thebiasedbibliophile's reviews
665 reviews

Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan

4.0

Kismat Connection is a wonderful debut YA romance novel with Indian culture woven into the story. I absolutely adored this book, and I can’t wait to read more by Devarajan. The novel was impressive in general, but especially so because it is the author’s first book (published at age 21 I might add). I was so excited to hear that she has more projects in the works as well!

There were so many enjoyable features of this novel, but my favorite was definitely the protagonist, Madhuri. The premise behind the story, that Madhuri decides to enter a fake relationship with her best friend in order to prove her astrology-loving mother wrong, was perfect. I am a sucker for the fake dating trope, and I appreciated how Devarajan combined it with the friends-to-lovers trope. Madhuri’s plight to prove fate wrong and end her family curse was fun and brought out both the best and the worst within her character.

Similarly, Madhuri’s character was spot-on! Devarajan did a stunning job of combining some likeable characteristics with Madhuri’s more abrasive features. I certainly saw myself within her, and watching her grow throughout the story was endearing.

Likewise, Arjun’s character development was a nice foil to Madhuri’s. In fact, his character was exceptionally rare in that he was not simply a prop for Madhuri but had his own trials and adversities to overcome. His complexity added a lot to the overall story.

Finally, I really enjoyed the way Devarajan incorporated Indian culture. She did so in many ways, and I particularly loved that Bharatanatyam was such a huge part of Madhuri’s identity. 

As a whole, this book was both cute and impressive. I highly recommend it, and I’m looking forward to reading more stories from Devarajan in the future! 

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

5.0

At this point, I’m convinced that Alechia Dow literally cannot write anything less than a five-star book! A million thanks to Alechia for sending me an ARC of her latest novel, A Song of Salvation, especially because I don’t know that I would have survived the wait for its publication! 

This phenomenal YA SciFi novel follows Zaira, a girl who also happens to be the reincarnation of the god Indigo; Wesley, a smuggler who was shunned by his family; and Rubin, a famous podcaster. When the evil Illori try to take over the universe, the three are thrown together and tasked with saving the universe…no pressure!

Everything about this novel is absolute perfection! If you’re a person that reads books based on their tropes, all I have to say is that this novel has the best found family trope I’ve ever read, and it has a GAY grumpy-sunshine relationship, the trope we didn’t know we needed! 

One thing I especially loved about this book was that it ties in Dow’s first two books, The Sound of Stars and The Kindred, but it can also be read as a standalone. The fact that we get to see so many characters from her first two books is so exciting and helps develop the universe Dow created.

Additionally, Dow does an amazing job of showing two opposing sides of human (or in this case, alien) nature. With Zaira’s character, we see the power of a god inside a seemingly ordinary girl. The fact that Zaira is neither god, nor girl, but a mixture of the two adds a sense of strength to the story and makes her identity more personal. Likewise, throughout the novel different characters showed the way pessimism and optimism play off each other, both being an important part of life. 

Finally, the themes throughout the novel are extremely moving. The entire book is simultaneously lighthearted and serious. On the surface it is a fun intergalactic adventure, but when you read closely, you’ll notice that Dow weaves in questions of how we should live our lives, the way prejudice affects humanity, and the importance of history (both living with it and learning from it).

Underneath it all this story is about hope and what it means to be alive in the world. It’s about acceptance and love. Alechia Dow is so much more than an author, she is a voice that is powerful enough to change the world if we only listen to the beautiful stories she shares with us. 

Borrow My Heart by Kasie West

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Kasie West knocked it out of the park again with her newest novel, Borrow My Heart! This book has everything you could want in a rom-com from a feisty shelter dog to a loyal best friend. Sometimes I feel like authors who write many books within the same genre become boring and their books feel monotonous, but Kasie West continues proving that she is anything but boring.

First off, I love the premise of this book. The protagonist, Wren, steps in to save a stranger from humiliation when she realizes he is probably being catfished. She plays the role of his online mystery girl, but ends up being roped into a complex situation. At every turn she tries to find a way to tell Asher that she is not the girl he thinks she is, but after the two are put together to find a forever home for Wren’s favorite shelter dog, Bean, she keeps finding reasons to keep up the ruse. 

While the romance in this novel was adorable, it was all the smaller details that really made the story shine. Wren’s best friend, Kamala, is equally supportive and skeptical of the situation. Likewise, Wren has a complex family dynamic that adds another layer of depth to the story. Throughout the novel she learns to cope with her mother abandoning her, and she realizes that her relationship with her father and sister will be forever-changed by her mother’s decision.

Bean was also a highlight of the story. Wren and Asher’s plight to find him a family was adorable and offered up the perfect scenarios for them to bond. I adored the fact that Bean was not your typical cute and loving dog. He was a little rough around the edges, not necessarily the friendliest, and very sneaky. I love that West’s depiction of Bean helps show that not all shelter dogs have to be the cuddly stereotype to be loveable and adoptable. My family has one of those very dogs, and we couldn’t be happier.

Finally, there was an element of intrigue with Asher’s catfish. There was a small plot twist that I didn’t see coming. In hindsight, it’s probably pretty obvious, but I purposefully don’t try to figure things out when I read West’s books. Her stories are so immersive, it is therapeutic to simply lose myself in them.

As a whole, Borrow My Heart is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Whether you’ve read West’s previous books, or you’re looking to start reading romance, I highly recommend it. 

The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.

I tried to get into this book multiple times, but I just couldn't muddle through it. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so it was very disappointing. The pacing was very slow, the characters felt one-dimensional, and the plot was a bit uneventful. Reven in particular was extra brooding and annoying. The romance was nonexistent within the first 40%. Sadly, I won't be continuing this series, as it just isn't holding my interest.

Venom & Vow by Elliott McLemore, Anna-Marie McLemore

3.5

When I heard that Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore had not only Latinx representation, not only chronic pain representation, but also transgender and bigender representation, I knew I wanted to read it. In some ways, I absolutely adored this book, but in others, it was a bit disappointing. 

One thing I didn’t particularly care for was the vagueness at the beginning of the novel. It’s not quite clear how the characters are related to one another. Ironically, I thought the bigender character’s identity was very clear, but Val’s relationship to Bryna and Cade’s relationship to Patrick were not. The novel would have been much improved if the characters’ roles and relationships to one another were made clear from the start.

Similarly, there were a few small details that didn’t add up. For instance, something almost happens at the end of the book, and one of the main characters basically says it’s a lose-lose situation. Essentially, there are two options and this character believes that one will result in someone being hurt emotionally, and the other will result in them being hurt physically. However, in relation to the former option, it is not clear how this character arrives at that conclusion. (Sorry for the obscurity; I don’t want to spoil anything.")

In another situation, it’s said that this character tells another “everything,” but later they tell a third character that they didn’t tell anyone about a secret. With this issue, it seems like the authors maybe didn’t coordinate as much as they could have. There were a few instances where the different POVs felt a bit disjointed.

That being said, there were quite a few aspects of the story that I really enjoyed. My favorite feature was the chronic pain representation, which was clearly well-thought-out. Both of the main characters use a cane, and the culture of one of the Queendoms seems to be very accepting of disabilities. In fact, they even have modified dances that are designed to include people who use canes. 

Likewise, there were a few quotes about chronic pain that rang true to what I’ve experienced. The authors talk about how thinking about pain makes it worse and how distracting oneself does not make the pain disappear. These details were consistent throughout the book, and felt very authentic.

Additionally, the transgender and bigender representation were phenomenal. I truly enjoyed the depth with which the protagonists’ identities were explored. Cade, who is a transgender prince, struggles with society’s expectations of wanting a queen who does not exist. Val, a bigender assassin, explores his identity throughout the novel, and she finds comfort in being able to express herself genuinely. I appreciated the conversations Cade and Val had about the latter’s identity, as they were both informative and emotional.

Finally, the plot was interesting, but felt a little underdeveloped. It seems like there were some missed opportunities when it came to political intrigue, and I would have liked to know more about the backstory of the world.

As a whole, I would recommend this book, as long as you are prepared to be a little confused toward the beginning. I think it is worth reading simply due to the complex and dynamic representation that is included. 

You: The Story: A Writer's Guide to Craft Through Memory by Ruta Sepetys

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious fast-paced

5.0

Who doesn’t absolutely adore Ruta Sepetys? As a huge fan of her five YA historical fiction novels, I was so excited to find out that she was releasing a craft book on writing. You: The Story gives writers tips for crafting a story inspired by their life experiences. As some of you may know, I recently launched my freelance editing career, and as a developmental editor, I found this book filled with wonderful knowledge and exercises.

The feature that I enjoyed the most was the personal tone of the book. Sepetys shares her own life experiences (which are utterly wild in the best possible way) to demonstrate how to add meaning and depth to writing. Her stories were both hysterical and heartrending (look at me using those “H” words she talks about!). I found myself laughing and crying at quite a few of them. 

Additionally, I appreciated that the book was written for people who don’t necessarily have experience with writing or editing. It covers introductory material for a wide range of topics, including plot, dialogue, setting, etc. This made it very easy to apply Sepetys’ techniques and makes it the perfect book for editors to use with their clients. 

Finally, the layout of the book was well-thought-out. There are writing exercises throughout that help writers practice the techniques Sepetys discusses. There are also recaps for each chapter, which summarize the main ideas nicely. As a whole, the formatting was very user-friendly.

All in all, I cannot recommend this book enough! Whether you’re an aspiring author or an editor, this book has essential information on the writing process. The fact that it encourages writers to draw inspiration from their lives only adds to its power. Honestly, I’ve never really wanted to write a book myself, but after reading this one, it’s something that I would consider doing in the future. In the meantime, I will certainly reference You: The Story with my clients and use it to help guide them. 

Dragons of Introvertia by James And Bit Barringer

4.0

When a friend recently recommended Dragons of Introvertia by James and Bit Barringer, I was intrigued, and when I saw that it is considered “optimistic fantasy” I immediately started listening to the audiobook. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the book, and I think we need more optimistic fantasy stories in the world.

My favorite aspect of the novel was the way Eza and Cammie, two teenagers from opposing kingdoms, found joy in their differences. The two frequently joked that they were rubbing off on one another, and I enjoyed the way they appreciated each other’s culture, even though they were not familiar or comfortable with it.

Similarly, I love the fact that Eza’s kingdom, Introvertia, focuses on active listening and empathy. The idea of a culture based on these key communication skills is enthralling, and it made me wonder what kind of place we would be living in if our world was a little more like that. 

Additionally, I know the book is technically labeled as young adult, but it certainly reads more like middle grade, but regardless, I enjoyed it. 

Finally, I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Chris Jackman, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I finished it in under two days. If I had not already known that this was the first book Jackman narrated, I certainly would never have guessed it. I appreciated the way he gave each character unique intonations. Oftentimes, I think the best audiobooks have narrators where you can hear that they are excited to be telling the story, and this book was a perfect example of that. It seemed like Jackman had fun narrating, which made me have fun listening. 

As a whole, I would definitely recommend this novel, especially for anyone who enjoys middle grade fantasy. I think the audiobook specifically would be a great way to encourage reading within children who are in middle school. 

Not Here to Stay Friends by Kaitlyn Hill

2.0

Kaitlyn Hill’s debut novel, Love From Scratch, is one of my favorite romance novels. So, I was excited to read her second book, Not Here to Stay Friends, which is a friends-to-lovers story with a spin on The Bachelor. Sadly, I was largely disappointed with the novel, though I think fans of the trope and T.V. show will enjoy it.

I will start by saying that I’ve yet to find a friends-to-lovers novel that I truly enjoy. More often than not, I feel like the books that incorporate this trope rely too much on a previously established friendship, and the romantic tension and buildup is usually sacrificed. That was the case for this book as well, and I felt like neither the friendship, nor the romance were strong. Similarly, the main character, Sloane, formed friendships with other girls in the book, but these relationships also felt a bit shallow and underdeveloped. 

Furthermore, I should have known better than to read a book that was compared to The Bachelor. No shade to anyone who enjoys the show, we all have our guilty pleasures, but the feminist in me can’t stand it. At the beginning of the book, I had hoped Hill was going to put a different sort of spin on it. It seemed like maybe the prize for “winning” would be a guest spot on a T.V. drama, as opposed to a relationship with the actor, but that was not the focus of the story. 

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something incredibly creepy about 20+ people going on reality T.V. in the hopes of forming a relationship with someone, someone who is romantically involved with multiple other people…. Throw in the fact that all the characters are 17-years-old, and the creepiness factor is on overload. Also, the protagonist has to briefly leave the show due to a medical emergency, and not only is she allowed back on the show, she is also allowed to stay at her friend’s house for a night before she returns. So, regardless of the unrealistic elements of The Bachelor, it’s even more unrealistic, as that is not something that is allowed on the reality show in real life.

Finally, I debated on including this part in my review, but I’m a big advocate for awareness about chronic illnesses, and I feel like it would be inauthentic of me to skim over this part. Some brief background information about me, I have an immunological disorder called Mast Cell Activation Disorder, and it causes anaphylactic reactions to numerous triggers. At one point in the book, the protagonist has an allergic reaction to shrimp, and her friend says something like, “Good thing it wasn’t anaphylaxis because anaphylaxis causes you to stop breathing.” (This is not a direct quote.) The issue here is that the protagonist’s reaction WAS anaphylaxis. The innocent ignorance behind the other character’s statement is, quite frankly, dangerous. It’s part of the reason why so many people with MCAS go undiagnosed, and why our concerns are not validated by the medical community unless we stop breathing. So, even though this seems like a small detail, it is important. I would have liked to see anaphylaxis represented more accurately, or not at all. Anaphylaxis can cause someone to stop breathing, or it can be hives, swelling, vomiting, confusion, headaches, and more. 

As a whole, I was not a fan of this book, but I loved Kaitlyn Hill’s first book so much that I would still give her future books a chance. 

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

I was really looking forward to this book, especially since it's going to be featured in a couple monthly book boxes I'm subscribed to. Sadly, I was very disappointed with the first 20%. The book was extremely slow, and I didn't feel invested in the story or the characters at all. I definitely recommend that anyone who is interested in reading the book check out the trigger warnings because there were a lot. Likewise, the world-building was practically nonexistent, and I think that is what made me stop reading. 20% into a 480 page book, I should have a pretty good idea of what the world is like, but it was extremely underdeveloped. 

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.

I tried to get into this book many times, but it just wasn't grabbing my attention. After read Marie Lu's Warcross duology, what I read of Stars & Smoke was very disappointing. The pacing was very slow, the plot felt nonexistent, and the characters were flat. This is more of a personal preference than anything else, but it just wasn't the right book for me.