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thebooknookgroup's reviews
14 reviews
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Synopsis:
Three girls are thrown together by somber circumstances.
- Zara's sister has been murdered and she is determined to not only find the killer but resurrect her sister. She can't let this be her end.
- Jude has lived a life of privilege. Even now, exiled by her family, her decrepit life is bankrolled by her father. She's determined to get back in his good graces, which means she absolutely has to dig out the foul, festering, magical demon curse eating her body from the inside out.
- Emer is a witch in hiding - has been since her entire coven and family were murdered in front of her eyes at 7 years old. More specifically, she's a cursewriter. Emer helps women reclaim power and safety that has been taken from them.
Women across London are being murdered. Women who tie these three girls together in a hunt for vengeance.
--
Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this! A fast-paced gothic and gritty murder mystery with a uniquely dark magic system.
Things I liked:
- Jude's family is like the HBO TV show Succession: rich, powerful, mysterious, emotionally stunted, and toxic. Loved it!
- The beginning hooked super well and didn't let up the gas. I thought this was really well-paced.
- Loved the grit. A demonic magic system that requires a lot of bloodletting with a blood bath finale I couldn't look away from.
- I really like how the romance unfurled. It was more of an undertone throughout the entire book and then seamlessly became a beautifully executed subplot.
Things I didn't like:
- Unsure how I feel about the glorification of demon magic and soul-demon tethers but we'll look past that for now.
- For bullet above I don't love that this book is marketed young adult. I wouldn't suggest it to a younger audience. It is pretty violent and graphic.
- The timeline was confusing at the beginning. I had to go back and start again to make sure I understood the events correctly.
- I wish the big reveal at the end was explained in more detail. Why things happened the way they did.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! Will definitely pick up another by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Vomit
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️ audiobook!
I won’t lie, I was disappointed. ☹️ Having read Happy Place first and loving it, my expectations were high.
Things I liked:
- The cute setting of Sunshine Falls. I love a small town romance.
- The story centering around a love for books.
- That the main character (Nora) is a selfless workaholic driven by survival instincts who is too afraid to ask for too much of the world.
- The quick pace!
- The audiobook narrator! Julia Whalen always kills it.
Things I didn’t like:
- The love interest (Charlie) seemed two-dimensional. I wish he had more nuance to him. More personality.
- All of the side characters were quite flat. I wish Libby specifically had more dimension to her.
- I found the plot to be a bit drab. I didn’t feel a drive to keep listening. There could have been more tension, more obstacles, more conflict. Just more…
- More time could have been spent on building Nora and Charlie’s connection. I couldn’t really buy into their romance. I can’t quite put my finger on what is missing, but it felt disconnected.
I will definitely still read Henry’s future books, but I don’t think I’ll read any more of her current works
I won’t lie, I was disappointed. ☹️ Having read Happy Place first and loving it, my expectations were high.
Things I liked:
- The cute setting of Sunshine Falls. I love a small town romance.
- The story centering around a love for books.
- That the main character (Nora) is a selfless workaholic driven by survival instincts who is too afraid to ask for too much of the world.
- The quick pace!
- The audiobook narrator! Julia Whalen always kills it.
Things I didn’t like:
- The love interest (Charlie) seemed two-dimensional. I wish he had more nuance to him. More personality.
- All of the side characters were quite flat. I wish Libby specifically had more dimension to her.
- I found the plot to be a bit drab. I didn’t feel a drive to keep listening. There could have been more tension, more obstacles, more conflict. Just more…
- More time could have been spent on building Nora and Charlie’s connection. I couldn’t really buy into their romance. I can’t quite put my finger on what is missing, but it felt disconnected.
I will definitely still read Henry’s future books, but I don’t think I’ll read any more of her current works
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Incredibly written! My new comfort read series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: War and Vomit
Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Synopsis:
Meghna and Karthik could not be more different, except that both of their parents set them up on a blind date in the hopes it would lead to an arranged marriage. Karthik agreed to please his mother and dissuade any more uncomfortable marriage conversations. Meghna agreed because she’s tried everything else. She wants a love like her parents have - one that weaves together life, love, affection, adoration, support, and partnership.
Their first meeting is awkward at best and both intend to never see each other again. Except Karthik has an idea. Can he get out of these incessant blind dates by faking an engagement? Play the part, break it off, and his mother would be too sympathetic to resume her persuasions for a while. He dials Meghna and pitches her the plan. She surprisingly agrees because she needs a date to her best friend’s wedding who she’s the Best Man for and also secretly in love with.
Meghna and Karthik start down a path of mutually beneficial agreement and end up somewhere else…
—
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a great debut novel from Naina Kumar! So cute and heartwarming with meaningful and sincere commentary on family dynamics and Indian marriage culture! I loved every bit of it.
I found the plot to be unique, as I’ve never read a romcom involving a fake engagement within the Indian arranged marriage culture. I loved learning about it! The families were so genuine and sweet, yet realistically flawed (as we all are).
I loved how realistic the romance is here. Each character has their own individual issues to work through as they try to be better people and potential partners. I appreciated there being minimal lust/physical scenes, with more time being spent on Meghna and Karthik’s personal introspection and character growth. The dual POV was definitely the right choice here and the transitions were perfect.
All around really enjoyed this novel! Will definitely pick up another novel from Kumar in the future.
Meghna and Karthik could not be more different, except that both of their parents set them up on a blind date in the hopes it would lead to an arranged marriage. Karthik agreed to please his mother and dissuade any more uncomfortable marriage conversations. Meghna agreed because she’s tried everything else. She wants a love like her parents have - one that weaves together life, love, affection, adoration, support, and partnership.
Their first meeting is awkward at best and both intend to never see each other again. Except Karthik has an idea. Can he get out of these incessant blind dates by faking an engagement? Play the part, break it off, and his mother would be too sympathetic to resume her persuasions for a while. He dials Meghna and pitches her the plan. She surprisingly agrees because she needs a date to her best friend’s wedding who she’s the Best Man for and also secretly in love with.
Meghna and Karthik start down a path of mutually beneficial agreement and end up somewhere else…
—
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a great debut novel from Naina Kumar! So cute and heartwarming with meaningful and sincere commentary on family dynamics and Indian marriage culture! I loved every bit of it.
I found the plot to be unique, as I’ve never read a romcom involving a fake engagement within the Indian arranged marriage culture. I loved learning about it! The families were so genuine and sweet, yet realistically flawed (as we all are).
I loved how realistic the romance is here. Each character has their own individual issues to work through as they try to be better people and potential partners. I appreciated there being minimal lust/physical scenes, with more time being spent on Meghna and Karthik’s personal introspection and character growth. The dual POV was definitely the right choice here and the transitions were perfect.
All around really enjoyed this novel! Will definitely pick up another novel from Kumar in the future.
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.0
Summary:
Victor Lawson has always known he was adopted. Quite immediately after birth, actually, his parents were on the run from government authorities and left Victor with his adopted father, Giovanni, in a remote forest. Victor didn't need the story to know he was adopted though, because his father is in fact a robot.
A long time before Victor was born, humans created robots, and those robots created a world without humans. Despite never meeting another of his kind, Victor has never felt alone. He belongs to a family of robots he and his dad have helped repair in their home among the tops of trees.
Shortly after their family grows by one more, tragedy strikes, and they must set off into the unfamiliar world to save one of their own. Together, they must discover if a robot can overwrite its central programming to acknowledge past wrongs and hope for a better future.
--
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall I thought this world and its characters were adorable, amusing, and entertaining. However, I think my opinion of this is affected by my having read House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune before this one. These two books are so similar that I can't resist not comparing them.
Similarities:
- Imaginative world written like a children's story for adults
- Characters are different species/beings
- Found family theme
- Queer romance subplot
- Threat of family separation
- Nature vs. nurture theme
In my opinion, The House in The Cerulean Sea was just all around better. I actually don't think you need to read this one if you've read that. I ran into a big issue with pacing about halfway through (around when the group sets out on a quest), when I felt like I could space out for 5 minutes, come back, and nothing really happened (even on 1.5x speed). I thought I was on a path to a 4-star rating, but my interest never really recovered.
Klune is such a great writer, I just wish this was more unique when compared to his other works. I'm still excited to read Under the Whispering Door and anything else he writes, but this one just fell flat for me.
Victor Lawson has always known he was adopted. Quite immediately after birth, actually, his parents were on the run from government authorities and left Victor with his adopted father, Giovanni, in a remote forest. Victor didn't need the story to know he was adopted though, because his father is in fact a robot.
A long time before Victor was born, humans created robots, and those robots created a world without humans. Despite never meeting another of his kind, Victor has never felt alone. He belongs to a family of robots he and his dad have helped repair in their home among the tops of trees.
Shortly after their family grows by one more, tragedy strikes, and they must set off into the unfamiliar world to save one of their own. Together, they must discover if a robot can overwrite its central programming to acknowledge past wrongs and hope for a better future.
--
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall I thought this world and its characters were adorable, amusing, and entertaining. However, I think my opinion of this is affected by my having read House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune before this one. These two books are so similar that I can't resist not comparing them.
Similarities:
- Imaginative world written like a children's story for adults
- Characters are different species/beings
- Found family theme
- Queer romance subplot
- Threat of family separation
- Nature vs. nurture theme
In my opinion, The House in The Cerulean Sea was just all around better. I actually don't think you need to read this one if you've read that. I ran into a big issue with pacing about halfway through (around when the group sets out on a quest), when I felt like I could space out for 5 minutes, come back, and nothing really happened (even on 1.5x speed). I thought I was on a path to a 4-star rating, but my interest never really recovered.
Klune is such a great writer, I just wish this was more unique when compared to his other works. I'm still excited to read Under the Whispering Door and anything else he writes, but this one just fell flat for me.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you've managed to not know anything more about this book than what I wrote above, I suggest trying to keep it that way. I think this book is best enjoyed not knowing about Snow's trials and tribulations beforehand.
This book is intentionally written and structured very differently than the original trilogy. It is less about Panem, the hunger games, foreshadowing revolution, and the tributes themselves than it is about illustrating the gradual progression of how an innocent child's moral compass can become so distorted over time that we're left with one of the most notorious villains in Young Adult literature.
I may be a bit biased because The Hunger Games is the reason I started reading in the first place, and I read this three years ago when it first came out, but I'll still stand by my 5-star rating. I thought the character progression here was beautifully executed. We get to be inside of Corio's head where his story is super believable. I felt a lull in the plot at times but looking back realized those scenes were important to understanding Snow's development. There was some predictability at points but I actually didn't mind it.
If you're a fan of the original Hunger Games trilogy, this is a must-read. However, I do understand why other readers rated this lower than I did.
This book is intentionally written and structured very differently than the original trilogy. It is less about Panem, the hunger games, foreshadowing revolution, and the tributes themselves than it is about illustrating the gradual progression of how an innocent child's moral compass can become so distorted over time that we're left with one of the most notorious villains in Young Adult literature.
I may be a bit biased because The Hunger Games is the reason I started reading in the first place, and I read this three years ago when it first came out, but I'll still stand by my 5-star rating. I thought the character progression here was beautifully executed. We get to be inside of Corio's head where his story is super believable. I felt a lull in the plot at times but looking back realized those scenes were important to understanding Snow's development. There was some predictability at points but I actually didn't mind it.
If you're a fan of the original Hunger Games trilogy, this is a must-read. However, I do understand why other readers rated this lower than I did.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
had a really hard time sorting out my opinion of this book. I finished this book on 11/18 and wanted to give myself this past week to gain perspective before writing this review.
I will start by saying I did really enjoy about two-thirds of this book. The author’s writing style and dialogue felt really natural for me to read, and I had a hard time putting it down after about 230 pages in. However, the beginning felt slow and the ending put a sour taste in my mouth I can’t seem to shake.
I do think this book could have been a lot stronger. I worry that the writing/editing/publication of this book was rushed in order to appease the fan base and I think the quality suffered a bit. Even though this series has been planned for 5 books from the start, it doesn’t read that way. I felt as though the author was reaching for content and just hoping it wouldn’t punch holes in her plot or character developments. I am hopeful that the third book will exceed my expectations, but I can feel myself growing tired of the repeated discord between the main couple and hope that doesn’t continue for another 600 pages.
Overall, I still recommend this series to you all - especially contemporary romance lovers who want to try reading a fantasy romance. I was entertained by the book and will be eagerly picking up the next one, so 3.5 stars it is for this one!
I will start by saying I did really enjoy about two-thirds of this book. The author’s writing style and dialogue felt really natural for me to read, and I had a hard time putting it down after about 230 pages in. However, the beginning felt slow and the ending put a sour taste in my mouth I can’t seem to shake.
I do think this book could have been a lot stronger. I worry that the writing/editing/publication of this book was rushed in order to appease the fan base and I think the quality suffered a bit. Even though this series has been planned for 5 books from the start, it doesn’t read that way. I felt as though the author was reaching for content and just hoping it wouldn’t punch holes in her plot or character developments. I am hopeful that the third book will exceed my expectations, but I can feel myself growing tired of the repeated discord between the main couple and hope that doesn’t continue for another 600 pages.
Overall, I still recommend this series to you all - especially contemporary romance lovers who want to try reading a fantasy romance. I was entertained by the book and will be eagerly picking up the next one, so 3.5 stars it is for this one!
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This book is comprised of 3 novellas, each by a different author. I thought it was cute, but didn't particularly enjoy it any more than that. A lot of the humor in it didn't age well and characters spend a good chunk of their time hating on or shamelessly drooling over a group of cheerleaders which I thought was way too cliché.
Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
At the beginning I really liked this book. I knew next to nothing going into this book and when I realized it was a murder mystery I couldn't put it down. I liked the writing and connection to honey bees. That is, until about a quarter way through the book when the novelty wore off for me. I began skimming sections and pages. It went downhill from there for me. Not only did the plot become a bit predictable, but it seemed like the author was stuffing as many social issues into it as she could. I really do tend to enjoy books that tastefully/artfully address important social topics, but here it just felt like the author was trying too hard. It was one after another with more honey bee facts sprinkled in between. This will sit at three stars for me because I can understand why others like this book - it just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Self harm
Minor: Abortion and Transphobia
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.75
This was a very light and easy read for me. This is a story of a young boy and girl who are on very different paths in life with one gruesome thing in common: dead bodies. I think many different age groups could enjoy this book, not just young adult. This was an easy weekend read for me that I enjoyed! I haven't yet read its sequel, Immortality: A Love Story, but I would like to soon!
I rated it three stars because I felt like there wasn't a lot for me to sink my teeth into, but it was enjoyable nonetheless!
I rated it three stars because I felt like there wasn't a lot for me to sink my teeth into, but it was enjoyable nonetheless!