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sarahscoffeecup's reviews
26 reviews
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
adventurous
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Elatsoe was a terrific read. It's unlike anything I've ever read before, being speculative fiction featuring the ability to wake the dead.
In this fantasy world, we meet Ellie who has the ability to wake the spirits of deceased animals. In doing this, she summons them to her side to help protect her, to keep her company, and to help her through various situations.
The main plot involves her cousin, Trevor, being murdered and finding out who killed him. The story starts with a dream she has, where Trevor begs her to watch out for his family because a man he named murdered him. He did not die in a simple car crash.
Ellie makes it her personal responsibility to investigate. This decision leads to encounters with vampires, dark spirits, and trips to the underworld. Elatsoe also features an asexual main character, although the asexuality is casually dropped. This is not a story to read to learn more about asexuality.
Either way, it's a beautifully written story and I can't wait to read more from this author.
In this fantasy world, we meet Ellie who has the ability to wake the spirits of deceased animals. In doing this, she summons them to her side to help protect her, to keep her company, and to help her through various situations.
The main plot involves her cousin, Trevor, being murdered and finding out who killed him. The story starts with a dream she has, where Trevor begs her to watch out for his family because a man he named murdered him. He did not die in a simple car crash.
Ellie makes it her personal responsibility to investigate. This decision leads to encounters with vampires, dark spirits, and trips to the underworld. Elatsoe also features an asexual main character, although the asexuality is casually dropped. This is not a story to read to learn more about asexuality.
Either way, it's a beautifully written story and I can't wait to read more from this author.
Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first chapter destroyed me. I was warned early on that the first chapter hits home with asexual people because many of us have had this experience. The story opens up with a breakup scene, where Alice’s girlfriend leaves her because she’s asexual.
Personally, I wasn’t expecting this chapter to destroy me because I had never been broken up with because of my asexuality. However, I had this conversation with an ex. Verbatim. I didn’t know I was ace at the time, but he my lack of sexual attraction was apparent, and it hit his pride.
After the first chapter, I feel like the book kind of slid downhill slowly for me. Yes, her asexuality was very relatable and that’s the whole reason I wanted to read it. So, good on Kann for bringing us an asexual character. However, the plot itself was dull.
Alice meets Takumi in the library she works at and he’s the most adorable character. Takumi was the shining light of this novel because Alice got on my nerves sometimes. I don’t want non-ace people thinking that all ace people are like Alice.
She’s obsessed with cute things, which isn’t a bad thing. However, the way Kann describes this obsession is annoying. She has a Cutie Code, which she uses to rate how cute things and people are. She says the word cute way too often. Alice is sweet, but she’s kind of annoying.
Takumi on the other hand is a wholesome as hell character and I loved him from the first sentence. Feenie is a great character as well, being Alice’s best friend who adores fighting. The side characters, in my opinion, were more fleshed out than Alice’s character.
Another thing that drove me up the wall was the use of parentheses. There are phrases wrapped in parentheses on each page and it was very distracting to read. Honestly, the way Let’s Talk About Love was written kind of reminds me of Wattpad or fanfiction; I’m not sure it was ready for traditional publication.
Or maybe I’m just being picky because this is young adult fiction, and I am no longer a young adult. There’s a sliding scale of writing styles aimed at this audience, and I enjoy literature from one side of the scale. Maybe this book is just on the opposite side.
Either way, this book has great asexuality representation and an okay plot with terrific side characters. If you like young adult romance, you may like this book.
Hello, Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson
Estella is not a thief. She’s a fashion designer who steals things. There’s a difference. However, she’s damn good at both. We get to see the active posh scene of 1960s London while Estella learns how to navigate it to boost her career and get out of the homeless situation that she’s in.
This story is genius. It’s beautifully written and, as far as villain origin stories go, it’s one of my favorites. I don’t even like 101 Dalmatians, but I love Maureen Johnson. When I heard that she was coming out with a take on Cruella Deville and that there would be a movie of it featuring Emma Stone… I knew that I needed this story in my life.
It is a little slow-moving at times, but there are plot twists that I seriously didn’t see coming. Part of the anticipation was knowing that Estella turns full-on evil at some point (she has to… she’s Cruella Deville, right?). I had to know what pushed her over the edge because she’s such a resilient character.
The beautiful thing about this story is that Estella has an alter ego named Cruella. Cruella is the nagging voice in the back of your head, filling your mind with doubts about yourself and negativity. Except, Cruella is more than a voice to Estella. She’s this evil part of herself that she can’t get rid of and she comes out verbally to ruin her relationships.
I wanted to know what pushed Cruella to take the wheel full-time and holy shit guys… the ending is amazing. It’s open-ended, but not in a way that will leave you in a cliffhanger. It ties things up well, but makes it clear what side Estella is on. It’s beautiful. This entire story is just beautiful.
The only reason I gave it four out of five stars was because I wanted it to be darker. I mean, Cruella skins puppies and uses their fur for coats. That’s the whole point of her as a villain. I wanted to see how someone gets that twisted. The book never even mentions it. In fact, she loves dogs.
However, I can’t wait to see how the adaptation is because maybe it addresses the darkness?
[Sits down with fiancé to watch the adaptation.]
Nope. Don’t watch the adaptation thinking it’ll be the same story as the book. I’m not even sure if it’s an actual adaptation. There wasn’t a hint at “based off of the novel,” or anything. The characters were the same and the general settings were the same, but the plot was completely different.
Don’t judge a book by its movie definitely applies here.
The movie’s plot is more fashion-based with a bitchy designer a story that reminds me of Devil Wears Prada. Estella in the movie is more conceited and theatrical than in the book. Estella turns into Cruella more violently in the movie and it’s less subtle.
In the book, the plot is more focused around Estella’s character and how she grows to accept Cruella as a part of her, but not all of her. Also, the plot is completely different, as described at the beginning of this review. I prefer the book, but to each their own.
If I had gone into the movie blind, I don’t think I would’ve liked it, despite loving Emma Stone. It wasn’t believable and it was cringy at times. If you didn’t like the movie, but still crave a rich backstory for a favorite villain, please read this book.
adventurous
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In this villain origin story, we meet Estella. She’s a fashion-forward teen who becomes homeless early on in the novel, finding refuge with two guys who teach her how to steal things to survive. She steals the necessities: food, shelter, clothes… and fabric to make her own clothes.
Estella is not a thief. She’s a fashion designer who steals things. There’s a difference. However, she’s damn good at both. We get to see the active posh scene of 1960s London while Estella learns how to navigate it to boost her career and get out of the homeless situation that she’s in.
First Impressions
This story is genius. It’s beautifully written and, as far as villain origin stories go, it’s one of my favorites. I don’t even like 101 Dalmatians, but I love Maureen Johnson. When I heard that she was coming out with a take on Cruella Deville and that there would be a movie of it featuring Emma Stone… I knew that I needed this story in my life.
It is a little slow-moving at times, but there are plot twists that I seriously didn’t see coming. Part of the anticipation was knowing that Estella turns full-on evil at some point (she has to… she’s Cruella Deville, right?). I had to know what pushed her over the edge because she’s such a resilient character.
Introducing Cruella
The beautiful thing about this story is that Estella has an alter ego named Cruella. Cruella is the nagging voice in the back of your head, filling your mind with doubts about yourself and negativity. Except, Cruella is more than a voice to Estella. She’s this evil part of herself that she can’t get rid of and she comes out verbally to ruin her relationships.
I wanted to know what pushed Cruella to take the wheel full-time and holy shit guys… the ending is amazing. It’s open-ended, but not in a way that will leave you in a cliffhanger. It ties things up well, but makes it clear what side Estella is on. It’s beautiful. This entire story is just beautiful.
Rating
The only reason I gave it four out of five stars was because I wanted it to be darker. I mean, Cruella skins puppies and uses their fur for coats. That’s the whole point of her as a villain. I wanted to see how someone gets that twisted. The book never even mentions it. In fact, she loves dogs.
However, I can’t wait to see how the adaptation is because maybe it addresses the darkness?
[Sits down with fiancé to watch the adaptation.]
The Adaptation on Disney Plus
Nope. Don’t watch the adaptation thinking it’ll be the same story as the book. I’m not even sure if it’s an actual adaptation. There wasn’t a hint at “based off of the novel,” or anything. The characters were the same and the general settings were the same, but the plot was completely different.
Don’t judge a book by its movie definitely applies here.
The movie’s plot is more fashion-based with a bitchy designer a story that reminds me of Devil Wears Prada. Estella in the movie is more conceited and theatrical than in the book. Estella turns into Cruella more violently in the movie and it’s less subtle.
In the book, the plot is more focused around Estella’s character and how she grows to accept Cruella as a part of her, but not all of her. Also, the plot is completely different, as described at the beginning of this review. I prefer the book, but to each their own.
If I had gone into the movie blind, I don’t think I would’ve liked it, despite loving Emma Stone. It wasn’t believable and it was cringy at times. If you didn’t like the movie, but still crave a rich backstory for a favorite villain, please read this book.
Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
The narrator was the best part of this book. (I read audio and physical from the library.)
I was really excited for this because it’s a rom-com about writing and incorporates art school life. As a writer, a rom-com addict, and a graduate of an art school, I was seriously excited for Happily Ever Afters.
It’s not like it was a waste of time, though—I didn’t DNF it. My favorite aspect of this book was Sam. He’s the main character’s friend-to-maybe-lover and I was rooting for him the whole time. He’s this sweet kid who bakes. He has a great sense of humor, he’s a loyal friend, and unapologetically himself.
Then we have Tessa. She’s a romance writer who lost her spark to Imposter Syndrome when she was admitted to this prestigious art school. She spends the entire book trying to get her spark back by creating her own happily ever after with a boy who is... well, a douche bag.
A douche bag who is also taken by another douche bag. She went after someone else’s boyfriend. This is the type of thing that I hate in romance novels. Cheating or encouraging someone to cheat. I don’t care how horrible the other person is—don’t fucking cheat.
She makes some really poor decisions, which left me gaping and shaking my head. Romance books are supposed to make you feel swoony and happy. I was angry and irritated throughout most of it because of the choices she was making.
The worst part was the ending. I figured that the ending was going to work out the way it did, but it lacked the romance spark I was craving. It ends with a mic-drop instead of a romantic scene. It didn’t make me feel giddy at all. It left my mouth dry and I was very unimpressed.
Again, there were some solid parts that I loved. Tessa’s best friend, for example. Tessa moves to this new town, leaving her old life behind... including her best friend. They maintain a solid long distance friendship, with the bumps that any novel demands. I loved the relationship she has with Caroline because it shows teens that it’s possible to keep up a friendship after moving.
Okay. I’m done ranting. I was not impressed by this one, but it is full of food and has a few characters that are just... *chef’s kiss*.
I was really excited for this because it’s a rom-com about writing and incorporates art school life. As a writer, a rom-com addict, and a graduate of an art school, I was seriously excited for Happily Ever Afters.
It’s not like it was a waste of time, though—I didn’t DNF it. My favorite aspect of this book was Sam. He’s the main character’s friend-to-maybe-lover and I was rooting for him the whole time. He’s this sweet kid who bakes. He has a great sense of humor, he’s a loyal friend, and unapologetically himself.
Then we have Tessa. She’s a romance writer who lost her spark to Imposter Syndrome when she was admitted to this prestigious art school. She spends the entire book trying to get her spark back by creating her own happily ever after with a boy who is... well, a douche bag.
A douche bag who is also taken by another douche bag. She went after someone else’s boyfriend. This is the type of thing that I hate in romance novels. Cheating or encouraging someone to cheat. I don’t care how horrible the other person is—don’t fucking cheat.
She makes some really poor decisions, which left me gaping and shaking my head. Romance books are supposed to make you feel swoony and happy. I was angry and irritated throughout most of it because of the choices she was making.
The worst part was the ending. I figured that the ending was going to work out the way it did, but it lacked the romance spark I was craving. It ends with a mic-drop instead of a romantic scene. It didn’t make me feel giddy at all. It left my mouth dry and I was very unimpressed.
Again, there were some solid parts that I loved. Tessa’s best friend, for example. Tessa moves to this new town, leaving her old life behind... including her best friend. They maintain a solid long distance friendship, with the bumps that any novel demands. I loved the relationship she has with Caroline because it shows teens that it’s possible to keep up a friendship after moving.
Okay. I’m done ranting. I was not impressed by this one, but it is full of food and has a few characters that are just... *chef’s kiss*.
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 65%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 65%.
I think I'm just in a shitty reading mood. I've DNFed the last three books that I've started and I couldn't get into them. This one was too young on the YA spectrum for me. The writing style was a bit childish, the plot was simple and lacked complexity, and it was slow-paced. I can definitely see other YA fans loving this, but it's just not my thing. I'll try Cemetery Boys next and see if it's an author thing.
Burn by Patrick Ness
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
I don't like the way the story is told. It's broken up into chapters, which are then broken up into smaller bits and pieces from various points of views. The writing is also dry, which made the sad moments not sad. My last straw was when something extremely tragic happened and I didn't care about it. There's a lot of telling and not a lot of showing.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
I'm just not connecting with the plot. Maybe I'm too distracted to read it and I may come back to it, but I'm not in the mood to read about the struggles of a single teen father in the throes of gang violence.
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m glad that I have notes to drive this review home because I can see this one getting ramble-y and fan-girly. I knew that I would fall in love with this book, but I had no idea how invested I would become. Sure, I expected a Gothic fantasy romance story that involved magic, but this was something else.
Multiple Genres
Down Comes the Night crosses genres beautifully. The primary genre is fantasy because there’s magic in a war torn world and the main premise is to bring peace across the nation. I have to say that the magic system is brilliant. There are different types of magic. For example, the main female character is a healer while the main male character kills people with eye contact.
Then there’s the romance component, which I could argue is an enemies-to-lovers romance. The main male character, Hal, is this viscous war criminal who can kill you just by looking you in the eye and Wren hates him with a burning passion. When the plot forces them to be near each other, they form this romantic connection. The plot does this by forcing her to heal him.
There are some pretty adorable scenes because of this healing process.
Atmosphere
The feel of this book is probably my favorite part. I love the dark, creepy vibes of the mansion and the snow. It’s just a great winter read, despite reading it in the middle of a false spring.
In addition tot he wonderful atmosphere, Saft writes some very relatable scenes.
“Bone-weary after a long day of work, she often felt euphoric crawling into bed. Like she was the only person left in the world to watch the dawn sprawl out over the fray miles of hoar-frosted hills.”
Down Comes the Night, Allison Saft
This is exactly how I feel after a long night of writing. She captures feeling and emotion so well in her writing that it gives me chills.
As a side note, this young adult novel can get a bit gorey for my taste. Since Wren is a healer, she is a master in the human body. She knows more medical terminology than I could keep up with and some of the scenes are very descriptive when she’s healing. I don’t mind it, but Saft had me covering my mouth quite a few times just because I wasn’t expecting it to go there.
Plot
The plot is deceptively simple. We have missing soldiers in a war torn world, where everyone is pointing fingers at each other. Wren is a compassionate healer and wants to find the soldiers, regaining her position in the Queen’s Guard. Finding soldiers and proving herself makes for a weak plot, but it’s not. Down Comes the Night is truly about the journey and character development. There’s so much more to the plot than meets the eye.
Overall
This is a terrific book that combines fantasy with romance on an equal playing field. Usually fantasy-romance books lean one way or the other, but Down Comes the Night balances both genres beautifully. There’s a unique magic system, beautiful and atmospheric writing, and a ghastly mansion to explore. What’s not to love?
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Super Short Summary
Alex and Poppy are two completely different personality types, but best friends regardless. They take these annual vacations, just the two of them, and Poppy blogs about their experience. These vacations take various unpredictable turns, making Alex uncomfortable and Poppy frolicking in delight. However, something mysterious happened between the two on a past vacation trip, ending their friendship. Years later, Poppy reaches out and luckily Alex responds. This is a story of their reconciliation… or lack thereof?
The DNF
And I say lack thereof with a question mark because I don’t know the ending. I didn’t finish the book. There were many shining qualities of this story, but I couldn’t get past a few of the quirks of the writing style. I typically don’t like books with time jumps because it takes a lot for me to get invested. If I do end up getting sucked in, I hate being ripped out and plopped into a different setting.
People We Meet on Vacation does this a lot. Some people love this; I am not one of them. The plot involves witnessing the depth of their friendship through all of their previous vacations, which I think is a great idea in theory. However, I couldn’t handle all of the vacation jumping because I couldn’t remember which vacation we were in or where we were in their friendship. It was difficult for me to keep on track.
Friends to Lovers… or Enemies to Lovers? Both?
People We Meet on Vacation is sold as a friends-to-lovers romance, which is technically true. Poppy and Alex are friends and hopefully the ending has them together as lovers. However, I think this could easily be considered a light enemies to lovers, too, because we have that tension.
They’re not hunky-dory friends. There’s something that happened between them that ripped their friendship apart for years. Something heavy (and I really hope that heavy something is worth the build up when it’s revealed… I didn’t get that far). There’s that uncomfortable, awkward, irritated undercurrent throughout the book.
Characterization Equals Gold
I absolutely loved each and every character I met on this journey. Poppy is hilarious and I want her as a best friend. I read most of this book in public places and I laughed out loud so many times that the coffee shop barista looked at me funny when I left.
On the flip side, Alex is a spitting image of me if I were male. It’s frankly relieving to witness a character that resembles so many of my odd quirks. He loves reading, hates driving, is socially awkward, has a stoic sense of humor, and he teaches high school. I don’t teach anymore, but I did for almost ten years.
All of the odd-balls they meet on the way are golden, as well. The vacations they take lead them into some strange situations.
As I’ve said, I didn’t finish this book, so this review is not as complete as I’d like it to be.
Thank you for reading and have a great rest of your day!
Soft Thorns Vol. II by Bridgett Devoue
2.0
This seems to be a trend this week, but maybe I'm too dumb to understand this poetry collection. The poems do not seem to flow and are disconnected from each other. They seem to spout generic thoughts about love, loss, and parental problems, which can be good because they're easy to relate to. However, I wanted more than that. I wanted, and was expecting, a story within the poems, divulging something more personal.
Since the poems were disconnected, I had no idea what was going on and I felt confused throughout most of the volume. I know that there was a love interested who turned toxic and then she figured out how to love herself in the end. Many people can relate to this journey, but I wanted to see the journey unfold.
It seemed like she popped out of a Mario tunnel and was like, zing, "I'm all better now!"
That being said, there were some amazing gems in here. I enjoyed some of the poems on their own and my favorite part of this volume was the illustrations. They were raw and heart-wrenchingly honest. The illustrations showed me more than the poetry.
Since the poems were disconnected, I had no idea what was going on and I felt confused throughout most of the volume. I know that there was a love interested who turned toxic and then she figured out how to love herself in the end. Many people can relate to this journey, but I wanted to see the journey unfold.
It seemed like she popped out of a Mario tunnel and was like, zing, "I'm all better now!"
That being said, there were some amazing gems in here. I enjoyed some of the poems on their own and my favorite part of this volume was the illustrations. They were raw and heart-wrenchingly honest. The illustrations showed me more than the poetry.