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shealea's reviews
622 reviews
Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean
5.0
Full review to follow!
Quick thoughts:
- THE PROLOGUE!!!
- Japanese mythology!!!
- Really loved the atmosphere throughout the story.
- A bit messy, but I didn't really care???
- Similar vibes with Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa but with a splash of The Hunger Games and Red Rising
- There were some ideas and scenes in the book that weren't as thoroughly explored or elaborated as I would have liked
- I wasn't 100% emotionally invested in the characters (although I adore most of them)
- Great, great pacing
- Empress of All Seasons kept me guessing, which I really liked
- THE ENDING!!!
Rating: 4.5 stars
* Find more of my bookish shenanigans in my natural habitat!
Quick thoughts:
- THE PROLOGUE!!!
- Japanese mythology!!!
- Really loved the atmosphere throughout the story.
- A bit messy, but I didn't really care???
- Similar vibes with Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa but with a splash of The Hunger Games and Red Rising
- There were some ideas and scenes in the book that weren't as thoroughly explored or elaborated as I would have liked
- I wasn't 100% emotionally invested in the characters (although I adore most of them)
- Great, great pacing
- Empress of All Seasons kept me guessing, which I really liked
- THE ENDING!!!
Rating: 4.5 stars
* Find more of my bookish shenanigans in my natural habitat!
This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
5.0
What a ride. Coding meets biology, zombies, ethical conundrums, and complicated father-daughter relationships. I need the sequel now.
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
Caster by Elsie Chapman
5.0
Layered. This book is so beautifully, astonishingly layered. And it’s complemented by a powerful punch that quite literally took my breath away. And just when I thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, Elsie Chapman effortlessly pulled off a “ha bitch you thought” and set up a wildly fascinating premise for the sequel.
Not to exaggerate but the moment I finished Caster, I sat quietly for minutes, asked myself if this was a stand-alone novel, and then sent Elsie Chapman a message on Instagram that said:
I forgot about [the announcement of its sequel]. Djdnsjsjs. But tbh, if this /was/ a standalone, it would singlehandedly be the cruelest but also the most iconic thing anyone has ever done.
Because some stories can stand on their own, but Caster made everyone else bow, took the crown, and ran off with it. And then strutted back into the room wearing it.
I swear, all my metaphors would make sense if you read this book. So do it. Do it now.
Full review once I recover.
Highly recommended! (5 stars)
Not to exaggerate but the moment I finished Caster, I sat quietly for minutes, asked myself if this was a stand-alone novel, and then sent Elsie Chapman a message on Instagram that said:
I forgot about [the announcement of its sequel]. Djdnsjsjs. But tbh, if this /was/ a standalone, it would singlehandedly be the cruelest but also the most iconic thing anyone has ever done.
Because some stories can stand on their own, but Caster made everyone else bow, took the crown, and ran off with it. And then strutted back into the room wearing it.
I swear, all my metaphors would make sense if you read this book. So do it. Do it now.
Full review once I recover.
Highly recommended! (5 stars)
This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada
4.0
Much like the first book, This Cruel Design is definitely a page-turner. But I have to admit that I expected it to be a lot more compelling, given the higher stakes. While there is a lot to love about this sequel, I think the character development and character relationships weren't given the attention they needed.
I am also not a huge fan of the final one-fourth of the book because some of the scenes dangerously bordered the deus ex machina line, while some character decisions weren't very believable for me. Still an amazing follow-up to an extremely thrillng, action-packed science fantasy though!
Full review to follow.
I am also not a huge fan of the final one-fourth of the book because some of the scenes dangerously bordered the deus ex machina line, while some character decisions weren't very believable for me. Still an amazing follow-up to an extremely thrillng, action-packed science fantasy though!
Full review to follow.
The Electric Heir by Victoria Lee
5.0
Be right back, still trying to lift my jaw from the ground. The Electric Heir is a beautifully written love letter for survivors, and I consider it an incredible privilege to be able to read such a gritty, albeit hopeful, novel. ALL THE STARS!
Full review to follow.
Full review to follow.
The Education of Margot Sánchez by Lilliam Rivera
4.0
What makes or breaks this story is the reader’s feelings towards the main character, Margot.
For many, she is a selfish, superficial lead with very little character growth. But personally, I saw a lot of my little sister in her character, especially in her flaws. This is not to say that my sister is selfish and superficial, but I do think that Margot’s need to be liked and desire to fit in with her peers is similar to my sister’s experiences in high school. We went to the same high school, and much like Margot’s situation, our peers were from incredibly wealthy families and the class differences were impossible to ignore.
Listening to The Education of Margot Sánchez really brought me back to the familiar feelings of frustration towards my sister whenever I felt like she was prioritizing her reputation over the interests of our family.
Having said that, I think this book beautifully and effectively captures the complexities of peer pressure, privilege, and class differences in high school. (Also, I’ve read several coming-of-age stories that tackle poverty and socioeconomic divides — such as Tweet Cute and Permanent Record — and this is, by far, the best and most nuanced one).
Full review to follow.
For many, she is a selfish, superficial lead with very little character growth. But personally, I saw a lot of my little sister in her character, especially in her flaws. This is not to say that my sister is selfish and superficial, but I do think that Margot’s need to be liked and desire to fit in with her peers is similar to my sister’s experiences in high school. We went to the same high school, and much like Margot’s situation, our peers were from incredibly wealthy families and the class differences were impossible to ignore.
Listening to The Education of Margot Sánchez really brought me back to the familiar feelings of frustration towards my sister whenever I felt like she was prioritizing her reputation over the interests of our family.
Having said that, I think this book beautifully and effectively captures the complexities of peer pressure, privilege, and class differences in high school. (Also, I’ve read several coming-of-age stories that tackle poverty and socioeconomic divides — such as Tweet Cute and Permanent Record — and this is, by far, the best and most nuanced one).
Full review to follow.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
1.0
I dislike the entire trilogy (I gave 1 and 2 starts to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You, respectively), but Jenny Han really should’ve stopped after the second book because Always and Forever, Lara Jean is 80% communication problems between Lara Jean and Peter, 19% Lara Jean being controlling and unreasonable and somehow getting away with it, and 1% Peter being a dick to John Ambrose.
Both Peter and Lara Jean are terrible people with minimal character growth, and I hope they have the worst breakup ever off-page. I hope their relationship explodes on their faces, while everyone else (especially John Ambrose, Margot, Chris, and Lucas) thrives for the rest of their lives.
I hate this book.
Both Peter and Lara Jean are terrible people with minimal character growth, and I hope they have the worst breakup ever off-page. I hope their relationship explodes on their faces, while everyone else (especially John Ambrose, Margot, Chris, and Lucas) thrives for the rest of their lives.
I hate this book.