readtotheend's reviews
1402 reviews

She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

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dark mysterious fast-paced

2.5

This was my first Kubica and I have to say it was just kind of all over the place.  The time jumps were not a fave for me and there were a lot of things that didn't feel very realistic to me and felt like it was there just to move the story along. There's a major event that happens for the main character and it just kinda fades into the background without any consequence or resolution (in my opinion).  While it was a fast and easy read, there were too many plot holes for me to buy in or feel invested.  
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

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emotional hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

I enjoyed this story about Kareem, a middle school Syrian American boy and his love of football. It had a lot of the middle school dilemmas about fitting in and peer pressure but also had a classmate who is a Syrian refugee and how he treats him at school when others are not as accepting of him.  This really brought me back to whenever a new Korean or Korean-American student came to our school and all eyes were on me just because I was also Korean American.  Sadly, this was written years ago during the first Trump administration and the major travel restrictions and challenges many people had and it's now happening again as people are being detained and afraid to travel in case they are not allowed to return to America, despite being permanent residents or citizens.  I know many students who might give this book a try because it has football but then would read about the experiences of Syrian American Kareem and gain a new perspective on experiences that don't look like their own and I really love when books can do that!  
A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

This was a quick and fun read, great on audio as well.  I kinda held my breath because I THOUGHT it was going in a very dark and twisted direction but I'm glad the author kinda addressed it on the earlier side so I could relax and continue with this mystery!  It had me guessing and the twist was unexpected for me.  Overall, entertaining and great to take to a vacation because it is an easy to digest type of read.  
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

Quite an adventure and very well researched - I learned a lot about the 1700s and the Grand Tour that privileged young men often took after they finished their schooling. I loved the queer representation and appreciated the insights on race and race relations at the time as one of the characters is bi-racial and we see him encounter racism in their journey.  It's a lot of fun, kind of a queer grown up version of Enola Holmes vibes too.  Lots of hijinks and pirates and adventures!  But again, throughout it all we get a bit of history with it.  I felt it was a touch too long but otherwise think it's a wonderful addition to YA historical fiction!
Small World by Jonathan Evison

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adventurous hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

Wow, there's a lot of characters in this one.  I definitely needed to start this one reading in print to get the characters straight in my head but once I started reading it wasn't hard to do. There were a few times I had to flip back to re-read a section but the chapters are pretty short and it just took a glance through to reacquaint myself. It was quite masterful how all the connections between the characters came together in the end.  Did we need ALL the characters? Not sure we did but it did give a really great job of taking us from the 1850s to present day (2019) which is not an easy task!  Perfect title for this one. The story had me engaged the whole time and there were times I did not want to put the book down.  I love that feeling!  Once I kinda got a sense of the characters, I alternated with audio and print and the audiobook narration was great.
Before the Mango Ripens by Afabwaje Kurian

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informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

This book is set in 1970s Nigeria and we can see the tensions between the white American missionaries and the community they are there to serve and themes of faith, identity and cultural tensions are explored. I always thought Korean culture and Nigerian culture had a lot in common and it appears a history of missionaries is also something they both have in common.  This felt long at times and one of the main characters, Tebeya and her storyline didn't really seem that necessary for the rest of the story.  I preferred to read this one in print.
Sweet as Pie by Alicia Hunter Pace

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

Easy to read little friends to lovers hockey romance that flew by.  Almost comfort reading with the yummy pies, hockey players and small town setting. It felt like it could write itself.  Oh yeah and add in the typical characters who are clearly in love but can't get it out thing that often happens. It truly was just comfort reading to cozy up on the couch with. I can't recommend this on audio though because when the narrator took on Jake's voice, I could not stand it!!  I had to switch to print because it grated on me but I realize this is a very personal thing so you may be just fine with it.  But listener be warned! :) 
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
I really enjoyed diving into Ebby Freeman's family history , learning about the very special heirloom jar that was passed down for six generations. The jar's history includes Ebby's great-great-grandfather, Willis Freeman, who was an enslaved man. We go between past and present timelines and this book explores themes of grief, trauma, racism and heritage. I loved Black Cake by Wilkerson and was really happy to hear her author's voice in this book as well. She has a way of really bringing historical fiction to life. If you love historical fiction and family stories, you should pick this one up! It was equally great on audio and in print.
Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

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dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.0

I had not read much at all about the siege of Sarajevo that occurred from 1992-1996 which was part of the Bosnian War.  I got a small glimpse of what that time period was like in Sarajevo through Zora, a Bosnian Serb artist living in Sarajevo at the time.  The book started out slow for me but then picked up until the very end. For me, I think once I read the reference to what black butterflies were, I just got swept into the story.  There aren't chapters - more like 5 sections which makes it challenging to go between audiobook and physical reading. I'd recommend this one in print. 
Seoulmates by Susan Lee

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

This was such a fun YA K-drama read! Although it's not a surprise to anyone who follows Korean entertainment, it definitely shows the pressure in the Korean entertainment industry. I love the childhood friends to lovers trope and it felt natural and not forced. I also really appreciate the audiobook narration having correct Korean pronunciation which hasn't always been the case in my experience. I felt like this really portrayed Korean-American teen life well. Even the church references and the moms all felt familiar to me. Definitely recommend this one for a fun, easy, romantic read!