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sophiehatters's reviews
1002 reviews
House of Thorns by Isabel Strychacz
wow. they weren’t kidding when they said this book gives a lot of hillhouse vibe. in fact, i also saw a bit of bly manor in this one. enjoyable read, although i wish it were longer because i felt like certain aspects could be drawn out more. but hey, maybe i’m speaking from the perspective of an adult!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
”I think Brier Hall loved us. I think Brier Hall loved us so much. Too much, insidious and strong. It loved us enough that it just couldn’t bear to let us go.”
wow. they weren’t kidding when they said this book gives a lot of hillhouse vibe. in fact, i also saw a bit of bly manor in this one. enjoyable read, although i wish it were longer because i felt like certain aspects could be drawn out more. but hey, maybe i’m speaking from the perspective of an adult!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Alcoholism
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
i am so happy that i was able to go back into this world again. i actually read this book when i was around amy’s age and i remember loving it. unfortunately, i dropped the series entirely because just like how i am now, i’m not a fan of waiting for series to finish.
i have no criticism on the author’s version of oz because i was never a fan of the original story. in fact, i don’t know much about it until recently. anyway, i enjoyed the book as much as i did back then. moving on to the next book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.0
“Good. There was that word again. Back home, I had always thought of myself as a good person. Maybe a good person with a little bit of a temper, but still good. Here, in Oz, it had gotten more complicated—words like Good and Wicked had lost their meaning. What mattered was right and wrong.
i am so happy that i was able to go back into this world again. i actually read this book when i was around amy’s age and i remember loving it. unfortunately, i dropped the series entirely because just like how i am now, i’m not a fan of waiting for series to finish.
i have no criticism on the author’s version of oz because i was never a fan of the original story. in fact, i don’t know much about it until recently. anyway, i enjoyed the book as much as i did back then. moving on to the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder
Minor: Abandonment
The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig
god, this book truly has one of the most fascinating father-daughter dynamics i’ve ever read in books. it actually pains me to give this book a one-star rating because i actually enjoyed it. the writing, the world building—all of them were stellar.
unfortunately, we have hazel, the boo boo clown to blame for the low rating. i’m sorry but imagine having 3 long lives ahead of you, but you give one up to save a king—someone of privilege, someone who thought you weren’t even good enough to lick the dirt on his feet, someone you damn well knew would continuously hurt people, just because you didn’t have the heart to tell his daughter that his father was dead? i can’t imagine licking the ass of a rich person like that.
i tried so hard to be understanding of her thought process but it was insanity. she was incredibly stupid and just as foolish as her huntsman father. i would understand it if she hadn’t had the same experience with her ex, but she had. literally, this wasn’t your first rodeo, kid. you should have known better. even if you were scared of the ghosts haunting you—girl? you have the god of death at your feet, ask him to help you. use your words??
it’s for that same reason that i couldn’t find it in me to feel sorry for her when the consequences of her actions bit her in the ass afterwards. she practically asked for it. like, you jeopardized your relationship with your godfather for that? oh my god i couldn’t believe my eyes.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
1.0
unfortunate one star because of stupid hazel. she’s the literal proof that being book smart gets you nowhere!
”when i was little…when you didn’t come for all those years, i thought it was because you realized you’d make a mistake.”
“all those years…did it truly feel so long?”
“merrick, i’d been waiting my whole life for you.”
god, this book truly has one of the most fascinating father-daughter dynamics i’ve ever read in books. it actually pains me to give this book a one-star rating because i actually enjoyed it. the writing, the world building—all of them were stellar.
unfortunately, we have hazel, the boo boo clown to blame for the low rating. i’m sorry but imagine having 3 long lives ahead of you, but you give one up to save a king—someone of privilege, someone who thought you weren’t even good enough to lick the dirt on his feet, someone you damn well knew would continuously hurt people, just because you didn’t have the heart to tell his daughter that his father was dead? i can’t imagine licking the ass of a rich person like that.
i tried so hard to be understanding of her thought process but it was insanity. she was incredibly stupid and just as foolish as her huntsman father. i would understand it if she hadn’t had the same experience with her ex, but she had. literally, this wasn’t your first rodeo, kid. you should have known better. even if you were scared of the ghosts haunting you—girl? you have the god of death at your feet, ask him to help you. use your words??
it’s for that same reason that i couldn’t find it in me to feel sorry for her when the consequences of her actions bit her in the ass afterwards. she practically asked for it. like, you jeopardized your relationship with your godfather for that? oh my god i couldn’t believe my eyes.
The Horde King of Shadow by Zoey Draven
it was so good to be back in the horde universe! it had been quite a while for me so getting reacquainted with their vocabulary was a little bit of a brain exercise—one that i found quite fun. i know people tend to undermine this genre, but zoey draven knows what she's doing. just like the previous series, i was enthralled by the worldbuilding and the characters.
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"you were marked for me. i believe in no god or goddesses in this life except in my elthika. she marked you for me. and i answered her call."
it was so good to be back in the horde universe! it had been quite a while for me so getting reacquainted with their vocabulary was a little bit of a brain exercise—one that i found quite fun. i know people tend to undermine this genre, but zoey draven knows what she's doing. just like the previous series, i was enthralled by the worldbuilding and the characters.
i don't know about anyone else, but i adored klara and serkin. their relationship progression was realistic. everyone who knows me knows that i'm a slow burn girl. even though usually i detest stories that have their main characters sleep together so early, i was okay with how it was executed with this book. even though they did all that, i still thought the aftermath of it—them getting to know each other, learning to open up and being vulnerable with each other—made them feel more authentic.
i even fell in love with the dragons—the elthika. i know it's odd to say this but zoey draven made me feel even close to them. i am completely fascinated; i can't wait to delve into this world again. zoey draven, please never stop writing!
Rani Choudhury Must Die by Adiba Jaigirdar
before i picked up this book, i was worried about how it would go and what i would think, because some of the reviews i saw were a tad bit concerning. me being me, of course i decided to jump into it anyway because it was really important to me that i form my own opinion and while i can now see where some people were coming from, that didn’t erase whatever enjoyment i got from this book.
it was pretty obvious a few percent into this book that meghna wasn’t going to be an easy character to like, nor sympathise. she was headstrong and completely vengeful of the sweet and talented rani for no clear reason—at first, at least. irregardless of how she acted outwardly, i found myself feeling for her. what was clear to me was her inferiority complex as a result of what happened to her family—going into bankruptcy and ostracised by the entire bengali community. it made sense why she would come to resent rani because rani represented everything that she once had and lost. and while i thought it was hypocritical of her to solely blame rani for the end of their friendship when she had a hand in it, i could understand why it was so important to her to blame rani because then she’d have to reevaluate herself. she’s 17, mind you.
on the flip side, rani was of course, easy to like. she was earnest, kind and quite mature for a teenager. even though meghna was openly distasteful of her, there was still a part of her that wanted meghna’s attention and validation—her best friend. even though their friendship turned sour, her feelings for meghna was never tainted by resentment and jealousy. on her end, it abruptly ended just like that. rani also had the privilege of not having her life turned upside down. so i understood why she wasn’t too opposed of having meghna back in her life.
i was really skeptical about the romance aspect of this book because meghna was very adamant about hating rani. for most of the chapters, it was rani who showed romantic feelings for meghna (even though she didn’t realize it quickly). i was worried that this aspect wouldn’t hold up, and i was right. i think meghna realised her feelings for rani about 70% into the book, and by then there was simply not enough time to explore their relationship together because of the competition (more on that later). i had no issue of meghna realizing her feelings a bit later because it made sense, but because of that we didn’t get enough of their romantic relationship.
therefore, i think ultimately this book wasn’t about romance. it’s about two teenagers mending their broken relationship, finding their voice, learning to speak up for themselves, and forgiving each other. and they just so happened to fall in love in the end!
on that project, can i just say that the teacher who greenlit that pitch must have been drunk? yes, it made for a good conflict and catalyst for their friendship, plot-wise, but there was just no way it would have worked. the questions of ethics should be addressed since the very beginning!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Maybe Rani was actually my first-ever crush, the first person I trusted and loved, and I was scared of being rejected and hurt. So I just did it first. And now that we’re working together, it’s old feelings resurfacing, not new ones.
before i picked up this book, i was worried about how it would go and what i would think, because some of the reviews i saw were a tad bit concerning. me being me, of course i decided to jump into it anyway because it was really important to me that i form my own opinion and while i can now see where some people were coming from, that didn’t erase whatever enjoyment i got from this book.
it was pretty obvious a few percent into this book that meghna wasn’t going to be an easy character to like, nor sympathise. she was headstrong and completely vengeful of the sweet and talented rani for no clear reason—at first, at least. irregardless of how she acted outwardly, i found myself feeling for her. what was clear to me was her inferiority complex as a result of what happened to her family—going into bankruptcy and ostracised by the entire bengali community. it made sense why she would come to resent rani because rani represented everything that she once had and lost. and while i thought it was hypocritical of her to solely blame rani for the end of their friendship when she had a hand in it, i could understand why it was so important to her to blame rani because then she’d have to reevaluate herself. she’s 17, mind you.
on the flip side, rani was of course, easy to like. she was earnest, kind and quite mature for a teenager. even though meghna was openly distasteful of her, there was still a part of her that wanted meghna’s attention and validation—her best friend. even though their friendship turned sour, her feelings for meghna was never tainted by resentment and jealousy. on her end, it abruptly ended just like that. rani also had the privilege of not having her life turned upside down. so i understood why she wasn’t too opposed of having meghna back in her life.
i was really skeptical about the romance aspect of this book because meghna was very adamant about hating rani. for most of the chapters, it was rani who showed romantic feelings for meghna (even though she didn’t realize it quickly). i was worried that this aspect wouldn’t hold up, and i was right. i think meghna realised her feelings for rani about 70% into the book, and by then there was simply not enough time to explore their relationship together because of the competition (more on that later). i had no issue of meghna realizing her feelings a bit later because it made sense, but because of that we didn’t get enough of their romantic relationship.
therefore, i think ultimately this book wasn’t about romance. it’s about two teenagers mending their broken relationship, finding their voice, learning to speak up for themselves, and forgiving each other. and they just so happened to fall in love in the end!
on that project, can i just say that the teacher who greenlit that pitch must have been drunk? yes, it made for a good conflict and catalyst for their friendship, plot-wise, but there was just no way it would have worked. the questions of ethics should be addressed since the very beginning!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism
Us in Ruins by Rachel Moore
this book has an interesting premise but i think i enjoyed reading The Library of Shadows better. margot and van's adventures didn't grip me as i hoped and the romance aspect, lacklustre. however, i did find myself loving margot and van as individual characters.
i would say that none of the main characters in this book would be easy to love to some people. in some ways, they are unlikeable and flawed, but as an adult, i could understand where they are coming from. take margot for example. she is an impulsive teenager, head in the clouds, who is sensitive and prone to waterworks. her grand idea of looking for the vase of venus seems outlandish and ridiculous, considering her lack of expertise and experience in archaeology. all these, are noted by her fellow students. but then you look deeper into her and realize that she is just a teenager, who with abandonment issues who wants recognition from the people she loves.
and then we have van. an orphan from the 30's with a chip on his shoulder who has trust issues; he is arrogant, standoffish, and absolutely rude. the way he keeps on belittling and sabotaging margot every step of the way could be off-putting for some (me), but from his perspective—and rightfully so—margot is very out of depth and keeps on proving his view of her right. for someone who is acquainted of being independent, i could understand why he wouldn't be open to partnering with her on a whim.
even astrid, the stereotypical mean girl was understandable to me. she reminds me of sharpay evans, but without the pink explosion wardrobe. as someone who comes from a generation of esteemed archeologists, of course a no-nothing (still privileged) girl like margot would irritate her. on paper, she isn't at all qualified to be among the group. always shirking away from her responsibilities—i would be annoyed too!
lastly, even though i didn't feel connected to margot and van as romantic partners, i did like that deep inside, they both seek the same thing: to be seen and respected. bottom line, characterization of the book? love. the story itself? not so much. it's just me though!
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Love could be cruel and thankless. It could leave when you least expected it. It could haunt your heart like a creaking staircase, the sound of someone coming home but never actually arriving."
this book has an interesting premise but i think i enjoyed reading The Library of Shadows better. margot and van's adventures didn't grip me as i hoped and the romance aspect, lacklustre. however, i did find myself loving margot and van as individual characters.
i would say that none of the main characters in this book would be easy to love to some people. in some ways, they are unlikeable and flawed, but as an adult, i could understand where they are coming from. take margot for example. she is an impulsive teenager, head in the clouds, who is sensitive and prone to waterworks. her grand idea of looking for the vase of venus seems outlandish and ridiculous, considering her lack of expertise and experience in archaeology. all these, are noted by her fellow students. but then you look deeper into her and realize that she is just a teenager, who with abandonment issues who wants recognition from the people she loves.
and then we have van. an orphan from the 30's with a chip on his shoulder who has trust issues; he is arrogant, standoffish, and absolutely rude. the way he keeps on belittling and sabotaging margot every step of the way could be off-putting for some (me), but from his perspective—and rightfully so—margot is very out of depth and keeps on proving his view of her right. for someone who is acquainted of being independent, i could understand why he wouldn't be open to partnering with her on a whim.
even astrid, the stereotypical mean girl was understandable to me. she reminds me of sharpay evans, but without the pink explosion wardrobe. as someone who comes from a generation of esteemed archeologists, of course a no-nothing (still privileged) girl like margot would irritate her. on paper, she isn't at all qualified to be among the group. always shirking away from her responsibilities—i would be annoyed too!
lastly, even though i didn't feel connected to margot and van as romantic partners, i did like that deep inside, they both seek the same thing: to be seen and respected. bottom line, characterization of the book? love. the story itself? not so much. it's just me though!