orchids's reviews
120 reviews

Oye by Melissa Mogollon

emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the Advanced Reader's Copy! 

Oye is a novel that follows high schooler Luciana and her stressful life. Her sister is away at college avoiding everything, her mother criticizes her every move, and her grandmother is vain and stubborn as a mule. A sudden event causes her to navigate her rocky family dynamics and discover a hidden and complex family past.

This narrative is told entirely through Luciana's phone conversations with her sister Mari. The reader only hears Luciana's side of the conversation though with the occasional flashback with additional side character dialogue. I will admit that it took some time to get used to this structure, but I ultimately did appreciate this fresh approach to storytelling. The plot hit pretty close to home, so personally, it was tough to get past some plot points involving Luciana's relationship with her mother and her grandmother. That's just me though!!! I did very much enjoy unraveling Luciana's grandmother's past! It felt like I was gabbing with a friend or listening to those normal people gossip podcasts. 

Overall, I did like many aspects of this book, but ultimately, it wasn't the perfect book for me. However, that's a me thing more than anything! Anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction about intergenerational families told in a unique way, this book is for you!

The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

i had such high hopes for this sequel! as soon as dani mentioned hiding the truth from jameson about the compromise she made with the skincare investors, i knew it was over... her attitude and intense need for independence despite jameson's best attempts to try to support and protect her were infuriating... it wasn't until the very end that nyla helps dani see the error of her ways, and the reader finally understands WHY dani has this drive to be hyper self independent to a fault. i appreciate getting that why (because i truly didn't get her reasoning despite all her internal monologues throughout the book), but i felt like it came too late. the book was a slog to get through. the first book was truly FUN as you got to see jameson and dani's relationship blossom, but i felt like this sequel lacked all the fun the first book had. the miscommunication trope is the bane of my existence!!!!!!!!!! and like the first book, the sudden switches from mundane to explicit sex scenes gave me whiplash! 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

absolutely a gut-wrenching read. i commend jennette's ability to write so candidly and vulnerable to an audience that idolized her during her acting years. this book is such an important testimonial about all the horrible things child actors go through.   

The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover

emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.5

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the Advanced Reader Copy!

OOF. This book hits hard (in all the right places!). This Contemporary YA novel follows Audrey St. Vrain, daughter of Camilla St. Vrain who is a famous self-help author, during the summer before her freshman year of college. Audrey had big plans to have a super productive summer by attending a prestigious summer premed program which would set her up for success in college, but she ends up getting roped into joining a summer book tour to promote the 25th anniversary of her mother's book, "Letters to My Someday Daughter," and confront her strained relationship with her. After having to endure the stresses of being in the spotlight and answering questions about her and her mother despite not having the picture-perfect relationship that her mother always boasts about, Audrey finds herself having to acknowledge difficult truths about herself and her family.

While this book was slow to start, it got me in the second half, and that twist shocked me to my core! I audibly gasped! At times Audrey's stubbornness was eye-roll worry and occasionally got on my nerves, but I'm also a 25-year-old who has gone through a lot of therapy! And to be fair, I very much acted like Audrey when I was her age. All the other characters were lovely! Except for Silas, Sadie, and Camilla, the side characters did feel a tad one-noted, but they were still a joy to read and provided a nice comic relief. There is a small bit of romance in this book, BUT "The Someday Daughter" is far beyond a standard YA romance novel. At its core, this novel is about Audrey and her mental health struggles and navigating her relationship with her mother. It's incredibly written and is so beautiful in a raw and vulnerable way. It is worth a read if you are looking for something fresh in the YA world!

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce

funny lighthearted relaxing 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

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Dungeons and Drama follows Riley, a theatre-loving high schooler who just got grounded and now has to work at her father's game store as punishment. She quickly becomes enemies with Nathan, a fellow classmate who works at the store and is snarky and nerdy which annoys Riley to no end. After an awkward interaction with her ex, Riley devises a plan to fake-date Nathan, and surprisingly he agrees after Riley convinces him that this will help make his own crush jealous. However, part of the plan involves Riley hopping into a game of Dungeons and Dragons with Nathan and all of his nerdy friends! Riley finds herself having to juggle school, her passion for keeping her theatre department alive, and building a relationship with her father all while trying to make her fake relationship with Nathan look believable!

I was immediately intrigued by this premise, and I was completely hooked after the first few chapters! I read most of this book in the span of two days, and if it wasn't for my busy work life, I would have finished this book in three days (which would have been a personal record!). Kristy Boyce's prose flows so beautifully which is a huge reason this book was such a page-turner! All the characters felt very grounded and realistic. The characters and their dialogue were so charming and funny that it made reading this book so enjoyable. Riley did say some cringey things every so often, but to be honest, that's very true to form for a high school theatre kid! This book deals with so many complex themes like being a child of divorced parents and feeling guilt from "picking a side," and the importance of community spaces. Kristy Boyce did a wonderful job weaving these themes and subplots into the larger narrative. I will admit that I was giggling like an idiot at Riley and Nathan's "fake" dating scenes-- they are so adorable! I also appreciate the parts where they discussed their boundaries and consent! That is so important to include in YA novels! All in all, this book was such a fun and lovely read! I truly didn't want to book to end; I could read a million books about Riley, Nathan, and the whole cast of characters, and that would still not be enough! If you are looking for a light, charming, and nerdy rom-com, this book is perfect for you!!

Queen's Peril by E.K. Johnston

adventurous emotional funny tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

i will easily admit that star wars lore confuses me to no end; however, this book was so delightful and easy to digest. for me, the first half of the book was more enjoyable than the second. it revolved around padme's beginnings as queen of naboo and the forming of her handmaid security group which extended beyond the confines of the prequel movies. it's easy to forget that padme and her handmaids are all just young teen girls that were thrown into matters of intergalactic importance, so i loved reading more of these private moments between all the girls that are non existent in the movies, the second half of the book started including beats from the movies, so it took the liberty of jumping around the narrative more which at times was disorienting (which, mind you, is coming from someone who isn't a diehard star wars fan and is instead just a casual viewer). nonetheless, i will give e.k. johnston props for not just solely rewriting events that happened in the movie but instead providing more behind-the-scenes moments and internal monologues during some of the well-known plot points from the movies. i'm looking forward to what the rest of this trilogy has to offer!

Zikora by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

this short story was set up beautifully and had my attention from the first page. chimamanda's writing is so exquisite and visceral that it felt like i could feel the physical and emotional pain that zikora went through. truly excellent prose that i didn't want it to end!

The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

this short story was fine. i'm always a fan of alternate universes and speculative fiction, but this at times felt pretty surface-level. i felt like the story was more focused on the "what ifs" surrounding men being the minority gender rather than building complex characters that go beyond stereotypes and tropes. you could argue that this was done purposefully to make a point but still... i needed something more

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

earlier this year, one of my former students recommended this book specifically because she felt like i would enjoy it as much as she did (she couldn't stop talking about how much she loved this book for a week straight)!! and wow! this book is truly something special! the story follows a young protagonist named marya who is growing up in a medieval fantasy world where sorcerers are held in high regard as they are combating an evil entity known as "the dread" that can kill a village in an instant. as the story progresses, marya learns more about herself and other young girls and the roles they are expected to play in society. i don't want to explain the plot any further because i believe this book is worth going in blind. the book always kept me on the edge of my seat and the book ended not how i was expecting. this truly is a powerful and magical book that has beautiful messages of courage and believing in what's right. knowing that my former student thought of me while reading this so heartwarming. i am thankful that she introduced me to this book. this is truly a must-read!!

Frida Kahlo: The Last Interview: And Other Conversations by Frida Kahlo

informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

this is a great little collection of interviews and articles published during frida kahlo's lifetime. while this short book is not all-encompassing (given that this is not a traditional biography and knowing that frida was a reserved person who rarely gave interviews), i would say that this book would be a great start for any admirer of her work and is interested in learning more about the big moments of her life. it was interesting to see the transition of interviews restricting frida's identity as just, "diego's wife that sometimes paints," into the final interview in the book where frida, in her own words, recounts her life story and her relationship with painting.