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bookaddict24-7 · 2 years

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REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2022!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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281. Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review! This review is very overdue but reading slumps wait for no person! I'm a fan of Oppel's writing, especially his horror, because he has a way of making my spine crawl even though this book is technically for a middle grade audience. But it's also because of his spooky writing that feels older that makes this the perfect book for those young readers who straddle the line between middle grade and young adult fiction. My reason for the four star is that I thought it was a little slow to start, but once it started, it really picked up! But big stars for creepiness, originality, and the way grief is portrayed. If you like ghost stories that have you grimacing because of the imagery, or remind you of those creepy movies where the ghost is crawling on the ceiling in that broken way of theirs, then you might really enjoy this. GHOSTLIGHT has a really unique storyline and I wouldn't mind seeing more from these characters and the other adventures they could go on. Also, love seeing Toronto in this and recognizing some of the places the characters go to. Can't wait to see what Oppel writes next!

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282. Vampires Never Get Old by Various--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've been listening to a few more short stories and while I'm still not the biggest fan, I'm willing to try more of them! This was an attempt of mine to read more and while some stories were intriguing, others were just okay and I'll admit, I've forgotten a few of them by now. The one that caught my eye is most definitely that last one that inspired a very short-lived Netflix tv show. I think the ending of that one was really intriguing and could have made for a good beginning to a horror haunt and not a tragic love story. Another one was the gravedigger one. It was so intriguing and the emotion behind the writing was palpable. Probably one of my favourites. Finally, the other one that really stood out to me was the guide for newly made vampires. That was fun and entertaining. I think one of the unique things about this collection was how we had a brief explanation of how each story relates to a different vampiric lore. Another thing, which I'm still torn on, is the fact that this was formatted like it was for book reports or book clubs, asking questions at the end of each explanation. I felt like I was back in school. Anyway, this was entertaining enough and I think it would be great for October (for those who read seasonally).

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283. We Spread by Iain Reid--⭐️⭐️

I received a copy via the publisher! I have enjoyed the past books that Reid has written, especially their weirdness and how uncomfortable they made me feel by the end. But this book. This book was different. I had to go back like three times to re-read a good chunk of the end because my brain just wasn't comprehending what was going on. I can see why someone might enjoy this--the atmosphere Reid creates in his books is always intriguing and very well done. That alone can be haunting and can pull the reader in. And while this book had some of that, I just found myself confused and bored. Anyway, this wasn't for me but I can see how so many could love it!

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284. The Do-Over by Lynn Painter--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy via the publisher as an Indigo employee. I'm a huge fan of Painter and her fun and quirky romantic stories. Every time I pick up one of her books, I know I'm about to fall into a very entertaining story. Her characters are always swoony and I know I'm going to be hooked on the story. This book did not disappoint! I loved the concept of this story because it had that fun no-consequences storyline because the MC had to relive the same day over and over again. I liked that she had to find herself in order to escape the repetition. The love interest was the perfect choice for her because of how he gets her to break that perfect mask she's created for herself. I went more into detail about this one in my interview with the author over on Indigo's page. But know that this was funny, romantic (that one specific day had my heart racing because of how cute it was), and occasionally heartbreaking as you learn more about her parents' divorce and how their parenting has affected her growing up. Highly recommend, especially if you love romcoms with a twist and an MC who grows steadily as the story progresses but is still, at her core, a teenager trying to find herself in her cracking seemingly perfect world.

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285. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read November 2022 for Interview over on Indigo's Instagram on November 23, 2022 at 7pm with Tracy Deonn for her newest book! So, I enjoyed this even more the second time around? I didn't know that was possible. I caught so many more things and this time I re-read it and got to chat about it with friends who had already read it! It was a great experience and I always recommend re-reading books like Deonn's so you can keep catching more things you might have missed the first time around!

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286. Skandar & the Unicorn Thief by A.F Steadman--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so surprised by this book. I LOVE adventurous middle grade books because it always feels like I'm going along on these fun journeys with the characters. I knew about a couple of chapters into this book that I was going to be a huge fan. I love rooting for a character who is secretly someone so much stronger than everyone thinks they are. I love a story where the MC has to prove themselves and will then, in fact, proceed to show everyone else how wrong they are about them. This book also had some great friendships and I loved seeing unicorns in this different way. I'm excited for the sequel and I can't recommend this adventure enough!!

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287. There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was incredibly wary going into this because I hated the first book in this series. I've had this on my shelf for years and finally just went for it and I LOVED IT. Even though I wanted to smack a few characters, I found Sweetie's journey to be so, well, sweet. Despite the fatphobia she experienced from the people around her and occasionally even from her mom, she stayed true to herself and she put herself out there. Whenever I read stories with fat characters and their relationships with their parents, it always hits close to home. My mom and I always butted heads when it came to my weight growing up and while it wasn't as bad as Sweetie's experience, I empathized so much with her that I was calling her mom names. I told my own mom about this story and she was shocked with how horrible Sweetie's experience was. But I think this is what makes her such a special character: Despite the hurtful words and the feelings of inadequacy that her mom's words create for her, she is still true to herself. She is still a loving and respectful daughter. She sees the brightness in the clouds and knows how to bring herself back up. I genuinely loved her. Her name is truly perfect for her. And her love interest, Ash, is definitely someone I wasn't expecting to like, but he was really the sweetest from the get-go. It was interesting seeing how two Indian families could have such different relationships with their children. I hope this book shows readers to not judge a book by its cover because you never know what the story might be like on the inside. Despite the insta-lovey storyline, I just really adored these two characters and I think Menon did really great with this one. Now I'm a little less wary to read her other works! I DO have the third book on my shelves as I write this....hmmm... I recommend this book very much--you don't even have to read the first book.

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288. Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: Illness, Verbal abuse from a parent. I haven't read a Kasie West book in a hot second and I love that this was the one that I read after a while. It was so cute and fun. I love road trip books, especially when it includes the childhood friends to lovers trope. The story was super quick and had some really cute moments, while it also explored some more complex things happening--like growing up and learning more about yourself. I do hope the book was a little longer. I think this book had the potential to be even better. If the ending hadn't of been so abrupt, then maybe this could have even been a favourite! That being said, if you're wanting a quick and cute summer read, then this might be the one for you!

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289. Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy via the publisher for an interview I did with Tracy Deonn on Indigo's instagram! Listen, LEGENDBORN was great. It was fun and adventurous and full of emotions that made me want to either hug the mc or punch a jerk in the book. But BLOODMARKED? This book was on a whole other level! Deonn has done something that very rarely happens in Fantasy--she wrote a sequel that is even better than the first book in the series. IT WAS SO GOOD. There was always something happening and there were always moments of high emotion and great underestimating (which is so satisfying when those naysayers are proven wrong. And by naysayers I mean the racists in this book.) Another amazing adventure and I honestly can't wait for the third book. So, so, so good. Highly recommend you give this series a read!

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290. The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an adorable book full of facts and cute drawings of some of our favourite HEARTSTOPPER characters! I never really buy books like this, but I love this series so much that I'm happy to be adding it to my collection. If you're curious about how to draw the characters, or if you want more info about how Oseman came up with the story of these two lovable boys and the people around them, then I think you'll really appreciate this one.

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Happy reading!

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