zayzay2's reviews
35 reviews

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It took me a while for me to finish this book and it's such a short book that should have not taken that long, it nearly put me in a reading slump. I'm not sure why it put me in a reading slump I really enjoyed like 70% of the book but as it went on I was interested less and less, it just kept going in my opinion. The main character was hella annoying and I think that's the point she doesn't function like the other women, but either way I kept rolling my eye like 'shut uppp'. But again she was only 15 so it's understandable, moving on to the things I liked THE WRITTING!! it was written so beautifully, loved reading their thought and conclusions on the situation. It made me question a lot, it was some what feministy in some scenes. I enjoyed it but it dragged, also the ending pissed me off what do you mean you don't have any answers to both of our questions?. At the same time the ending was what needed to be done realistically why would she meet another human after all these years, right after she found out her illness it doesn't make sense for someone to come. Love the idea of writing a letter as I believe eventually someone will see her, just like she saw the other people and she needed to share her story. Overall not a bad book but the hype confuses me but at the same time I can admit when a book was just not me, it can be for other and they can love it but it was just not made for me and that's okay.

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Just finished this book, I read this in one sitting. It actually got me emotional which I was not expecting, it is the shortest book I've read and it will be very memorable I know it!!. Beautiful writing, I honestly couldn't tell sometimes if the story was real or in he's her but either way it was interesting to read. The last 2 pages made me tear up, being old and your mind not being with you is a scary thought and it was portrayed very well. Loved he's relationship with Norah it was beautiful, I'm glad at the end of the book he reflects on he's parenting and what he regretted and got the chance to express it before he passed. So glad I read this book, very easy read and emotional but worth it. 

Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Did not finish book.

I read the start of this book 2021 don't remember most of it. All I remember was it being boring and slow to the point it got me in a reading slump. Something to do with kidnaping and it just wasn't for me. I might read again in the future if it does not romanticise the kidnaping and the man like dark romances do, if it's an actually story of her kidnaping story and her escaping or dying fighting to leave then I'm down to read again. I'm a mood reader wasn't in the mood to read this at that time but maybe 2025 I will pick it up again, we shall see.   

Prickly Romance by Nia Arthurs

adventurous lighthearted medium-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

4.0

Jut finished this book, finished it in 2 days it was 600 pages long on my phone which is where I read it, found this book on TikTok thought why not give it a try ? I said I would never trust TikTok recommendations again. It wasn't bad at all I enjoyed it a lot, I don't usually read light hearted romances as this yr I have gotten into more deeper and harder books. It was a fun read, the tension and yearning was perfecttt. Love the cultural differences as I've never read a book with a East Asian and black as main characters it was a first. It didn't read like a wattpad which is good, it was at times cringe with the pet name 'kitten' but I'll look over that as the main female character I really liked as well as the male lead. I just didn't like the him at the end of the book when he couldn't Stand up for he's gf to he's ex-wife, like BOY say your not interested and never will be ? he finally did but that was needed the moment she moved in and started rubbing it in Dejonae's face. The daughter is adorable, again haven't read a single dad trope before, I liked that he wasn't an asshole the whole book till the end when he 'he fell in love'. They had a first bad impression but once she started working for him he started treating her right before they even had something going. It was defo a slow burn when it comes to their relationship build up which I liked, like they weren't fucking in first 50 pages which lead to them to yearn for each other. 4  or 5 stars in romance is different from a non-fiction 4 or 5 starts.  

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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

4.75

THE WRITTING ??? AMAZING.  just finished this book and I couldn't put it down, I didn't know the writing style was so lyrical and poetic like. Was hard to get into at the start since I didn't know the writing style was such but after a while I got use to it. Talks about the black experience, being a black boy, police brutality, feeling suffocated, not being able to share and not knowing the words to say it, black love, loss, death, grief, being seen and not being seen. So much was talked about, resented with a lot of this book, beautifully written and executed. Was surprised to know this is he's first novel, can't wait to explore more of he's work!! Also loved the playlist for this book, I listened to it on repeat will be stealing the songs and adding them to my playlist hehe 

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? N/A

5.0

Just finished this book, I don't cry reading books but this book make me sob. It is real and raw, I read the authors notes and that resonated with me with people being seen as numbers and not individuals and humans. Also not looking at them as just the trauma  but much more, people with stories, dreams, humour and more. 'that message is hope' 'And I hope you carry it in your heart' was beautifully said. This resonated with me as my mom went through a civil war and this reminded me of what she went through at just the age 15yrs, any country that is going through what these characters are going through gets me every time as it is a continuous event, every year we hear the numbers and that's it. No one looks into who is really to blame for the state of the country or the world but just blame the people who are really the victims of the situation which angers me. Anyways love this book top to bottom, will see if this author has more books and check them out. The pace of the book was not too slow or too fast, the writing was beautiful I tabbed so much this book, the imagery I felt like I was there, the romance was beautiful and found family is elite. LOVE LOVE! 

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.0

I just saw someone read this on this app and it I thought 'this looks familiar' , I realised I read this book last year not sure what month. If people enjoyed this that's great, I think it's time for me to accept dark romances aren't for me and never will be. For me most of the male leads give the same vibe and remind me of each other, from what I can remember she falls in love with the inmate and some how he escapes if I'm not wrong and she helps. I don't remember much of the plot, it just doesn't seem realistic to me to fall in love with an inmate as someone who works to protect them and know they're criminals who need to do their time and hopefully get back into society. For dark romances there has to be the following for it to be a dark romance stalking, mafia, serial killer, borderland abuse and sometime straight up abuse. A lot of authors don't address the abuse or some cases the rape/SA as wrong or something someone who loves you shouldn't do. This leads to readers romanticising the ml and making me hate dark romance audience as well as the writer for publishing abuse rapped up in romance. The mafia I get as it isn't realistic, we don't see mafias everyday and it can't be romanticised in real life as I HOPE most people know mafias are not the same in real life  as they are in the books. Stalking okay do you I guess ? BUT abuse and rape/SA and trying to make him hot ?? fuck no. End of rant lol 

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I didn't finish this book I DNF'd it 75% in, I couldn't finish it. It nearly got me into a reading slump I had to DNF it, I understood what the reader was trying to do but the book was just not for me and that's okay. The hype I just don't get, the character I understand Is meant to be unlikeable and your meant to not like her and fin her funny and even thought I related to the depression and the feeling of numbness she felt I still didn't like the book. I couldn't finish the book, I could finish A little life but not this ? they are both dark books A little life is worse and I finished that, what does that say ? I found the book boring, no plot, not much character development, didn't even like Neva, non of them, at least if the characters were interesting and bad people I would enjoy the book but they were just BORING. If this is one the book the girlies are saying is a 'hot girl book' then they got me fucked up, I skimmed through the rest of the book and saw the character development in the last page of her saying ' My sleep worked. I was soft and calm and felt things. This was good. This is my life now . I could survive without the house.' I just don't understand what changed and I honestly don't care, I just couldn't go on reading this book. The things I like about this book since I gave it a 2 stars, the writing style I enjoyed and liked, the character was kind of funny but mostly annoying. The descriptions of the depression and numbness was spot on, her trying to sleep the depression of was so real felt honestly!! Overall wouldn't recommend but each to their own. 

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark mysterious medium-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

3.0

I knew what this would talk about, I have seen everyone read and talk about it. When I started reading I didn't realise how graphic it would be with talking about the canabalism it was disturbing. I'm not the type to get too grossed out so it wouldn't DNF a book because of that, the characters were grey and I usually enjoy that  more than 'good' characters. The main ml was annoying half way the book till the end, I was sick of the sister I hoped he would cut her off honestly she got on my neves. When he got the women pregnenant I was shocked honestly, he usually followed rules and I thought he would never commit such a crime but he did and I was disappointed but that's the point of 'grey' characters they are complicated beings. Before I got the end I thought of a plan for him when it came to the baby, I thought to my self the best thing to do is tell the wife that 'we will rase the kid as our own and get rid of the other women'. The way I saw it either he, the baby and the women would be killed for the crime or he would have to kill her, take the kid and rase it as he's and he's wife as they already lost a child and this can be their second chance even thought it's unfair and unethical. I didn't like the fact that he had sex with the women as I didn't think it could ever be consensual, the other women doesn't even know how to shower, hold a door, open the fridge and he thought having sex with someone who might as well have a Childs brain was okay ? that was very unethical to me. He should have never had sex with her but since he did I thought what he did was the smartest, even thought all of it is wrong the world they live in is wrong, what they do day to day is wrong, everything is wrong so where do we draw the line. In the last chapter the women gives birth to the child and he's wife is holding him, he says he's staying with us and the wife says 'what should we call you?'. He killed the women and it was obvious that was the smartest way to get out of this otherwise he would have be caught and he would be in the saloughter house with the women and the child. He was very obsessed with the idea of the child and not jasmine, he wanted another child since he's other child died. I liked the pace of the book, the writing, the concept of him not participating in the cannibalism but also still having he's hand in it as he works in the slaughterhouse. Interesting book over all shows us how far we would go as humans if everyone does something we are too afraid to stand out so most people follow, he didn't believe the animals had a virus therefore it shows it's a fear tactic and everyone follows what the government said and no one suspects the governments involvement maybe they do but are too afraid to speak up. Also shows how easy the world can change as the shift of them eating animals and not too long them eating humans and normalising it like it's a chill thing shows how fast the world and people can change. scary thought but true. 

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

adventurous mysterious

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

2.75

This is the book that got me into reading, it was the first book I read as an adult that allowed me to read more books and got me in to reading. I read one more book before this but it was a few years before this, it didn't expand my book reading but this one did . I clearly liked and enjoyed this book as it made me want to read more and get into book properly, I enjoyed the mystery and the suspense, I was on my toes while reading it, I honestly couldn't figure out the killer and was confused kept switching the characters that I accused. I enjoyed the characters relationships, I don't remember much since it was 3/4 years ago but I remember enjoying the connections some of the characters had, I remember there was a gay character who at the time was a DL which was interesting to see and how that went and if they would be outed. All the characters had secrets they were hiding and I remember being shocked at some of them and not at some but enjoyed the ravel regardless,  it was my starter to mystery and Crime. It wasn't a morning book and I didn't have any of the main chatterers I remember some of the characters that I had a issue with when they did something, but overall they were all decent high school students who got thrown into a murder mystery.