to the obeah's. I also loved the romance and the focus on relationships we got during this book. There were so many tender and sweet moments mixed in with more spicy scenes. Cursebound really set up so much and I need answers to this immediately and cannot wait to see how this series ends. Saara El-Arifi is an amazing author and my feelings on this book don't change my love for her.
Thanks so NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review
All that being said, it definitely had parts I loved and enjoyed, from the mystery about the curse to the obeah's. I also loved the romance and the focus on relationships we got during this book. There were so many tender and sweet moments mixed in with more spicy scenes. Cursebound really set up so much and I need answers to this immediately and cannot wait to see how this series ends. Saara El-Arifi is an amazing author and my feelings on this book don't change my love for her.
Thanks so NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
5.0
I think this is my new favourite book? I just felt so many things while reading this and haven't stopped thinking about it.
Monstrilio is such a beautiful and real exploration of grief and the way it manifests in peoples lives. It is atmospheric, raw and doesn't shy away from the grit and. Despite being about a monster growing from a boy's lung, its truly so real, Gerardo Sámano Córdova does such an exquisite job at crafting all of these characters and their lives that you can't help but fall in love with them and truly be swept up in their lives.
With elements of gothic fiction, physical and mental manifestations of grief and an exploration of queer love and identity, this book is truly a perfect literary horror.
Monstrilio is such a beautiful and real exploration of grief and the way it manifests in peoples lives. It is atmospheric, raw and doesn't shy away from the grit and. Despite being about a monster growing from a boy's lung, its truly so real, Gerardo Sámano Córdova does such an exquisite job at crafting all of these characters and their lives that you can't help but fall in love with them and truly be swept up in their lives.
With elements of gothic fiction, physical and mental manifestations of grief and an exploration of queer love and identity, this book is truly a perfect literary horror.
The Gossip Project by Lauren Jones
4.5
I absolutely adored how raw and real and unapologetic The Gossip Project was. Lauren never ceases to amaze me with her characters and her writing and this book was not exception.
TGP honestly feels like such a real and human story. The characters, their lives and their love is messy and unorganised, which just makes it feel so real. These 'imperfections' are truly what makes this the perfect book. We get to see people love, learn, grow and come together again. This was full of tender, heartfelt moments as well as moments that will make you mad.
In true Lauren fashion this was an emotional rollercoaster. I cried, I laughed and I felt so whole and happy. I can't wait to read more from this universe and explore more of the characters.
Thanks so much to Lauren for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Your books have my whole heart and I'm so happy I got the opportunity to read them.
TGP honestly feels like such a real and human story. The characters, their lives and their love is messy and unorganised, which just makes it feel so real. These 'imperfections' are truly what makes this the perfect book. We get to see people love, learn, grow and come together again. This was full of tender, heartfelt moments as well as moments that will make you mad.
In true Lauren fashion this was an emotional rollercoaster. I cried, I laughed and I felt so whole and happy. I can't wait to read more from this universe and explore more of the characters.
Thanks so much to Lauren for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Your books have my whole heart and I'm so happy I got the opportunity to read them.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
4.0
This book made me think and feel so much. I had so many questions, many of which were unanswered. This is a book that will make you think and question everything and you need to be ok with never finding out what truly is going on.
I did struggle a little bit with this, I have quite bad anxiety around death, with this did somewhat trigger. This was just such a melancholic? read. It really made me lose hope at times, but it built it up again not long after.
If you're wanting to explore speculative and dystopian fiction this is perfect. It's a very timely read as well.
I did struggle a little bit with this, I have quite bad anxiety around death, with this did somewhat trigger. This was just such a melancholic? read. It really made me lose hope at times, but it built it up again not long after.
If you're wanting to explore speculative and dystopian fiction this is perfect. It's a very timely read as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death