#reviews of an adultish bookworm

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review ~ Warcross by Marie Lu (Book 1 in the Warcross duology)

Date Read: April 17th, 2020 - May 7th, 2020

Rating: 4 stars

Trigger Warnings: N/A

Review: Okay, so I don't remember much, so if this review is all over the place, please forgive me. 

I'll start off by saying that I was so excited for this book! I love Marie Lu's Legend and as an IT major who's always had a love for stories about hackers and all that techy stuff, I couldn't wait to dive into this world. 

I loved the formatting for this book! The addition of visuals always adds so much more to the story, and in my opinion, it was done very well. However, there were a few inconsistencies throughout the book, but I was able to overlook them and still enjoy the story. I loved Emika and her teammates, but I was very back and forth on Hideo the entire time. There were times when I liked his character (it took me over half the book to get to this point, I think), but the majority of the time, I just didn't like him. It seemed like Marie had tried to create a Tobias Eaton-like character, but everything that I loved about Tobias, I hated about Hideo. Granted, that could very well have been because I was only 14 when I read the Divergent trilogy, and thus my tastes have certainly changed since then. 

I did like the plot twist at the end, though it was definitely predictable. And very confusing. I'm honestly still confused, and I don't own Wildcard yet, so I won't get answers for the next little while. 😂

I honestly don't feel like this review makes much sense, but that's what happens when you wait three months to write the review. 😅 Overall, this book had a lot of potential, and while it didn't meet my expectations, it was still an enjoyable read and I'm very excited for Wildcard!

Spoiler Below

Honestly, I just didn't like Hideo's plotline. He had the potential to do so much good, but his experiences just made him unstable. Which, I admit, was most likely the point of this story, as obviously not everyone can handle the trauma that Hideo's family went through, which was already quite obvious from his parents.

[aesthetic-solar-space]

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review ~ Supernova by Marissa Meyer (Book 3 in the Renegades Trilogy)

Date Read: November 27th, 2019 - February 18th, 2020

Rating: 4 stars

Trigger Warnings (See my Goodreads review below for a bit more detail): Torture, Self-harm

Review: Okay, let me start this off by saying that I did enjoy reading this book! This is the first series that I've finished in a long time (as well as being one of my favorite series) and I was so excited to see how it wrapped up. There were a lot of funny parts, some great romance, and some scenes that just made me smile. (Max and Oscar were honestly most of those. And of course, Nova and Adrian had their moments. XD)

However... *sigh* This book had so much potential. This series had so much potential. But instead, it ended up making almost the entirety of the first two books lose their meaning. It felt like Marissa just took everything she'd ever heard her fans have theories on and added them last minute and it just felt... wrong. 

When I first started this series, I could see exactly where it was going: themes of how there is no good and evil, no black and white, just gray. How even villains can be good and even heroes can be bad. This book basically ruined that. There are a few things towards the end that make it obvious that Marissa was aiming for this theme, but it just was not executed in the best way that it could have been. 

I, of course, still love Nova and Adrian, but this book took some of my favorite characters and made me hate them. I think only two of my favorites (besides the mains) were saved from this fate. It just all felt very stereotypical and not at all like the first two books. Besides that, the way both Nova and Adrian acted in this book just seemed so... off with how they acted in the first two books. I understand character development of course, but this just felt like completely different characterization. 

And don't even get me started on the epilogue. All I have to say is that there better be a sequel series or novella, or I will be so upset. I can't even think of the ending without getting angry. It wrapped up absolutely nothing and just... Ahhh... 

As for triggers, this book does have a couple towards the end. There are a couple of torture scenes, and I wouldn't necessarily suggest skipping the first, as some pretty important things happen there (if I remember correctly), but of course, both can be skipped and it won't affect the storyline too much. The other trigger is one for self-harm, which, honestly, that one was necessary, but it could've been handled way less painfully... This is one I wouldn't suggest skipping because it definitely happens at an important scene, but again, if you need to, you'll understand what happened on the next page.

Overall, this book did have its good parts and I was genuinely happy with some of it (though it may not sound like it from my review), including the fact that I have a few new favorite characters, but it was also a disappointing ending to such an amazing series. I still absolutely recommend this series as the first two are still some of my favorite books and everyone's opinion is different! 

I do plan on making a full review of the series with spoilers on my Booktube channel, so when I do, I'll link it here for those who want to watch! 

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2396418872?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

ARC Review ~ Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter

Date Read: March 3rd, 2020 - March 21st, 2020

Rating: 4.5 stars

Trigger Warnings: N/A 

Review: Let's start this off by saying that Ally Carter is one of my all-time favorite authors and I legit almost cried when I got accepted for the ARC on Netgalley. *deep breath* Whew, now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the review! I was a little hesitant when I first started this book because I'm pretty convinced that nothing can ever top Gallagher Girls for me and I was worried that I would be biased going in and would end up disappointed. At first, I feel like I did have that problem a little bit, but as I got deeper into the story, it pulled me in more and more until I was speeding through to see what would happen next. This book is full of found family tropes and I love all of the connections that end up being made between the characters. Not that all of the questions were answered, no. Some were answered, some weren't, and some led to other questions that I need answers to asap (aka, basically the entire ending). Oh. And let's not forget that this book is basically a middle-grade version of Arrow and as someone just discovered the show and is obsessed, I was loving it! Needless to say, I laughed, I cried, every single orphan in this series (including Gabriel) deserves the best this world has to offer, and I need answers. So basically, Ally Carter continues to be amazing, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves found family, sword fights, and jerk-faced uncles.

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review ~ The Rule of Many by Ashley and Leslie Saunders (Book 2 of The Rule of One trilogy)

Date Read: November 27th, 2019 - December 16th, 2019

Rating: 4 stars

Trigger Warnings (All TWs can be found in more detail in my Goodreads review linked at the bottom of the post): Choking/Forced Feeding, Torture (minor) 

Review: Okay, first of all, this one was so much better than the first! The pacing was much better, and I loved the plot twists (even if some of them were easy to call)!! Now I don't usually care about girl power and all that, but this book had some majorly epic girls and I have to acknowledge that, haha! 

I did hate the amount of cussing though... While I do have to admit that sometimes it was funny and fitting, *cough* Blaise and Malik *cough*, most of the time it just felt unnecessary. There were some inconsistencies, like how did they just know Theo was only a half-sibling? Or how did the city not realize to look for yellow doors? And I will admit some parts played out like a bad soap opera, but it was honestly funny, so it didn't bother me that much. Though this has nothing to do with the plot, I need to know what happened to the state of Georgia. Like, poor Georgia was put through the wringer and as a Georgian, I need answers! My absolute favorite thing about this book, though, was the family bonds and the found family ties! Rayla and Owen have my whole heart, on top of Haven and Theo and literally everyone else in the Common. 

Now let's get into the fun stuff: characters~ Owen is my baby and must be protected at all costs. If I ever ended up in a rebellion, it would happen just like Owen. Honestly, though, Owen and I might as well be the same person, even though he is a giant idiot. But he's also a little tech nerd and I understood all of his references (#ITnerdsforthewin). Let's see, Kano is great. So is Pawel. Haven is absolutely amazing! And Theo is also my baby. Mira is still so reckless though, and it drives me crazy... And like, I really need her to give up the pity party... That being said, I do have to admit that I totally ship Theo and Mira, and Ava and Owen need to become a thing!

There were a couple of trigger warnings in this book. I'm not entirely sure how to word them, but I will try my best. The first is a trigger for choking/forced feeding, and the second is a torture trigger. 

Overall, this book had me entertained and much more dedicated to the storyline than the first, and I am so looking forward to the final book of this trilogy! 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2750611851

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review ~ The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (Book 3 in the Folk of the Air Trilogy)

Date Read: March 3rd, 2020 - March 20th, 2020

Rating: 4.5 stars

Trigger Warnings: N/A

Review:  Okay, guys, this was the best book by far. It played way too much with my emotions and I love every second of it! If Jude and Cardan didn't have my whole heart before, they certainly do now (especially Cardan - he deserves the world)! There was so much character development, not just with Cardan and Jude, but with Taryn (finally), Vivi, Heather, the Bomb, the Ghost, and the Roach, as well! I'm sure I'm probably missing more character development, but they were the main ones and they were my favorite.

I loved the new characters who were introduced in this book, and the plotline was just. so. good. I wasn't expecting what happened and I love it when that happens. Honestly, the only complaint I can think to have with this book is that I need more. I want more Cardan and Jude so badly that I definitely see a reread of the series in my future, though I'll try to at least wait a year, haha. Even though the way Cardan and Jude's relationship began was definitely not the best, they both went through so much development throughout this series and grew so much as individuals. I highly suggest this beautiful series for anyone who loves enemies to lovers, fantasy, and war!

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review ~ The Wicked King by Holly Black (Book 2 of the Folk of the Air trilogy)

Date Read: January 16th, 2020 - January 31st, 2020

Rating: 4.5 stars

Trigger Warnings (All TWs can be found in more detail in my Goodreads review linked at the bottom of the post): N/A

Review: Okay guys, this book was so much better than the first!! With Cruel Prince, I honestly couldn't see what all of the hype was about, but with this one, I can totally see it! This book had me so hooked that it was torture having it as a buddy read (even though it gave me someone to talk to about it since none of my friends have read it). Even though the entire thing was amazing, it got even better towards the end! Especially that last chapter!

Character-wise, most things didn't change. Jude is still hilarious; Cardan is still bean; Locke and Madoc are still jerks; Oak is still an angel; Heather deserves the world, and Taryn annoys me so much... Like, how does one not have a problem with their spouse taking other lovers?? Though, that's the least of the problems with this relationship... 

When it comes to Cardan and Jude... My gosh, there is so much sexual tension, and it is great. They are honestly way more ship-worthy in this book. Still not the healthiest relationship... At all... But ship-worthy, all the same. Especially towards the end. 

There actually weren't any triggers in this book (at least none of the mainstream ones), which I was impressed with. Holly Black also actually wrote a really good example of intrusive thoughts in this book and it made me appreciate her more. I love when authors actually write mental health issues accurately. 

All in all, this book made me fall in love with this series, and I am so excited to see how the series ends in Queen of Nothing! 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3145407633

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Mini-Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer (Book 1 in the Renegades trilogy)

Date Read: October 20th, 2019 - October 27th, 2019

Rating: 5 stars

Trigger Warnings: Shootings, Death

Review: This is my third time reading this book, so this review is a little different because obviously, it’s a favorite. XD Since I’m rereading the series in preparation for Supernova, however, I figured I would go ahead and review this one! 

I am absolutely in love with this series so far. There are so many emotions through this book (I tab my books based on emotions and this book is a rainbow of colors. XD) The characters are amazing, and the way Marissa Meyer shows that there really isn’t such a stark difference between good and evil and that often everyone has a bit of both in them is what makes this one of my favorite series. I highly recommend this book, and while I know this isn’t very in-depth (it’s harder when it’s not my first time reading), I would be glad to answer any questions you have about it!

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review - The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy

Oh wow, this book. When I first read the synopsis, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that it sounded intriguing and certainly like something that I would like, but of course, every book I pick up is going to sound like that at first...

Continue reading at https://ctbookworm.wordpress.com/?p=472

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review ~ The Fire Within by Chris d’Lacey (Book 1 in the Last Dragon Chronicles)

Date Read: May 18th, 2020 - June 17th, 2020

Rating: 3.5 stars

Trigger Warnings: N/A

Review: Okay, so, this book was very... interesting. 😂 My opinion is a little all over the place, so bear with me. 

This book had so much potential! I absolutely loved that the main character is a nerdy 19-year-old little college student; it made it very enjoyable even for someone older than the intended audience. I loved Lucy and her mother - they were eccentric, but very enjoyable and also, somehow, realistic. Sophie drew me a little bonkers, though; I know she's supposed to be David's love interest, but she was so mean to him at times... And while she was super sweet at other times, that doesn't excuse the times she treated him badly. Their relationship is honestly not one that I care one way or the other about right now, but maybe that will change once I get further into the series. But the dragons? Ahh, I love that they each have a little talent! I need a little writing dragon of my own, please. Or a little book dragon. Ooh, or a dancer dragon! *deep breath* Okay, I'll stop now. 

As for plot... Okay, the book is about dragons, right? The synopsis says so, the cover is an actual dragon... And yet. The dragons didn't become a main plot-point until over halfway into this book. The rest of the book (actually, the entirety of the book) was about squirrels. Squirrels. And while it was a good plot, I was very disappointed that the dragons played such a small part in the opening book to a series about dragons. I could have even brushed it off as debut book errors if this had been the author's first published work, but according to my research, he had written multiple books before this one. 

Overall, I did enjoy this book for what it was! I can absolutely see it being an animated children's show or something like that, and I can definitely see how a younger audience would enjoy it! I am excited for the second book now that the dragons are in play, as well, and hope that my feelings will improve as I continue! 

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Series Review ~ The Folk of the Air by Holly Black

Series Rating: 4.3 stars

Excerpt:  I have to admit: when I read The Cruel Prince, I really couldn't see what all of the hype was about. Yes, it was intriguing, and I was very excited to read the next book, but I wasn't head over heels in love like everyone else seemed to be. Cardan was an abusive jerk and I'm not about that kind of romance. 

 And then... I read The Wicked King. 

Read the full review on my blog! 

[aesthetic-solar-space]

3/25 books down!

[aesthetic-solar-space]

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Book Review ~ The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons (Book 1 in the Vale Hall series)

Date Read: March 21st, 2020 - April 7th, 2020

Rating: 5 stars

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Sexual Abuse Mention

Review: Guys. this. book. I have been obsessed with stories about spies and hackers and con artists and all that fun stuff ever since I was a kid, and so when I first heard about The Deceivers, I got so excited because it sounded right up my alley. Of course, after my brain decided to be hyped, I was immediately cautious because I didn't want to be disappointed. However, that did not happen at all and I'm so glad! First of all, this entire book is inspired by Norse mythology (thank you, acknowledgments) and as a mythology lover, I thought that was amazing! I loved Brynn immediately and I don't think I ever even really got annoyed with her decisions, which is impressive. I don't think I've ever really read a book about someone from a high-crime community (especially someone closely connected with drug deals and shootings), or at least not one that was set in current times like this one, and I liked seeing that point of view and the inner workings of that kind of community. I also actually got a lot of DC comic vibes from Odin and Vale Hall, which was really cool, as I've been getting into DC shows a lot recently. Brynn and her mother have a very realistic relationship, one where they have their problems and disagreements but they still obviously love each other very much. It took me a little while to trust the fact that I loved Caleb, but once I realized that everything was good, I loved Caleb! He's so sweet and he deserves the world. However, if anyone deserves the world, even more, it's Henry. That child is an angel and he deserves no harm. Grayson... Was an interesting character. He made me sad, he made me angry, he made me sliiiigtly uncomfortable towards the end - but I heard that he shows back up in Scammed, so I'm really excited to see what happens. One weird thing, though, was that I immediately thought this book was set in Chicago. It refers to the rest of the country as if it's in the US, and even describes actual places in Chicago. Naturally, I was super excited because my family is from Chicago, but as it turns, this is a completely fictional city based off of Chicago?? I still don't understand the point of not using Chicago, but that was really the only thing that threw me off about this book. There were also a couple of strong instances of secondhand embarrassment, but is that really a negative? I feel like that just means I connected really well with the characters. XD Trigger warning-wise, aside from the obvious major theme of drug deals (no actual drug use), domestic abuse is a very big theme in this book as Brynn comes from a very abusive household. There is also a trigger for sexual abuse, which does not happen actively in the book, but it is part of a character's backstory, so it gets explained. Overall, I fell head over heels in love with this book and I am so excited to see what comes next!

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

Review ~ The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson

Date Read: February 23rd, 2020 - March 2nd, 2020

Rating: 3.5 stars

Trigger Warnings: Suicide mention

Review:  I was really hoping that I would enjoy this book... It's been a long time since I've read a historical fiction or anything that was strictly romance, so I was both excited and a little nervous that I wouldn't be in the mood for it. I was pleasantly surprised with the writing style of this book; it's written in a very classic style (such as the style of Pride and Prejudice or The Great Gatsby) and I wasn't expecting it, considering this book was written in the 80s and most books that aren't classics aren't written that way (unfortunately). As I've grown older, I've been able to understand this style of writing much better than I could when I was younger, however, this book made it very difficult. There was so much detail, and as it took place in Austria, there were a lot of terms and names that I wasn't sure how to pronounce, which took away some of my enjoyment as I had to stumble over words. Character-wise, some of them were really good, and some of them just felt kind of flat. However, that could have been the writing style again. I did love the main characters! They both deserve the world and I'm actually really sad that we got so little of them together in the end. I would have really liked a little bit extra at the end, but it was a good, satisfying ending, so I can't say much. There is a trigger warning for suicide mentions. While it doesn't happen in the story itself, there is a character who is in the middle of writing a play and it is an event within the play that he brings up more than once. However, it can be easily skipped over and is only mentioned a few times throughout the entire book. Overall, this book wasn't all that I thought it would be - largely in part due to the writing style, I believe - but it was still a fast, light, enjoyable little romance. I definitely recommend for lovers of classics and historical romances!

[confessionsofan-adultishbookworm]

ARC Review ~ The Secret of White Stone Gate by Julia Nobel (Book 2 of the Black Hollow Lane series)

Date Read: February 7th, 2020 - February 23rd, 2020

Rating: 5 stars

Trigger Warnings: N/A

Review: I received this book from Sourcebooks and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane when it was published last year and absolutely adored it, so when I received this one, I was so excited to read it in the hopes that it would be just as good as the first. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed!

One of my favorite things about this series is the realistic portrayal of friendships. The kind of friendships where friends lay their heads on each others' shoulders out of habit, where they admit they would be lost without each other, which is one so similar to how I am with my best friends even now that we're adults.

I still love Emmy, Lola, and Jack, and I was so happy to jump back into their world! Larraby was still as annoying as ever, as was Brynn. And don't even get me started on Lucy. *eye-roll* Oliver was an absolute sweetheart (Jack's family is quickly growing on me), and I loved him throughout this entire book! Sam was such a fun addition, and while he was a very good part of the story, at times it did kind of feel like he was only added to be a love interest, so I'm hoping he gets some character development in the next book. Emmy's mother was really frustrating once again; she tries to control her daughter's life when she has no idea what her daughter or her new life is like.

The plot was still a bit predictable in some parts, however, there were a couple of times when I was caught off guard and I love when that happens! I will also admit that Emmy made me a little mad with her "what could the adults possibly do to help" mentality. While I can see where she was coming from, especially with the level of corruption the Order has caused, she has adults whom she knows to be trustworthy and she still refused to ask them for help, and it almost caused a lot of problems for her and her loved ones.

All-in-all, this book made me angry, sad, and most of all, so happy that I smiled and laughed out loud more than once. I highly recommend this series and I'm so excited for the next installment!