Scan barcode
writervid's reviews
129 reviews
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
3.0
3.5/5
I started this book with absolutely no expectations other than a pretty cover and YA hype. I had figured there would be strong female relationships based on the title and the blurbs (that blocked out the summary in the information tab!) on Overdrive. The book did, in fact, deliver on all three counts. I loved the characters and how well rounded they were, but particularly the way they interacted. Women were supportive of each other and had complex, interesting relationships and friendships, and the author did an excellent job at creating a cast that seemed larger than it could be by introducing various side characters and having them interact with the main cast. I also enjoyed the writing style quite a bit, although I think it could have differentiated between the two characters more (though I did appreciate the use of a different writing style when the Tox took hold. That was a nice touch.)
However, despite these strengths and the promise of an interesting world, I wanted more. There were too many questions about the causes of the Tox left open at the end of the book, and a pacing issue or two. I wanted to know more of the WHY of the Tox, the nitty-gritty that is clearly there, but it wasn't divulged at all. I wanted a slower ending and the ability to explore. The characters made sense (although a relationship or two felt somewhat dropped to me, and without as much discussion as it merited), and the writing style was strong, but there was so much that was teased but wasn't delivered, and so much introduced but not fully explained.
I started this book with absolutely no expectations other than a pretty cover and YA hype. I had figured there would be strong female relationships based on the title and the blurbs (that blocked out the summary in the information tab!) on Overdrive. The book did, in fact, deliver on all three counts. I loved the characters and how well rounded they were, but particularly the way they interacted. Women were supportive of each other and had complex, interesting relationships and friendships, and the author did an excellent job at creating a cast that seemed larger than it could be by introducing various side characters and having them interact with the main cast. I also enjoyed the writing style quite a bit, although I think it could have differentiated between the two characters more (though I did appreciate the use of a different writing style when the Tox took hold. That was a nice touch.)
However, despite these strengths and the promise of an interesting world, I wanted more. There were too many questions about the causes of the Tox left open at the end of the book, and a pacing issue or two. I wanted to know more of the WHY of the Tox, the nitty-gritty that is clearly there, but it wasn't divulged at all. I wanted a slower ending and the ability to explore. The characters made sense (although a relationship or two felt somewhat dropped to me, and without as much discussion as it merited), and the writing style was strong, but there was so much that was teased but wasn't delivered, and so much introduced but not fully explained.
Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke
5.0
*potential slight spoiler below?*
Oh, this was so much fun. So funny. So real. I read the whole thing in a plane ride (which it makes it sound less impressive when I say I read it in a sitting but. Whatever.)
For starters, the characters were incredible, especially Jane. Her sense of humor felt the most honest to a teenager I've read recently, and her nihilistic take on the world was accurate, relatable, and in character. I appreciated her variety of tasks, like work and binge watching, and how they made her a well-rounded character. I loved how all her character arc was executed, with her opening up and learning to trust and accept herself on two different levels: publicly, through the House of Orange, and personally, through her relationships with R and her friends and family (and how often do you see family factoring in majorly in contemporary? So refreshing.) The different levels of this character arc made it that much more real, but were perfectly balanced within the story. I also appreciated how side characters had arcs as well, even if they were started later in the book, like Alexander's.
The formatting of the book enhanced it and made it easy to read, and that support felt similar to Adam Silvera's History is All You Love Me (which is a compliment; I loved that book). Jane struggles to be open to other people and comfortable with them, but cracks jokes in her own journal to avoid confronting her own issues. Her learning throughout the book to even approach that was well done in both the style of the book and the arc itself.
I also really enjoyed the reality show plot point, especially how they showed the show skyrocketing from just a few hundred views to local television, and how that impacted their lives, as well as the challenges. I don't have much else to say about it; it was well executed and super fun, especially Jane's little psychology experiment throughout it.
Overall, great. Only complaint was a slow down in pacing when Jane's motivation changed. I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend.
Oh, this was so much fun. So funny. So real. I read the whole thing in a plane ride (which it makes it sound less impressive when I say I read it in a sitting but. Whatever.)
For starters, the characters were incredible, especially Jane. Her sense of humor felt the most honest to a teenager I've read recently, and her nihilistic take on the world was accurate, relatable, and in character. I appreciated her variety of tasks, like work and binge watching, and how they made her a well-rounded character. I loved how all her character arc was executed, with her opening up and learning to trust and accept herself on two different levels: publicly, through the House of Orange, and personally, through her relationships with R and her friends and family (and how often do you see family factoring in majorly in contemporary? So refreshing.) The different levels of this character arc made it that much more real, but were perfectly balanced within the story. I also appreciated how side characters had arcs as well, even if they were started later in the book, like Alexander's.
The formatting of the book enhanced it and made it easy to read, and that support felt similar to Adam Silvera's History is All You Love Me (which is a compliment; I loved that book). Jane struggles to be open to other people and comfortable with them, but cracks jokes in her own journal to avoid confronting her own issues. Her learning throughout the book to even approach that was well done in both the style of the book and the arc itself.
I also really enjoyed the reality show plot point, especially how they showed the show skyrocketing from just a few hundred views to local television, and how that impacted their lives, as well as the challenges. I don't have much else to say about it; it was well executed and super fun, especially Jane's little psychology experiment throughout it.
Overall, great. Only complaint was a slow down in pacing when Jane's motivation changed. I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend.
Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau
3.0
This book was a very interesting mix of things I appreciated and things I absolutely did not. I loved Carys' character; she was dynamic and had clear motivations, and was extremely balanced. On the other hand, I DESPISED Andreus. He was so dumb, so easily manipulated, so callous, and had no morals. Do I necessarily like overtly moral characters? No. Do I like them to not be heartless imbeciles? Yes. As a result of this dynamic, one half of the book was fun and interesting to read, and the other half, I groaned at the perspective.
A similar balance lies in the writing style and court intrigue. I loved the different ways lies stacked up and no one could be trusted to be reliable (court intrigue!! yay!!) However, the literal nature of the twist and the prophecy irritated me, and the writing style and story elements felt like something I had seen too many times before.
A similar balance lies in the writing style and court intrigue. I loved the different ways lies stacked up and no one could be trusted to be reliable (court intrigue!! yay!!) However, the literal nature of the twist and the prophecy irritated me, and the writing style and story elements felt like something I had seen too many times before.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
5.0
Enemies to friends to lovers?
Love letters?
Requited pining?
Political intrigue?
Forbidden romance?
Check, check, check, check, and check. The complex and exciting relationship between our two main characters was perfect (and gay!), and fulfilled SO many of my favorite tropes. However, I can't just assess a book on how much it makes me feel, so I'll talk about the fantastic characters and humor established. Each character has a distinct character motivation and style of dialogue, and none are just there to fulfill an archetype, creating a realistic world populated by characters who felt real. All of these characters mesh together in different ways to create humor that literally had me laughing out loud throughout the book. The pacing sucks you in fast--I finished it in a day--and Chekhov's gun is used extremely well. The only thing that ever threw me for a loop was the story being told entirely in present third, but I got used to it after a chapter or two.
What struck most about this book was how much of a story of hope this is. It is the belief that people do things for the right reasons, that we can right the wrongs in the world, that despite adversity, good wins. McQuiston parallels this across many levels of life beautifully, making it that much more relevant to all readers. I want hope. I want to believe those things. And while reading this book, I did.
Love letters?
Requited pining?
Political intrigue?
Forbidden romance?
Check, check, check, check, and check. The complex and exciting relationship between our two main characters was perfect (and gay!), and fulfilled SO many of my favorite tropes. However, I can't just assess a book on how much it makes me feel, so I'll talk about the fantastic characters and humor established. Each character has a distinct character motivation and style of dialogue, and none are just there to fulfill an archetype, creating a realistic world populated by characters who felt real. All of these characters mesh together in different ways to create humor that literally had me laughing out loud throughout the book. The pacing sucks you in fast--I finished it in a day--and Chekhov's gun is used extremely well. The only thing that ever threw me for a loop was the story being told entirely in present third, but I got used to it after a chapter or two.
What struck most about this book was how much of a story of hope this is. It is the belief that people do things for the right reasons, that we can right the wrongs in the world, that despite adversity, good wins. McQuiston parallels this across many levels of life beautifully, making it that much more relevant to all readers. I want hope. I want to believe those things. And while reading this book, I did.
Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
2.0
Well. This was a time.
I wasn't expecting much outside of an easy read, to be honest, although I was looking forward to the idea of traveling via book (which I didn't feel much like I did? But I digress). So my experience with this will be summed up via short fun lists:
THINGS I LIKED
- I appreciated that there was a clear separation in voice and growth from 2011 to 2017 in Shane. I think that was necessary, and I deeply enjoyed it.
- The dialogue flowed well. Did I like all of it? No. Was it paced pretty well and did it keep me remarkably sucked in? Yes.
- I liked the emphasis on the parental relationships; I think so many books can overlook that, and to look at the pressure behind the relationships and the complicated emotions that come with that was interesting, and pretty decently done, even if the full issues with the relationship aren't addressed.
- The overall premise isn't bad, just cliche.
THINGS THAT LACKED
- I really couldn't stand Shane Primaveri. I tend to like unlikeable characters, but. God. She read like a high school freshman despite being in college, and seemed like someone who would view themselves as "not like other girls," despite having the same set of interests as many in the mainstream in 2011. While this could just be me, I don't think it was. There weren't really emotional levels or depths to her character--she was always just so happy! lost! we're in 2011!
- Shane's motivations seemed all over the place. Why is she obsessed with Pilot after meeting him--and why did that supercede her stepping out of her comfort zone? Why was she still that into him six years later? Speaking of the love interest, who names their child Pilot?
- If you're going to do a travel book, have us travel with you. I don't just want to know that pasta is packaged differently; I want to know what it FEELS like in that new place.
- Emotional cheating???
- Why the magical element?
- This is clearly a wish fulfillment book. I've watched like 2 of Christine's videos, and this is clearly her writing herself fan fiction. And that's fine, do what you will! But if it's published traditionally, I shouldn't be able to tell so clearly that you're writing yourself into a character, and your dreams and wishes into a character's life.
I wasn't expecting much outside of an easy read, to be honest, although I was looking forward to the idea of traveling via book (which I didn't feel much like I did? But I digress). So my experience with this will be summed up via short fun lists:
THINGS I LIKED
- I appreciated that there was a clear separation in voice and growth from 2011 to 2017 in Shane. I think that was necessary, and I deeply enjoyed it.
- The dialogue flowed well. Did I like all of it? No. Was it paced pretty well and did it keep me remarkably sucked in? Yes.
- I liked the emphasis on the parental relationships; I think so many books can overlook that, and to look at the pressure behind the relationships and the complicated emotions that come with that was interesting, and pretty decently done, even if the full issues with the relationship aren't addressed.
- The overall premise isn't bad, just cliche.
THINGS THAT LACKED
- I really couldn't stand Shane Primaveri. I tend to like unlikeable characters, but. God. She read like a high school freshman despite being in college, and seemed like someone who would view themselves as "not like other girls," despite having the same set of interests as many in the mainstream in 2011. While this could just be me, I don't think it was. There weren't really emotional levels or depths to her character--she was always just so happy! lost! we're in 2011!
- Shane's motivations seemed all over the place. Why is she obsessed with Pilot after meeting him--and why did that supercede her stepping out of her comfort zone? Why was she still that into him six years later? Speaking of the love interest, who names their child Pilot?
- If you're going to do a travel book, have us travel with you. I don't just want to know that pasta is packaged differently; I want to know what it FEELS like in that new place.
- Emotional cheating???
- Why the magical element?
- This is clearly a wish fulfillment book. I've watched like 2 of Christine's videos, and this is clearly her writing herself fan fiction. And that's fine, do what you will! But if it's published traditionally, I shouldn't be able to tell so clearly that you're writing yourself into a character, and your dreams and wishes into a character's life.
I Hate Everyone But You by Allison Raskin, Gabe Dunn
3.0
3.5/5
This book was such a cute and easy read! Its strong suits lay in character development, diction, and the relationships expressed, but the most major points go to the way the main characters communicated. I haven't seen my best friend in three years; all of our conversation goes through chats and texts and the like. Reading this book was like looking into a mirror at that way of communicating, and felt so genuine. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
This book was such a cute and easy read! Its strong suits lay in character development, diction, and the relationships expressed, but the most major points go to the way the main characters communicated. I haven't seen my best friend in three years; all of our conversation goes through chats and texts and the like. Reading this book was like looking into a mirror at that way of communicating, and felt so genuine. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
5.0
HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE.
I don't know what I can say that any other reviewer hasn't already said. The worldbuilding, characters, themes, and the character arcs are all incredible. Kuang consistently raises the stakes throughout---extremely hard to do in a book about the humanity of war and genocide. I cannot wait to read the next installment; I sure hope it's available on Overdrive.
I don't know what I can say that any other reviewer hasn't already said. The worldbuilding, characters, themes, and the character arcs are all incredible. Kuang consistently raises the stakes throughout---extremely hard to do in a book about the humanity of war and genocide. I cannot wait to read the next installment; I sure hope it's available on Overdrive.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
5.0
I have been feeling feeling a type of way ever since I finished this book.
I don't think I can fully go into it now, but here are a few things. The first is that Toni Morrison knows how to WRITE, how to lay the words on the page so they strike true and make meaning. The second is that her understanding of the human spirit and her expression of it on the page is one of the best I've ever read, and the way she creates each character's arc and completes it (or doesn't) is phenomenal. The third is that this is one of those rare books that demands from the reader both the capability to think and to feel, and reminds us of the necessity of both. The fourth is that I wish my English class hadn't sped through this so I could savor it more deeply.
I don't think I can fully go into it now, but here are a few things. The first is that Toni Morrison knows how to WRITE, how to lay the words on the page so they strike true and make meaning. The second is that her understanding of the human spirit and her expression of it on the page is one of the best I've ever read, and the way she creates each character's arc and completes it (or doesn't) is phenomenal. The third is that this is one of those rare books that demands from the reader both the capability to think and to feel, and reminds us of the necessity of both. The fourth is that I wish my English class hadn't sped through this so I could savor it more deeply.