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tales_of_monika's reviews
175 reviews
The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
3.0
This was our book of the month for book club at work.
I'm not really into thrillers. I prefer to stick to my fantasy stuff.
I found this book to be very repetitive (at this point I think I'll never forget who got to the party at what time). As well as that it was quite unrealistic.
Being set in the modern day society (mainly 2017/18) and not having cameras around a town? Not being able to track a phone? No postmortem? They just assumed the cause of death. I know it's a fiction book, but come on.
And I had predicted the ending halfway through the book.
Not one of my favourites.
I'm not really into thrillers. I prefer to stick to my fantasy stuff.
I found this book to be very repetitive (at this point I think I'll never forget who got to the party at what time). As well as that it was quite unrealistic.
Being set in the modern day society (mainly 2017/18) and not having cameras around a town? Not being able to track a phone? No postmortem? They just assumed the cause of death. I know it's a fiction book, but come on.
And I had predicted the ending halfway through the book.
Not one of my favourites.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
4.0
I just finished reading The Cruel Prince and I loved it.
The whole world in this book is just so enchanting. I just love reading about creatures and lands people could only dream of.
The book has a pretty quick tempo. Not too fast, so you can understand what's going on but also not too slow.
I couldn't understand what Jude feels when it comes to Madoc. She says she loves him and then suddenly she hates his guts. And what's with her obsession with power?
Overall it was a very pleasant read and I'm starting the continuation straight away. I hope we get to see more of Cardan because I'd like to get to know him a bit more.
The whole world in this book is just so enchanting. I just love reading about creatures and lands people could only dream of.
The book has a pretty quick tempo. Not too fast, so you can understand what's going on but also not too slow.
I couldn't understand what Jude feels when it comes to Madoc. She says she loves him and then suddenly she hates his guts. And what's with her obsession with power?
Overall it was a very pleasant read and I'm starting the continuation straight away. I hope we get to see more of Cardan because I'd like to get to know him a bit more.
The Wicked King by Holly Black
5.0
Okay Cardan, what the actual f*ck do you think you're doing!? I enjoyed The Wicked King more than The Cruel Prince. I think I just prefer to get entangled in everyone's little secrets and games.
There are two points I'd like to make. First of all, Vivi is an absolute IDIOT. How could she treat Heather like that and think she'd get away with it? That part of the story made me so mad. She doesn't seem to think about other people's feelings.
Second of all, Taryn always seemed a little fishy to me. The fact that she let Loki play with Jude's feelings in the first book alone got on my nerves. I didn't trust her from that point. She was too kind, too quiet.
I can't imagine having to wait for the 3rd book to be out. Thankfully I can start reading it straight away.
There are two points I'd like to make. First of all, Vivi is an absolute IDIOT. How could she treat Heather like that and think she'd get away with it? That part of the story made me so mad. She doesn't seem to think about other people's feelings.
Second of all, Taryn always seemed a little fishy to me. The fact that she let Loki play with Jude's feelings in the first book alone got on my nerves. I didn't trust her from that point. She was too kind, too quiet.
I can't imagine having to wait for the 3rd book to be out. Thankfully I can start reading it straight away.
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
4.0
So I finished reading the Folk of the Air series and I really enjoyed them!
The Queen of Nothing was so quick to read, despite me having a lot of work to deal with on the side. I love the setting of the whole trilogy, it's just so magical.
As the book was coming to an end I was feeling extremely anxious since there were so many things yet to happen and so little pages left to reach the end of the book.
I would love to read one of Cardan's letters. Maybe it will show up in the new book written in his point of view?
The epilogue was just the cutest thing ever! It made me tear up a little.
Also, these books have the prettiest covers!
The Queen of Nothing was so quick to read, despite me having a lot of work to deal with on the side. I love the setting of the whole trilogy, it's just so magical.
As the book was coming to an end I was feeling extremely anxious since there were so many things yet to happen and so little pages left to reach the end of the book.
I would love to read one of Cardan's letters. Maybe it will show up in the new book written in his point of view?
The epilogue was just the cutest thing ever! It made me tear up a little.
Also, these books have the prettiest covers!
The Legendary Shiver by J.H. MacAl
5.0
The Legendary Shiver had me hooked from the very beginning since I am a music addict and the story shows a young girl trying to make it in the music industry.
I felt awful for Will who struggled to get out of the friendzone for such a long time. He's always there to support his best friend and bring her back on track despite being told to leave multiple times.
The story shows how true friendship can overcome almost any obstacle and can evolve into a bigger feeling - love. There are cute moments, sad moments and moments that made me cringe with embarrassment. Shiver's journey really shows what can happen to a person when fame gets into their head.
I am begging one of you to read this book so I can talk about the ending. The ending BROKE MY HEART. I was up in my bed with a tear-stained face, sobbing loudly. At 2am.
It's a truly beautiful book.
On a side note, I really want to hear the songs that feature in it.
On another side note, there were a few things that reminded me of Harry Styles. "Golden" being one of the songs in the book (also the first track on Shiver's second album) and "Falling again" being another song. So, even if it wasn't intentional I liked that little nod towards my favourite artist.
I felt awful for Will who struggled to get out of the friendzone for such a long time. He's always there to support his best friend and bring her back on track despite being told to leave multiple times.
The story shows how true friendship can overcome almost any obstacle and can evolve into a bigger feeling - love. There are cute moments, sad moments and moments that made me cringe with embarrassment. Shiver's journey really shows what can happen to a person when fame gets into their head.
I am begging one of you to read this book so I can talk about the ending. The ending BROKE MY HEART. I was up in my bed with a tear-stained face, sobbing loudly. At 2am.
It's a truly beautiful book.
On a side note, I really want to hear the songs that feature in it.
On another side note, there were a few things that reminded me of Harry Styles. "Golden" being one of the songs in the book (also the first track on Shiver's second album) and "Falling again" being another song. So, even if it wasn't intentional I liked that little nod towards my favourite artist.
House of Weeds by Amy Charlotte Kean
5.0
This is a stunning collection of poetry. I was mesmerised even before I read the first poem. The introduction itself was quite captivating.
The poems are mysterious in their own unique way. They are each named after a different type of weed. A symbol for the outcasts in community, people often looked down upon by others.
While reading this collection I couldn't help but wonder who all these people were. I admire them for the bold choice to stand out in society and live their lives by their own rules. Because despite being "outcasts", they are an essential part of the community.
As a side note, the illustrations featured in this book are simply beautiful.
The poems are mysterious in their own unique way. They are each named after a different type of weed. A symbol for the outcasts in community, people often looked down upon by others.
While reading this collection I couldn't help but wonder who all these people were. I admire them for the bold choice to stand out in society and live their lives by their own rules. Because despite being "outcasts", they are an essential part of the community.
As a side note, the illustrations featured in this book are simply beautiful.
First Year by Rachel E. Carter
5.0
First Year by Rachel E. Carter was definitely a book that I picked up thanks to bookstagram. I saw lots of people writing good reviews about it so I thought I'd give it a go.
I was not disappointed!
The story is about a young girl - Ryiah, who enrols to a special academy with her twin brother in hopes of becoming a mage.
The surroundings and scenery were very nicely described and I had no issue with creating an image of what was going on in my head.
Ry is a very brave girl. She does not have it easy while she is in the academy. The privileged kids make fun of her and try to bring her down time after time but Ryiah doesn't give up. She is able to find her own group of friends who give her support when she needs it most. Also, her and Darren are extremely cute!
On a side note, I hated Priscilla. The name itself makes me shudder in disgust (no offence to anyone named Priscilla, I just really don't like the name).
I can't wait to continue with this story and see what the characters get up to next.
I was not disappointed!
The story is about a young girl - Ryiah, who enrols to a special academy with her twin brother in hopes of becoming a mage.
The surroundings and scenery were very nicely described and I had no issue with creating an image of what was going on in my head.
Ry is a very brave girl. She does not have it easy while she is in the academy. The privileged kids make fun of her and try to bring her down time after time but Ryiah doesn't give up. She is able to find her own group of friends who give her support when she needs it most. Also, her and Darren are extremely cute!
On a side note, I hated Priscilla. The name itself makes me shudder in disgust (no offence to anyone named Priscilla, I just really don't like the name).
I can't wait to continue with this story and see what the characters get up to next.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
I just started my adventure with the Grishaverse. So far I am not disappointed!
The book pulls you in from the very beginning and is full of action. I love Alina and Mal's friendship, they're adorable (jealous).
For me the most interesting character was the Darkling. I love mysterious characters in books and he definitely fits into that category. I hope I get to see more of him in the next books. He's one of those characters you just can't hate.
On a side note, the cover of the book is simply beautiful.
The book pulls you in from the very beginning and is full of action. I love Alina and Mal's friendship, they're adorable (jealous).
For me the most interesting character was the Darkling. I love mysterious characters in books and he definitely fits into that category. I hope I get to see more of him in the next books. He's one of those characters you just can't hate.
On a side note, the cover of the book is simply beautiful.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
4.0
It was slow paced, with a few different stories going on at the same time. Each story is somehow tied down to an artist Mia and her daughter Pearl.
We see a "perfect" little town where everyone follows strict rules and has their life planned out. This isn't the case with Mia and Pearl. Once the two show up in the town things start to go off track.
The book focuses on character development a lot. We uncover new pieces of information about each character as we read through the book. Friendships are made and destroyed.
I wasn't emotionally tied to this book but I see how it may have caused some to shed a tear.
The book gives you a lot to think about.
We see a "perfect" little town where everyone follows strict rules and has their life planned out. This isn't the case with Mia and Pearl. Once the two show up in the town things start to go off track.
The book focuses on character development a lot. We uncover new pieces of information about each character as we read through the book. Friendships are made and destroyed.
I wasn't emotionally tied to this book but I see how it may have caused some to shed a tear.
The book gives you a lot to think about.
Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter
4.0
There is so much going on in this book. It takes place over 4 years focusing on the difficulties of training when it comes to becoming a mage. One of the main people teaching the group of students is a sexist pig and decides to pick on Ryiah throughout her time in the Academy.
The introduction of a love triangle turned out kind of pointless to me. I loved Ian but I knew from the start that he will get his heart broken, because Ryiah will always choose Darren. She always ends up going back to the guy that plays her and ends up getting her heart broken time after time (a situation I'm all too familiar with).
That being said I loved the plot twist at the end of the story and can't wait to start the next part.
The introduction of a love triangle turned out kind of pointless to me. I loved Ian but I knew from the start that he will get his heart broken, because Ryiah will always choose Darren. She always ends up going back to the guy that plays her and ends up getting her heart broken time after time (a situation I'm all too familiar with).
That being said I loved the plot twist at the end of the story and can't wait to start the next part.