These books are actually such fun reads. I've read quite a few of the books written by these three authors, and I definitely always enjoy the fun jokeThese books are actually such fun reads. I've read quite a few of the books written by these three authors, and I definitely always enjoy the fun jokes and the breaking of the fourth wall. I found that the book wasn't quite as good as My Lady Jane (speaking of which, I loved seeing some cameos from some of the characters from that book!) but it still had the irreverent humour that I've come to expect from the series.
The plot itself was probably a bit on the weak side, which is why I've rated this book lower than the others. I still obviously enjoyed it, but just found that the main conflict in the plot wasn't as compelling as the previous novels that I've read from these authors. I also personally felt that Ari's story was a bit weaker than the other two, but that might just be because I just really enjoyed reading from the other two's points of view.
Overall, a great addition to the shelf from this author trio. I certainly look forward to any further novels they're planning on releasing.
Last Chance Books is a decent contemporary romance with the well loved trope of enemies to lovers. Main character Madeline and love interest Jasper arLast Chance Books is a decent contemporary romance with the well loved trope of enemies to lovers. Main character Madeline and love interest Jasper are competitors working at different bookstores on the same street, and end up starting a prank war in order to undermine and steal each other's business.
It felt as if there were many aspects of the plot, but that these many subplots were underexplored. One particular aspect was the character development for Jasper. I felt like I was less interested in the romance than I could've been if his character was explored a little further. On the other hand, the story was still a light and quick read, and the banter between the main characters was quite decent.
Overall a cute story that stayed within its comfort zone and therefore lacked some depth in respect to the plot.
This book had such a great concept but I felt overall that there were a fair few things to be improved on. A heist novel with an interracial gay romanThis book had such a great concept but I felt overall that there were a fair few things to be improved on. A heist novel with an interracial gay romance in a fantasy is already pretty novel, but unfortunately, the execution wasn't quite there.
I think the main thing was that the pacing was super slow, and the main quests/adventures themselves weren't really that interesting. The main character was quite well developed, but literally everyone else including the love interest were so poorly developed that I hardly felt interested in anything that happened, including the romance and the main plotline.
Overall, I would probably still say that I enjoyed it, but I don't think I enjoyed it enough that I would re-read or continue on to any sequels.
This book was another great addition to the many fantastic novels that Cynthia Hand has written. I have to say, there was quite a lot of drama; much mThis book was another great addition to the many fantastic novels that Cynthia Hand has written. I have to say, there was quite a lot of drama; much more than I normally like, but somehow it felt reasonable. I think because quite a lot of it was based more so on family drama rather than stupid misunderstandings etc that are often found in romance related drama. To be honest, Ada's attempts at losing her virginity which is pretty heavily focused on in the blurb, is somewhat of a subplot.
Overall, a great novel with much more of a focus on family rather than romance.
I was really surprised when I saw this book on a list for anticipated upcoming books because I had no idea that a new book in this series was being reI was really surprised when I saw this book on a list for anticipated upcoming books because I had no idea that a new book in this series was being released. I'm glad I came across it because this was an excellent addition to the Truly Devious series.
I really like Stevie and how clever she is. And I suppose, by extension, how clever Maureen Johnson is. I often feel that the twists in these books catch me by surprise and the culprits are really not that obvious. I also love the relationships and banter between the main four characters (Stevie, Nate, Janelle and David), and was glad to see the many interactions we got in this installment.
For those who want to read this book first, although it is a standalone story separate from the Truly Devious main trilogy, I would still recommend reading those first. While this book doesn't spoil anything, I feel like the chemistry of the characters and such is better if you understand the backstory. Plus it's a fabulous trilogy, so you should read it anyway!
Overall, The Box in the Woods is highly recommended. Is it too much to hope for more in the series? hehe
The Beholder Duology is a series about the adventures of Selah, the Seneschal-Elect (next leader) of the nation of Potomac. She is sent by her stepmotThe Beholder Duology is a series about the adventures of Selah, the Seneschal-Elect (next leader) of the nation of Potomac. She is sent by her stepmother on a journey overseas to bring back a husband. I think this series started off quite promising but was quickly bogged down by pacing issues and a disproportionate focus on a mediocre romance.
Unfortunately the biggest issue with the series was the horrible pacing. The first book was not as bad in this respect as it had a few interesting events throughout, but I felt in the second book in particular it was really difficult to concentrate on the story. Mostly this was because of the romance. It seemed like initially the author makes an effort to steer the novel away from the romance and focus more on the adventure side of things, with protagonist exploring several new countries. But then the main character has a romance with what seems like every young male character that pops up in the series, with most of these "romances" basically being mediocre instaloves.
I'm not sure I can actually recommend this series. I liked the first book somewhat in its exploration of different countries and cultures, but overall the pacing and the poorly developed romance(s) brought down the adventure aspect of the story.
Yes No Maybe So was a book I was looking forward to as one of the authors, Becky Albertalli, is the author of one of my favourite contemporaries (SimoYes No Maybe So was a book I was looking forward to as one of the authors, Becky Albertalli, is the author of one of my favourite contemporaries (Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda). I really enjoyed the novel overall, but did find the romance a little weak.
I found the novel focused quite strongly on the political aspect of the story. The whole story takes place during the campaigning period for the local political figure, Jordan Rossum (whose position I actually can't remember woops, maybe senator?). So, unsurprisingly, there is a huge focus on policies, and canvassing, and petitioning. The novel comes at an important time in terms of the political climate in the US, and one of the main policies they discuss is a bill that bans the use of any head and face coverings, which is obviously targetting the Muslim population in particular.
The characters bond over their newfound political activism, and develop a relationship which is complicated by their religious differences (Jamie is Jewish and Maya is Muslim). I thought the romance was a bit typical, following a relatively bland trajectory. I felt the resolution of one of the issues in their romance (brought about by another character Gabe) was somewhat poorly executed as well.
Overall, though, I thought it was quite a decent book with great banter between the main characters, and strong, individual points of view. I would recommend the novel if you want some insight into the political process in the US, packaged into lighter read by virtue of the romance.
The Rest of the Story is what I would call a "quiet contemporary". It doesn't have a huge conflict or a big mystery or much action. But it focuses on The Rest of the Story is what I would call a "quiet contemporary". It doesn't have a huge conflict or a big mystery or much action. But it focuses on issues that anyone could relate to and a compelling main character who has interesting thoughts that help drive the plot forward.
Emma Saylor feels split between her two identities as described in the blurb, and split between her two families. The summer in which the novel is set is the first summer that she can properly remember meeting her mother's family and it's a chance for her to explore the environment in which her mother grew up and where her parents met.
The romance was cute but what I appreciated most was that it took a backseat to the more important aspect of the novel in our protagonist's discovery of her identity and her developing relationships with the family that she's never known.
Overall the formula was quite standard Dessen, but it's a formula that works well. If you've liked her other books you will most likely like this one too.
Red, White and Royal Blue was one of the most hyped up contemporary novels of 2019. And I must say, it was definitely quite an impressive debut novel.Red, White and Royal Blue was one of the most hyped up contemporary novels of 2019. And I must say, it was definitely quite an impressive debut novel.
Despite the high class setting and absolutely unrelateable (for me at least) setting of the White House and the Palace and taking international flights every second day and having your schedule planned out by an entire team of staff, the characters and the story itself (at its heart) manages to still be surprisingly relateable. I suppose that's because the book is technically a romance novel, with the same basic progression that most romance novels have. One thing that does stand out is that the banter is absolute top quality, especially the texts and the emails.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for those looking for a fun (and sometimes a little ridiculous) contemporary romance. I feel it would also make quite a good movie.
When I first heard about Emergency Contact I was pretty interested, firstly because the protagonist was a Korean and secondly because the author was aWhen I first heard about Emergency Contact I was pretty interested, firstly because the protagonist was a Korean and secondly because the author was a Korean. The premise of the story sounded pretty good as well- I love the trope of getting to know someone through technology before finally meeting them in person. I thought overall the book was quite good, although I did also feel that there was a slight lacking in the strength of the plot itself.
I enjoyed reading about Sam and Penny. They're both introverted and have quite unique personalities. The relationships surrounding them were complex, in particular Penny's relationship with her mother and Sam's relationship with his ex-girlfriend. Despite the fluffy looking cover, the story was actually more slice-of-life style with darker themes.
I feel like I should make mention of the Korean "own voices" rep. Disclaimer: I'm a Korean. I found that Penny's narrative voice, despite being written by a Korean, doesn't particularly feel like there was a lot of Korean culture behind it. Honestly, she could have been any race from all the mention of Korean culture there was in the novel. I suppose she was a second generation American born Korean, but even her mother didn't particularly feel Korean. In any case, this wasn't really a huge issue impacting on the story, just a personal slight disappointment that there wasn't a bit more focus on this aspect.
Overall, I thought Emergency Contact was a pretty good read. I would recommend it to those looking for a slightly darker college romance.
Four Dead Queens was a high fantasy novel centred around a thief named Keralie, and her connection to the murders of the four Queens of Quadara.
One thFour Dead Queens was a high fantasy novel centred around a thief named Keralie, and her connection to the murders of the four Queens of Quadara.
One thing I was pretty impressed by was the world building, which was pretty good overall, especially with the various scenes we have from the Queens' perspectives, showing us how the nations' values and points of view differed. I felt that each of the quarters was well fleshed out.
I did feel the only downfall of the novel was the difficulty I had getting more depth from the characters. They were a bit archetypical for the high fantasy genre (although there were definitely some aspects of diversity included, which was great to see).
FDQ is a book that I've seen quite a lot of press about, and it is well deserved. I look forward to seeing any other books Astrid Scholte has to offer in the future.
The Beholder Duology is a series about the adventures of Selah, the Seneschal-Elect (next leader) of the nation of Potomac. She is sent by her stepmotThe Beholder Duology is a series about the adventures of Selah, the Seneschal-Elect (next leader) of the nation of Potomac. She is sent by her stepmother on a journey overseas to bring back a husband. I think this series started off quite promising but was quickly bogged down by pacing issues and a disproportionate focus on a mediocre romance.
Unfortunately the biggest issue with the series was the horrible pacing. The first book was not as bad in this respect as it had a few interesting events throughout, but I felt in the second book in particular it was really difficult to concentrate on the story. Mostly this was because of the romance. It seemed like initially the author makes an effort to steer the novel away from the romance and focus more on the adventure side of things, with protagonist exploring several new countries. But then the main character has a romance with what seems like every young male character that pops up in the series, with most of these "romances" basically being mediocre instaloves.
I'm not sure I can actually recommend this series. I liked the first book somewhat in its exploration of different countries and cultures, but overall the pacing and the poorly developed romance(s) brought down the adventure aspect of the story.
One thing that I really like about Anna Priemaza's books is that they focus on online gaming culture and the incredibly popular streaming community. IOne thing that I really like about Anna Priemaza's books is that they focus on online gaming culture and the incredibly popular streaming community. I myself really enjoy both playing games and watching others play games and I love that her books spotlight this.
Fan the Fame features three quite different people who are connected through the legendary LoTScon, a convention for online game Legends of the Stone. I'm generally quite wary about there being multiple points of view in a contemporary, especially a relatively short book. However, I actually thought all three in this novel were warranted, particularly as they link together quite nicely and represent three quite different people in different stages of their Youtube/streamer careers (or in the case of Lainey, the career of her brother rather than her own).
The novel also touches on a number of other relevant issues, including sexism and mental health. Also quite relevant was examining how streamers should use their "influence" to change the world for the better (or not, in the case of Cody).
Would recommend this book to someone looking for a contemporary novel focusing on the seldom represented aspects of gaming culture.
I had never heard of Genesis until it was recommended to me by my friend Stephen. It just so happened that I enjoy reading books about AI, and that I I had never heard of Genesis until it was recommended to me by my friend Stephen. It just so happened that I enjoy reading books about AI, and that I was taking part in a book challenge where Genesis fit one of the prompts that I was struggling to find a book for, so I grabbed the book from the library and got started.
Genesis is quite short , but I felt that it was the perfect length for the story that was told. It's mostly written in dialogue of Anax presenting to the examiners of the Academy, but the lack of quotation marks makes it feel rather like a stream of consciousness style of prose. I'm actually going to dive straight into major spoiler territory to continue this review, although it's probably going to be more of a discussion rather than an actual review.
(view spoiler)[While I did expect certain aspects of the twists, like the fact that Anax was an AI, I definitely didn't expect that the entire Academy was simply a charade to root out any AIs that realised that they had free will. Books about AI seriously fascinate me, and the fact that here, the "Idea" that they have free will is treated like a virus and any infected AI is executed- it's so difficult to consider the ethics of such a situation. I mean, I guess the three Academy members (and whoever else they hire) to root out the dangerous AIs feel that they're above all the other AI and even though they know they have free will, somehow they're allowed to go on to police everyone else? Sort of in the sense that they're playing God. They're controlling this fake utopia by removing anyone who threatens the "peace" of the world. And the fact that the character is named Adam- it's like this weird parallel to the Bible where Adam actually kind of plays the role of Lucifer; introducing Art to the concept of the "sin" of free will. This is definitely the type of book that could be studied in English lessons at high school. (hide spoiler)]
I would really recommend that everyone give this book a go. The story is such an interesting one, and full of shocking twists. It's only around 150 pages or so, but brings up so many issues that will leave you pondering for days....more
Set in the future, Navigating the Stars revolves around main character Lyra, and her parents, who are basically space archeologists. I was expecting mSet in the future, Navigating the Stars revolves around main character Lyra, and her parents, who are basically space archeologists. I was expecting more of an adventure/Tomb Raider style novel, especially as it feels like there's a big focus on the terracotta warriors, but instead it felt more like a light sci-fi with more focus on romance and character than action/adventure.
I thought the book was a decent read, but it didn't hold up to the strength of her high fantasy novels. In particular, I felt that her world building was not up to the standard of many other science fiction novels I have read, leaving me wanting a little more foundation to the story. I was especially confused about some aspects of the VR-like technology and how Lyra used "worming" to somehow hack into other systems and repair broken files- this was never explained that well.
Overall, I think this would be an entry level YA science fiction novel.
To be honest, the thing that was most suprising about The Kiss Collector was just how many parties there were throughout the novel. It seemed like theTo be honest, the thing that was most suprising about The Kiss Collector was just how many parties there were throughout the novel. It seemed like there was one every day of the week! And it's not like it was university/college, it was just high school. I guess it was during the holidays, and I'm not sure if it's different in the US, but when I was in high school there definitely weren't that many parties on weekdays.
Anyway, that point aside, I found The Kiss Collector (as you would probably expect from a title and cover like that) to be relatively simplistic and a quick/fun sort of read. I thought that Zae could have been more sympathetic as a character, which is likely the main reason why I wasn't able to rate the book higher. On the other hand, I very much enjoyed reading about the friendship between the Zae and her three best friends, which was actually a pretty dominant feature throughout the novel.
Overall, a contemporary read with a linear yet enjoyable plot.
This Splintered Silence is a Lord of the Flies style of novel where a group of teenagers is forced to fend for themslves, except it's set in space andThis Splintered Silence is a Lord of the Flies style of novel where a group of teenagers is forced to fend for themslves, except it's set in space and there's a deadly virus spreading throughout the population.
This was my first novel by Olson, and it's certainly not going to be the last. She does a fantastic job of building up the suspense throughout the novel, and showing us the different reactions each member of the core crew have to the crisis of the virus. Main character Lindley is not perfect, and justifiably so- she's a teen who has been left with a massive responsibility she's not ready for just yet.
As on might expect, there's a pretty big twist in the novel, which is built up to nicely. I certainly didn't realise what was going on, although when I thought back to the rest of the novel, there probably was some foreshadowing that I didn't notice.
I feel like Ashley Poston keeps surprising me with just how versatile her writing is. A lot of authors will pThis was seriously such a fantastic book.
I feel like Ashley Poston keeps surprising me with just how versatile her writing is. A lot of authors will pick a genre and stick to it, but Poston has now written contemporary, science fiction and now high fantasy, all to a very high standard.
I think this is my favourite of her books so far, probably in part due to the fact that high fantasy is my favourite genre. Poston brought a fairy tale flavour to her story that solidified the world building and magical feel to the novel. The plot itself is quite straight forward and predictable, but I felt that this surprisingly didn't actually bring down the quality of the book at all. It felt more like I was looking forward to the events unfolding.
Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to someone looking for a story with a similar vibe to Cruel Beauty or Uprooted.
Grace and Fury is a dual point of view novel focusing on two sisters in very different circumstances. I enjoyed the novel overall- Banghart developed Grace and Fury is a dual point of view novel focusing on two sisters in very different circumstances. I enjoyed the novel overall- Banghart developed the characters quite nicely, and it's well paced so that your attention is captured throughout.
There are some nice twists in the novel, but if you've read a lot of other similar novels, you would probably easily be able to pick up on them. The plot overall was pretty predictable, but that didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the book because it was still well written and well developed. I actually hadn't read the blurb before reading the novel, but if you haven't read the blurb yet I would say not to- it's not quite spoilery, but it does tell you what to keep an eye out for and I think it would make the book even more predictable.
Overall, a pretty decent novel. Similar vein to books like Red Queen in terms of the political side of things.
I was told that Akarnae was young adult, and I guess technically with the ages of the characters it was, but it reads much more like a middle grade noI was told that Akarnae was young adult, and I guess technically with the ages of the characters it was, but it reads much more like a middle grade novel, and I would suggest readers go into the book with the mindset that the target audience is for middle grade or younger end of YA.
The reason I say the book felt more like a middle grade novel was that the writing was quite straightforward, with most things being stated outright rather than the reader having to read between the lines. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it did mean that the book was a very casual read and despite its length, could be read quite quickly.
I did feel that the book dragged on a little, and the story could have been condensed to give a more coherent plotline. There were a lot of descriptions about the Akarnae Academy's various classes that I felt didn't have to be included (for example if you think about Harry Potter, they don't go through every single class there, only the ones that are relevant for the plot to move forward).
I thought overall, Akarnae was a great introduction to the Medoran Chronicles series. I'm looking forward to seeing where the rest of the series takes us.
Loading...
