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sinamile's reviews
473 reviews
Potency by Aubrey Hadley
3.0
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Rating: 3.25
Rating: 3.25
Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
0.0
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
DNF 32%
CW: ableist slurs, aromisic type commentary (not outright, but kind of hinty)
Okay, at first I was really excited about reading this (100 years after requesting it) and I was kind of enjoying it. I knew that it might become an issue for me as I read, but I didn't think it'd be anything I couldn't handle. But then, yikes, it got kind of typical aromisic and I couldn't continue.
Like it wasn't like anything out right, it was one of those things where the MC kind of comes across as aro and/or ace but they aren't exactly they're just kind of awkward and don't know how to relationship right (I know it has a name, but I've clean forgotten what it's called). I tried to continue reading even after the few times I saw this aro/ace-misia but then yikes, I couldnt anymore. Like each time the MC would talk about her relationship struggles I would actually feel my anxiety building and my heart would scream no.
So yeah. Sad I couldn't continue but a person must practice self care and self care here means DNF'ing
DNF 32%
CW: ableist slurs, aromisic type commentary (not outright, but kind of hinty)
Okay, at first I was really excited about reading this (100 years after requesting it) and I was kind of enjoying it. I knew that it might become an issue for me as I read, but I didn't think it'd be anything I couldn't handle. But then, yikes, it got kind of typical aromisic and I couldn't continue.
Like it wasn't like anything out right, it was one of those things where the MC kind of comes across as aro and/or ace but they aren't exactly they're just kind of awkward and don't know how to relationship right (I know it has a name, but I've clean forgotten what it's called). I tried to continue reading even after the few times I saw this aro/ace-misia but then yikes, I couldnt anymore. Like each time the MC would talk about her relationship struggles I would actually feel my anxiety building and my heart would scream no.
So yeah. Sad I couldn't continue but a person must practice self care and self care here means DNF'ing
Four Moons by Ray Else
3.0
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
CW: use of the word transgendered, smoking (mostly pot), alcohol consumption while pregnant
I wasn't feeling this at all. Like it's an okay book and whatever, but it's so rushed and kind of meh and super cliché and it did the same thing twice and with the same tired energy which nah. I was kind of disappointed and underwhelmed by it. And Kindle messed the way it's set out, it looked weird, so worse and worse.
CW: use of the word transgendered, smoking (mostly pot), alcohol consumption while pregnant
I wasn't feeling this at all. Like it's an okay book and whatever, but it's so rushed and kind of meh and super cliché and it did the same thing twice and with the same tired energy which nah. I was kind of disappointed and underwhelmed by it. And Kindle messed the way it's set out, it looked weird, so worse and worse.
She/He/They/Me: For the Sisters, Misters, and Binary Resisters by Robyn Ryle
0.0
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
DNF
I don't know how to feel about this one. Like I want to like it so much, but idk, it didn't happen. The way it's written focuses on either USA or some rural place that doesn't fit with where I live (which isn't really a problem, I suppose, but yah know). The options are limited and sometimes I didn't know how to answer because the options didn't fit with me. But some may like it and find it helpful, so.
It's not a bad book at all, but some things just didn't work for me, so I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I would've liked.
DNF
I don't know how to feel about this one. Like I want to like it so much, but idk, it didn't happen. The way it's written focuses on either USA or some rural place that doesn't fit with where I live (which isn't really a problem, I suppose, but yah know). The options are limited and sometimes I didn't know how to answer because the options didn't fit with me. But some may like it and find it helpful, so.
It's not a bad book at all, but some things just didn't work for me, so I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I would've liked.
The Wrythe and the Reckoning by Yvonthia Meredith Leland
0.0
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
DNF 20%
Hayi khona. Hayi khona! HHAYI KHONA!!!
I tried, I really tried. From the beginning I was not happy, I was not feeling it. It just wasn't working. The pacing, the voice, the whole setup, it's not it for me, it's just not it!
There's no show don't tell here. The whole story is set up like: and then I did this and then I did that and then I went here but then I went there. And there's nothing interesting about that. Show don't tell isn't a rule I'd enforce because sometimes telling and not showing is good. But yikes!
And the dialogue
DNF 20%
Hayi khona. Hayi khona! HHAYI KHONA!!!
I tried, I really tried. From the beginning I was not happy, I was not feeling it. It just wasn't working. The pacing, the voice, the whole setup, it's not it for me, it's just not it!
There's no show don't tell here. The whole story is set up like: and then I did this and then I did that and then I went here but then I went there. And there's nothing interesting about that. Show don't tell isn't a rule I'd enforce because sometimes telling and not showing is good. But yikes!
And the dialogue
Tick Tock Terror by Melanie Jackson
3.0
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
CW: ableist slurs
Okay, it took a while for em to finish this one despite how short and easy it is to read. I couldn't tell you why I struggled so much half way in, but I did. But I finally finished it. Overall, it wasn't so bad, and I did enjoy it and would rec it especially for younger readers or anyone look for a quick, easy and fun book to read.
CW: ableist slurs
Okay, it took a while for em to finish this one despite how short and easy it is to read. I couldn't tell you why I struggled so much half way in, but I did. But I finally finished it. Overall, it wasn't so bad, and I did enjoy it and would rec it especially for younger readers or anyone look for a quick, easy and fun book to read.
The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
4.0
CW: war, ableist slurs, mention of attempted rape, alcohol, murder, vomiting, slur (s*vage), mention of rape, murder, claustrophobia, genocide, blood, war, torture
Tau: MY REVENGE!!!!!!!
Me: Come on now, please stop this nonsense
Tau: *plans to kill a betrayer*
Me: Kay, carry on!
It's official. I love books that are setup in unconventional school life. I love books with characters that have to prepare for wars with the overachiever main character. I loved An Ember in the Ashes, I loved The Poppy War, and I really, really, really, really, really liked this book!
There was a time where I almost gave up reading it though and that was around the 20 to about 50% mark where things were kind of slow and annoying me and Tau wouldn't stop thinking about revenge (I mean he wouldn't stop thinking about it the whole book, so), but then it picked up and then shit got real, but then it got annoying again around 75-ish% cos once again we had to deal with Tau making bad choices because he refused to let go of his revenge plot. Like my guy, people are dying!
But the biggest reason I actually considered DNF (where the feeling was so strong I had to take a break from the book) was because of the excessive use of the work s*vage. I understand that's its used by a MoC, but that word has such negative connotations no matter who it's used against, or who is using it, that it was kind of triggering and off-putting. Like I honest to heaven almost DNF'd because of that alone. (But I didn't cos I'm forward and wanted to see if this gets good, it does!)
Another thing that bothered me was the Xhosa. Look, I don't know if Umhlaba was deliberately misspelt or not, but that one bothered me so hard. His profile says Evan Winter has Xhosa ancestory, so, so. But like research felt half done, so, so. (I'm not Xhosa myself but Zulu, and while we share a lot of similar words with Xhosa, some are different and am not fluent in Xhosa so can't say if all words used are correct or incorrect, so).
Kay, good stuff again.
I guess I'll never not love the Jayyed's of books. You know the type: the mysterious and possibly shamed person with great skill, the one other teachers hate because they do things differently and don't follow the rules. Those type of characters always please me, always make me happy! And Jayyed is them!!
And and and, I love Themba. I love that this guy with a name that means hope/faith/trust has the least of it among everyone. I also love Uduak, my guy of few words. And Hadith and Yaw and even poor Kellan.
Oh, I guess it's back to issues. Well the one that just had me was Zuri dying. Why did Zuri have to die. But I knew, the moment she split from her others I knew she was going to do some silly sacrificial nonsense and it would destroy Tau. Like why did that need to happen? Why did they have to kill her. She was gonna survive the attack but then they had her be turned to ash. Why lord?
P. S. Am I awful for wanting Tau and Tsiora to do what needs to be done and create a stronger generation? Or is it too soon? (and don't think I'm not bitter about Zuri because lmao WTF even!?!??)
Tau: MY REVENGE!!!!!!!
Me: Come on now, please stop this nonsense
Tau: *plans to kill a betrayer*
Me: Kay, carry on!
It's official. I love books that are setup in unconventional school life. I love books with characters that have to prepare for wars with the overachiever main character. I loved An Ember in the Ashes, I loved The Poppy War, and I really, really, really, really, really liked this book!
There was a time where I almost gave up reading it though and that was around the 20 to about 50% mark where things were kind of slow and annoying me and Tau wouldn't stop thinking about revenge (I mean he wouldn't stop thinking about it the whole book, so), but then it picked up and then shit got real, but then it got annoying again around 75-ish% cos once again we had to deal with Tau making bad choices because he refused to let go of his revenge plot. Like my guy, people are dying!
But the biggest reason I actually considered DNF (where the feeling was so strong I had to take a break from the book) was because of the excessive use of the work s*vage. I understand that's its used by a MoC, but that word has such negative connotations no matter who it's used against, or who is using it, that it was kind of triggering and off-putting. Like I honest to heaven almost DNF'd because of that alone. (But I didn't cos I'm forward and wanted to see if this gets good, it does!)
Another thing that bothered me was the Xhosa. Look, I don't know if Umhlaba was deliberately misspelt or not, but that one bothered me so hard. His profile says Evan Winter has Xhosa ancestory, so, so. But like research felt half done, so, so. (I'm not Xhosa myself but Zulu, and while we share a lot of similar words with Xhosa, some are different and am not fluent in Xhosa so can't say if all words used are correct or incorrect, so).
Kay, good stuff again.
I guess I'll never not love the Jayyed's of books. You know the type: the mysterious and possibly shamed person with great skill, the one other teachers hate because they do things differently and don't follow the rules. Those type of characters always please me, always make me happy! And Jayyed is them!!
And and and, I love Themba. I love that this guy with a name that means hope/faith/trust has the least of it among everyone. I also love Uduak, my guy of few words. And Hadith and Yaw and even poor Kellan.
Oh, I guess it's back to issues. Well the one that just had me was Zuri dying. Why did Zuri have to die. But I knew, the moment she split from her others I knew she was going to do some silly sacrificial nonsense and it would destroy Tau. Like why did that need to happen? Why did they have to kill her. She was gonna survive the attack but then they had her be turned to ash. Why lord?
P. S. Am I awful for wanting Tau and Tsiora to do what needs to be done and create a stronger generation? Or is it too soon? (and don't think I'm not bitter about Zuri because lmao WTF even!?!??)
Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav
4.0
TW (to be safe): suicide ideation
“The work of poet and artist Lang Leav swings between the whimsical and woeful, expressing a complexity beneath its childlike facade.” (found in the “About the Author” section of the book)
This is my first Lang Leav collection I've read and my, what a collection.
There is something soft and heartbreaking about this collection. I understand it as being about moving on from an old love, all the thoughts and hurt accumulated during a relationship finally being released.
It is whimsical and woeful, as described. It makes me feel, it guts me but soothes me all at once. It's so beautifully written!
An excellent collection of poems and I can't wait to read more!
“The work of poet and artist Lang Leav swings between the whimsical and woeful, expressing a complexity beneath its childlike facade.” (found in the “About the Author” section of the book)
This is my first Lang Leav collection I've read and my, what a collection.
There is something soft and heartbreaking about this collection. I understand it as being about moving on from an old love, all the thoughts and hurt accumulated during a relationship finally being released.
It is whimsical and woeful, as described. It makes me feel, it guts me but soothes me all at once. It's so beautifully written!
An excellent collection of poems and I can't wait to read more!
the witch doesn't burn in this one by Amanda Lovelace
5.0
Trigger Warnings are provided in the book and I like that very much!
“they
have never
fully forgiven us
for claiming
the portion of the sky
that was always rightfully ours.”
I LOVE AMANDA LOVELACE.
The way she writes just sucks you in, makes you take a breath each time. The honesty in which she writes curls within me and makes me want to stand up and clap.
This collection of poems takes me there. Where there is, I'm not sure, but it takes me there. It makes me want to scream and it makes me want to fight and it makes me want to survive. This book makes me want to clench my fist and start a revolution and I love it so damn much!
This book says: I am the witch and I will not be burned but I will burn it all down and start it again for myself!
I love it!
“they
have never
fully forgiven us
for claiming
the portion of the sky
that was always rightfully ours.”
I LOVE AMANDA LOVELACE.
The way she writes just sucks you in, makes you take a breath each time. The honesty in which she writes curls within me and makes me want to stand up and clap.
This collection of poems takes me there. Where there is, I'm not sure, but it takes me there. It makes me want to scream and it makes me want to fight and it makes me want to survive. This book makes me want to clench my fist and start a revolution and I love it so damn much!
This book says: I am the witch and I will not be burned but I will burn it all down and start it again for myself!
I love it!
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
5.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
It took me forever to start this novel, but once I did I couldn't stop reading it.
What an interesting and amazing tale Leigh Bardugo has spun, with interesting and vibrant characters. Despite them not hiding the fact that they were bad, I routed for every one old these kids. I loved that they were all such complicated characters with their own thing going on, showing their good and bad sides, showing that they are but flawed humans.
I love Jesper with everything I have. I don't know what it was about him, but I loved him so much and since I have no self-preservation and I shipped him so hard with Kaz.
I also really love Nina because here is a fat girl, who is unashamed of her curves and loves her food, who agrees to go on a fricking heist where there'll no doubt be running and climbing and fighting. It made me happy to see a character like Nina,a big girl, heisting. Again, I have zero self-preservation and shipped Nina and Inej so hard I had to take a moment and breathe whenever they did anything I considered cute. They're amazing friends though, and I don't want to take away from that because friendshop between girls is so important and it's something we don't see often. So I'm not sad, I'm happy they they're friendship was shown, that it was just as important as the relationships in the novel.
And then we got to Part 6 of the novel! Part 6 is my all time favourite, and Chapter 40 took my heart. Chapter 40 just did everything right and I couldn't breathe it was so damn good!!
And when I saw that Pekka Rollins had his own chapter, I almost lost it, coz oh man, oh snap, oh man. A man who worked so hard to try and destroy Kaz and his crew gets his own chapter? Yes ma'am please! And what a chapter, making me so nervous and stressed for the next book!
The not so good thing that happened while I was reading was that I feel like I missed some things, maybe I wasn't concentrating or something, but when certain things were revealed 8 was duped. I'm not going to spoil, but when a certain character's very interesting secret is revealed, I was ko'd because I don't remember it getting hinted (and if it was hinted, I missed it. Again, it may be because I wasn't concentrating and read right past the hint).
But despite that little hiccup, I really did love this story so much, I loved all the characters and the story line and just everything was so good and amazing and I just can't wait to read the next book!!!
It took me forever to start this novel, but once I did I couldn't stop reading it.
What an interesting and amazing tale Leigh Bardugo has spun, with interesting and vibrant characters. Despite them not hiding the fact that they were bad, I routed for every one old these kids. I loved that they were all such complicated characters with their own thing going on, showing their good and bad sides, showing that they are but flawed humans.
I love Jesper with everything I have. I don't know what it was about him, but I loved him so much and since I have no self-preservation and I shipped him so hard with Kaz.
I also really love Nina because here is a fat girl, who is unashamed of her curves and loves her food, who agrees to go on a fricking heist where there'll no doubt be running and climbing and fighting. It made me happy to see a character like Nina,a big girl, heisting. Again, I have zero self-preservation and shipped Nina and Inej so hard I had to take a moment and breathe whenever they did anything I considered cute. They're amazing friends though, and I don't want to take away from that because friendshop between girls is so important and it's something we don't see often. So I'm not sad, I'm happy they they're friendship was shown, that it was just as important as the relationships in the novel.
And then we got to Part 6 of the novel! Part 6 is my all time favourite, and Chapter 40 took my heart. Chapter 40 just did everything right and I couldn't breathe it was so damn good!!
And when I saw that Pekka Rollins had his own chapter, I almost lost it, coz oh man, oh snap, oh man. A man who worked so hard to try and destroy Kaz and his crew gets his own chapter? Yes ma'am please! And what a chapter, making me so nervous and stressed for the next book!
The not so good thing that happened while I was reading was that I feel like I missed some things, maybe I wasn't concentrating or something, but when certain things were revealed 8 was duped. I'm not going to spoil, but when a certain character's very interesting secret is revealed, I was ko'd because I don't remember it getting hinted (and if it was hinted, I missed it. Again, it may be because I wasn't concentrating and read right past the hint).
But despite that little hiccup, I really did love this story so much, I loved all the characters and the story line and just everything was so good and amazing and I just can't wait to read the next book!!!