mosaicheartsxx's reviews
259 reviews

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

i honestly don't know what to say. for the most part, i found the story to be quite mundane. but at the same time, i understood that this is the portrayal of the boys' lives: an everyday boring sort of normal. and so i'm conflicted as to whether i should see this as a good or bad part of the narrative. 

another thing that conflicts me is this:

gene is clearly not the best best friend to have, is he? i didn't like the way he avoided confrontations despite being so quick to judge every person in the story. although, on the other hand, i can see how confusing it must be for him, to navigate his way through near-seniorship and the prospect of the war and finny. it does not excuse his actions but it does paint a conflicted, self-serving character which, imo, is what gene is.

the ending of the story was what stayed with me the most. it

pretty much sums up the entire story. of gene and finny's dynamic. and of their dynamic against everyone else. of the very real waging war. of the tumultuous and catastrophic concept of boys thinking of becoming men and adolescence. 

do not be too quick to assume positions of fire against the enemy.

if they are even your enemy at all.

Hiroshima by John Hersey

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

5.0

my first non-fiction book of the year and it's already off to a compelling, illuminative start.

i absolutely love how unbiased the narrative of the story is. i believe it becomes tricky when you're an author who has to write about real-life events that you've never experienced yourself. there is a certain type of dedication i find in the author never putting in his own opinion, but rather, writing through the perspectives and opinions of others, especially considering how big of a historical event the hiroshima bombing is.

another thing i loved about the narration is how direct and straightforward it is. there was never a time where i felt the story was long-winded and i was absorbed by every little detail i learned.

i think what's most surprising to me, is that i gone in thinking

that this was going to be that one book that's super disturbing and tragic that i wouldn't be able to take it all in after one read.

i was right.

but not about the "feeling suoer overwhelmed" part.

in fact, reading the accounts of the 6 survivors just made me, surprisingly, hopeful and inspired. it was the way everyone kept trudging forward despite the odds stacked against them. they continued to strive and live. and regardless of how it all ended, i think the way every survivor looked forward into their uncertain future was beautiful. because each one of them had a will to put another step forward.

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

okay, wow. this was certainly a ride.

i found this book through a comment on a booktube video actually. unorthodox probably but still. it got my attention because i saw the words "and the romance hasn't even begun yet" and i'm a sucker for slow burn romance so here i am.

i actually stopped reading at about 15% of the book because i got bored. so not a strong start for me. it definitely got better

after the party arc where leo gets sent to grimm's hometown.

and then from there, i absolutely loved the whimsical-ness and haunting atmosphere of the

unquiet woods. i loved the adventures we had there and sybilla is a gem and so is jayne. mathias should've been more open-minded like his sister and it's a damn shame he got killed. or at least that's what i think.

and i think the part that surprised me the most was how anticlimactic the

taking-away of the love spell/curse was. love how leo was able to say "no" though 💅

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

okay, probably one of the better thrillers i've read this year which is a very good thing.

ruth ware's books have always been a hit-or-miss for me and i'm pleasantly satisfied to say that this was a hit.

it had a great setting with alot of suspense that made me wonder which character was going to get axed next. i anticipated something bad to happen with every page i turned and it delivered.

now here comes the factors i think could be improved.

sadly, there wasn't really

any twists or turns that i didn't see coming and it was almost a letdown in the plot twist department. i really wish there was MORE to the story than connor being a psychopathic a-hole and the obvious retaliation of the others that obviously succeeded so that the story could wrap up with Team You're-Suppose-To-Support winning.

Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

okay, this was a fun read!

definitely better than my previous read lmao. anyways. i actually found myself paging this one quickly. i absolutely loved the

monsters

and the way andrew and thomas

slowly but surely grow closer in a treacherous sort of way

.

the

plot twist

was fun too! at first, i felt so sorry for

andrew

but when i found out

DOVE

was the one who was actually the main part of the

plot twist

i actually liked where it was going. and i was waiting to see how the boys would manage to

defeat the monsters

.

then here comes the disappointment.

that

ending

. what in the world was THAT? that was the biggest jumpscare in this entire book. i simply can't fathom what was going on there. i don't know if i should. then there's the

author's note

where she mentions

that the readers are SUPPOSED to be "frowning at a wall".

woman. why 😭

i like the somewhat

open ending

...i guess????? it's hard to say when it

all built up only to be left with a big, bolded "?

".

and so that's why it's a solid 3.75☆ for me.

The House Share by Kate Helm

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

i'm sorry but NOTHING really happened in this book that i didn't already expect. and there was barely any character development and the part where the truth all unfolds just happened in a few pages and then...nothing. we never got to see the

MC and hanna escape and all that. what? and suddenly MC is living with zoum a few YEARS down the road and dex just goes back to his family and that’s it.

WHAT????? what did i even read? 😭 at the very least it kept my interest to finish it. other than that though...i'm never reading this again.

The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper

4.0

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.

I absolutely hate cheating so this seemed like a good thriller for "payback" in regards to adam but one thing I also hate in thrillers is the fact that there are PASTS to be talked about. I just want a here-and-now story and I absolutely do NOT want to know how adam and kelly met. get that shit away from me-

Brothers Bishop by Bart Yates

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

this was my official personality of while reading this book:

i fucking hate tommy and he can go die in a hole and guess what?

he kinda died in a hole after all.

and then the most mysterious thing happened.

i cried.

for tommy.

okay. i shed like, 4-5 tears.

prior to this, the book just felt like the same thing was happening over and over. something happens that nathan doesn't like. tommy causes trouble. cue their argument. cue them becoming the best of *ahem* brothers again.

also.

fuck kyle. he's the example of the character we call an asshole. knows he's gay.  drags his WIFE along. but still wants to jump nathan's bones. i'm sorry. that was kinda tmi wasn't it?

i think despite the too intimate brotherhood tommy and nathan have, they actually would've been best brothers. they fight fiercely. but they also look out for one another. granted, what nathan did for tommy when the big news got out isn't justified. but their dysfunctional upbringing makes me understand just a little why they did what they did. again. not justifiable. but i didn't read this for one.

so. summary: dysfunctional brothers relationship. caused mainly by their dad. tommy and kyle are surefire jerks. nathan ≠ his father. and simon needs therapy.

Captive Prince: Volume Two by C.S. Pacat

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

i've spent too much time between finishing this book and actually writing a review so i'm sorry but it'll be brief.

this book made me supeeeeerrrrrrrrrr frustrated but at the same time scream "FINALLY!" when we got the

*ahem* sex scene. i wish i had a better way of putting it. like. laurent. finally see those walls down. AND CONFESS ALREADY.

ALSO.

POOR NICAISE. WTF. THE REGENT IS BRUTAL AND YES. HIS SICKENING SEXUAL DESIRES WERE ALREADY BAD ENOUGH TO PUT HIM IN JAIL. BUT NOW. HE NEEDS TA GO TO HELL BRUH. no excuses. this dude is a child offender AND killer. laurent and damen: go fuck him up. i'm sorry but also not.

laurent is straight up 🧊 icy 🧊 tho. the fact that he

made a soldier cry like a baby. dude is a bit harsh. obviously. he's only a little bit like his uncle-

no. i didn't mean that. or maybe i do. this story does this to me. make me believe one thing that slash the belief right away.

we ended on a cliffhanger tho. no spoiler tag for this one. you deserve to know. so obviously i gotta read book 3. see y'all there 😭