#dystopian reads

[miareadsbooks]

Unravel me (Tahereh Mafi) - MY REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️.7

“Hell is empty, All the devils are here.”

This book is the second book of the shatter series! And I have so many thoughts about these books, So buckle up❤️

I love love LOVE Adam and Juliette. I don’t hate Aaron anymore, I’m just not 100% about him, But i’m convinced Adam And Juliette were made for each other in another lifetime. Kenji was amazing (as usual) and as well as this, all the characters felt so real!! We got the opportunity to meet Aarons dad (I HATED the mf) but his character kept me guessing as he was unpredictable.

Unravel me had me laughing, crying, screaming and loving ALL IN ONE. I enjoyed the writing, the quotes were beautiful :) I will say, I wish it was Dual POV, So we could see from the other characters POV (IE Kenji and Adam) but I appreciate that we have the novellas.

This book did take a bit to get into, but once it got good, it was hard to put down. Will be continuing the series!!

[withsomejam]

Dystopian Reads

I never felt drawn to dystopian books before. I have always been more of a thriller or gothic read kinda a girly. That was until I joined a bookclub. I touched on this in the post here, but I joined a bookclub hoping to meet some likeminded people and ultimately be introduced to other genres I wouldn’t typically pick myself. All of the below books are either bookclub reads or they’ve been…

[smokefalls]

I thought of how the world can be anything and how sad it is that it’s this.

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Chain-Gang All-Stars

[fir-fireweed]

STORY UPDATE! CHAPTER 10 IS LIVE!

This chapter is not long, but it was the most difficult for me to write. This is the chapter I have been dreading since I first dusted off my novella and embarked on this project. I knew the chapter was coming, I knew why it had to happen, but I still struggled with it. I can assure you I disliked writing it more than you will dislike reading it. Maybe.

But it’s not all ominous news—those of you on Ferret’s route are in for a nice treat! She really gets her time to shine in this chapter.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has followed, read, rated, or commented on this IF! The reception to Viatica has been overwhelming and I love reading your asks and comments, thank you!

[tea-tuesday]

recently, i went to visit a friend in nevada and had a great time exploring cafés, bookstores, and vintage shops !! i fell in love with this portable royal typewriter with dark green keys but wasn't able to take it home with me :'((

[messydiabolical]

i’d once read a Mass Effect take that has been stewing in my melon ever since, about Wrex and him demanding a cure for the genophage during the war in 3. (I think it was on twitter but I can’t remember for sure. Just the idea of it stuck with me.) The general sentiment was that this was a dick move on his part, that there were “bigger problems” and this wasn’t the time and it was cruel and manipulative of him to put Shepard in that position. He should have helped out first and Shepard would have helped him back once the war was over. A lot of people chimed in agreeing, saying how they stopped liking Wrex after that. It bothered me for a bunch of reasons I didn’t feel I could adequately articulate, but i’m gonna try now. Prepare for my meandering thought style! The governing bodies of the Mass Effect Galaxy have repeatedly proven that they believe themselves superior to other species and know what’s best for everyone. They don’t let all species have a say in the council, always look out for their own species’ interests in so much as it pertains to keeping things as they are, and will happily go along with literal genocide to aid this. They approve of secret police and biological warfare espionage tactics. They weaponise bureaucracy to hide their cruelty behind ‘oh red tape has us bound, sorry uwu’.   I’m going to try to remain pertinent to the Wrex subject but as one great example of these governing bodies ways of dealing with percieved outsiders: The first contact war is a great example of how ludicrous and fascist things are.. ‘It’s ilegal to use this thing so we’re going to kill you for it’ without so much as a heads up. How were humans supposed to know that, exactly? The governing bodies of this place do not care about anyone outside their own self interests. Fall out of line and they will work to end you. Until you prove you might be useful or of interest to them in some way (or a threat). And then of course we later learn the asari were breaking these laws themselves, hoarding this tech to stay superior. Classic. Anyway, back to Wrex. Wrex knows this. Wrex has seen how the krogan are regarded and treated, the dangerous monolith species, outsiders who can never be let in, never forgiven, never given a chance to grow or change. For a long arse time. “But the krogan were getting out of control and also committing genocide, the genophage was a last ditch resort to stop a galactic war” … And it’s been hundreds of years since then. That 'last ditch resort' wasn’t used as a stop gap, a reset to even out the playing field so that new negotiations and relations could be developed. It was used to end the krogan, and has been actively maintained to continue that, ever since. Do you really, truly believe that if Wrex petitioned the council/ world leaders to negotiate reversing the genophage, they’d even let him have an audience with them? And if they did, do you really think these people, with their history and all the shit they pull, would listen and be reasonable? I can already hear the responses, that weaponised bureaucracy (“you raise an interesting point Mr Wrex but unfortunately we are recovering from a war don’t you know, please come back in 300 years for review, we are very interested in discussing this further then!”) Wrex is old, wise and knows exactly what is up. The only way the governing bodies of power were ever going to have a listen, was if he had something they needed. The war with the reapers provided that. And even then, he knew that they wouldn’t listen outright; having Shepard’s voice was a way to get the foot in the door. It makes my heart hurt to think about that honestly; how dehumanising (dekroganising?) it must feel to be the ruler of your people and know that you have to rely on your alien friend to even get someone to listen to you, when what you want to say is an extremely reasonable “hey committing genoicde against my people sucks, stop that now”. Anyway, Wrex was right, this was his one chance to save his people and he took it. Good for him.

[thingsthatcometomymindwheniwrite]

writing tips blogs: “to make your character feel real and relatable you need to take a little from them.”

dystopian writers: “On it boss!” *turns to main character and points at them with a pencil* “No bitches, no family, no limbs, no hope, no healing, no rest, no peace, no clue, no wisdom, no help, no freedom, no redemption, no happy end, no comfort, no safety, no food, no mercy, no dignity, no conclusion, no impact, ONLY WAR.”

[thesoulofbooks]

“I don't know. We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren't happy. Something's missing."

— Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

[miareadsbooks]

The hunger games (Suzanne Collins) - MY REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3rd - 17 November

WOW!! One thing I have to say is that the films did an AMAZING job! Its so accurate :-)

Honestly this book was amazing, so deeply thought out and really well written. You could tell how much time went into this!! Usually YA books are cringey and don’t age well, but this book was the exact opposite.

I loved Caesar Flickerman, he’s a real gem! He’s so kind to the tributes and genuinely tried to help everyone out with not just sponsors, but also what to say!! He was a sweetheart and I really loved his character :)

Peeta (If it wasn’t for the baby) Mellark was so sweet, And I really enjoyed how he contrasted Katniss. They are my roman empire!

And Rue. Poor Rue! She was so sweet and although her death was sad, it was interesting to see how it brought people together. Thresh was so kind for letting Katniss go and its a shame he was killed.

I know this is about the films, but I like how the films humanised Cato and the other tributes. I would have liked to have seen more of this in the books. Cato says this while being killed “Is that want they want? Huh? I can still do this you know, just one more kill. Because it's all I ever knew, to bring pride to my district, not that that matters…” I like how we saw a kinder or more humanised side of him. In the books, Cato was left as this “Monster”, (which makes sense since it is Katniss’s point of view) But I feel like his speech in the films helped the rebellion.

Overall the plot, characters and love story all ended up being a 10/10!! Really enjoyed and i’m looking forward to carrying on this series!!

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

[royalelo]

so im making an AU that like, changes canon QUITEEE A BITTT and its gonna be a bit more disturbing i guess. Bare bones of it is basically everybody survived after Giorno defeated the boss (Fugo still doesn't join them) Abbachio and Bruno moved to France to start over while the rest stay in Italy. Fugo kept contact through emails and texts with the gang but he grows further away from them. yet he seems to like Narancia more with the lack of contact and gains a newly born obsession.

I guess you never know what you had until you lost it.

I CALL IT.... Sicknezz AU!! NEHEHEJEHEH

[jam-campasta]

You're telling me that I wasted 15 years not reading this book and instead, middleschool-me went and read the matched and divergent series?? WHEN THERE IS THEM?

[valtsv]

the thing about fourth wing is that if it was at least bad in an original way i would have so much less beef with it. but it isn't. it's literally divergent with dragons. which is just. look. if you want to write an indulgent cash grab of a YA novel then you could at least have a little more self-respect. i mean, divergent? really? fucking divergent???

[zelcii]

\\°.• LUCKY, GALLY TMR // 2.5K WORDS

cw; yelling, angry, suspiciously calm gally, the death cure spoilers, blood, angst to quick comfort, kinda no fluff, subjectively shitty writing, gender neutral insert, guns, violence, swearing

sum; gally had died in your arms. you were with him during his final moments, feeling his breaths slow as soldiers dragged you away. yet now, impossibly, he stood before you. well and alive.

a/n; coping rn because all my work got wiped so im writing this to get it off my mind. hoping tumblr wont take this away from me eitherrrr <333 NOT PROOFREAD its a shit post so itll probably never be proofread

You cradle Gally in your arms, his body growing heavier with each passing second. His breaths come in ragged gasps, each one weaker than the last. His eyes, once fierce and full of defiance, now clouded with regret and resignation. Blood seeped from the wound in his chest as his blood stained the wooden stake that ran through him. 

Now and then, with teary eyes and bated breaths, you'd look up at the stake, wondering if pulling it out would help him, but something inside you screamed not to touch it. Telling you that you could make it worse. Blood stained your hands and clothes, but you barely noticed. All your attention was focused on Gally’s face, his eyes on yours.

You whispered in chants, your voice tinged with desperation, each word dripping with panic and resentment. The syllables trembled on your lips, the anger laced between each word almost palpable. Your breaths came in shallow gasps, the pain surging through your shoulder. The anger and hurt you felt poured out in those whispered words.

He tries to speak, but only a faint whisper pushes past his lips. "Don't… leave," he manages between large gasps of air, his voice barely audible. You glare at him.

Behind you, the boys huddled around Chuck, who lay in a pool of his own blood, but as both he and Gally fell to the floor mere seconds ago, it was only natural for you to run to the blonde.

Tears ran down your face, having started the moment you left the Glade. Gally stood opposite you, his stance firm and resolute, while you stood at the entrance of the Maze, a place you would usually avoid at all costs.

He raised his voice, passionately declaring that he, along with all the other Gladers, belonged in the Maze and that we should've been thankful to live within the safety of its towering walls. His words were filled with conviction, each one driving a deeper wedge between the two of you, tearing you further apart as every word came across as absurd. As he spoke, you felt a pang in your chest, your heart breaking at the realisation that he wasn't going to leave with you, and that there was no chance that you were going to stay with him.

Your vision blurred with tears, and you could barely make out his determined expression. "Gally, please," you pleaded, your voice cracking. "There's nothing left for us here. We need to find a way out."

But he shook his head, his jaw set stubbornly. "No," he said firmly, walking up closer to you to stare you dead in the eye. "This is where we belong—nothing is waiting for us out there," Gally spat, his words nothing but bitter. "Leave if you want to, but don't expect me to welcome you back when you finally realise how wrong you are.” He spoke low, his spiteful words directed towards you and you only. “Don't come crawling back to me when you see that the only place that'll ever feel like home to you is with me. Out there, you're nothing."

You let a tear run down your cheek, never letting your eyes stray from his. Your shoulders trembled and your grip on your weapon tightened. His words rang in your head, etching itself into your mind. The weight of his decision pressed down on you, a heavy, inescapable burden. Nothing you could say or do would change his mind, and the realisation left you feeling entirely helpless and alone.

Though you'd like to believe that he had the guts to beg you to stay, to plead with you, or to fight for you, it would have been in vain anyway. Your decision was as set as his. Despite your yearning for his touch and the tears that streamed down your face, you knew you wouldn't stay. You were filled with the determination to escape, hoping only for a life beyond the walls of the Glade. You could imagine that after three years of hoping and praying, the Glade would soon begin to eat away at your soul and any chance at feeling whole. Gally's resolve and your determination clashed like unyielding forces of nature, both of you too stubborn to give in to the wishes of the other.

But even if he had begged, you would still have chosen to leave. Your heart ached with the weight of that truth, knowing that no matter how much you cared for him, the call for freedom was stronger. He must have known that too, seeing as an hour later, the boy you loved held you at gunpoint.

“What the hell, Gally?!” Newt shouted, raising his hands in a desperate attempt to calm Gally down from afar. “Put the bloody gun down.”

Gally's hands trembled, but his grip on the gun remained firm as he ignored Newt's protests, his eyes wild with fear as his gaze was locked on you and nobody else. "I-I can't let you go out there…" he said, his voice breaking and his hands shaking. His voice was low and strained as he continued, his grip shifting on the weapon. "Baby, you'll die out there. I can't—I can't lose you."

You stared at him, a smokey feeling of betrayal mingling with the weight of having to leave him. But the look in your eyes hurt him far worse. Your eyes narrowed at him with nothing but fear, your hands held up in surrender. "Gally… you're—you're stung," you pleaded, your voice steady despite the chaos inside. Your words also served to try and convince yourself that the love of your life wasn't aiming to kill you right then. "And I'm leaving… whether you come or not.”

Thomas took a cautious step forward, his voice softer now. "Listen to her, Gally. Put the gun down, a-and let's just talk, okay?" His words trembled, eyes locked on the gun pointed at the girl.

Gally's eyes darted between you and Thomas, the conflict within him painfully visible. For a moment, you thought he might lower the weapon, but then he shook his head, a tear slipping down his cheek. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. The words were barely out of his mouth when he pulled the trigger. The bullet tore clean through your shoulder, and pain ran through you like wildfire, making you stagger back in shock.

You cried out, your hand instinctively flying to the wound as your own blood oozed between your fingers. Almost immediately, Thomas pulled you behind him, yelling angrily at the blonde who now blinked down at his hands, horrified at what he'd just done.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Thomas shouted, his voice filled with fury and disbelief.

Gally's eyes widened in horror, his face pale. "I... I didn't mean to," he stammered, his voice shaking as he cursed at himself. "I just—I wanted to… holy shit."

Newt rushed to your side, pressing his hand against your wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. His usual calm was replaced by frantic urgency. "Put the gun down, now," he ordered. He looked up at Gally, glaring at him with anger and betrayal. 

The next moments were a blur. When Gally refused to drop the gun, Minho, reacting swiftly, grabbed a wooden stake and hurled it at Gally. The stake struck him, and through the shock and pain, Gally pulled the trigger once more, the gun now aimed at Thomas.

Now you were there, crouched with your good arm wrapped around a boy you now feared. Angry tears stained his shirt as you looked down at him, a whirlwind of emotions tearing through you. You wondered why you even spent your energy on him, cradling him with such care, avoiding eye contact.

"You're so stupid." You wanted to yell at him, hit him, hurt him far worse than he could hurt you, but you couldn't find the strength. Your voice cracked and faltered under the strain of the sobs wracking your body, each one a painful reminder that you were bleeding out because of him. Pain and anger overwhelmed you, but your body felt weak and drained. All you could do was stare at him, tears blurring your vision, as you thought back to everything that happened before, trying to pinpoint when everything started to go wrong.

Gally winced at your words, his eyes guilty and pained. "I know, I know, I know,” he repeated over and over again faintly under his breath as he brought a trembling hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. He opted to rest his hand on your cheek, and you let it rest there for a moment before you shoved it away, letting him slowly fade away as you repeated hurtful ‘I hate you's under your breath. 

Soon, men in protective gear dragged you away, throwing you into a helicopter. The world blurred through your tears. You could still feel the warmth of Gally’s blood on your hands, or maybe it was your own; you weren't sure. The weight of his body, the final, shuddering breath, haunting you, a stark reminder of how lonely you finally were. The soldiers' voices and the chaos around you faded into the background, leaving you with your grief and confusion.

That was months ago.

Before, you would cry nightly, the same three words playing on your lips like a broken record. "I hate you," you'd whisper to the empty room, the words directed at no one but yourself. Sometimes, when you'd wished you had stayed in the Maze, you'd think of Gally and all the things he said before you'd left. The pain of losing so many people so abruptly was raw and all-consuming, a constant reminder of the heartbreak and helplessness you’d felt in the moment.

But now, time has passed. Your hair has grown, your pain has numbed, and you healed inside and out. The sharp edges of your grudges have softened, numbing into a dull ache that you can manage. The nights no longer bring tears, but rather a quiet reflection on how far your group has made it, surviving both the Scorch and the Flare. Though sometimes your eyes would sting at the notion that you were slowly beginning to forget what he looked like. Despite everything, you were content with how you managed, getting by day by day, hour by hour.

Later you'd find that life had other plans.

The world spun around you, leaving you dizzy and disoriented as you stared at the boy standing strong before you. You blinked, distrust evident in your eyes. It must have been a play of shadows, a trick of illusions, because it had to be utterly impossible that you were seeing Gally standing in front of you; alive and well.

The moment he took off his mask, the boy locked eyes with you, a silent plea for understanding in his gaze that you had never seen before. With a swift motion, he dropped his gun and kicked it far away, something he could have done a very long time ago. 

You stood idly, paralyzed by your own mind racing inside you. In an instant, Thomas lunged at him, rage fueling his movements. He threw merciless punches at the boy who used to braid your hair, each blow a release of pent-up anger and betrayal.

The sound of fists meeting flesh echoed through the air, mingling with the distant hum of other men that surrounded your group. You watched in a daze, memories flashing before your eyes—the quiet moments of intimacy, shared laughter, the warmth of his hands against your hips as he held you close. Now, those same hands were raised in a futile attempt to protect himself from Thomas’s relentless onslaught.

Once Thomas was forced to pull away, a wave of frustration crashed over you. Your body began moving forward towards the man. You bent down to grab his gun from the floor in your stride, your movements fueled by fear that you were simply seeing things. Tears welled up in your eyes, threatening to spill over, but you stubbornly held them back. Gally signalled to the men around him to stand down as you faced him.

Your heart ached with the weight of everything you thought you had gotten over already; the betrayal, the pain, and the confusion all churning inside you like a dreadful storm. Each step felt like it was dragging you deeper into your emotions, but you couldn't stop. The desperation to find answers, to make sense of the chaos, pushed you forward.

Swiftly, you raised the gun and pressed it against him, right on his shoulder. You gripped the trigger firmly, staring him directly in the eyes.

Words that hadn't left your mouth for months began to flow out of you like muscle memory. Words you thought you'd forgotten, words you wished he never said.

“This... is where we belong. Nothing is waiting for us out there," you sobbed, your lip quivering as you spoke between staggered breaths. "Leave if you want to, but don't expect me to welcome you back when you finally realise how wrong you are.” You were yelling now, your voice strained as you recited the words he said so long ago. You dug the gun into his shoulder, one of his hands resting gently on yours, while the other rubbed circles into your hip like he used to. “Don't come crawling back to me when you see that the only place... that'll ever feel like home to you is with me." Your throat ached. "Out there... you are nothing."

You staggered as he held your gaze, his attention locked on you and nobody else. You choked through a sob, yelling out in pain. Those three words played on your tongue once more. But you couldn't bring yourself to pull the trigger.

You let the gun drop to the floor as your knees buckled beneath you. Gally’s arms wrapped around you in an instant, and you let them. He cradled your head carefully, whispering soft ‘I know's into your ear as he weaved his fingers through your hair.

Then, amidst the soft whispers you shared, your voice cracked, speaking weakly.

“I don't hate you,” you murmured, your voice barely a whisper against his chest.

“I know, I know,” Gally continued to repeat, his arms wrapping around you tighter, as if trying to hold together the pieces of your shattered hearts.

You looked up at him, your eyes brimming with tears. “But I should hate you,” you confessed, the words tinged with all the pain and confusion you left bottled up for so long.

“You should,” he agreed, his voice filled with regret. He pulled away slightly, bringing one of his hands up to gently push a strand of hair behind your ear before letting you rest your face in his palm. His touch was tender, his eyes deep with emotions that he would've hidden from you in the Glade. “Just means I'm the luckiest man in the world that you don't.”

praying this'll save 🙏🙏

thanks,

claire.

[smokefalls]

I’d imagine that my mind was conjured up by the universe simply to look at itself in gladness and awe.

Temi Oh, More Perfect

[zaynab8]

"We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it"

Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale