maddijean's reviews
319 reviews

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

1.0

I have never taken this longggggg to read a book that is only 280 pages. I was sooooo bored and there were so many storylines that had no reason to even be in the book. The most interesting part of the book was the creature and I feel like it was glossed over, the description was subpar so I was struggling to even picture it. It also was either locked up in a trunk or gone the entire book. Also, the writing, in terms of, the female protagonist was just weird, you could tell she was written by a man because most of her inner dialogue didn't make sense as a woman. Yeah, idk just really not for me. 

Weyward by Emilia Hart

3.0

 After some thought I moved this from a 4/5 star to a 3/5 star. It just wasn't a book that really moved me, I can understand why it was nominated and won the Goodreads awards it did, but it just didn't stick with me like I thought it would. I normally really like when a story jumps timelines but I found myself being bored with some of the stories and not feeling motivated to read. I am not saying it was bad and I still enjoyed most of the story and loved the nature elements and setting, at the end it felt almost reminiscent of Practical Magic. I think it was missing some character connection for me. I love reading about bonds between characters and, for the most part, the three women were on their own, I didn't get the character interaction I like in a story. Overall, I understand the hype but I just don't think it was the perfect book for me. 

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

3.0

 This wasn't my favorite of the series, I feel like I didn't get that heartwarming, loving feeling with this one. Still was cute but just wasn't my fave! 

When in Rome by Sarah Adams

3.0

 This was very cute and Hallmarky, and I mean Hallmarky because it was definitely fade to black…. I need to start doing more research on my romances. Not that I don’t like fade to black I just like knowing going into it! Overall, this was a quick read and was fun but I struggled a lot with their lack of communication. Like Noah would just keep walking away instead of just talking to her. Honestly there probably wouldn’t have been a book without it but I just got really frustrated! But still enjoyed this enough and 3 stars is a good rating for me hahah

 

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

4.0

 This was beautiful, I loved the characters and the story soooo much. However... someone needs to tell Mr. Doerr that it is possible to write a sentence without it needing to be it's own poem. Sometimes sentences are just a way to move the story along, they don't need to be their own novel... you know? But still I liked the jumping back and forth between timelines and POVs and thought it was an interesting take on a WWII novel. 

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

3.5

 ughhhh here is the thing, I liked this a lot and was totally invested, however I feel like the hype was too high for this that I was left disappointed. They write letters back and forth between each other and everyone was saying how beautifully written and emotional these were, and I just wasn't feeling it. I know that it is YA but the writing was not out of this world. But again I still really, really enjoyed the story, the concept, the characters, and the world. Also it ended on such a cliff-hanger!!! I will definitely be reading the second book! 

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

3.5

I did not know what to expect going into this but I was hooked from the beginning. I really liked this a lot and fell in love with so many of the characters. I think this will be one that may either bump up to a 4 star or down to a 3 star as I discuss it with my book club because there is definitely a lot to talk about! 

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

4.0

Such a great mystery/thriller, my brain was working overtime trying to figure out what happened! I always love when a story hops between timelines and you learn as you read. I pretty much figured out most of the twists, like I always do, but there was one that I didn't see coming at the end! Definitely recommend for a quick and intriguing mystery! 

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

3.5

I did really enjoy this, I thought the writing was beautiful and I really like when stories jump around in time, it keeps me intrigued. It was a bit slow for me and I don't think I was in the correct mood to read a story like this. I feel like it is similar to books that I have read really recently and I wasn't really feeling a mother/daughter story. 

Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey

4.0

This was such a fun novella! Obviously perfect for the time of year and I loved all the characters! Fake dating and marriage of convenience is always a vibe!