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tinypotatocrisp's Reviews (45)
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this is a five star book to me, but i have slightly bumped my review down in light of things that have came out about author neil gaiman. safe to say i will no longer continue to support him directly, but i will still hold this story and what it means to me close to my heart.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i was honestly so disappointed by this book :( i really enjoyed book lovers when i read it last year, so i was super excited to read henry's other novels, but this one just didn't do it for me. it took me a while to get invested in the story and characters, finally hit a sweet spot towards the middle of the book where i was interested and thought i might end up liking it, but lost interest again and disliked where it went near the end.
i did not find the characters very likable and i found it especially hard to root for january (also who names someone january? june was right there! ugh). her decisions and attitude seem so immature for someone her age, but i will cut her some slack because of her daddy issues. speaking of which, is anyone else sick of the dead parent trope? i know i am :,) january and gus' family troubles and the cult b-plot definitely made this a much more emotional read when i was totally expecting something light, cute, and summery. i mean, they only read on the beach once!! and it's in the epilogue!! you're killing me, henry.
i think my gripes with the plot/characters would've been easier to ignore if i liked the actual romance, but again, it just didn't work for me. didn't care for their style of flirting (the dialogue was so unrealistic and try-hard), wayyyyy too much miscommunication for two grown adults, and the sex scenes totally caught me off guard in a bad way.
overall, i can totally understand why so many people love this, and if you are one of those people, no shame to you. there were some good parts, i loved the side characters, the main characters were redeemable at times, and i appreciate what the cult b-plot was trying to do as well as what henry was trying to do by tackling some heavier topics in this book. i simply could not suspend my disbelief to go along with the overall plot and the romantic tropes aren't for me. this definitely turned me off a bit to henry's wiritng, but i do not think it will not stop me from checking out her other books. i am definitely still curious about some of them and i think she includes very unique and compelling topics in her stories.
i did not find the characters very likable and i found it especially hard to root for january (also who names someone january? june was right there! ugh). her decisions and attitude seem so immature for someone her age, but i will cut her some slack because of her daddy issues. speaking of which, is anyone else sick of the dead parent trope? i know i am :,) january and gus' family troubles and the cult b-plot definitely made this a much more emotional read when i was totally expecting something light, cute, and summery. i mean, they only read on the beach once!! and it's in the epilogue!! you're killing me, henry.
i think my gripes with the plot/characters would've been easier to ignore if i liked the actual romance, but again, it just didn't work for me. didn't care for their style of flirting (the dialogue was so unrealistic and try-hard), wayyyyy too much miscommunication for two grown adults, and the sex scenes totally caught me off guard in a bad way.
overall, i can totally understand why so many people love this, and if you are one of those people, no shame to you. there were some good parts, i loved the side characters, the main characters were redeemable at times, and i appreciate what the cult b-plot was trying to do as well as what henry was trying to do by tackling some heavier topics in this book. i simply could not suspend my disbelief to go along with the overall plot and the romantic tropes aren't for me. this definitely turned me off a bit to henry's wiritng, but i do not think it will not stop me from checking out her other books. i am definitely still curious about some of them and i think she includes very unique and compelling topics in her stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol
so much alcohol, oh my god! there are several scenes where characters drink in order to "gain confidence" or "calm themselves down," or similar reasons that make the alcohol consumption feel like a coping mechanism or that they are dependent on it. i am young and have minimal experience with alcohol but i really felt like these people are borderline alcoholics.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
very great book for learning the basic history and cultural significance of henna. the design of the book itself was absolutely gorgeous and the photography is wonderful as well. i appreciate the inclusion of both traditional and modern designs. great quick read to learn something new!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
very good! definitely scratched my thriller itch. i found myself skimming through some of the longer, rambly passages of science-talk, but overall i enjoyed the first-person narration and our main protagonist. it explores some really interesting and topical issues related to artificial intelligence and the technology they are dealing with such an interesting concept. i felt very immersed in the plot and i love how much detail we get; the book only takes place over seven days and there is so much action packed into it. there was never a lull or time where i where i wanted to put it down. definitely want to check out some of crichton's other novels!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
No
i cannot explain how excited i was when this second installment was announced! ultimately i liked it a bit less than dungeons and drama but it was still very cute and enjoyable. it impacted me emotionally more than i thought it would, but i think that is mostly because of the mental state while i was in while reading. the older sister/little brother dynamic definitely got me :') this is also the first romance i've picked up since i have met and started dating my boyfriend, who i am long distance with, and the cute fluffy scenes honestly just reminded me of him and made me miss him even more.
my one critique is that i think the characters and plot feel a bit less realistic than that of first book. i read a lot of reviews saying that logan seemed too mature for his age, which i slightly agree with. it's definitely not a bad thing to write a mature, respectful love interest in a YA book, though. start 'em young when it comes to high standards for men! the grandma character was also a bit over-the-top, but honestly, she makes the whole book, so i can't hate on her too much. the very ending (minus the epilouge-- loved that) wasn't my favorite but i'm not mad at it and it definitely didn't ruin the story for me or anything.
that aside, i absolutely adore this party/friend group and the family dynamics in this book! i wish sloane and especially mark's characters were a bit more fleshed out but they definitely serve their purpose within the plot. (i may just be biased; i have such a soft spot for sloane. my unbothered enby DM icon <3) it was so nice to see quinn's relationships with all of them blossom throughout the book, especially kashvi. i wish i were an artist because i need fanart of the entire party immediately! loved how grandma was such a driving force in the romance plot, she is such a diva, and quinn's relationship with her little brother was so heartwarming and relatable. i know i said that these characters feel less realistic, but they are so memorable and lovable, so i really can't be too mad.
(p.s.: the bonus scene in this version isn't much to write home about-- if you can read it without buying the book i recommend that. i honestly just saw the shiny, purple cover and just had to have it. no regrets, it looks great on my shelf next to the og version and dungeons and drama! plus, i am supporting an author who i have come to love :))
my one critique is that i think the characters and plot feel a bit less realistic than that of first book. i read a lot of reviews saying that logan seemed too mature for his age, which i slightly agree with. it's definitely not a bad thing to write a mature, respectful love interest in a YA book, though. start 'em young when it comes to high standards for men! the grandma character was also a bit over-the-top, but honestly, she makes the whole book, so i can't hate on her too much. the very ending (minus the epilouge-- loved that) wasn't my favorite but i'm not mad at it and it definitely didn't ruin the story for me or anything.
that aside, i absolutely adore this party/friend group and the family dynamics in this book! i wish sloane and especially mark's characters were a bit more fleshed out but they definitely serve their purpose within the plot. (i may just be biased; i have such a soft spot for sloane. my unbothered enby DM icon <3) it was so nice to see quinn's relationships with all of them blossom throughout the book, especially kashvi. i wish i were an artist because i need fanart of the entire party immediately! loved how grandma was such a driving force in the romance plot, she is such a diva, and quinn's relationship with her little brother was so heartwarming and relatable. i know i said that these characters feel less realistic, but they are so memorable and lovable, so i really can't be too mad.
(p.s.: the bonus scene in this version isn't much to write home about-- if you can read it without buying the book i recommend that. i honestly just saw the shiny, purple cover and just had to have it. no regrets, it looks great on my shelf next to the og version and dungeons and drama! plus, i am supporting an author who i have come to love :))
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Toxic friendship
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
oh man. was convinced this would be super disappointing at first, but i’m glad i kept reading, because wow. definitely teared up on multiple occasions; the references to queer history just made me so happy and henry and alex’s love letters & some of the passages describing their love were just soooo beautiful. also, the political drama was genuinely super interesting and i got so invested in it. all in all, this definitely deserves the hype and i’m so happy i finally gave it a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Sexual harassment
characters being outed is a main plot point, but nothing awful comes out of it (at least not that is mentioned)
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
i didn’t even know that fleabag was originally a play until i came across this on the shelf at work, so i was super excited to read through it. insanely cool to see the journey that this character/story went through to be what it is today; you can just feel the passion that everyone involved has for this project through their words on the pages. absolutely love