tonimreads's reviews
59 reviews

One Of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon

challenging mysterious medium-paced

5.0

This was a great book. I will not give too much info about it as it could give away the plot of the book. If you have read Sky Full of Elephants you should definitely read this book because the ending to this book was so crazy. This might be my top read of 2025. As I type this review I continue to think about this book. I am going to definitely check out her other books she has written. 

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

adventurous emotional medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed reading this book. Deka is definitely one of my fav characters in the book. If you have read Children of Blood and Bone you might like this one. They aren’t similar stories, but they are both African Fantasy though. The way the girls get treated in this book was horrible, but unfortunately it’s something that happens so often to girls and women. Even though this is a YA fantasy, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from this story as an adult reader for sure. This held my attention and it was always hard to put this book down. 

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

This was a reread for me as I read this in 2017 I believe. This follows a futuristic dystopian world where humans are immortal and the only thing that can bring permanent death is a scythe. But with all utopias comes a flaw in the system. My fav scythes were def Scythe Curie and Faraday. Citra and Rowan were great scythe apprentices and learned so much while they were with Scythe Faraday. There is a system that sees everything and it’s called Thunderhead. This is an AI system and it sees everything and knows everything but here’s the kicker: it cannot insert itself into Scythe business at all. This is a great book to read if you enjoy dystopian and futuristic vibes. 

Reel by Kennedy Ryan

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. Canon was such an amazing man to Neevah. Despite Neevah dealing with lupus it didn’t stop Canon from falling in love and I am very happy to have read this book finally. Neevah is definitely stubborn but glad she let Canon love on her. I really loved the way the movie that Neevah was starring in and Canon was the director of was put into the book. I could really see this book come to life. And don’t get me started with Neevah’s sister Terry 😒. If you enjoy romance definitely give this book a go.

How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

4.5

I enjoyed reading this anthology. Each story was either fantasy, sci-fi, or dystopian feels. Each story you were entered into a different world. It kept my attention and making me want more. I’m not sure if this is true but I think a lot of the stories in here deal with her books she has out like The Fifth Season, The City We Became, The Killing Moon, and some of her other books. If that is the case I think it’s dope she did that.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was a great read and I am very happy that I finally picked it up to read it. This to me is a sci-fi dystopian book and when I say I was addicted after reading what these characters could do I needed to keep reading to figure out how the story would end. Let’s just say I am very thankful that there are 2 more books in the series and I can’t wait to read the 2nd one. I will definitely say I loved Alabaster, Syenite, and Innon. There are def some honorable mentions with other characters that were introduced but get ready for a great story. 

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

dark mysterious medium-paced

4.5

I enjoyed this thriller. S.A. Cosby will be def added to my list of auto buy authors. I can’t wait to read the rest of collection. This story follows Titus’s journey trying to figure out who has killed these innocent black girls/boys. It takes place in Charon County and when I say this has a small town racist feel it’s just filled with hate from racists. I enjoyed the play on the history and revisiting the past. Def read if you want a good thriller.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed reading this book as it was adventurous and the world building was simply amazing. I would say my fav character was def Sylah. She took me through at points in the book lol especially with her abuse of joba seeds. 
This follows the journey of Sylah training Anoor how to fight and Anoor teaching Sylah how to bloodwerk. Sylah is an Ember living amongst the Dusters. There are 3 blood types: Embers (red), Dusters (blue), and Ghostings (translucent). Embers are the only blood types that can perform bloodwerk and Dusters and Ghostings are treated like dirt. Ghostings can’t talk and their tongues are cut out and they have to use sign language to communicate. There aren’t a lot of people that can understand them, but I love how Sylah took the time to learn so she can communicate with them. There is so much that has happened historically in this book and the ending shocked me. Give it a read if you love fantasy’s. 

The Oath by T.M. Richardson

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This was a great read into the world of a poly relationship. This does contain spicy moments. I loved how Tatum rediscovered herself and found comfort with Miles, Deacon, and Cassidy. This is not your normal poly romance and I feel as though this poly is taboo. 

Real Girls Get Down by T.M. Richardson

fast-paced

5.0