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writervid's reviews
129 reviews
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
3.0
I seriously love Anna Marie Mclemore's writing. It, along with the interesting premise and strong theme, is the reason this is 3 stars. But this had little substance, major plot elements weren't built up too well, and had a very loose structure. It felt similar to Sawkill Girls for me in that I enjoyed the premise and the writing, but the buildup felt off and the twist felt unearned. A solid read, but probably not one I'll pick up again.
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
3.0
Maybe McLemore's writing isn't for me. I am a fan of plot based novels with characters that drive them, and she does the inverse: character based novels that drive plot. It's one of the reasons I was so looking forward to this story; the idea of a structure that they had to oppose excited me, and I looked forward to the many ways they would, especially since I loved the characters and Blanca and Roja's sisterly relationship.
However, the pacing was off. The structure seemed to be thrown in as an afterthought, and the conflicts in the plot were from my least favorite villain: miscommunication. The romantic relationships seemed to be instalove. I couldn't get the build; they all seemed to go too quickly from being strangers with crushes to being in love. Maybe that wasn't the intention, but it seemed like such a short time to form such a deep connection without a lot of intense moments and conversations together, and it didn't feel particularly realistic to me.
I'm disappointed. Did I enjoy this read? Yes. Did I like the characters? Yes. Was it infuriating? Also yes.
However, the pacing was off. The structure seemed to be thrown in as an afterthought, and the conflicts in the plot were from my least favorite villain: miscommunication. The romantic relationships seemed to be instalove. I couldn't get the build; they all seemed to go too quickly from being strangers with crushes to being in love. Maybe that wasn't the intention, but it seemed like such a short time to form such a deep connection without a lot of intense moments and conversations together, and it didn't feel particularly realistic to me.
I'm disappointed. Did I enjoy this read? Yes. Did I like the characters? Yes. Was it infuriating? Also yes.
The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
4.0
I don't really have a lot to say.
My heart hurts. This book feels like so much of humanity. It is very beautiful. The ending wrapped up a bit easily, and the transitions between characters could be a bit choppy, but these characters. This setting. The way that every story influenced another, that strangers could change each others' lives. This was wonderful.
My heart hurts. This book feels like so much of humanity. It is very beautiful. The ending wrapped up a bit easily, and the transitions between characters could be a bit choppy, but these characters. This setting. The way that every story influenced another, that strangers could change each others' lives. This was wonderful.
Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody, Joanne Rendell
4.0
4/5
I entered this book fully aware that I was going to like it. As a teenage Les Mis fan, I am fully aware I am the target audience, and had the pleasure of hearing about the book well before it was released and breaking out into One Day More right in front of Jessica Brody. I think it did a fantastic job at adapting the source material (s). I loved the development given to Alouette, and how realistic Chatine's voice was. Similarly, I thought Marcellus' arc was extremely well executed. I was also a sucker for the worldbuilding, and all the references to the French Revolution (and I know that the OG correlates to the June Rebellion, but I'm just so down for more historical references). This felt like a realistic world. I loved the little details, like the blood bordels, and the way Chatine's pants are kept together, and how titan works as a modern day commodity.
However, this book did have a few drawbacks. Sometimes the writing style could get a bit melodramatic (every time there was a dramatic fragment after a line, I heard myself groan). I also felt that some of the characterization flip-flopped, particularly with Chatine. She had so many motivations at certain points that I wasn't sure what she was prioritizing, or why. Some things, like the three day deal with her dad, seemed to be forgotten and shoved to the side after they were first mentioned, which made me scratch my head.
Ultimately, a super fun read. I'm looking forward to the sequel. Also, since I have a feeling Mo'll see this, sorry, Morgan, for reading this without you, I just needed a book to read without any pressure.
I entered this book fully aware that I was going to like it. As a teenage Les Mis fan, I am fully aware I am the target audience, and had the pleasure of hearing about the book well before it was released and breaking out into One Day More right in front of Jessica Brody. I think it did a fantastic job at adapting the source material (s). I loved the development given to Alouette, and how realistic Chatine's voice was. Similarly, I thought Marcellus' arc was extremely well executed. I was also a sucker for the worldbuilding, and all the references to the French Revolution (and I know that the OG correlates to the June Rebellion, but I'm just so down for more historical references). This felt like a realistic world. I loved the little details, like the blood bordels, and the way Chatine's pants are kept together, and how titan works as a modern day commodity.
However, this book did have a few drawbacks. Sometimes the writing style could get a bit melodramatic (every time there was a dramatic fragment after a line, I heard myself groan). I also felt that some of the characterization flip-flopped, particularly with Chatine. She had so many motivations at certain points that I wasn't sure what she was prioritizing, or why. Some things, like the three day deal with her dad, seemed to be forgotten and shoved to the side after they were first mentioned, which made me scratch my head.
Ultimately, a super fun read. I'm looking forward to the sequel. Also, since I have a feeling Mo'll see this, sorry, Morgan, for reading this without you, I just needed a book to read without any pressure.
The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson
3.0
It's always fun to read those books that you can finish in a sitting and that remind you of all your favorite tropes and character archetypes (I always forget how much I LOVE requited pining, but...I LOVE REQUITED PINING). They may not always be the most developed conflicts ever, or the most thematically driven books, but God, aren't they fun!