shoni's reviews
132 reviews

In Another Life by Joan He

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Author-written fanfiction is my favorite. And i need more because this was so cute and it was exactly what I needed after the end of STG. Saved myself a search down Ao3🤣🤣🤣🤣 

Sound the Gong by Joan He

challenging dark hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

It's been over an hour since I finished and I'm still sitting here in awe. I loved this book. Joan He truly never disappoints. I seriously could not put it down once I actually managed to start. I wanted to keep reading to find out, to know how Zephyr was going to over come this issue. How she would change what has already been predetermined. 

It was a great way to not only bring people's interest to the original inspiration story but to remind people of fate vs free will. To know that humans are at the end of the day unpredictable. Which I loved.

All the moments we have Zephyr and the others refer to people as chess pieces really does put it into perspective as well. They are nothing more than pawns to them, and it wasn't until the end that Zephyr realized that even if you play a perfect game, something will always surprise you.

 

I also love how we saw more of Zephyr's relationship with everyone, but mostly herself. We saw how much she struggles and how much she kept trying to figure out her place. Trying to know where she belongs versus where the world tells her she belongs. 

I honestly have so many thoughts about this book and honestly, imma need time to just sit with it and have cohesive thoughts again. 

ESPECIALLY WITH THAT EPILOGUE IN CROW'S POV AND HIM SEEING HER AGAIN IN THE TAVERN AFTER NADIR BEGGED FOR ZEPHYR TO BE REINCARNATED

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

Review to come once I'm no longer screaming crying throwing up 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious fast-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

After finish I can see why people love this book so much. Anyone who knows me that having dragons is a soft spot for me and an automatic win, BUT THIS ALSO HAS A BADASS FEMALE WHO'S SMART! I'm not here frustrated about her choices because they make sense. It's honestly very refreshing. As a lot of times I get so annoyed at the main female lead for being so blind on all the clues that are being left for them (and reader) but you don't get that with Violet, she uses her brains, her observation skill to her advantage and makes it work. Which  is so refreshing and nice to see. 

I also loved how she used what she observed from her own brother and sister and learned from it to be better but also realize that yeah having friends can be dangerous in a place where many die, but it's friends who will have your back no matter what.

THAT BEING SAID, LIAM AND VIOLET'S FRIENDSHIP WAS SO DEAR TO ME. HE WAS HER SHADOW BUT MORE MORE IMPORTANTLY HE WAS HER FRIEND😭😭😭 he didn't deserve to die, he shouldn't have died

I also love the sass of the dragons, oh my god. Give me more sassy dragons. They truly make the world go round.

Specifically Tarin. God I love him, he's such a good dragon. Protective, sassy, but most importantly he doesn't see Violet as less. If anything, he sees her for all the potential she possesses. Give me more dragons like Tarin.

What's great is that the dragons have their own personality, their own traits, they might be bonded to a rider, but they are their own character with their personability. And I love it, so much. I do have the second book at home and so excited to start reading it as soon as I can because that cliffhanger left me needing more. 

Also Xaden is great, i love him he can do no wrong. I will die for him, but after Tarin and Violet because they're better.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad slow-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

4.0

Trying to get through this book in the beginning was for sure a pain for me. It seemed to drag on and even after being 200 pages in, I still had no idea what the story was about until I read the back cover (a friend recommended this book so I went in blind). And after that, it made a lot more sense but even then it took a while to reach that point. 

But once we started to get more about Celia and Marco and their new creations It was just beautiful and I couldn't help but love it the more and more I learned about the circus and the lives of the people in there. I wasn't as interested in the other's POV but I understood why we needed them near the end. 

I do appreciate the openness of the ending but also bringing it full circle in the most wonderful of ways.

I love that it was Widget telling the story, the entire time. It made it really cute. I do wish we got more of the twins. We had so much of Baileys POV but the twins also played such a part and I'm sad we didn't see them as often as we should.

Overall, I did love the story and it makes me wish for a Night Circus that is a place truly filled with dreams and a place that makes you feel like you just belong in the most magical way. 

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

3.0

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

3.0

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

3.0

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

hopeful informative mysterious 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

4.0

I've been putting off reading this book for so long and I'm not sure why. I did enjoy it and the interesting relationship they all had with not only each other but the ley lines. Honestly I'm just excited to start the next book and see where it goes as those last few chapters left so many things unanswered. 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

A lot of people told me that this book would make me emotional and I would end up crying. While I didn't cry, certain parts in this book did make me emotional, I think there's one specific part that I just keep tearing up at just even thinking about it.

The relationship between her mother and her is something a lot of immigrant children go through. It's that struggle of understand how they show their love is so very different from the love you are being presented with. That while it isn't all perfect it has it's moments. It's a beautiful memoir of understanding that a mother's love will always be different for an immigrant child. I kept going back and forth between the thought of this is a trauma response, why is her mother saying that versus ah yes, that's exactly what most POC moms would say. 

Overall, I truly enjoyed this story and how she dealt with her mom's death and the complicated relationship between them and food.