I was hesitating between 3 and 4 stars because I read the whole book with a feeling of unease in my stomach. Which, I suppose, was the purpose of the concept. (I had a nightmare that I was told it was my End Day after finishing to read the story...)

Characters

Rufus reminds me a lot of Julian from Cemetery Boys because of how fiercely he loves and looks out for his friends-family and how protective he is of his love interest (for lack of a better word). He was my favorite main character.

I didn't really like Mateo. He was very passive (and I know that was the point, he then got a character arc) and very goody-two-shoes (if I looked at it in an unbiased way, I would say honest and generous). My biggest problem with him was that he reminded me of someone I've known and who had a toxic impact on my life, so my relationship with Mateo was doomed from the start.

IMO, the romance lacked chemistry, and it developed very late, which didn't make it better. I really saw Mateo and Rufus as great friends, but not love interests to each other.

I loved Lidia, and I think the Plutos are (first of all, an amazing group name) very sweet, but many of the side characters felt a bit 2D.

Pacing and Mood

Because the romance developed veeery slowly, the pacing felt off to me.

As for the mood... Like I said, I had a nightmare about having an End Day of my own, so eh.

There is a lot of talk about death, which is kinda obvious considering the concept , and it can get disturbing. I got anxious thinking about how life is unpredictable and we take time for granted, most of all when we're young, when really everything could come tumbling down.

Also, I got irritated by the whole Death-Cast concept. Many characters thought they could somehow cheat/avoid death by not going places, not living experiences, or just thinking they would be the exception to the D-C no-fail predictions.

What Rufus said about how his family went about their End Day bothered me as well, it was unsettling.

The fact that a book is meant to be disturbing and does a good job at it doesn't mean I have to like it for it, which I don't really.

Writing, Plot and Worldbuilding

The thing I loved about the writing is the different POVs. I know some people hate when a story is told from different POVs, most of all if some random characters get a chapter to themselves and never gets seen again. Or if they get two pages and we have no backstory on them and then they *puff* disappear. So if that's not something you dislike, be warned it's used in TBDATE.

I, however, dig that stuff. I think it's fascinating to get to see into as many character's lives as possible. And it also helped for the next point I'll talk about:

The thing I loved about the plot is how all the characters are somehow connected, either because they meet each other on the day, or because they've met each other in the past briefly, or because they've left a mark in a place another character visits. It reminds me of Blackout.

The world building was not explored enough tbh. I have so many questions about Death-Cast.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Being a mood reader, I usually prefer standalones because they don't require a long commitment. Now I'm actually disappointed I won't get to read more about Lily and Kath and the girls at the Telegraph Club.

I loved the whole book so much, and the author's note at the end (a summary of her research in writing the book) made the whole story more complete and interesting (note that I very usually loathe anything non-fiction).

(I've never liked a YA historical fiction; if not at all, at least not that much.)

Characters

ASJKFHSDLLKSAJD

Plot, Pacing, and Mood

Is there a plot? I don't know, and I don't care to determine it. The characters did most of it for me, the main love relationship was just so purE and real, and I never lost interest in the events, so we're good to endorse.

The pacing was good, the story got shaken when I didn't really expect it to, and we did get to suffer a little (I was an AO3 angst reader in my time, so this is always a plus).

If there's one grudge I hold to this book is not tying up some (minimal) subplots.

Setting and Writing

I've read some reviews that say Malinda Lo's writing is not enjoyable, but I have an entirely different opinion. I felt like I was touring San Francisco in the 1950s. The author did a lot of research (which she explains about it in her final note) but there wasn't any info dump and everything felt natural.

Also, trust me, you want to read this book just for the food mentions and descriptions.

If You Liked It, You Might Like

- The Girls at the Kingfisher Club
Why? It also revolves around secret/illegal nightlife. (Disclaimer: The plot and cultures aren't the same, and it's not an f/f book.)

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

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adventurous emotional mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I am still too confused about this book to rate it at the moment (and the fact that I read it in two times so far apart doesn't help) so maybe I'll come back to it.

I will say one thing: I was left with a tight feeling in my chest.

Writing

This is going to be a recurrent theme in this review, but I feel too peasant to understand and appreciate this books' prose. In my opinion, it was too heavy; I was constantly getting lost.

Plot, Mood, and Pacing

Look, maybe I'm just too dumb. I found it so hard to follow the plot up until like 80%, but I'm not sure if it's because nothing was happening plot-wise or if I just lack the brain cells.

Consequently (fancy word), the middle of the novella was a bit off-putting. And I felt like the pace went medium-slow-fast, which isn't exactly my favorite type.

But it got really good in the last 20%, so yeah.

Worldbuilding

Ehh, I-

I started to assimilate the various key concepts in the last quarter of the book. The time-travelling was very abstract, the letter writing confusing (I don't remember the word steganography introduced before the far end, and so I could not wrap my head around the letters), the systems confusing until very late in the novella.

I enjoy being disoriented by a story, but when confusion comes from so many aspects at once, I'm just too lost to enjoy everything properly.

Characters

If there's one thing I could fully appreciate in this book it's the characters and their love for each other. It got really intense in the last bit and I- ajslfhsdkfh

I am in love and will now proceed to only read adventurous sapphic books. Next!

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

my hearT

New fav YA author unlocked. Imma raid bookshops for Aiden Thomas books.

Characters

My life is a mess because I haven't had friends like Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian. Or like Flaca, Omar, Luca, and Rocky.

What I loved the most about the characters is how 3D they were.

A particularly strong moment in the book was when Maritza's friends were talking about Julian and his friends, describing them as thugs and gang members because of their appearance and their relationship with school. Then Julian explains their life and why they are the way they are, and- It's unfair to judge from the outside when you don't know someone's backstory. (I'm just really impressed at how well it was included in the story.)

Also, finally a non-conventional villain in a YA book.

Yadriel and Maritza's cousins relationship was just *chef's kiss*. But the one Yadriel and Julian share is from another world.

Writing

Writing style is what makes or breaks a book for me, and I completely fell in love with Aiden Thomas'.

One of the things I've loved most about it is how there isn't any irritating telling after the showing. You know, some authors would spell things out right after the showing to make sure everyone gets their point (e.g. "Mary took the first graders' lunch money everyday, and told them to be quiet about it or she would kick them in the shins. She was a bully"), and it gets tiresome. But with Aiden Thomas' writing, if you get it, you get it, and that makes it so beautiful.

Also, seeing Spanglish on the page felt like home.

Plot and Pacing

Even if guessing where the plot is going isn't too hard, I was obviously invested from start to end. Even if it weren't for the amazing characters and the great writing, brujx stories set in cemeteries are just not something you cannot get behind.

The pacing was just perfect.

How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

I'm so sad, I had such high expectations for this one! Still, not the best execution, and off in some aspects, but pleasantly fast and intriguing.

How We Fall Apart started in a great way, immediately pulling me in. I was barely 10% in when I told my sister she should read it. (We’re watching the One of Us Is Lying series together and loving the suspense.)

However, a school director would never admit to investigate into an homicide so openly. It was the first thing that broke the spell for me.

Characters

I disliked every character, even the ones meant to be likeable. They lacked depth and seemed quite shallow for being the brightest students of their age.

The worst one was perhaps the main character, Nancy. She came across as selfish and whiny, obnoxious, and the whole book was told from her POV, so that didn’t arrange things. And Nancy was sooo oblivious when things were sooo obvious (view spoiler), it was a bit frustrating.

Pacing and Mood

The pace is quick, but maybe too quick. Events felt rushed, sometimes I got to the end of chapters disoriented, as if I’d blinked and missed something.

Also, the secrets came out awfully fast. There wasn’t time to recover from the last one out that another one was already released.

This somewhat affected the mood, and the tension suffered from it too.

However, I will always appreciate a book that keeps you guessing and doesn’t let the intrigue down, and we do get some suspense with this one.

(Suspense that could have been strengthened if the book had been a little longer, but one can’t have everything.)

Writing

I’ve never been a fan of mysteries written in first person, and I’m sorry to say this isn’t the book that will change my mind.

The whole felt like a young YA read, if it makes sense. If it weren’t for the death and some complex topics mentioned, I’d even say it’s more a middle-grade read that a YA one.

I’m aware that this is a highly subjective matter because everyone has different preferences (e.g., I liked the writing in House of Hollow when most people found it repetitive), but for what it’s worth, I found the writing itself agreeable.

There was unfortunately a lot of telling instead of showing.

Plot

I couldn’t stop thinking through the whole book how similar How We Fall Apart is to One of Us Is Lying (mass texting the whole school, one dead and four suspects, secrets to hide, etc.)

It could be a good hangover killer.

The plot itself was pretty interesting at first, even if it dangled on the dramatic side in the middle and went completely bonkers by the end. A lot of the drama was unnecessary or unjustified, and the seriousness of the story took the toll of it.

And the romance knocked the rating from a 2.5 rounded up to a 2.

Topics Discussed

Here’s a message by the author on what this book means to her and how she shared important topics within its pages.

If You Liked It, You Might Like

- One of Us Is Lying (perhaps the series more than the book)
- Control Z

Crier's War by Nina Varela

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adventurous emotional tense fast-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

4.75

Characters

I will die to protect Crier and Ayla (and Benjy). They're so pure.

The softness, confusion, awkwardness, and fire that make up Crier and Ayla... *chef's kiss* I was burning for their moments together, and I got so giddy every time they interacted. My mother said she hadn't seen me be so extra in a while.

In comparison, most of the characters felt 2D, with only one side showing and no backstory or complex personality.

My absolute favourite thing is Crier's internal struggle over her "human emotions" and Ayla's refusal to admit her feelings because of who they are for. That's such good queer struggle rep, and it focuses on the human-Autonoma topic instead of directly being about the refusal to be f/f.

Worldbuilding and Plot

I felt like the world could have been a little more fleshed out. After a whole book, the social system still isn't very clear to me, and neither is the extent of power or influence that science/alchemy has. We don't really get to see what the world is like, even just regarding simple stuff, like what buildings look like.

The story largely makes up for it, though. Idk if it's just me, but the twist at the end... *swoons* I'm so excited to read Iron Heart. We're left with Crier having to make a big decision (and we just understand the name of the book).

Writing, Pacing, and Mood

The pacing was so good that I completely forgot this book is over 400 pages. I didn't want to fall asleep until I'd finished the story. And I was never bored by the events, Nina Varela never dwelled too much on descriptions, and the mood went from soft to tense to awkward with no hiccups.

Books With the Same ✨Energy✨

- Girls of Paper and Fire
- Cinderella Is Dead

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

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reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I thought the pacing was a bit off, and I struggled to get into the story before the half of the book. The writing didn't pull me in, and I had to read some passages over just to have them sink in.

I disliked most of the characters, even those the reader was meant to like. Emira's friends, for example, didn't always come across as very sympathetic and supportive. Zara and Emira I love with all my heart, and Briar too.

One very good aspect of the writing and storytelling is the dual POV in third person. It gave us a lot of insight but still allowed the narrator to keep some impartiality. We weren't inside the head of the characters, but we still got to see what they thought. And that was a very good decision to carry across some topics.

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loveforwords's reviews 167 reviews

loveforwords's reviews
167 reviews