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readingwordsmith's reviews
199 reviews
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book made me feel so many strong, potent feelings. It unlocked emotions and thoughts that I usually keep buried at the back of my mind and explores these feelings in an incredibly powerful way. This story was absolutely phenomenal and I definitely connected with all the anger and the turmoil contained in its pages. I have not read something that I have related to this strongly in a long time. Xiomara, or The Poet X, has so many unresolved feelings but in the end is able to unleash these thoughts and release them through her written words as poems. I related closely to some of her personal struggles especially the turbulent relationships she has with her family and the world around her. Her writing, and writing in general, is an extremely powerful tool that can be wielded to eloquently express our inner emotions in a way that spoken language never can. I loved that this book shows us how powerful the written word really is.
Side note: I felt really frustrated at certain points in this book with the way that Xiomara was treated and how she treated other people in this book. As frustrating as this book was, it was incredibly realistic and accurate to real life. The story was also greatly serviced by being written in verse. I can now safely say that I will read anything written by Elizabeth Acevedo. This is the best book I’ve read in 2022 thus far and I’m not sure any other book will top this!
Side note: I felt really frustrated at certain points in this book with the way that Xiomara was treated and how she treated other people in this book. As frustrating as this book was, it was incredibly realistic and accurate to real life. The story was also greatly serviced by being written in verse. I can now safely say that I will read anything written by Elizabeth Acevedo. This is the best book I’ve read in 2022 thus far and I’m not sure any other book will top this!
Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The Stranger from the Sea by Winston Graham
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Muted by Tami Charles
dark
emotional
informative
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
5.0
Thank you to Scholastic Press for the free ARC copy of Muted. Before diving into my review, please note that it is based on my opinion of the book. As you consider my thoughts, remember that you are allowed to have different feelings about this book. I was sent a free copy by the publisher Scholastic Press as an early review copy, however, that does not affect or influence my review of the book. If you haven't read it yet, feel free to pick up a copy and form your own opinion on it.
Synopsis:
Muted by Tami Charles is a YA novel following Denver and her two close friends, Shak and Dali who are trying to fulfill their dreams of becoming famous singers. Inspired by the R. Kelley events, this book explores the dark, hidden side of the music industry. It shows how a young girl’s dreams are used and exploited against her.
Content Warnings: Sexual Assault, Emotional Abuse, Eating Disorder, Body Shaming, Rape, Grief, Murder, Toxic Relationship
Note: This book contains mature and alarming content, please proceed with caution.
Review:
Muted by Tami Charles takes place over the span of a short two-hour plane ride. The entire story is told in flashbacks after all the events have occurred. I loved that we get some good character development on Denver, Shak, and Dali before things start to happen. It really helped me understand their motivations and what really drove them to seek success in the music industry.
I love that the side characters were well fleshed out and developed. I really felt like I could empathize and understand where Denver’s, Shak’s, and Dali’s families were all coming from. There are subtle clues throughout the entire story that I picked up on before any of the main cast that revealed the true nature of Sean “Merc” Ellis. I was surprised it took Denver SO LONG to see what was actually happening. She just closed her eyes to reality because of her DESPERATE desire to become famous which is understandable but frustrating.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the fact that it was written in verse. It didn’t feel like flowery poetry which was what I feared going into the book. Instead, it was a brilliant way of telling the story. I also loved that the songs that were written in the story, were included and it really helped immerse me into Denver’s world. The format that the story was written in was really consumable and easy to read which also helped to immerse me into the story and the events that were occurring.
The entire plot was leading up to a climax and an UNFORGETTABLE ending. There were a few moments of shock leading up to the main reveal in the story, but they did NOT prepare me. I bawled my eyes out for a good hour after reading the last 30 pages of the story and discovering where the airplane’s final destination was. This book really illustrated the problems with relationships that feature a MAJOR imbalance in power. It also showed the corrupt nature of the music industry in a way I’ve not seen anywhere else. I will continue to reflect on this story and recommend this book for a long time to come.
Rating: 5/5 stars (also 5/5 in terms of tears)
Author: Tami Charles
Genre: YA, hard-hitting contemporary
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Synopsis:
Muted by Tami Charles is a YA novel following Denver and her two close friends, Shak and Dali who are trying to fulfill their dreams of becoming famous singers. Inspired by the R. Kelley events, this book explores the dark, hidden side of the music industry. It shows how a young girl’s dreams are used and exploited against her.
Content Warnings: Sexual Assault, Emotional Abuse, Eating Disorder, Body Shaming, Rape, Grief, Murder, Toxic Relationship
Note: This book contains mature and alarming content, please proceed with caution.
Review:
Muted by Tami Charles takes place over the span of a short two-hour plane ride. The entire story is told in flashbacks after all the events have occurred. I loved that we get some good character development on Denver, Shak, and Dali before things start to happen. It really helped me understand their motivations and what really drove them to seek success in the music industry.
I love that the side characters were well fleshed out and developed. I really felt like I could empathize and understand where Denver’s, Shak’s, and Dali’s families were all coming from. There are subtle clues throughout the entire story that I picked up on before any of the main cast that revealed the true nature of Sean “Merc” Ellis. I was surprised it took Denver SO LONG to see what was actually happening. She just closed her eyes to reality because of her DESPERATE desire to become famous which is understandable but frustrating.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the fact that it was written in verse. It didn’t feel like flowery poetry which was what I feared going into the book. Instead, it was a brilliant way of telling the story. I also loved that the songs that were written in the story, were included and it really helped immerse me into Denver’s world. The format that the story was written in was really consumable and easy to read which also helped to immerse me into the story and the events that were occurring.
The entire plot was leading up to a climax and an UNFORGETTABLE ending. There were a few moments of shock leading up to the main reveal in the story, but they did NOT prepare me. I bawled my eyes out for a good hour after reading the last 30 pages of the story and discovering where the airplane’s final destination was. This book really illustrated the problems with relationships that feature a MAJOR imbalance in power. It also showed the corrupt nature of the music industry in a way I’ve not seen anywhere else. I will continue to reflect on this story and recommend this book for a long time to come.
Rating: 5/5 stars (also 5/5 in terms of tears)
Author: Tami Charles
Genre: YA, hard-hitting contemporary
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Drug abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Racism, and Cursing
The Alice Equation by Davina Stone
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
Thank you to the author, Davina Stone, and Book Sirens for this free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: The Alice Equation by Davina Stone is basically a fake dating/friends-to-lovers romance. It follows our two main characters who have been best friends for five years: Alice and Aaron. Alice works in a bookshop and has been pining after Aaron for years whilst Aaron is a party guy with commitment issues. When Aaron tries to land a job at a highly prestigious law firm, he needs a fake date to show his commitment to the law firm's idea of "family values." Alice agrees to fake date Aaron so that he can get the job. Throughout the book, Alice and Aaron uncover hidden secrets and lies as they try to navigate and understand their complex relationship.
Note/Disclaimer: This is DEFINITELY a new adult story. It contains mature themes, please proceed with caution.
Content Warnings: Sexual Tension, Sex, Grief, Expletive Language (cursing).
Review:
The Alice Equation by Davina Stone really took me for a wild ride. This novel was extremely fast-paced and some very INTENSE things were already happening by page 100. I love how Aaron and Alice's friendship is already pre-established and they've been friends for a long time. It really makes the romance and the events of the book seem more realistic and believable. At times, I got extremely frustrated with the miscommunication that kept happening between the two main characters.
I found Aaron to be quite arrogant and full of himself at the beginning of the story. He's pretty selfish and treats Alice with little regard, taking her friendship for granted. I really appreciated how his personality develops throughout the story and he learns how to become more open and accept his emotions. His closed-off behavior makes sense because of his traumatic past but I appreciated the fact that near the end of the story, he begins to move past this.
The story mostly focused on the romance and I wish there had been more of a B plot throughout the story beyond just the romance. A secondary plot was introduced quite late into the story at around page 200 that I ABSOLUTELY adored. I really wish we would've gotten more of that in the story. Another critique I have for the story is the lack of development in the setting/environment. I didn't realize that this story even took place in Australia until around the halfway point in the story. If there were subtle hints in the book suggesting that it took place in Australia, I missed most of them as an American. I learned that it took place in Australia only when it was blatantly stated in the story.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book but some scenes were a little intense on the smut for my taste. This would've been fine if there has been some more plot to carry the story through. I liked the characters' connection with each other and the other relationships portrayed throughout the book. Having these other fleshed out relationships made the story and characters feel more realistic. I think the biggest critiques I have for the story was the fact that the setting of the story and the secondary plot point felt underdeveloped. I considered rating this a solid four-star, but have lowered my rating because of my issues with the setting and secondary plot development. I have rounded up my rating in order to input it into Book Sirens.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to a 4 star)
Author: Davina Stone
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis: The Alice Equation by Davina Stone is basically a fake dating/friends-to-lovers romance. It follows our two main characters who have been best friends for five years: Alice and Aaron. Alice works in a bookshop and has been pining after Aaron for years whilst Aaron is a party guy with commitment issues. When Aaron tries to land a job at a highly prestigious law firm, he needs a fake date to show his commitment to the law firm's idea of "family values." Alice agrees to fake date Aaron so that he can get the job. Throughout the book, Alice and Aaron uncover hidden secrets and lies as they try to navigate and understand their complex relationship.
Note/Disclaimer: This is DEFINITELY a new adult story. It contains mature themes, please proceed with caution.
Content Warnings: Sexual Tension, Sex, Grief, Expletive Language (cursing).
Review:
The Alice Equation by Davina Stone really took me for a wild ride. This novel was extremely fast-paced and some very INTENSE things were already happening by page 100. I love how Aaron and Alice's friendship is already pre-established and they've been friends for a long time. It really makes the romance and the events of the book seem more realistic and believable. At times, I got extremely frustrated with the miscommunication that kept happening between the two main characters.
I found Aaron to be quite arrogant and full of himself at the beginning of the story. He's pretty selfish and treats Alice with little regard, taking her friendship for granted. I really appreciated how his personality develops throughout the story and he learns how to become more open and accept his emotions. His closed-off behavior makes sense because of his traumatic past but I appreciated the fact that near the end of the story, he begins to move past this.
The story mostly focused on the romance and I wish there had been more of a B plot throughout the story beyond just the romance. A secondary plot was introduced quite late into the story at around page 200 that I ABSOLUTELY adored. I really wish we would've gotten more of that in the story. Another critique I have for the story is the lack of development in the setting/environment. I didn't realize that this story even took place in Australia until around the halfway point in the story. If there were subtle hints in the book suggesting that it took place in Australia, I missed most of them as an American. I learned that it took place in Australia only when it was blatantly stated in the story.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book but some scenes were a little intense on the smut for my taste. This would've been fine if there has been some more plot to carry the story through. I liked the characters' connection with each other and the other relationships portrayed throughout the book. Having these other fleshed out relationships made the story and characters feel more realistic. I think the biggest critiques I have for the story was the fact that the setting of the story and the secondary plot point felt underdeveloped. I considered rating this a solid four-star, but have lowered my rating because of my issues with the setting and secondary plot development. I have rounded up my rating in order to input it into Book Sirens.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to a 4 star)
Author: Davina Stone
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing