thebigparade's reviews
16 reviews

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

Emily Henry is another one of my instant-buy authors, so I got this book as soon as I could, and it did not disappoint. I love how Henry's focus when writing is always on her characters. Don't get me wrong, the plot is interesting, but it's her protagonist that drives the story. In this book, Poppy is stuck at a point in her life and doesn't really know what to do but go back to the familiar—going on a summer trip with her best friend from college. Poppy and Alex are fun to watch and easy to fall in love with, and their love story is beautiful to watch over the course of ten summers. I can't wait to see what Henry does next.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

emotional informative inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

Jaigirdar is a person and author I admire so much. I love that she brought queer Muslim girls to the forefront of the YA genre this year, and I'm happy to know that more of her stories are coming. Jaigirdar made it clear that these diverse stories need to be told. and hopefully, the success of this book will encourage publishers to seek out more queer Muslim stories. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book destroyed me. 

What I loved most about it, though, is that even though we know how it ends, Miller's writing and her interpretation of these characters are masterful. The beauty in these words cannot be defined, and this book has a permanent place on my constantly-reread shelf.

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Aiden Thomas is one of my instant-buy authors. I love their writing style and focus on complex characters. This book was an interesting retelling of Peter Pan; it's dark and complicated, and Thomas's manipulation of the characters we know and love is haunting. All that being said, it's fairly obvious that LITNW was the first book Thomas wrote as their craft is more fine-tuned in Cemetery Boys.

Together, Apart by Auriane Desombre, Jennifer Yen, Brittney Morris, Natasha Preston, Erin Hahn, Bill Konigsberg, Rachael Lippincott, Sajni Patel, Erin A. Craig

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

This is a cute, little YA anthology! It's a pretty light read but does handle some interesting topics--i.e. mental health, sexuality, loneliness--heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not a must-read for me, but the short romances definitely give me a much needed serotonin boost!

The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.5

Listen, this book is what it is: a smutty, fun romance novel. And I love the main character! Cherry's confident, fat, and sexy, and the way Rueben falls for her is *chef's kiss*. That being said, I did not expect this book to discuss familial abuse and royal classism so well--this is my first Talia Hibbert--but here we are. If you're not triggered by that and like some fairly graphic spice, this is the book for you!

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

challenging emotional informative reflective tense 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

5.0

This book is my favorite read of 2021 so far. It's my first 5 star read this year because this book rocked me to my core. The writing is absolutely beautiful. Chee expertly crafts a prose style for each POV character that is distinct but connected in their depth. She puts so much care into the figurative language and narrative structure she uses for each character, and I was captivated. No character feels underwritten; no character feels flat. And the characters drive this story. As a white person, I knew about the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WW2, but I was never taught about the true horrors. With her characters, Chee educates her readers and creates a space of empathy that might not otherwise have been there. Because of the continued marginalization and violence against Asians in America, this book comes at an opportune time to reflect on the past and use that to continue the fight to stop AAPI hate. Please read this book. I will sing its praises 'til I die.

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was so excited for this book's release, and for the most part, it lived up to my expectations. I'm always up for more own-voices trans books, so I was happy to pick this up. I enjoyed Pony's POV. I thought he was complicated and interesting, and not just because he's trans! His interests, back story, and side plots drove me through the story. I didn't have the same feelings towards Georgia. Whether you like her or don't because of her actions in the book, the fact remains that it's part of the plot, while my problem is her as a POV character. She didn't feel like a necessary perspective, but I was able to get through her chapters just fine, if only so I could get to Pony faster. It's the risk an author takes with multiple POVs, and most of the time readers end up favoring one over the others. All that being said, I liked the tough conversations had in this book, and I liked the character dynamics. The ending was a little too wrapped up for me, but the read over all was worth picking up the book.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is so British, and I love it! The romance is definitely at the forefront, but it isn't just fluffy and cute. The characters are complex and have their own struggles to deal with. I always a enjoy a book with positive mental health rep and complicated familial narratives, and Boyfriend Material has both! I love the quick pacing and cheeky writing so much so that Hall has been added to my writers-I'll-always-read list. Also, it's a great book to break a reading slump!

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.25

I just have to give Rogers a big, fat thank you for getting me out of a reading slump with this book! Honey Girl reminded me imposter syndrome is universal, breaks are okay, and found family is the best kind. This book is also a testament to black, queer women having to fight ten times as hard as others do to have the same opportunities, and we must elevate their voices and learn from their stories! As far as the book goes, the writing is beautiful, even if it's a little repetitive, and the coverage of mental health theme is amazing. I do want to make known it is a more contemporary/coming-of-age novel than it is a romance, so don't go in expecting a gooey love story. The romance is patient and mature and definitely worth the wait.