maya23's reviews
146 reviews

Brownstone by Samuel Teer

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? Yes

4.75

The Woman in the Woods and Other North American Stories by Alice Rl, Rhael McGregor, Maija Ambrose Plamondon, Mercedes Acosta, Kel McDonald, Milo Applejohn, Jordaan Arledge, Elijah Forbes, Alina Pete, Izzy Roberts, Kate Ashwin

adventurous informative mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

i really appreciated the range of the stories presented in this book. knowing that this is catered toward a younger audience, it was nice to see a balance of stories that were straightforward and stories that were more elaborate. while i enjoyed them all, some of the stories left me a little confused because they felt unfinished; they didn’t have as much depth as the others and/or would end abruptly. The Rougarou was easily my favorite, it felt the most complete and had a wonderful story arc. overall, i valued the informational aspect of this book and will definitely check out the other collections in this series.

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

4.5

Brooms by Jasmine Walls

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

5.0

i loved everything about this book. the story was captivating from the start and i did NOT want to put it down. the characters are incredibly diverse and the art is gorgeous. there was a perfect balance of fantasy and historical nonfiction. the storytelling was well executed with the inclusion of a few flashbacks and conversations that weren’t over explained. we got just the right amount of information that gave us context on the world this story was taking place. to top it all off, the romance was sprinkled in beautifully! i truly have no bad things to say about this book! a perfect october read :)

D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

i really wanted to like this book more but i didn’t enjoy the execution of the reality tv plot. there was too much focus on tricking their friends and family into thinking they were a real couple than there was actually seeing their relationship develop. i wish there would’ve been more scenes with D’Vaughn and Kris by themselves. they were constantly surrounded by other characters which took away from seeing them have deep/serious conversations and really get to know each other. without the addition of “off camera” scenes, it made it difficult to justify the growing chemistry between D’Vaughn and Kris. i will say that i did enjoy their romance overall, they made a great couple and they fit each other really well. it was sweet to see Kris support D’Vaughn and help her break out of her shell. i also appreciated how diverse the ensemble of characters were.

Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller

emotional lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

no notes! a perfect coming of age story about gaining confidence and embracing who you are. the art style is an added bonus, all the characters are so cute!

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

adventurous emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

i really enjoyed the romance in this book, i loved how both MCs acknowledged their attraction to each other so easily. it felt very sweet and innocent, and on top of that, their banter was cute. i relished in how adventurous this story was, that’s one thing Sybil and i have in common. i would say the first three parts of the book were executed well. when it got to part four, things started to feel a little vapid. everything happened so suddenly and there were things we never fully got clarity on. we can infer that things happened but it would’ve been nice if they were directly addressed throughout the story; such as

why was Maeve banished in the first place? and what happened to Chloe and Hyacinth? did Chloe ever tell Hyacinth the truth about her situation? did they fall in love?!

who knows?? i admit that was a bit dramatic lol but honestly this was still an entertaining story that i had fun reading.

HoverGirls by Geneva Bowers

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

of course i have to talk about the art style first. it is simply stunning. absolutely gorgeous! i was constantly mesmerized by the drawings on each page. the story, however, was a bit all over the place. the flashbacks were nice except they went on for too long and when they got back to the present it was a bit disorienting. i enjoyed both MCs but was disheartened by the lack of character growth. they had opposing personalities which made for an interesting dynamic, yet they remained the same throughout the story’s entirety. there were many opportunities for either of them to prove they had changed. the climax felt overwhelming as it escalated very quickly. i felt bombarded when it got to this point and there was so much explaining to do while on a time crunch. while i loved the artwork, the writing fell short for me, although i wouldn’t be opposed to reading other work by this author should they come around to making another book.

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

4.5

this was such a heartfelt story about Black love and second chances. i absolutely adored Hazel and Mari, they were so cute! i think the story definitely could’ve been longer, some of the conflict got resolved too quickly. i also would’ve liked more world building for the present day, specifically more context on the advanced technology. regardless, i enjoyed this book a lot and loved the art style as well.