Scan barcode
skylarkblue1's reviews
213 reviews
Wrath of the Talon by Sophie Kim
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to Entangled Publishing for a free e-ARC in return for an honest review!
While I'm not sure this was better than the first book in some aspects, in others it was for sure! Was a lot more romance than I was hoping for though and not really too much plot progression. Most of the plot happens near the end, the rest is quite a slow, drawn out "this is what the 3rd book will be about" and a hell of a lot of romance in it (and a fair bit more sexual content than I'd expect from a YA book?).
The characters were mostly the same, I didn't quite like the slight POV change however but it wasn't too bad overall.I mainly just didn't like how overly aggressive and demanding the voice was, it was a stark contrast to Lina yes but it was also kinda just aggravating to read through honestly aha. It was a pretty nice twist on the prophecy cliche though! Eunbi was as great as ever, she's been what was getting me through these 2 books mainly because I just loved her so much. Major spoilers but needs to be said: I do wonder how the 3rd book will go with that ending now. I think the 3rd book will be a lot more of my think, focusing more on the world and the action happening rather than bedroom romances, but with that ending and loosing the "light" character.. I'm not sure lol.
The plot was a tad all over the place. It seemed to want to focus on Rui and Lina's romance mainly rather than progress too much plot. I think it suffers from middle book syndrome a fair bit, not quite sure how to move from the start to the end (book one to book two) and wants to leave the big action ending all to the last book? Though the finale of this one was certainly interesting and it did pick up the pace a fair bit, even if sadly it wasn't for too long.
In the middle of the book the pacing does slow down to a crawl while there's a *massive* lore dump that goes on for quite a while. It's just text book lore dumping and does get to be a bit of a slog to get through even if the world building is interesting.
Through my reservations though, I will be reading the 3rd book - mainly, honestly, because it seems like there might be less romance so I can read more of what I'm enjoying which is, ofc, the action and world building haha! I did quite enjoy the world building in this (even if I didn't quite appreciate the delivery of it) and how the history of everything got fleshed out. I'm quite interested in what action will take place next!
While I'm not sure this was better than the first book in some aspects, in others it was for sure! Was a lot more romance than I was hoping for though and not really too much plot progression. Most of the plot happens near the end, the rest is quite a slow, drawn out "this is what the 3rd book will be about" and a hell of a lot of romance in it (and a fair bit more sexual content than I'd expect from a YA book?).
The characters were mostly the same, I didn't quite like the slight POV change however but it wasn't too bad overall.
The plot was a tad all over the place. It seemed to want to focus on Rui and Lina's romance mainly rather than progress too much plot. I think it suffers from middle book syndrome a fair bit, not quite sure how to move from the start to the end (book one to book two) and wants to leave the big action ending all to the last book? Though the finale of this one was certainly interesting and it did pick up the pace a fair bit, even if sadly it wasn't for too long.
In the middle of the book the pacing does slow down to a crawl while there's a *massive* lore dump that goes on for quite a while. It's just text book lore dumping and does get to be a bit of a slog to get through even if the world building is interesting.
Through my reservations though, I will be reading the 3rd book - mainly, honestly, because it seems like there might be less romance so I can read more of what I'm enjoying which is, ofc, the action and world building haha! I did quite enjoy the world building in this (even if I didn't quite appreciate the delivery of it) and how the history of everything got fleshed out. I'm quite interested in what action will take place next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Sexual harassment, and War
Graphic: Manipulation, Child Death, Loss of a Loved one
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I'm torn between recommending this or not. I'm not fully sure if it's just, I'm not a regular to the crime fiction genre or if there is just something amiss about this one. I liked the characters well enough, story was ok even if fairly predictable.. It just left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Maybe it's because I'm not religious at all so the ending (which got very religious, even compared to the rest of the book) just didn't interest me whatsoever?
The characters where not the worst, the detective was very cliche and 2d feeling, the other cops where kinda feeling like cardboard stand-ins that did not much at all. Sister Holiday first started as a "not like other girls" kinda vibe but I grew to actually kinda like her. The rest of the sisters where ok, but I did absolutely keep confusing who was who even at the end aha.. The kids where fun though, Prince was cliche but not the worst character at all, the other kids didn't appear enough to feel like they where actually important which was weird as their storylines felt very important overall? I think there was just way too many characters and the author only wanted to mainly write about Sister Holiday and Riveaux and what they did together.
The story felt pretty standard and predictable, the reveal at the end wasn't shocking at all to me. The "mysterious" events that happen throughout either have throwaway answers or uh, don't really get answered at all? How on earth did no one realise who the shadow was going through the school in the first fire? Like genuinely, they got spotted multiple times. But it also meant it was a very easy read that didn't take much thinking or brain power so I did kinda like that.
Idk, maybe this book just caught me on a good mood where I just wanted something to zone out to but it wasn't the worst book I've read. The writing was pretty good, and the way the dialogue was written also wasn't that bad. I don't know if I agree with the "cozy" tag this keeps getting, there's a hell of a lot of heavy topics discussed and it's not exactly what I'd call "cozy" (especially with the animal death part.... would have been nice if storygraph had that as a content warning on graphic or like... at all🙃).
The characters where not the worst, the detective was very cliche and 2d feeling, the other cops where kinda feeling like cardboard stand-ins that did not much at all. Sister Holiday first started as a "not like other girls" kinda vibe but I grew to actually kinda like her. The rest of the sisters where ok, but I did absolutely keep confusing who was who even at the end aha.. The kids where fun though, Prince was cliche but not the worst character at all, the other kids didn't appear enough to feel like they where actually important which was weird as their storylines felt very important overall? I think there was just way too many characters and the author only wanted to mainly write about Sister Holiday and Riveaux and what they did together.
The story felt pretty standard and predictable, the reveal at the end wasn't shocking at all to me. The "mysterious" events that happen throughout either have throwaway answers or uh, don't really get answered at all? How on earth did no one realise who the shadow was going through the school in the first fire? Like genuinely, they got spotted multiple times. But it also meant it was a very easy read that didn't take much thinking or brain power so I did kinda like that.
Idk, maybe this book just caught me on a good mood where I just wanted something to zone out to but it wasn't the worst book I've read. The writing was pretty good, and the way the dialogue was written also wasn't that bad. I don't know if I agree with the "cozy" tag this keeps getting, there's a hell of a lot of heavy topics discussed and it's not exactly what I'd call "cozy" (especially with the animal death part.... would have been nice if storygraph had that as a content warning on graphic or like... at all🙃).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Addiction, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Homophobia
Minor: Rape, Incest, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Self harm
Animal Death: Death of a pet cat. Quite a long scene, quite a lot of detail. Death isn't on-page but there's a lot about the aftermath and a lot about how the death happened.
The doll twin by Janine Beacham
Attempted murder of a child, Drowning/Near-Drowning experience. Both graphic, on-page.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/JPNLWUCY/100-the-doll-twin-by-janine-beacham
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster! Good, fast pacing, great characters and just one hell of a story.
The pacing was good and quick all throughout, but it fell apart a little at the very end and I felt it was a tad rushed unfortunately. But it still felt decently well put together and the ending was satisfying enough honestly! The pacing also kept up all throughout, it didn't feel like it changed or slowed down anywhere which made for quite a quick read.
One thing that did slightly slow down the reading though is just how advanced the language used is? It's not overly frequent, but there's a few parts where it feels like the book ate a thesaurus and threw it up. Wasn't expecting to use a dictionary as much as I did for a middle grade book, and even for words I didn't need to I felt like there was still more that might be a bit too advanced for this age range.
The characters were awesome! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Ani and Una, the 2 of them played off of each other really well and both despite being "twins" where really quite unique to each other. Mary was also really cool, but I wish we got to see more of her. She seemed to mainly be there to progress the plot a little at the end and just provide a space for Uni to get told what to do and be a vessel for infodumps.
The foster parents where very interesting characters, but I would have loved to see the dynamic shown at the end a little more throughout the story from the start.Reminded me a ton of coraline though which was quite fun, but not quite as well executed imo, but that is a very high bar to pass so that's not really a big negative for me.
Overall, a very good story with spooky tense moments and a decently dark storyline. Would loved to have the world building a bit more fleshed out and a bit more time with the characters and especially that ending, but it's a good quick read. The steampunk touch was wonderfully done as well <3
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster! Good, fast pacing, great characters and just one hell of a story.
The pacing was good and quick all throughout, but it fell apart a little at the very end and I felt it was a tad rushed unfortunately. But it still felt decently well put together and the ending was satisfying enough honestly! The pacing also kept up all throughout, it didn't feel like it changed or slowed down anywhere which made for quite a quick read.
One thing that did slightly slow down the reading though is just how advanced the language used is? It's not overly frequent, but there's a few parts where it feels like the book ate a thesaurus and threw it up. Wasn't expecting to use a dictionary as much as I did for a middle grade book, and even for words I didn't need to I felt like there was still more that might be a bit too advanced for this age range.
The characters were awesome! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Ani and Una, the 2 of them played off of each other really well and both despite being "twins" where really quite unique to each other. Mary was also really cool, but I wish we got to see more of her. She seemed to mainly be there to progress the plot a little at the end and just provide a space for Uni to get told what to do and be a vessel for infodumps.
The foster parents where very interesting characters, but I would have loved to see the dynamic shown at the end a little more throughout the story from the start.
Overall, a very good story with spooky tense moments and a decently dark storyline. Would loved to have the world building a bit more fleshed out and a bit more time with the characters and especially that ending, but it's a good quick read. The steampunk touch was wonderfully done as well <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Bullying
Guardians of the Source by Tamsin Mori
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/DEQ55M7g/99-gargoyles-1-guardians-of-the-source-by-tamsin-mori
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I knew from just the first page that I'd love this. While the plot didn't instantly go into high action, a gripping mystery, etc, the writing alone for setting the scene was just so well done. The atmosphere, emotions and everything was so well described seemingly effortless. It set up what the main character was like and so much more information so quickly, so detailed, but nothing felt like it was trying too hard.
And on the characters, I really loved them! While I don't think some of them got enough time (more on pacing later), the kids felt great and where really quite unique from each other and the parents of Callen I actually really liked. Normally I kinda just ignore and/or forget about parent characters but I really loved how they tied into the story and character progression, it's nice to see a good parent pair <3
For pacing... this is the only negative I have. Scenes where quite short and except for a couple scenes felt just a tad rushed. I would have preferred it to be a bit longer and let some of the scenes stretch out a bit more to allow for some additional emotions, tension, etc! But for scenes like the big final fight the pacing felt perfect for it in my opinion and there was enough time for character growth and everything like that (Probably also helps the scene was also quite fast paced in nature anyway haha).
The world, if this was a standalone I would certainly say the world building was lacking a bit, but for a first in a series I would say it was more than enough. And honestly, if you want to read for the characters and just the plot that's in the book you could easily read it as a standalone - it's got a good ending you can leave it at. There was enough explained where I wasn't confused on any of the concepts or ideas, but it also didn't feel overly indepth and complex like I personally enjoy in magic systems - but this is very much a "me" issue and not actually really anything to do with the writing itself honestly haha.
I absolutely will be reading the next books in the series, and luckily I had actually picked up the start of Tamsin's other series, The Weather Weaver, the other day and hadn't made the connection before between the books until now so I'm even more excited to read that one!!
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I knew from just the first page that I'd love this. While the plot didn't instantly go into high action, a gripping mystery, etc, the writing alone for setting the scene was just so well done. The atmosphere, emotions and everything was so well described seemingly effortless. It set up what the main character was like and so much more information so quickly, so detailed, but nothing felt like it was trying too hard.
And on the characters, I really loved them! While I don't think some of them got enough time (more on pacing later), the kids felt great and where really quite unique from each other and the parents of Callen I actually really liked. Normally I kinda just ignore and/or forget about parent characters but I really loved how they tied into the story and character progression, it's nice to see a good parent pair <3
For pacing... this is the only negative I have. Scenes where quite short and except for a couple scenes felt just a tad rushed. I would have preferred it to be a bit longer and let some of the scenes stretch out a bit more to allow for some additional emotions, tension, etc! But for scenes like the big final fight the pacing felt perfect for it in my opinion and there was enough time for character growth and everything like that (Probably also helps the scene was also quite fast paced in nature anyway haha).
The world, if this was a standalone I would certainly say the world building was lacking a bit, but for a first in a series I would say it was more than enough. And honestly, if you want to read for the characters and just the plot that's in the book you could easily read it as a standalone - it's got a good ending you can leave it at. There was enough explained where I wasn't confused on any of the concepts or ideas, but it also didn't feel overly indepth and complex like I personally enjoy in magic systems - but this is very much a "me" issue and not actually really anything to do with the writing itself honestly haha.
I absolutely will be reading the next books in the series, and luckily I had actually picked up the start of Tamsin's other series, The Weather Weaver, the other day and hadn't made the connection before between the books until now so I'm even more excited to read that one!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Toxic friendship
Death of a parent is of the main characters' nan who dies before the events of the book.
The Troublemakers by Tamzin Merchant
Child abuse is in many forms, including use of magical items and physical abuse (leaving injuries that are discussed on page). Some abuse happens on-page, some off.
Descriptions of forced confinement/"correction" school, akin to conversion camps or "troubled kid" camps that kids get forced into.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
After thinking this wonderful world would end after only 2 books, it was such a delight to find this was being made! Though while it was certainly an excellent book it did feel a little bit like it's a standalone adventure more than a proper continuation imo. And honestly, felt like it should have been over 2 books because so much happens but it's so fast paced to try and fit in everything and unfortunately leaves some scenes and plot threads so short due to this.
Ofc I still love the characters, and the new additions fit in really well with the existing cast. Despite how fast paced it all was I think it actually managed to introduce and give a decent arc for at least the main new character and one or 2 of the additional troublemakers. But there was so many additions I honestly couldn't count how many got introduced because so many of them had such a tiny amount of page time, even ones you'd think would be important at the start.
The new world explored in this was absolutely delightful though. While I'd have loved more time exploring the place instead of just a montage-speed rundown of landmarks, it was still so vibrant and colourful and descriptive enough to easily picture! And of course, the excellent illustrations helps too.
The messaging is not very subtle at all, it's very "don't be a dick to nature and don't try and be a pride of the British museum" which is fine but considering how often that kind of message is done nowadays it doesn't really bring anything new to that conversation. Especially considering how nicely the messaging was done in the first couple books, this just felt a little too on the nose. And the messaging is pretty much just the story.
I'll note though, I did really like the ending. I think it's a very nice tie-up to the series.
If you liked the first 2, you'd certainly like this one too. Same kinda hijinks, same charming characters, same beautifully detailed illustrations! And same in a good way haha! If you want to read it as a standalone, you can since it explains basically everything you need to know but it will also spoil the first 2 books (though not massively tbh).
Ofc I still love the characters, and the new additions fit in really well with the existing cast. Despite how fast paced it all was I think it actually managed to introduce and give a decent arc for at least the main new character and one or 2 of the additional troublemakers. But there was so many additions I honestly couldn't count how many got introduced because so many of them had such a tiny amount of page time, even ones you'd think would be important at the start.
The new world explored in this was absolutely delightful though. While I'd have loved more time exploring the place instead of just a montage-speed rundown of landmarks, it was still so vibrant and colourful and descriptive enough to easily picture! And of course, the excellent illustrations helps too.
The messaging is not very subtle at all, it's very "don't be a dick to nature and don't try and be a pride of the British museum" which is fine but considering how often that kind of message is done nowadays it doesn't really bring anything new to that conversation. Especially considering how nicely the messaging was done in the first couple books, this just felt a little too on the nose. And the messaging is pretty much just the story.
I'll note though, I did really like the ending. I think it's a very nice tie-up to the series.
If you liked the first 2, you'd certainly like this one too. Same kinda hijinks, same charming characters, same beautifully detailed illustrations! And same in a good way haha! If you want to read it as a standalone, you can since it explains basically everything you need to know but it will also spoil the first 2 books (though not massively tbh).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Colonisation, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Chrysalis and Requiem by Quinton Li
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I got to 25% and honestly still have absolutely 0 clue what is happening. It feels like the book started already halfway through a story. Everything is so overly wordy but absolutely nothing is explained. There was a couple large events that happened including a murder but like, I have no idea why that murder was done and not in a "ooh mystery" but a "what the hell is happening and why is any of this happening" way. I can't even tell you most of what happened because I straight up don't remember so much. It's not that memorable at all and mixed with how overly wordy everything is, it's just tiring to read.
I can't even work out if the "princess" is actually a princess or if it's just a kinda creepy nickname the MC uses.
The synopsis does sound interesting though, and through the writing there does feel like there's something there. But in my opinion it just needs to spend a bit longer being worked on in all honesty.
I got to 25% and honestly still have absolutely 0 clue what is happening. It feels like the book started already halfway through a story. Everything is so overly wordy but absolutely nothing is explained. There was a couple large events that happened including a murder but like, I have no idea why that murder was done and not in a "ooh mystery" but a "what the hell is happening and why is any of this happening" way. I can't even tell you most of what happened because I straight up don't remember so much. It's not that memorable at all and mixed with how overly wordy everything is, it's just tiring to read.
I can't even work out if the "princess" is actually a princess or if it's just a kinda creepy nickname the MC uses.
The synopsis does sound interesting though, and through the writing there does feel like there's something there. But in my opinion it just needs to spend a bit longer being worked on in all honesty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Blood
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
5.0
Representations: https://trello.com/c/rfNSpnhX/98-where-sleeping-girls-lie-by-faridah-%C3%A0b%C3%ADk%C3%A9-%C3%ADy%C3%ADm%C3%ADd%C3%A9
Thank you to Netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I did also buy myself a physical copy of the book a couple chapters in as it was up for a bookclub I go to and they had copies already and I prefer to read physical where I can.
This book was astonishing. I loved it, but it's not a book you have a lot of fun with. I've yet to read Ace of Spades, it's on my physical TBR and I've just not gotten around to it yet, but reading this has made me really want to read AoS sooner!!
This book is exactly like pulling on a loose thread and suddenly the whole sweater unravels. It starts with a missing person mystery and quickly devolves into pulling mystery threads across the entire school. The tension is done delightfully, I think it's supposed to be slow paced but it absolutely read like it was fast paced. I was completely hooked from the first page onwards.
The way the book messes directly with the reader is wonderful, the codes and subtle misdirections are wonderful. I'd have loved code breaking to have more of a focus as it seemed like it was going to at first, but it feels pretty underutilized by the end. Also not entirely sure the author knows what an anagram is haha.
I loved the characters, they were complex and each got the right amount of attention I think. I did get confused a few times on who people were because there's so many characters but by the end I think I had a decent grasp of who was who (except some of the girls 😅). The ones that are meant to be disliked often had a lot more with them than just "hate this character for this reason", even including some ambiguous characters too which made quite a nice mix of a cast.
I honestly can't think of many actual core flaws with this, the only major point is I'm not entirely sure what happened with one of the main plot lines. There was a theory proposed about how it went, but I don't think in the end it was actually confirmed or not. Unless the proposed theory is what happened, pretty believable series of events that fits in well but does feel like we didn't get the full picture of what happened.
Just a note for anyone reading the physical UK copy (at least the first edition out) there's a few major typos especially towards the end. It doesn't make it incomprehensible but it is very noticeable.
Thank you to Netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I did also buy myself a physical copy of the book a couple chapters in as it was up for a bookclub I go to and they had copies already and I prefer to read physical where I can.
This book was astonishing. I loved it, but it's not a book you have a lot of fun with. I've yet to read Ace of Spades, it's on my physical TBR and I've just not gotten around to it yet, but reading this has made me really want to read AoS sooner!!
This book is exactly like pulling on a loose thread and suddenly the whole sweater unravels. It starts with a missing person mystery and quickly devolves into pulling mystery threads across the entire school. The tension is done delightfully, I think it's supposed to be slow paced but it absolutely read like it was fast paced. I was completely hooked from the first page onwards.
The way the book messes directly with the reader is wonderful, the codes and subtle misdirections are wonderful. I'd have loved code breaking to have more of a focus as it seemed like it was going to at first, but it feels pretty underutilized by the end. Also not entirely sure the author knows what an anagram is haha.
I loved the characters, they were complex and each got the right amount of attention I think. I did get confused a few times on who people were because there's so many characters but by the end I think I had a decent grasp of who was who (except some of the girls 😅). The ones that are meant to be disliked often had a lot more with them than just "hate this character for this reason", even including some ambiguous characters too which made quite a nice mix of a cast.
I honestly can't think of many actual core flaws with this, the only major point is I'm not entirely sure what happened with one of the main plot lines. There was a theory proposed about how it went, but I don't think in the end it was actually confirmed or not. Unless the proposed theory is what happened, pretty believable series of events that fits in well but does feel like we didn't get the full picture of what happened.
Just a note for anyone reading the physical UK copy (at least the first edition out) there's a few major typos especially towards the end. It doesn't make it incomprehensible but it is very noticeable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide, Sexual assault, Rape, and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal death
Animal death is not of a pet, but it does feel slightly out of place and feels like it's just used to shock.
Saving Neverland by Abi Elphinstone
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Representations: https://trello.com/c/TuhIV9XG/97-saving-neverland-by-abi-elphinstone
Oooh this was an interesting one. Super neat take on peter pan, but some strange choices that really took the whole book down a notch.
Instead of being just a retelling or a reimagining, for some reason the original story seems to be.. canon? It's brought up a lot, the original story, and the details within it, to give context but to me it felt like it was just pushing a lot of the world building and character arc of peter specifically onto the original story instead - and making this book feel a bit "less". You both do and don't need to read the original story, and considering the author's note/acknowledgements that feels like it's defeating the point.
The pacing of the story also felt off, it was incredibly fast paced and there was a ton of telling and not much showing, especially at the start and end. It skips over so much and a lot of events are just summed up in a single sentence. This book absolutely needed to be at least a duology, so many amazing sounding events in it and nowhere close to enough time for each! Even the main event of the book, the huge adventure, is only over a single day!
Pacing also of the asthma representation also felt a tad odd. Scruff came into the story very very little, and when he did the vast majority of his time specified around his asthma only. I mean it was pretty nice, showing the importance and such, but I just wanted so much more from his character. We're told so much about him, but shown very little overall.
Characters I quite enjoyed though, except for peter pan kinda aha... He was just standard peter pan without much change at all. Kinda mostly is just the exact same in his mannerisms, traits and even some scenes I could picture damn clearly especially from the 2003 live action film (which is, my favourite version of peter pan by *far* honestly lol). I loved the kids though, especially pickle oh my god pickle was amazing xD Reminded me so much of Sunny from series of unfortunate events and I honestly want more characters of this type haha!!
After getting to the authors note and acknowledgements though, suddenly so much became clear. Apparently Puffin asked Abi if she could write a "modern reimagining of peter pan" and they wanted a first draft done in the same year she was moving 3 times and having a baby??? I really think this book would have come out a lot more polished if she was given proper time to work on it because I absolutely love the adventure and plot lines in it! I would love to see a longer time with the cast especially.
Oooh this was an interesting one. Super neat take on peter pan, but some strange choices that really took the whole book down a notch.
Instead of being just a retelling or a reimagining, for some reason the original story seems to be.. canon? It's brought up a lot, the original story, and the details within it, to give context but to me it felt like it was just pushing a lot of the world building and character arc of peter specifically onto the original story instead - and making this book feel a bit "less". You both do and don't need to read the original story, and considering the author's note/acknowledgements that feels like it's defeating the point.
The pacing of the story also felt off, it was incredibly fast paced and there was a ton of telling and not much showing, especially at the start and end. It skips over so much and a lot of events are just summed up in a single sentence. This book absolutely needed to be at least a duology, so many amazing sounding events in it and nowhere close to enough time for each! Even the main event of the book, the huge adventure, is only over a single day!
Pacing also of the asthma representation also felt a tad odd. Scruff came into the story very very little, and when he did the vast majority of his time specified around his asthma only. I mean it was pretty nice, showing the importance and such, but I just wanted so much more from his character. We're told so much about him, but shown very little overall.
Characters I quite enjoyed though, except for peter pan kinda aha... He was just standard peter pan without much change at all. Kinda mostly is just the exact same in his mannerisms, traits and even some scenes I could picture damn clearly especially from the 2003 live action film (which is, my favourite version of peter pan by *far* honestly lol). I loved the kids though, especially pickle oh my god pickle was amazing xD Reminded me so much of Sunny from series of unfortunate events and I honestly want more characters of this type haha!!
After getting to the authors note and acknowledgements though, suddenly so much became clear. Apparently Puffin asked Abi if she could write a "modern reimagining of peter pan" and they wanted a first draft done in the same year she was moving 3 times and having a baby??? I really think this book would have come out a lot more polished if she was given proper time to work on it because I absolutely love the adventure and plot lines in it! I would love to see a longer time with the cast especially.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Detailed descriptions of asthma and asthma attacks, depiction of a form of young carer, anxiety.
I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
This is a horror story. Not a romance, romcom or anything like that. I wish I was joking.
I'm genuinely horrified after reading this that anyone could take this as a romance. - let alone a romcom. If you ever find yourself in Julius' shoes, please call for help and cut off contact. I'm being serious, it will not end happy and "cosy" like it appears to in this book.
I knew this wasn't my type of book going into it, generally "high school straight romances" aren't much for me, but it was for a book club so I got a library copy so I didn't feel like I was wasting anything. I was absolutely not prepared for the just horrible things within the book. For starters, the example email in the description of the book is like the most tame example you could have given. There's quite a very detailed, long description in one of the emails about how Sadie would love to slowly torture Julius and how much she'd love it. No, I'm not making that up. That's in this "romcom" and setting up this "enemies to lovers" trope. Of course, Julius actually has a pretty sane reaction to it.
The principal however, does not. Straight up saying that the emails are partially Julius' fault (no, no explanation is given to how or why) and saying they are forced to now work together.
Through literal, intended, physical assault, more verbal abuse, and her stalking him some more, somehow this book does not end with Sadie in jail or with a restraining order.
I genuinely thought at multiple points this book couldn't get worse, but it just kept going. I was actually horrified by what the author decided to give a "romantic" flair to. In what world would someone sane make this line"promise me you won't hit me again" INTO A ROMANTIC MOMENT THAT KICKS OFF THEM BEING TOGETHER????? YES THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT'S WRITTEN IN THE BOOK
I would actually love to chat with someone who found this book romantic. Because to me, if someone really wants to kill another person, stalks them, assaults them, that is grounds for a restraining order and running the hell away as fast as you can. Not, well, everything that has happened in this book.
The book attempts to give Sadie "excuses" to her acting in these ways, like an absent father and a stressful life.. but no there's absolutely no excuse for the kind of behaviour in this. Not even "oh they're young and don't know how to control scary emotions :(" no absolutely not.
It's just really sad to see this be touted as a cute romance and something wanted. Please, genuinely, if you see your own relationship reflected in this please find help. No one should be treated the way Sadie treats Julius.
----
Separating out the rant from the rest of this which will try and go into the writing itself and not the story.
----
The writing I was mixed on at first, but slowly over the book started to fall apart more and more. At first I found the visual descriptors to be quite nice. They painted the scenes easily and I could vividly imagine each place. While those descriptions did continue through the book, the rest of the writing really let it down. From character dialogue feeling incredibly stilted and scripted, to the ending having a far too long dialogue exchange between 2 nameless students gossiping about... the main events through the book? including describing the "twist" that happened a couple pages prior? It's literally just "this happened. omg did it? yes and this also happened. omg really?" for like, an entire page and a bit more. Literally none of that information needed to be recapped in all honesty, and the way it was delivered was just so incredibly heavy handed.
The "twist" was also done the same way I feel, it was all so painfully obvious and predictable from the very start but the reveal was written like it was meant to be this huge surprise. Subtly and foreshadowing is absolutely not this author's strong points.
Character development is also basically non-existent. It's all sorta clumsily thrown into the final chapter but Sadie doesn't actually seem to grow or really change at all, we're just told that she's "working on it". And for the ending chapter: (This is apparently what is meant to be Sadie's character development)she explicitly refuses to apologise for the emails, she never apologised for attempting to intentionally kneecap Julius at one point (doesn't even come up during the last chapter) and it's literally just "I'm working on apologising so much" which feels incredibly backwards....
The only character that seems to have any amount of character development is Abigail, but she isn't on page for very long so even that feels fleeting. Though I did actually kinda like her character, she seemed fun and was the character most "rounded out" to me. Though, even she started to fall apart a bit near the end with (big spoilers)the fact she was the one who sent the emails, just really feels like a very out of character and such a dick move .
Events felt very fake and really just, random. Some of the things felt like things a child would imagine/write like, with instantly getting drunk -> becoming a different person -> instantly getting sober - it feels like how a child perceives getting drunk. There was just an incredibly random event withnaked clowns?? I still have no idea what that scene was honestly. And even things like how the emails got sent, it just makes absolutely no sense when you think about it for more than a second.
I don't really know how to end this review. I'm sort of half dreading book club because chances are, some people there probably liked it and I have no idea how to break "this book was just abusive" to a group in person lmaooo...... I genuinely hoped this book was just a huge bait and they wouldn't end up together in the end....
I'm genuinely horrified after reading this that anyone could take this as a romance. - let alone a romcom. If you ever find yourself in Julius' shoes, please call for help and cut off contact. I'm being serious, it will not end happy and "cosy" like it appears to in this book.
I knew this wasn't my type of book going into it, generally "high school straight romances" aren't much for me, but it was for a book club so I got a library copy so I didn't feel like I was wasting anything. I was absolutely not prepared for the just horrible things within the book. For starters, the example email in the description of the book is like the most tame example you could have given. There's quite a very detailed, long description in one of the emails about how Sadie would love to slowly torture Julius and how much she'd love it. No, I'm not making that up. That's in this "romcom" and setting up this "enemies to lovers" trope. Of course, Julius actually has a pretty sane reaction to it.
The principal however, does not. Straight up saying that the emails are partially Julius' fault (no, no explanation is given to how or why) and saying they are forced to now work together.
Through literal, intended, physical assault, more verbal abuse, and her stalking him some more, somehow this book does not end with Sadie in jail or with a restraining order.
I genuinely thought at multiple points this book couldn't get worse, but it just kept going. I was actually horrified by what the author decided to give a "romantic" flair to. In what world would someone sane make this line
I would actually love to chat with someone who found this book romantic. Because to me, if someone really wants to kill another person, stalks them, assaults them, that is grounds for a restraining order and running the hell away as fast as you can. Not, well, everything that has happened in this book.
The book attempts to give Sadie "excuses" to her acting in these ways, like an absent father and a stressful life.. but no there's absolutely no excuse for the kind of behaviour in this. Not even "oh they're young and don't know how to control scary emotions :(" no absolutely not.
It's just really sad to see this be touted as a cute romance and something wanted. Please, genuinely, if you see your own relationship reflected in this please find help. No one should be treated the way Sadie treats Julius.
----
Separating out the rant from the rest of this which will try and go into the writing itself and not the story.
----
The writing I was mixed on at first, but slowly over the book started to fall apart more and more. At first I found the visual descriptors to be quite nice. They painted the scenes easily and I could vividly imagine each place. While those descriptions did continue through the book, the rest of the writing really let it down. From character dialogue feeling incredibly stilted and scripted, to the ending having a far too long dialogue exchange between 2 nameless students gossiping about... the main events through the book? including describing the "twist" that happened a couple pages prior? It's literally just "this happened. omg did it? yes and this also happened. omg really?" for like, an entire page and a bit more. Literally none of that information needed to be recapped in all honesty, and the way it was delivered was just so incredibly heavy handed.
The "twist" was also done the same way I feel, it was all so painfully obvious and predictable from the very start but the reveal was written like it was meant to be this huge surprise. Subtly and foreshadowing is absolutely not this author's strong points.
Character development is also basically non-existent. It's all sorta clumsily thrown into the final chapter but Sadie doesn't actually seem to grow or really change at all, we're just told that she's "working on it". And for the ending chapter: (This is apparently what is meant to be Sadie's character development)
The only character that seems to have any amount of character development is Abigail, but she isn't on page for very long so even that feels fleeting. Though I did actually kinda like her character, she seemed fun and was the character most "rounded out" to me. Though, even she started to fall apart a bit near the end with (big spoilers)
Events felt very fake and really just, random. Some of the things felt like things a child would imagine/write like, with instantly getting drunk -> becoming a different person -> instantly getting sober - it feels like how a child perceives getting drunk. There was just an incredibly random event with
I don't really know how to end this review. I'm sort of half dreading book club because chances are, some people there probably liked it and I have no idea how to break "this book was just abusive" to a group in person lmaooo...... I genuinely hoped this book was just a huge bait and they wouldn't end up together in the end....
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Bullying
Moderate: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexism and Misogyny
The main character writes a lot of verbally abusive emails detailing a lot of violence and brutal thoughts towards the male love interest. Constant verbal abuse and manipulation happens (alongside a couple cases of physical abuse) throughout the book and set to a "romantic" tone. Victim blaming also happens towards the male love interest.
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
Representations: https://trello.com/c/pIfN48lN/96-the-swifts-1-the-swifts-a-dictionary-of-scoundrels-by-beth-lincoln
I wasn't too sure where this was headed at first. The humour was pretty dark (though I did personally enjoy it!) and the characters were fun to read about. As the mystery and tension grew though, it evolved into a suprisingly deep, dark and complex book! Certainly like nothing I'd expect from a childrens book, and honestly parents/teachers if you're thinking of giving this book to a kid, read it through first. Obviously, it's fine, but it can get heavy and there's a lot of topics that could create interesting and important conversations!
I just absolutely loved the characters, strong neurodiversity traits from 2 of the kids, the queer representation was very cute as well! There was a ton of characters, and honestly I did get a bit confused on who was who, but suprisingly I think it actually manages to handle them all pretty well. It really just felt like my issues remembering who was who was more on my really bad memory and less on the book, because as soon as I picked up a trait from someone I remembered exactly who they were! Each character was just so different and unique!
A lot of important messages throughout the book but none felt forced or trying to fight for attention over all the other messages. They all fit quite nicely together in my opinion. The story felt well paced, just fast, but flowed quite well. The chain of mysteries and plot twists kept be very well gripped hard throughout all of the last third and I honestly didn't know how it would end!
This absolutely shoots up to the top of my favourites list. I'm so thankful that Waterstones is taking good care with their books of the month, I would probably never have found this otherwise!!
I wasn't too sure where this was headed at first. The humour was pretty dark (though I did personally enjoy it!) and the characters were fun to read about. As the mystery and tension grew though, it evolved into a suprisingly deep, dark and complex book! Certainly like nothing I'd expect from a childrens book, and honestly parents/teachers if you're thinking of giving this book to a kid, read it through first. Obviously, it's fine, but it can get heavy and there's a lot of topics that could create interesting and important conversations!
I just absolutely loved the characters, strong neurodiversity traits from 2 of the kids, the queer representation was very cute as well! There was a ton of characters, and honestly I did get a bit confused on who was who, but suprisingly I think it actually manages to handle them all pretty well. It really just felt like my issues remembering who was who was more on my really bad memory and less on the book, because as soon as I picked up a trait from someone I remembered exactly who they were! Each character was just so different and unique!
A lot of important messages throughout the book but none felt forced or trying to fight for attention over all the other messages. They all fit quite nicely together in my opinion. The story felt well paced, just fast, but flowed quite well. The chain of mysteries and plot twists kept be very well gripped hard throughout all of the last third and I honestly didn't know how it would end!
This absolutely shoots up to the top of my favourites list. I'm so thankful that Waterstones is taking good care with their books of the month, I would probably never have found this otherwise!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gore, Deadnaming, and Alcohol
There's no mentions of the deadname, and there's no overt transphobia. It contains a small side story of a family member not easily understanding chosen vs dead names.