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micaelamariem's reviews
688 reviews
Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There were definitely moments I enjoyed reading this but as a whole fell short.
I think, overall, Under One Roof is the best of the collection and Stuck With You is the worst.
It can be really hard pacing in a short story or novella and I think that’s one thing the author did well, managing to hit all the story beats in a shortened amount of time without it feeling rushed. I think the characters could have been developed a little more (and especially the second story’s plot).
It did feel like, at least with the last two stories, it was the same story of miscommunication with just two different characters. And I really wasn’t into that.
And I’m so sick of the men being BIG. HUGE. Ok, I get it. They’re tall. Go figure.
But I am excited to read more of her full length novels which thus far I think are better fleshed out.
I think, overall, Under One Roof is the best of the collection and Stuck With You is the worst.
It can be really hard pacing in a short story or novella and I think that’s one thing the author did well, managing to hit all the story beats in a shortened amount of time without it feeling rushed. I think the characters could have been developed a little more (and especially the second story’s plot).
It did feel like, at least with the last two stories, it was the same story of miscommunication with just two different characters. And I really wasn’t into that.
And I’m so sick of the men being BIG. HUGE. Ok, I get it. They’re tall. Go figure.
But I am excited to read more of her full length novels which thus far I think are better fleshed out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Cursing
Black Boy by Richard Wright
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I have to be honest.
The only reason this is 3 stars and not 4 stars is because animals were hurt in the making of this book and I cannot abide by that.
However, the book was beautifully written, illustrating the racial injustices Wright experienced and fought against (or his friends did, considering this may not be fully autobiographical).
The first part was very compelling, reminiscent of many coming of age tales. The second part wasn’t as interesting because it focused more on politics and Wright’s fall into communism, which had the potential to be interesting, but somewhere fell flat.
Still, if this is a true memoir, it’s really hard to judge and rate it (especially a classic one!) because it’s someone’s life. You can’t say anything about the plot because it actually happened.
I can say the writing and commentary was beautiful and evocative, the themes were strong, and you can tell he had things to say.
But also please don’t hurt animals :(
The only reason this is 3 stars and not 4 stars is because animals were hurt in the making of this book and I cannot abide by that.
However, the book was beautifully written, illustrating the racial injustices Wright experienced and fought against (or his friends did, considering this may not be fully autobiographical).
The first part was very compelling, reminiscent of many coming of age tales. The second part wasn’t as interesting because it focused more on politics and Wright’s fall into communism, which had the potential to be interesting, but somewhere fell flat.
Still, if this is a true memoir, it’s really hard to judge and rate it (especially a classic one!) because it’s someone’s life. You can’t say anything about the plot because it actually happened.
I can say the writing and commentary was beautiful and evocative, the themes were strong, and you can tell he had things to say.
But also please don’t hurt animals :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Cursing, Death, Grief, Chronic illness, Bullying, Classism, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Violence
Part of Your World by Liz Braswell
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a decent Disney retelling as far the series go. Not my favorite, but far from my least favorite of the bunch. I appreciated the political intrigue aspect—that’s something in fantasy that always keeps me interested. That being said, I have no idea how Ursula was making decisions as princess when the king and queen were still alive. I think that’s a big plot flaw that needed to be addressed. I also wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of “mad prince Eric” focusing on his operas. I know his “madness” was due to magic but I find it hard to believe everyone still loved him for his art anyway if he was meant to be ruling (but was he?? If his parents are alive?? Please explain.)
But I did like the thrill of trying to expand the empire, putting lives at risk, blackmail, finding Triton, and putting everything at stake. It got a little dark and I was here for it. Overall a three star read.
But I did like the thrill of trying to expand the empire, putting lives at risk, blackmail, finding Triton, and putting everything at stake. It got a little dark and I was here for it. Overall a three star read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Death, War, Violence, Bullying, and Grief
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? Yes
5.0
This was a phenomenal read.
I’ve always been a fan of the sentimental so this book struck a chord with me. It evokes all the feelings, from laughter to tears. While the book is about a bank robbery gone wrong, it’s really about the people involved in this hostage scene and about people in general. Looking into each person’s mind and heart, Backman makes a point on how messy life is and how idiotic we all can be, and calls us as readers to have empathy for our fellow humans.
I also enjoyed the drama of it all, though. For two thirds of the book I really wasn’t sure who the bank robber was and if they’d catch them or what was going to happen. I liked the plot twists told through a nonlinear timeline that kept me reading beyond the sentimental parts and the idiotic humorous parts.
Overall, a fantastic beautiful read and a reminder that we’re all going through something, but it gets a little better if we have each other’s backs.
I’ve always been a fan of the sentimental so this book struck a chord with me. It evokes all the feelings, from laughter to tears. While the book is about a bank robbery gone wrong, it’s really about the people involved in this hostage scene and about people in general. Looking into each person’s mind and heart, Backman makes a point on how messy life is and how idiotic we all can be, and calls us as readers to have empathy for our fellow humans.
I also enjoyed the drama of it all, though. For two thirds of the book I really wasn’t sure who the bank robber was and if they’d catch them or what was going to happen. I liked the plot twists told through a nonlinear timeline that kept me reading beyond the sentimental parts and the idiotic humorous parts.
Overall, a fantastic beautiful read and a reminder that we’re all going through something, but it gets a little better if we have each other’s backs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Infidelity, Classism, Blood, and Pregnancy
The Golden Basement by David Norman Lewis
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you so much to the author for the ARC!
This book was so weird. But it was fun, and that’s the main thing I ask of a book, that I enjoy reading jt.
It was marketed to me as sci fi but I would also argue this is very horror as well. The tale follows ten year old Evan, who lives in these underground caves with his crazy father and sister and a bunch of weird aliens. His father wants him to unlock the code to the golden basement, but all Evan wants is a normal life on the surface. When he tries to enact a plan for this, chaos ensues, including more aliens, a cult, a riot, and some washed up rock star roadies.
I loved the illustrations, they really added to the book and made it a quick read.
I also loved the theme of conspiracy theories and how diving into extreme beliefs can be ruinous.
The characters were compelling for the fact that they were all deeply flawed and disturbed individuals. There was no golden star to this and that was refreshing.
As long as you can handle some body horror with a dose of dark humor, I recommend this read 🙌🏼
This book was so weird. But it was fun, and that’s the main thing I ask of a book, that I enjoy reading jt.
It was marketed to me as sci fi but I would also argue this is very horror as well. The tale follows ten year old Evan, who lives in these underground caves with his crazy father and sister and a bunch of weird aliens. His father wants him to unlock the code to the golden basement, but all Evan wants is a normal life on the surface. When he tries to enact a plan for this, chaos ensues, including more aliens, a cult, a riot, and some washed up rock star roadies.
I loved the illustrations, they really added to the book and made it a quick read.
I also loved the theme of conspiracy theories and how diving into extreme beliefs can be ruinous.
The characters were compelling for the fact that they were all deeply flawed and disturbed individuals. There was no golden star to this and that was refreshing.
As long as you can handle some body horror with a dose of dark humor, I recommend this read 🙌🏼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Confinement, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Abandonment, Child death, Drug use, Mental illness, and Slavery
The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I won this arc in a goodreads giveaway and while I’m so thankful for having the opportunity to read it, I feel so guilty for not liking it. 🥲
There were times the writing was absolutely beautiful, like when Fallon found the perfect place to run her chocolate business. And the themes of moving on in relationships is a very potent one.
However, a lot of the time, the writing did feel juvenile. A lot could have been fixed by the characters actually talking with each other. I thought some of the reactions of the adult characters were either too unrealistic or too on the nose (specifically the therapy sessions). I also found the children characters to act unrealistically, too mature and well-behaved from my point of view, while also saying things that had them seem younger than seven.
And I think, as a whole, this book wasn’t for me. I think some of the themes, like the marital problems and menopause, I’m too young to truly appreciate, and then the way they acted I was too old to appreciate.
Just because this wasn’t for me doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it though. I see plenty of four star reviews here, and maybe I missed something, but I think it generally comes down to me being not the right target audience and not what I expected (I expected a general fading out instead of a massive falling out in friends).
There were times the writing was absolutely beautiful, like when Fallon found the perfect place to run her chocolate business. And the themes of moving on in relationships is a very potent one.
However, a lot of the time, the writing did feel juvenile. A lot could have been fixed by the characters actually talking with each other. I thought some of the reactions of the adult characters were either too unrealistic or too on the nose (specifically the therapy sessions). I also found the children characters to act unrealistically, too mature and well-behaved from my point of view, while also saying things that had them seem younger than seven.
And I think, as a whole, this book wasn’t for me. I think some of the themes, like the marital problems and menopause, I’m too young to truly appreciate, and then the way they acted I was too old to appreciate.
Just because this wasn’t for me doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it though. I see plenty of four star reviews here, and maybe I missed something, but I think it generally comes down to me being not the right target audience and not what I expected (I expected a general fading out instead of a massive falling out in friends).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Grief, Pregnancy, and Infertility
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Death
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book started out incredibly slow. I was almost ready to DNF (jk I don’t DNF) but then the main character got to university and it finally got interesting.
I do think the writing could have been more concise, there was no reason this had to be 700 pages. But the academia, conflict, magic, and desires were definitely compelling. The reveal at the end that I proudly predicted will be the main thing that keeps me going through the series. I would say this is an okay read, and perhaps good for fans of thick “hard fantasy” novels with lots of descriptions.
I do think the writing could have been more concise, there was no reason this had to be 700 pages. But the academia, conflict, magic, and desires were definitely compelling. The reveal at the end that I proudly predicted will be the main thing that keeps me going through the series. I would say this is an okay read, and perhaps good for fans of thick “hard fantasy” novels with lots of descriptions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Classism, Alcohol, Violence, Blood, and Death
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book! The writing and word choice was beautiful. The character development impressive. The worldbuilding involves creating whole new myths and stories and studies which I always find impressive. I’m in love with Preston. But above all, I love the extended metaphor of what it’s like to be a trauma survivor and what is required to survive; especially for women who survive violence against them at the hands of men. This was absolutely beautiful. Full review on my blog to come tomorrow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Addiction, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Unfortunately, this sequel did not live up to the greatness that was Ready Player One. While I enjoyed learning new things and the plot is a great idea for a D&D campaign, I didn’t think the book was well written. I thought it focused too much on referencing outside pop culture sources, even more so than the first book, which left me occasionally feeling a little lost. There was also a heavy focus on worldbuilding still without much look at character development. The ending frustrated me because it felt like the characters still didn’t learn anything. And in general, I just found the story to be boring. I wanted to see more characterization!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Violence, Abandonment, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Blood, Alcohol, Murder, Classism, Grief, Vomit, Confinement, Death of parent, and Sexism
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Two years after reading Throne of Glass, I finally read the sequel, Crown of Midnight.
If you somehow haven't heard of the author, Sarah J Maas, she also wrote the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the Crescent City series.
Crown of Midnight, the second book in the Throne of Glass series, was published by Bloomsbury YA. Throne of Glass is a YA fantasy series targeted to older teenagers (though adults can still enjoy them!)
Crown of Midnight continues with Celaena's story after she becomes the King's Champion as to be his personal assassin. Meanwhile, she is trying to figure out what all the secret passageways and riddles she finds in the castle means, and would they have any answers to stopping the king's thirst for power as he continues to dominate other countries.
I really enjoyed this book--even more than the first one. I'd give it 4 stars out of 5 on the rating scale system because I did enjoy reading it, but there were a few hiccups with the book.
Part of me loved seeing the intricacies of Chaol's, Dorian's, and Celaena's friendship. I loved the character development that happens--particularly with Dorian, though Celaena grew the most as the main character. I didn't like the jealousy trope being played with both Chaol and Dorian. It just seemed a bit childish and annoying.
I also enjoyed the plot and there were many twists and turns, even if I did ultimately guess the big twist at the end. There were a lot of other reveals I didn't see coming. The plot also included a lot of fight scenes, so I was never left too wanting for action. That being said, the first half of the book did move a lot more slowly. I wish the romance in the book didn't come and go so quickly, too.
If you somehow haven't heard of the author, Sarah J Maas, she also wrote the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the Crescent City series.
Crown of Midnight, the second book in the Throne of Glass series, was published by Bloomsbury YA. Throne of Glass is a YA fantasy series targeted to older teenagers (though adults can still enjoy them!)
Crown of Midnight continues with Celaena's story after she becomes the King's Champion as to be his personal assassin. Meanwhile, she is trying to figure out what all the secret passageways and riddles she finds in the castle means, and would they have any answers to stopping the king's thirst for power as he continues to dominate other countries.
I really enjoyed this book--even more than the first one. I'd give it 4 stars out of 5 on the rating scale system because I did enjoy reading it, but there were a few hiccups with the book.
Part of me loved seeing the intricacies of Chaol's, Dorian's, and Celaena's friendship. I loved the character development that happens--particularly with Dorian, though Celaena grew the most as the main character. I didn't like the jealousy trope being played with both Chaol and Dorian. It just seemed a bit childish and annoying.
I also enjoyed the plot and there were many twists and turns, even if I did ultimately guess the big twist at the end. There were a lot of other reveals I didn't see coming. The plot also included a lot of fight scenes, so I was never left too wanting for action. That being said, the first half of the book did move a lot more slowly. I wish the romance in the book didn't come and go so quickly, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Stalking, and Vomit