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lucybbookstuff's Reviews (376)
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Very interesting and heartbreaking. I had no clue this ever happened. As mentioned in the book, it is completely skipped over in US history classes. Which is not surprising, but is definitely embarrassing.
Not 5 stars probably only because I listened to it and I wish I hadn't. I zoned out and had to rewind a lot, and I'm sure I missed some details. I also couldn't stand either male narrator. I wish they'd just stuck with one person, whether it were the woman or someone else.
I do also think, at least from my listening experience, it fell into a typical true crime trap of kinda rambling through the "bringing us up to date" part at the end.
Maybe I'll reread it sometime on paper and that may very well change my rating.
Not 5 stars probably only because I listened to it and I wish I hadn't. I zoned out and had to rewind a lot, and I'm sure I missed some details. I also couldn't stand either male narrator. I wish they'd just stuck with one person, whether it were the woman or someone else.
I do also think, at least from my listening experience, it fell into a typical true crime trap of kinda rambling through the "bringing us up to date" part at the end.
Maybe I'll reread it sometime on paper and that may very well change my rating.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
WHEW. I expected violence, but holy shit lol. I do wish it had gone a little deeper psychologically, but oh well, I understand its main function is as a crime thriller, so I can't blame it for being mostly action. It definitely still had a good message to impart about prejudice and making an effort to understand one another.
The line-level writing was mostly fine, pretty simple and easy to read, but there was a lot of confusing head-hopping.
At times, it seemed a bit far-fetched... but honestly, what the hell do I know about gang politics and violence? It's hard for me to wrap my head around this kind of violence existing beneath the surface, but I guess I have to thank my privilege for that. It could very well be this bad, not that far away from me and my world. I'm glad I don't know how realistic this book is.
I do want to say that I guessed pretty much all the important plot points, which made it a touch less exciting. I guessed pretty early thatTangerine was a trans woman, the judge was the villain, and that Buddy Lee would die at the end (and would probably be fine with it).
One final complaint is thatI wish Arianna hadn't been part of it - or if her character had to exist, that she hadn't been collateral damage. Not because I'm so squeamish about children in peril, but because she is THREE (more than old enough to be affected) and witnessed SO MUCH VIOLENCE and I don't feel like her trauma was honored at all. She was kind of a prop to cause anguish for the MCs. If this book had a sequel, it would need to be about teen Arianna dealing with a personality disorder or at least extreme cPTSD from this bullshit. Her involvement didn't sit right with me at all.
But that said. A very unique thriller and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre.
The line-level writing was mostly fine, pretty simple and easy to read, but there was a lot of confusing head-hopping.
At times, it seemed a bit far-fetched... but honestly, what the hell do I know about gang politics and violence? It's hard for me to wrap my head around this kind of violence existing beneath the surface, but I guess I have to thank my privilege for that. It could very well be this bad, not that far away from me and my world. I'm glad I don't know how realistic this book is.
I do want to say that I guessed pretty much all the important plot points, which made it a touch less exciting. I guessed pretty early that
One final complaint is that
But that said. A very unique thriller and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lawd. I really had to drag myself through this. I went into it after finishing a heavy mystery, hoping it would be some fun trash to counteract that. And I mean... fun trash it may be, but it just didn't quite do it for me.
It wasn't horrible. And I wasn't expecting greatness. All I really wanted from it was to be better than Fourth Wing. And it did deliver on that score, in that it's much less ambitious and much less hyped than FW, so it wasn't as much of a disappointment. And it's not written in such insufferable prose. It's also a debut, and the author is 20, so it's impressive in that regard (though her age and inexperience also shows). But it still missed the mark for me.
Mainly because the point of it was the romance, and I just couldn't stand the romance from the very start. What some are calling "banter" struck me as a man being intentionally obnoxious, and an otherwise strong, smart, and capable woman finding that irresistible for no conceivable reason. And it just went on that way for the entire book. There is a difference between an excruciating, satisfying slow burn, and hundreds of pages of tiresome, pointless repetition.
It's a shame, because the romance is supposed to be the point, and yet it's the underdeveloped world that I found the most intriguing. On that note, I really think this concept could have been pulled off much better without resorting to a bastardized Hunger Games. Literally, the amount of things lifted directly from THG (while completely missing the point of THG) is honestly embarrassing. Right down to the charismatic interviewer with blue hair. Give me a break. Not to mention, the whole idea of the trials made no sense in this world.
Last but certainly not least, this book was yet another victim of the plague of nonexistent copyediting in romantasy. Weird grammar and typos throughout. Extremely distracting.
Sigh. Again... not horrendous. Could have been so much worse. I think this would be great for anyone who typically loves romantasy. And there's nothing at all wrong with that. I just am over the genre until I find something of real high quality.
End of year edit (almost a year later): Bringing this down from 2.75 to 2.5. I don't know why I was so kind to this series lol. It is true I didn't hate this one and saw it's potential. But it was still not good, and all that potential was promptly ruined in book 2.
It wasn't horrible. And I wasn't expecting greatness. All I really wanted from it was to be better than Fourth Wing. And it did deliver on that score, in that it's much less ambitious and much less hyped than FW, so it wasn't as much of a disappointment. And it's not written in such insufferable prose. It's also a debut, and the author is 20, so it's impressive in that regard (though her age and inexperience also shows). But it still missed the mark for me.
Mainly because the point of it was the romance, and I just couldn't stand the romance from the very start. What some are calling "banter" struck me as a man being intentionally obnoxious, and an otherwise strong, smart, and capable woman finding that irresistible for no conceivable reason. And it just went on that way for the entire book. There is a difference between an excruciating, satisfying slow burn, and hundreds of pages of tiresome, pointless repetition.
It's a shame, because the romance is supposed to be the point, and yet it's the underdeveloped world that I found the most intriguing. On that note, I really think this concept could have been pulled off much better without resorting to a bastardized Hunger Games. Literally, the amount of things lifted directly from THG (while completely missing the point of THG) is honestly embarrassing. Right down to the charismatic interviewer with blue hair. Give me a break. Not to mention, the whole idea of the trials made no sense in this world.
Last but certainly not least, this book was yet another victim of the plague of nonexistent copyediting in romantasy. Weird grammar and typos throughout. Extremely distracting.
Sigh. Again... not horrendous. Could have been so much worse. I think this would be great for anyone who typically loves romantasy. And there's nothing at all wrong with that. I just am over the genre until I find something of real high quality.
End of year edit (almost a year later): Bringing this down from 2.75 to 2.5. I don't know why I was so kind to this series lol. It is true I didn't hate this one and saw it's potential. But it was still not good, and all that potential was promptly ruined in book 2.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Welp, it seems to me that Tama French is really great at creating very dynamic IDIOTS who are in desperate need of therapy. ð
Lol well at least Cassie wasn't a complete nitwit like Rob. Just made some dumb emotional choices. But that's life, eh?
This one was MILES better than In The Woods. It actually came to a somewhat satisfying conclusion, for one thing. And there was way more intrigue in this plot, for me. And as already stated, the narrator wasn't completely unbearable.
This series is a bit wordy, a bit literary, for me honestly. Not exactly what I'm looking for in a mystery - but that doesn't make it bad. Just different from what I'm used to. My dad owns them all, so I imagine I'll get around to the whole series eventually.
Lol well at least Cassie wasn't a complete nitwit like Rob. Just made some dumb emotional choices. But that's life, eh?
This one was MILES better than In The Woods. It actually came to a somewhat satisfying conclusion, for one thing. And there was way more intrigue in this plot, for me. And as already stated, the narrator wasn't completely unbearable.
This series is a bit wordy, a bit literary, for me honestly. Not exactly what I'm looking for in a mystery - but that doesn't make it bad. Just different from what I'm used to. My dad owns them all, so I imagine I'll get around to the whole series eventually.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Really liked this. I recently finished The Crown, so I was very ready to get some more details (especially since the show kind of left Harry in the dust). But I'd been wanting to read this since its release anyway. I've always vaguely liked Harry, and since the whole press debacle with Meghan, I've been firmly on their side and I believe them wholeheartedly. It's entirely possible that some details in this book are off, but I do honestly believe that it's all from Harry's memories (be they 100% accurate or reconstructed) and are his truth. I really admire him and Meghan and generally have extremely mixed feelings about the royal family.
I can definitely understand the criticisms about too many personal details, but personally, I didn't care. I ate it all up and just laughed at some of the sillier inclusions. Maybe a few too many question marks and ellipses. ð But that's literally my only complaint.
I can definitely understand the criticisms about too many personal details, but personally, I didn't care. I ate it all up and just laughed at some of the sillier inclusions. Maybe a few too many question marks and ellipses. ð But that's literally my only complaint.
ð I'm sad because I really wanted to like this, and I really hate to DNF things.
My friend sent me a "blind date with a book" for my birthday, based on POC-written non-Eurocentric fantasy vibes (I really need to read more of that), and the company chose this book. I was excited, because the idea of a Caribbean-inspired witchy fantasy sounded awesome, the blurb sounded interesting, and the cover is BEAUTIFUL. I did see that it has an average rating of 3.2, but I was determined to give it a fair shot.
Now I've given it over 100 pages and I can't bring myself to continue. I even was hoping to get 20 pages further to the end of part 1, but I just can't.
I have no clue what is going on. The author has gone the route of world-dumping with no explanation whatsoever. Usually I'm okay at picking up context clues, but she's seriously giving me nothing. Just throwing endless words and names at me, expecting me to just know what they mean? The book really needs a glossary. And a map. I've read some other reviews and it seems that this doesn't get any better throughout the book, unfortunately, and I'm really not down for 500+ pages of slow-paced confusion.
The characters are also not hooking me. I can't understand their motivations and their decision-making. Iraya keeps making completely nonsensical decisions with no explanation?? And Jazmyne is just doing nothing. And Kirdan, as far as I can tell, sprang out of the ground somewhere around chapter 5 with no fanfare at all, and he's clearly going to be an ever-so-complicated object of desire.
Lastly, the writing style is just odd. The prose seems very flowery and the worldbuilding very atmospheric and vibey (which I admit is generally not my jam). The author clearly has talent, and this is a very ambitious debut. I'd be interested to see what else she puts out, but this one just isn't gonna be for me.
Sigh. I don't feel too bad, because I'd never heard of this and didn't pick it for myself. But still, I really wish I were into it. But alas. Sometimes you need to cut your losses.
My friend sent me a "blind date with a book" for my birthday, based on POC-written non-Eurocentric fantasy vibes (I really need to read more of that), and the company chose this book. I was excited, because the idea of a Caribbean-inspired witchy fantasy sounded awesome, the blurb sounded interesting, and the cover is BEAUTIFUL. I did see that it has an average rating of 3.2, but I was determined to give it a fair shot.
Now I've given it over 100 pages and I can't bring myself to continue. I even was hoping to get 20 pages further to the end of part 1, but I just can't.
I have no clue what is going on. The author has gone the route of world-dumping with no explanation whatsoever. Usually I'm okay at picking up context clues, but she's seriously giving me nothing. Just throwing endless words and names at me, expecting me to just know what they mean? The book really needs a glossary. And a map. I've read some other reviews and it seems that this doesn't get any better throughout the book, unfortunately, and I'm really not down for 500+ pages of slow-paced confusion.
The characters are also not hooking me. I can't understand their motivations and their decision-making. Iraya keeps making completely nonsensical decisions with no explanation?? And Jazmyne is just doing nothing. And Kirdan, as far as I can tell, sprang out of the ground somewhere around chapter 5 with no fanfare at all, and he's clearly going to be an ever-so-complicated object of desire.
Lastly, the writing style is just odd. The prose seems very flowery and the worldbuilding very atmospheric and vibey (which I admit is generally not my jam). The author clearly has talent, and this is a very ambitious debut. I'd be interested to see what else she puts out, but this one just isn't gonna be for me.
Sigh. I don't feel too bad, because I'd never heard of this and didn't pick it for myself. But still, I really wish I were into it. But alas. Sometimes you need to cut your losses.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really enjoyed this! It was unexpected and different from what I'm used to, which is so welcome right now. I'm really into the world and the magic and the languages and the darkness.
Loved the MCs and excited to see what happens to them (and between them perhaps ð).
My only complaint is that the pacing was lightning fast. Like all of this happened within maybe 48 hours??? Which is insane. This is only book 1 of a trilogy, but the events of this book could have filled an entire trilogy on their own. ð
I also wish we'd gotten to know Rhy a bit more right out of the gate... he honestly seemed built up to be a possible villain, or at least a clueless, careless rich boy who doesn't actually care that much about Kell. But then seemingly out of nowhere, oh, they're actually close enough thatKell would bind their lives together??? The stakes for that moment didn't feel real enough, because I hadn't gotten that strong of an impression from Rhy. But I suppose I'll get more from him eventually.
Even so, I'm looking forward to continuing! But also grateful that it wasn't some crazy cliffhanger ending, because it will probably be a little while before I get my hands on the next one.
Loved the MCs and excited to see what happens to them (and between them perhaps ð).
My only complaint is that the pacing was lightning fast. Like all of this happened within maybe 48 hours??? Which is insane. This is only book 1 of a trilogy, but the events of this book could have filled an entire trilogy on their own. ð
I also wish we'd gotten to know Rhy a bit more right out of the gate... he honestly seemed built up to be a possible villain, or at least a clueless, careless rich boy who doesn't actually care that much about Kell. But then seemingly out of nowhere, oh, they're actually close enough that
Even so, I'm looking forward to continuing! But also grateful that it wasn't some crazy cliffhanger ending, because it will probably be a little while before I get my hands on the next one.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another solid thriller from Lisa Jewell.
Some outrageous plot points... but I think I have to just let that be a thing with thrillers. ðĪŠ
Gotta say, I would have never forgiven Jewell if she killed sweet innocent Tallulah, so thank god she didn't. She did such a good job making me love and feel for this girl and her family.
I'm not sure I wanted Zach to die - I feel like he deserved some living retribution. Live forever with his shitty choices kind of thing. But I'm not mad about it.
As for Scarlett... what a wild ride. Jewell jerked me around so many times on how to feel about this weird ass rich girl. Of course she ended up being nothing more than that, and it makes sense. A family of narcissists, indeed.
I do kinda wish she leaned more into the "dig here" thing, or left it out entirely. Felt a little cheesy. And I didn't necessarily feel that Liam, as a character, deserved such a large role. But whatever. Didn't ruin anything. Just could maybe have been done slightly differently.
Some outrageous plot points... but I think I have to just let that be a thing with thrillers. ðĪŠ
I'm not sure I wanted Zach to die - I feel like he deserved some living retribution. Live forever with his shitty choices kind of thing. But I'm not mad about it.
As for Scarlett... what a wild ride. Jewell jerked me around so many times on how to feel about this weird ass rich girl. Of course she ended up being nothing more than that, and it makes sense. A family of narcissists, indeed.
I do kinda wish she leaned more into the "dig here" thing, or left it out entirely. Felt a little cheesy. And I didn't necessarily feel that Liam, as a character, deserved such a large role. But whatever. Didn't ruin anything. Just could maybe have been done slightly differently.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ððððð
What can I even say???
I'll start with this: Backman has been a solid 4 star author for me. I was waiting for him to really blow me away. And with this one, he truly did. ð
I didn't like hockey before, and now I fucking hate it lol, which is probably not what Backman wanted. Sorry, buddy. But I fell in love with this tapestry of characters (well, most of them) and this little forest town. I felt so many emotions and shed tears multiple times.
He told this story with such care. If there's one thing I can say about Backman, it's that he really understands humans. I am a sucker for a book that explores the nuances of each person, even the ones you hate. He does this so expertly.
I absolutely loved this and I cannot wait to read the others.
What can I even say???
I'll start with this: Backman has been a solid 4 star author for me. I was waiting for him to really blow me away. And with this one, he truly did. ð
I didn't like hockey before, and now I fucking hate it lol, which is probably not what Backman wanted. Sorry, buddy. But I fell in love with this tapestry of characters (well, most of them) and this little forest town. I felt so many emotions and shed tears multiple times.
He told this story with such care. If there's one thing I can say about Backman, it's that he really understands humans. I am a sucker for a book that explores the nuances of each person, even the ones you hate. He does this so expertly.
I absolutely loved this and I cannot wait to read the others.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Once again... it's an interesting and unique story. Cool magic. Intriguing characters.
I just wanted so much more from it. I wanted more depth for everything. The world, the characters, the magic, the villains. It's such a cool idea with so much potential, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed.
That said, I very much enjoyed Elm and Ione. More than I ever cared for Ravyn and Elspeth in book 1. Elmone/Ionelm (? ðĪĢ) have definitely been my favorite part of the duology. Followed probably by the relationship between Elspeth and the Nightmare. Though damn, I really wanted more from that, too.
Le sigh. I totally get what people love about this series, but I think I generally need so much more from my fantasy than a straight up fairy tale. That's what this felt like. Oh well.
I will keep them on my shelf because I still liked it (solid 4 stars) and I'm sure I'll be able to recommend it to folks and loan it out!
PS this is a petty complaint and I don't blame the author, but there were SO MANY typos in this book. Not the odd typo you find in any book, but like seriously, a LOT. And very distracting. Literally used the word "Sprint" instead of "Spirit" at one point, and that's just one example. Getting a little sick of the poor editing epidemic in this genre.
ETA a couple months later: I'm knocking both books down a half star. I also might not actually keep them on my shelf. We'll see.
I just wanted so much more from it. I wanted more depth for everything. The world, the characters, the magic, the villains. It's such a cool idea with so much potential, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed.
That said, I very much enjoyed Elm and Ione. More than I ever cared for Ravyn and Elspeth in book 1. Elmone/Ionelm (? ðĪĢ) have definitely been my favorite part of the duology. Followed probably by the relationship between Elspeth and the Nightmare. Though damn, I really wanted more from that, too.
Le sigh. I totally get what people love about this series, but I think I generally need so much more from my fantasy than a straight up fairy tale. That's what this felt like. Oh well.
I will keep them on my shelf because I still liked it (solid 4 stars) and I'm sure I'll be able to recommend it to folks and loan it out!
PS this is a petty complaint and I don't blame the author, but there were SO MANY typos in this book. Not the odd typo you find in any book, but like seriously, a LOT. And very distracting. Literally used the word "Sprint" instead of "Spirit" at one point, and that's just one example. Getting a little sick of the poor editing epidemic in this genre.
ETA a couple months later: I'm knocking both books down a half star. I also might not actually keep them on my shelf. We'll see.