Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Place Beyond Her Dreams in exchange for an honest review.
In theory this book isn't my type, but AThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Place Beyond Her Dreams in exchange for an honest review.
In theory this book isn't my type, but Aligwekwe's handles it so well that I was surprised to find myself thoroughly invested from beginning to end.
The Place Beyond her Dreams is a high-society romance with fantasy overtones set in Africa with some heavy religious overtones and considering I tend to stay away from high-society dramas and am not religious, I figured I'd picked up a bad book for my personal tastes and would slug through it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how wrapped up I got in this story. The ending is a tad rushed but other than that, this is a really immersive, unique story. If I liked it even though this is the exact type of story I normally flee from, then that means that if this is normally your genre, you've definitely got to give this one a shot.
Merged review:
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Place Beyond Her Dreams in exchange for an honest review.
In theory this book isn't my type, but Aligwekwe's handles it so well that I was surprised to find myself thoroughly invested from beginning to end.
The Place Beyond her Dreams is a high-society romance with fantasy overtones set in Africa with some heavy religious overtones and considering I tend to stay away from high-society dramas and am not religious, I figured I'd picked up a bad book for my personal tastes and would slug through it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how wrapped up I got in this story. The ending is a tad rushed but other than that, this is a really immersive, unique story. If I liked it even though this is the exact type of story I normally flee from, then that means that if this is normally your genre, you've definitely got to give this one a shot....more
I feel like I would have loved Plain Bad Heroines if I took more time with it and it's time jumps but I unfortunately read this during exams when my 1I feel like I would have loved Plain Bad Heroines if I took more time with it and it's time jumps but I unfortunately read this during exams when my 1.5 braincells were already working overtime. Maybe I'll reread it later....more
I'm so intrigued? Also are they allowed to just... make the villain Apple? I feel like apple would be a tad mad to be portrayed as a world destroying I'm so intrigued? Also are they allowed to just... make the villain Apple? I feel like apple would be a tad mad to be portrayed as a world destroying demonic entity but it sure makes for some fun comics....more
Malinda Lo's versatility as an author? Absolutely unparalleled. This is only the 2nd one of her books I've read but I loved and disliked it for all thMalinda Lo's versatility as an author? Absolutely unparalleled. This is only the 2nd one of her books I've read but I loved and disliked it for all the opposite reasons I loved and disliked Last Night at the Telegraph club. The plot never lags but the relationship is rushed. The narration is easy to consume and get into but I'm not quite sure I like the way the plot developed here. Any who, if I learned anything here it was that you can't judge one Malinda Lo book by another so I'll still probably be reading Ash somewhere down the line if the library gods allow it....more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Survive and Keep Surviving in exchange for an honest review!
I know I sound like a broken record at thThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Survive and Keep Surviving in exchange for an honest review!
I know I sound like a broken record at this point but NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I PRAISE HI-LO BOOKS THAT TACKLE HEAVY SUBJECT MATTER YOU GUYS STILL AREN'T AS OBSESSED WITH THEM AS I AM. It is so important teens be able to see themselves in books regardless of reading level and I hope Mara gives a lot of people a protagonist to find inner strength in....more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Stars Between Us in exchange for an honest review.
Sci-fi that have such easy to understand worldsThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Stars Between Us in exchange for an honest review.
Sci-fi that have such easy to understand worlds that you just get to focus on the characters? Incredible. We love to see it. The Stars Between Us gives me "Dear Daddy Long Legs" vibes but this time it's in space and it somehow works so, so, well? The only thing keeping me from giving it a higher rating is that I spent a lot of the book unable to stand Vika but I think I finally started to come around to her near the end....more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Myracles in the Void in exchange for an honest review!
I had this down as an 11/17 in my reading spreaThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Myracles in the Void in exchange for an honest review!
I had this down as an 11/17 in my reading spreadsheet but I read this a week ago and can already barely remember what its about so I think I'm bumping it down to a 10. I don't remember there being anything wrong here and I'm sure there wasn't if I was planning on giving it an 11, I'm guessing it was just so tropey that I'm getting my wires crossed with other things I read this month? Or I'm going through some kind of very isolated memory loss? Send help....more
(Just kidding I'm being very hyperbolic because I'm desperate for goodreads attentioI WOULD DIE FOR TAL.
Most of our POVs though? Made me want to die.
(Just kidding I'm being very hyperbolic because I'm desperate for goodreads attention but the fact this could have been incredible if like half the POVs were cut has me feeling robbed because some of the scenes here rocked)...more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Golden Boys in exhange for an honest review.
I feel like everything Phil Stamper writes is so drasticaThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Golden Boys in exhange for an honest review.
I feel like everything Phil Stamper writes is so drastically different tonally and I should have known to expect that after the last two books but while there's literally nothing wrong with Golden Boys I think I kept waiting for it to turn into something it was never meant to be. I'd love to read this again when I have a bit more distance between it and my expectations....more
I try not to compare authors' books to each other but I couldn't help but look at every relationship in this and see it kind of like a beta version ofI try not to compare authors' books to each other but I couldn't help but look at every relationship in this and see it kind of like a beta version of the relationship dynamics in Incendiary? I've never tried to ship everyone just being pals in a book as hard as I did with the love triangle in this one Alex definitely had chemistry with both her love interests but it all felt more like platonic chemistry.
The plot itself is really interesting and unique but I feel like this should have been a standalone? We don't really get a strongly developed antagonist and maybe that happens down the line but I think it had to happen here to increase the stakes. ...more
Is this perhaps the second book called When You Get the Chance I've read this year?
Absolutely but it's worth it messing up all of my spreadsheets.
I lIs this perhaps the second book called When You Get the Chance I've read this year?
Absolutely but it's worth it messing up all of my spreadsheets.
I loved this, especially because of its ability to show how varied queer experiences can be through its two POVs. Mark's character flaws felt so important to see. I feel like a lot of time sexuality-queer folk get free passes on messing up when dealing with gender-queer folk and I love that the book goes "No, Mark's a bit of a mess and we're gonna call him out."...more
I love magical allegories for prejudice as much as the next person, but while I appreciate The Witch King's joking tone and how it was able to take awI love magical allegories for prejudice as much as the next person, but while I appreciate The Witch King's joking tone and how it was able to take away from the more potentially triggering and dark scenes in this, I think it also leads to a lot of those allegories... not being allegories? It really irks me when books don't trust their readers so it sucked that every time a "witch prejudice is clearly a standin for homo/transphobic prejudice" Wyatt would almost instantly go "witch prejudice is clearly a standin for homo/transphobic prejudice". Other than that this was really well done, but I was expecting it to be my favourite part of this book and it ended up being my least favourite part....more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Infinite Summer in exchange for an honest review!
I've been fooled by vaguely phrased close femaleThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Infinite Summer in exchange for an honest review!
I've been fooled by vaguely phrased close female friendships in the descriptions of "summer time disfunctional family romances" but this one was actually WLW (the lead is bi) and it was delightful! I normally hate skips forward at the end of books but think this one really added to the fluffy vibe of the romance and besides some occasional pacing issues, this was really enjoyable to read....more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of All Signs Point to Yes in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a cool idea. I'm incredibly biasThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of All Signs Point to Yes in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a cool idea. I'm incredibly biased for thinking the Pieces story was the second best one (because you can't put Mark Oshiro in an anthology without that automatically being the best story) but maybe that means it did a really good job by figuring out exactly what kind of story I was looking for? Regardless, this was a really well compiled and varied anthology....more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Tethered Spirits in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a genuinely unique fantasy? It took Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Tethered Spirits in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a genuinely unique fantasy? It took a while to get into but the cast is so cool and I can now claim to love 2 sentient balls of fire like a cool kid. ...more
A unique snow white sci-fi/ fantasy retelling with a surprise sapphic protagonist? Be still my beating heart (except not literally, probably not the bA unique snow white sci-fi/ fantasy retelling with a surprise sapphic protagonist? Be still my beating heart (except not literally, probably not the best phrase to use in a review for this book).
The plot? Fabulous. I love the emphasis on both the snow white and the stepmother character since I feel like you rarely get that. I love the subtle strength of the romance despite it not taking away from this book's core mother-daughter relationship.
I do think the pacing needs some work, particularly when it comes to things that should have been big reveals. This book is full of them and I don't think any were really ever afforded the proper weight? I honestly think we could have started the book with the snow-white MC already knowing the truth about her conception and it would have been better because of how bluntly and casually the narrative handles that reveal in particular. ...more
I feel like I'm one of the many people who picked this up because of the chokehold Every Last Word had on us as preteens only to be like "oh! this booI feel like I'm one of the many people who picked this up because of the chokehold Every Last Word had on us as preteens only to be like "oh! this book is definitely for people who are religious/ started questioning their religion in high school". Its still good (minus a questionable portrayal of an age & power gap relationship) but its also definitely not for me....more
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Pride and Prejudice: A Retelling in exchange for an honest review.
First off to address the elephant iThanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Pride and Prejudice: A Retelling in exchange for an honest review.
First off to address the elephant in the room, despite what the title claims this isn't a retelling. It's basically the source material being adapted to be shorter and more easily consumable which can be great and I'm sure will be a brilliant tool for those who want to familiarize themselves with P&P without having to physically read all of P&P but as someone who's read it and was expecting a retelling, it was kind of a let down....more