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Read 2/1-2/2

Four Stars

I enjoyed Hafsah Faizal's previous duology The Sands of Arawiya and I have been eagerly anticipating A Tempest of Tea since its announcement several years ago. I always feel a little trepidation when books are compared to Six of Crows, it just became so popular that any book with even a hint of a heist had Six of Crows slapped on as a comp title. A Tempest of Tea really delivered in the right ways for me. There's a heist, there's a lovable but morally gray crew, and there's some fun twists throughout the way. Add in some vampires and I'm fully sold on the concept of this book!

Arthie was a great protagonist. She is the owner of a tea shop that is often on the wrong side of the law due to nature of the tea she sells. Arthie is a lot of fun, she's highly intelligent and always have a trick up her sleeve. One of the first few scenes of the book where we see her outwitting the people ransacking her shop was so tense and I adored seeing her smarts shine through so early on. I also enjoyed slowly discovering her secrets throughout the book, although I do feel there was a twist that felt quite easy to spot early on. I really enjoyed Jin, Arthie's adoptive brother. He's a charmer and I loved all his interactions with another major character, Flick. Flick's storyline was maybe my favorite of the main characters. I really enjoyed her growth throughout the book. Rounding out the our heist crew are Matteo and Laith. I have opinions on both but they're quite spoilery so I'll have to simply stop at they exist you'll have to form your own opinions about them.

While the majority of this was very fast paced there were a few moments where I felt the flow of the story got a little odd and moments that dragged despite the action that was happening. I was also just not into Arthie's romance in this book. I felt like it occurred way too quickly and did not feel organic at all. While I wouldn't classify this currently as having a love triangle because one of the character's interest did not read as anything more than lightly flirty for most of the book, I do think at the end there are two characters who seem to be set up as potentially both being love interests for Arthie in the next book. In contrast I was 100% here for every interaction between Jin and Flick and I do honestly think the book would have read much better if they were the only characters displaying romantic feelings, at least in this installment. Part of that is because Jin and Flick are shown to have a history that Arthie simply did not have with the characters set up to be her partner. I would have needed more time and slower development to even start to believe in Arthie's romance.

All in all this was a great read and I had lots of fun. I cannot wait for the second book!

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Read 8/13-8/16

Four Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm so happy vampires have been getting a resurgence the past few years. I've loved reading vampire novels since I was a young preteen who definitely shouldn't have been in the paranormal romance section of the bookstore but had a mother who was happy to let me read whatever interested me. This book was everything vampire books should be. It's dark and gothic, with amazing moments of political intrigue, and queer as hell. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded, while there are certainly moments that are not the most shocking it's because Chupeco laid the clues out for us to discover and work out along the way. Remy was a great main character. I really enjoyed being in his head as he struggled with his loyalties and personal desires. I also really loved Xiaodan and Zidan. They are the epitome of grumpy/sunshine and their interactions were always so cute but their interactions with Remy were just pure gold. I think a lot of people will struggle with the world building with this and I've read a few reviews that mention it. The setting feels Victorian-esque. with horses and buggy's and a lack of electricity but there's also a strong medical science presence with recent developments of analyzing DNA from blood samples and genetic modification. It's not something that particularly bothered me but I can see how it would frustrate others. I think based on how vampires have plagued the human population it makes sense why medical science would receive more attention than other disciplines. It's even seen very early on in the book when Remy describes the medicine he and other Reapers must take in order to remain strong enough to fight vampires. Another aspect of the world I'm endlessly fascinated by is all the different vampire courts and I hope we get to see more of them and how they differ from each other in the next book. I can't wait to hold this chunky book in my hands, luckily the release date isn't too far away!

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Read 7/20-7/20

Five Stars

It's very important to take the authors warning about the books potential triggers seriously because they happen quite early in the book. The main character is sexually assaulted in chapter 2 and it is graphic. He then attempts suicide for the first time in chapter 3 and for a second time at the end of chapter 9 into chapter 10. The second attempt is from another characters point of view so while it is still shocking and upsetting it didn't read as raw to me as the first attempt did but your reading may differ. Throughout the book the sexual assault is referenced as well as the suicide attempts and suicide ideation. There is also a significant animal death in chapter 14.

I really fell into this story. I immediately connected with Velasin and felt his emotions so deeply. There are so many lines from him that just really hit me and I wanted to write down and save for later. I've been thinking more and more lately about annotating books and this is definitely one, on reflection, that I wish I had made the attempt at least. I love a smart character and one who just knows how to play the political game and once Velasin arrives in Qi-Katai we really got to see him come alive in this way. Caethari read like a himbo and you know, I'm not mad about it. Just let the man follow his smart husband around and do his best to protect him. The side characters are equally great I really enjoyed Velasin's best friend Markel, who uses others prejudices against his mutism to spy for Velasin. Caethari's ex-lover and friend, Liran, was another standout. He was a scene stealer in all the scenes that he was in and I enjoyed the energy he brought to the book.

I also found that I really enjoyed the world this is set in. The book is primarily set in the country of Khyte, particularly the city, Qi-Katai, where Caethari's family acts as the lords of the town. I loved the acceptance of Khyte for both gender and sexual identity. There are third gender characters, trans characters, gay characters, lesbian characters, the list goes on. Their inheritance laws were also so interesting to me. One character discusses them fairly early in the book but I loved how it wasn't the basic eldest child gets everything. Also, as the book is about Velasin and Caethari's marriage there were some fun wedding traditions that made for great scenes. Particularly a certain ceremony that is had to welcome the new partnership into the community.

I do think the weakest part of this story was the mystery element. Yes, going along with Velasin and Caethari as they tried to figure it out was entertaining but I had an inkling of who was behind everything about a third of the way into the story. I also would have preferred a better reveal than what we got. Especially considering comments made about the character's intelligence.  I was much more interested in watching Velasin learn to trust himself and figure out his place in his new world. His personal character journey was very well done. The relationship that develops between Velasin and Caethari was so incredibly sweet it may give others a toothache but it was just what I was looking for.

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Read 6/20-6/21

Four Stars

No one writes characters like Casey McQuiston. They're just the perfect level of quirky and fun. I loved this book because I loved the characters. August, who spent her childhood as a reluctant P.I. has been bouncing from school to school and major to major trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Jane, is a charming outgoing punk literally straight out of the 70s, who's found herself stuck on a subway line. There's also August's three eclectic roommates. Niko, a good physic and terrible bartender. Myla, Niko's girlfriend who makes sculptures out of things like mouse traps and tiny frog bones. Wes, lost his inheritance when he quit school to be gay and create art, now works as a tattoo artist at night and sleeps most of the day away with his dog Noodles. I also have to mention Isaiah/Annie Depresant who lives across the hall, an accountant by day and a fabulous Drag Queen by night. That's not even getting into the amazing cast of characters who work at Pancake Billy's House of Pancakes where August finds herself employed.

I loved the mystery element that wormed its way throughout the book. There's the mystery of the missing Uncle that's followed August around since before her birth and then the mystery of who Jane is and how to get her off the subway. Parts of the mysteries will not be surprising but uncovering the answers was still deeply satisfying. One of my favorite elements of the book was the bit of mixed media with missed connection posts and articles that all subtly and not so subtly feature Jane throughout the years. I will say the pacing was a bit slower than what I was hoping for. I wanted a faster read when I picked this up and there are moments where the story feels a little sluggish. That said McQuiston has now been cemented as a favorite author and I can't wait to read what they put out next.

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Read 6/6-6/7

Four Stars

This was such a wild ride! I was so sucked into the mystery of Aces and some of these scenes gave me serious chills. Reading this late at night was uhhh maybe not the best choice. I enjoyed nearly every second of this book and the things I didn't really like are small and more me nitpicking aspects of the story. Chiamaka and Devon were excellent narrators. I love the differing perspective each brought to the story. Chiamaka comes from a wealthy family but never fit in at school until she makes a plan to claw her way to the top in high school. Devon is a scholarship student who loves music and can't wait for the day when he can help his mother out of poverty. I loved the way each secret about the two was slowly revealed and got worse and worse and the book went on. I think if you know the premise of Get Out, on of this books comps, it is fairly easy to guess at what's going on but the journey to that discovery was still amazing.

I'm still a little confused by aspects of Terrell's character. There are some threads that were laid out and then never discussed again. I understand the purpose behind some of them and without getting too spoilery the idea is to cast suspicion on to every other character in this book including our narrators. However, I think there were some things that warranted further explanation and examination. I'm also a little on the fence on how I feel about Chiamaka's easy acknowledgement of her sexuality. On the one hand, yeah for some people there's not really any big questioning moments or worry about being anything but straight. On the other hand, in the beginning of the book Chiamaka is shocked that Devon is gay because he's Black. If she feels that way about Devon why would she not feel any kind of dilemma about her own sexuality? The epilogue was another aspect I was iffy on but because it's literally the end of the book, I can't really say much about it. All in all this was a great book, I highly enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more from Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.

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Read 5/25-5/29

Five Stars

I've been sitting on this trying to come up with the words to describe how much I loved this book and they're just not coming to me. So: THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! PLEASE PREORDER IT IMMEDIATELY YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! That's it, that's all I've really got. If you like ATLA you'll like Jade Fire Gold. There are some small cute similarities like the mentor of our exiled prince loving tea and our prince being less than enthused. There's also elemental magic but unlike in ATLA it's possible to wield more than one element, though it is rarer for someone to be able to do so.

Literally every character in this is perfect. From our protagonists, Ahn and Altan, to their supporting cast of Tang Wei, Linxi, Tai Shun, and Leiye. I just love them all so much! Ahn was perfect as a kind of dark chosen one. She has the potential to save everyone or destroy the kingdom. I enjoyed her slow discovery of her mysterious past and her struggles to understand her forbidden magic. Atlan is such a tragic hero but luckily Tang Wei keeps him from getting too caught up in his past drama. Tang Wei brought a lot of needed levity to the story and her relationship with Linxi was so sweet. Tai Shun is a precious baby who must be protected at all costs. I always love a snarky shady character and Leiye fits the bill perfectly. Honestly though we need to talk about that epilogue because my brain hasn't stopped screaming since I read it! June please tell me there's a book two! I need to know what's going to happen next!

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Read 1/4-1/5

Five Stars

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This has been on my radar for quite a while now and I'm so excited that I was able to read an early copy! I'm happy to report this is my first 5-star read of the year! There was so much good in this book and it was utterly addicting, I could not stop turning the pages (well...tapping the right side of my screen, but you get the point). Only the threat of work in the morning kept me from staying up all night to finish, though I did stay up way later than I meant to. The nonlinear timeline of this book kept me hooked as I was desperate to see what would happen in the present during the bank robbery and very interested in learning about each girl Nora had become in her mother's cons and how those experiences shaped her.

I really enjoyed the characters. Nora is clever and slick; a few years out of the con game hasn't made her rusty in the slightest. When she needs to recall her mother's teachings they come right back to her. I adored her relationship with Wes but that may be because Wes is the best and I just want to keep him close and protect him from everything. Wes is just so genuinely good. This is demonstrated multiple times in the first few chapters when he keeps trying to put himself between the robbers and the other victims trapped in the bank. I think the synopsis implies that this book is a sort of love triangle situation and that's not the case. Wes and Nora were close friends who dated in the past but they remain best friends, even if the relationship had to heal around Wes's broken trust when he learns Nora's secrets. Wes is hurt at the start of this book because Nora has been keeping another secret from him, her relationship with Iris. Even though he would have been happy for both of them. Iris was absolutely fantastic, a whip-smart girl with a penchant for fifties fashion (right down to the proper undergarments) and just a bit of a fire obsession. She also suffered from endometriosis and I really liked seeing that and the discussion around how debilitating it can be in this book.

I was fascinated by Nora's relationship with her mother. The evolution of the relationship was so interesting to read. The manipulation and the gaslighting all wrapped up and twisted with Nora's hero-worship of her mother made for such an interesting read. This book does an excellent job of balancing a classic thriller story of a girl trying to outwit bank robbers to ensure she and her friends escape while also offering a deep examination of trauma and what it takes to survive. That said there are content warnings to look out for including psychological and emotional abuse, child abuse, domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, and violence. Tess Sharpe goes more in detail about the content warning on her Tumblr and there is a link to the specific post on Goodreads from her.

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Read 3/7-3/11

Five Stars

I've waited a little bit after finishing The Ones We're Meant to Find hoping some coherent thoughts would find their way into my brain and it's just not happening. This book has left me speechless. It's no secret that I loved Joan' first novel, Descendant of the Crane and this book is just as good (maybe better but don't tell Hesina!) The genre is a bit different, more of dystopian sci-fi setting but there's still the classic Joan plot twists that left me screaming and some super sad scenes that brought out all of my tears.

This is primarily a book about sisters, Celia and Kasey. Cee has been stuck on an abandoned island with only an outdated robot for company. She's lost most of her memory but knows that she has a sister out in the world and is trying her best to get back to her. Kasey back home in eco-city, a floating metropolis designed to protect people from the decaying planet, has no idea what happened to her sister after a camera records her taking a boat out to sea more than three months prior. Kasey rules her life by logic and science and logic says that Celia should have died of dehydration or drowning after being missing for so long but she can't stop the hope that Celia will be found. Celia is the only one who could break through Kasey's stoicism. I loved the sisters so much, their relationship and characterization was so much more complex than the initial assumption of social butterfly and stoic loner.

Someone else said this book reminded them of a Studio Ghibli film and I could not agree more. A lot of Ghibli films focus on themes of environmentalism. In The Ones We're Meant to Find humanity has destroyed the planet, mega quakes are common occurrences, the water has become incredibly polluted, even the air is filled with toxic gas. The lucky few managed to make it to an eco-city, floating above most of the horrors that now plague the Earth. Space is tight in the eco-cities and there's simply not enough room for everyone on Earth, the governing bodies of the eco-cities have become desperate for ideas on how to save humanity. I was fascinated by all the examples of how what's currently being done to the planet can turn into these mega-disasters if nothing is done to course correct. Ghibli films also have beautiful quiet moments that let the larger story breathe. I found those same moments in this book, more so in the beginning before the twists get really crazy and start propelling the story but they were still there in a couple of scenes toward the end. This was a truly beautiful book and I cannot wait to hold the finished copy in my hands.

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Read 1/22-1/23

Five Stars

I don't know that I have the ability to actually write a review for this book. It was so good that thinking about it just makes my brain do this high pitched "squee" noise. Graceling has always been one of my favorite YA novels but I decided since I didn't remember Fire or Bitterblue as well to do a reread of them before I started Winterkeep. I'm really glad I spent the last week back in the Graceling Realm. I'm not sure if some scenes would have touched me quite the same way without the refresher.

Winterkeep is a bit unique from the previous three books in that there are five unique points of view. Two are characters from the previous books, Bitterblue and Giddon, and three are all new characters. I loved that we got to spend more with Giddon and Bitterblue. I loved their relationship and the trust they built between each other in Bitterblue's novel. I will admit there was an aspect of their relationship in that book that I was a little sad not to see realized and boy does it finally get realized here! Giddon is such a precious pining fool and I love him so much. I also loved his relationship with Hava. It's been five years since the end of Bitterblue and Hava has really come out of her shell and developed such a fun slightly mean bit of banter with Giddon. One of the other points of view is Lovisa Cavenda, a student in Winterkeep and daughter of the President of Winterkeep. She tries her best to be a dutiful daughter and follow in the steps of her political parents. Indeed she is a bit of a schemer and is seen sneaking around for much of the book. I wasn't sure of Lovisa at first but she really grew on me and by the end of the book I was in love with her. Another point of view is that of Adventure Fox, one of the blue telepathic foxes that populates Winterkeep. He is bonded to Lovisa's mother and is struggling with some of the rules of foxkind. I was not expecting to love his POV chapters so much when I first heard a fox was going to be one of the POVs. He was such an interesting character and I'm so happy with how his story concluded in this book. The final point of view is that of a mysterious many-eyed thirteen tentacled sea monster known as the Keeper. I loved the Keeper, every thought from it was just such a mood. All the Keeper wants is to collect treasures at the bottom of the ocean, be left alone, and occasionally sing badly. Truly an icon.

The world of Winterkeep was fascinating. It's the first country we're seeing in the Graceling Realm that's a democratic republic and politics actually play a large role in the book. The two political parties The Scholars and The Industrialists are in the middle of a large debate on whether or not to legalize Zilfium a useful fuel that could push the country into a modern age but it would be at the cost of the environment. I liked the emphasis on the importance of education in Winterkeep. I also loved the telepathic foxes and another telepathic creature known as silbercows that I imagined as a sort of manatee. My love for this series was really reignited and I hope we get more Graceling Realm novels. I'm not even sure who I'd want to follow next there are so many options for new storylines after this book.

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Read 3/29-3/30

Five Stars

This book was so brilliantly plotted and incredibly well done. Anna-Marie McLemore did that, I'm in such awe of them. Here's the thing, I was initially hesitant to read this book because I had read one of McLemore's books previously and a couple of their short stories and while I adore their writing style there's been something that stops me from loving (and sometimes even liking) what I've read. When you add in the sensitive nature of the bulk of this book, I didn't want to end up with a similar experience. I honestly could not resist the cover of this book and so I ended up picking it up. There's a dedication in the beginning of this book and an author's note at the end that explains how incredibly personal this story is for McLemore. It's something I could feel while reading the care with how they wrote the two main characters.

Ciela is a girl with magic running through her passed down from her great-grandmother, she's able to look at a person and know what pastry from her family's pastelería will help them the most. However, after the night she and a boy are assaulted at the same party she loses that magic and fears she's lost most of her identity with it. When the boy shows up at her school after the summer she realizes helping him may be the key to getting her magic back. They strike up a tentative friendship in which Ceila learns that Lock has no memory of what really happened that night and has no desire for the details Ceila carries with her. I loved Lock from the moment he pulled out crochet in the middle of class to discovering his secret night time activities to seeing him interact with his 4-year-old sister. He was a great character and he and Celia together were magic.

The magical realism in this book was especially well done. After the party Celia starts to notice pieces of the world around her turning into glass. After a piece shatters in her eye she's tried her best to secretly gather and hide the pieces in her room where they can't hurt anyone else. There's no big stretch required to see the symbolism between this a girl hiding that she was assaulted. I just found that is was so beautifully well done. There are a few other secrets scattered throughout the book and uncovering them was less about big plot twists and more like a flower slowly unfurling and showing its full bloom.

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Read 7/26-7/26

Five Stars

"Redemption story, they said? There will be no redemption. It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else."

This book has no faults. It's depiction of female rage is so utterly perfect. I love Zetian so much, she is so driven and utterly relentless in her quest. We love a boss bitch (and so do Yizhi and Shimin!) Yizhi was such a sweet boy and I loved how devoted he was to Zetian. There's something hidden about him though, I really hope we get to delve deeper into his character in the second book. Shimin is Yizhi's opposite in someways. He's rough and a killer but inside he has strong morals and is really a big softy. I really loved the discussion surrounding addiction in relation to his character, it was especially well done.

The war machine Chrysalises the pilots and concubines power were extraordinarily interesting. Though I wasn't a big follower of the show, they reminded me a bit of Digimon creatures. Each Chrysalis has a basic standard form but with more energy from the pilot and concubine they can transform to an ascended form, which is larger and more powerful. If the pilot and concubine are a balanced match they may even achieve the heroic form which always ends up looking like a humanoid warrior with the specific Chrysalis's features. The animal form to humanoid form evolution are what reminded me most of Digimon.

This book was a wild ride. I literally could not put it down and read it in a single day. The characters were compelling, the action scenes kept the book moving at a fast pace, and the ending blew me away. I have so many questions now and I need the next book in my hands! Please preorder this book you will not regret it! Not to mention that cover will look gorgeous on every bookshelf.

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Read 2/3-2/4

Four Stars

This was so incredibly close to being a 5 star read. I loved so much about this book! Mainly though, I loved Kiem and Jainan. Take one adorable himbo and pair him with a stoic nerd and you get perfection. Kiem and Jainan carry the story. I love a good arranged marriage trope and it works best with some misunderstandings and mutual pining. The political intrigue elements were the icing on the cake of this fantastic book.

The book starts with Prince Kiem being informed by the Emperor of Iskat that the next day he'll be getting married to the Ambassador of Thea. Iskat fosters peaceful relations by marrying off its many princes to ambassadors from each planet under its control. An entity known as the Auditor is coming to evaluate the Empire to ensure that all of its planets remain committed to peace. If he suspects any of them are not, he will not renew the Resolution, which guarantees the Empire remains protected from other bigger galactic entities. The poor timing and mysterious death of Prince Taam, Jainan's former husband, has thrown everything into chaos.

I loved how all the different elements of the story wove together. The main focus of the book is the romance and relationship between Kiem and Jainan. There's also the mystery element surrounding Taam's death and who could have benefited with him no longer in the picture. We're also faced with many questions about the Auditor and are constantly left in suspense regarding his ultimate decision. There are certainly some aspects of the world-building that I wish had been expanded upon. The other planets and cultures are afterthoughts and we don't really get information about them. There was also a strange scene towards the beginning about Kiem and Jainan's genetic makeup. It seemed to insinuate that lots of people contribute DNA towards a child, beyond its parents. I wish this had been explained a little more because it left me somewhat confused.

I can't write a review for this book without mentioning Bel. I have discovered a competency kink and Bel ticks that box time 100. She's the only reason Kiem is alive and I'm so happy she's willing to put up with him. I loved this fun space opera full of fanfic like tropes. (They crash in the snowy wilderness! They have to share a tent!! There's a risk of hypothermia!!!) I also loved the care that went into discussing Jainan's trauma. I don't believe it's a spoiler because it's fairly obvious from the beginning but Jainan is struggling to heal from his past and his previous abusive relationship. His healing is a major focus of the book and I'm in awe of how well Maxwell handled his character. I eagerly look forward to seeing what she writes next.

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Read 7/1-7/2

Three Stars

I'm a little baffled on how I feel about this book. For a while I really thought this might be a five star from me. I was really loving the characters and the idea behind the coin toss was super interesting. Stevie had the high potential to be a manic pixie dream girl and thankfully she never turned into that stereotype. She's an average girl who has been moved around a lot because of her father's job. There were some really interesting sections about her conflicting feelings toward her father as the reason she constantly has to start her life over but is also seeking his approval for the one thing she really loves, music. I also really loved the discussion revolving around the various "best friends" she's had throughout each move and how quickly the relationships sour and turn into out of sight out of mind. I didn't have nearly as many moves as Stevie but I did leave the town I grew up in and moved half way around the country right before I started high school. It is hard to keep in touch across time zones and physical distance and the people who you thought you'd be close to forever quickly turn into acquaintances. Drew and Shane were great characters as well. I really enjoyed their relationship, though I could have used a few more scenes exploring their friendship. The primary focus was really each boy's relationship with Stevie and the close friendship really fell by the wayside. Drew is our classic brooding musician who's popular because his father is big in the music industry. He's got a rough relationship with his father since like Stevie, his father is often absent and at the start of the novel Drew's parents are estranged. Shane is described as a chubby music prodigy. He's sweet as can be but is pretty insecure about himself, especially when he compares himself to Drew.

There are a couple of things I could have done without. I really disliked how Shane was constantly moaning that he was in the friend zone with Stevie. It's just such a garbage concept and the fact that he was clearly the author's favored choice in the flip rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not quite sure why a character who only prefers Stevie as girlfriend rather than a girl who is a friend is better than a boy who just got caught up in a misunderstanding. However, there was this one issue that really started to bother me and the more I thought about it the madder I got. Drew's father is famous for discovering Bruce Springsteen. Now as far as I could tell this book is set in the current year or very close to it. At one point it's mentioned that Drew's father is sixty-five. Now I'm not a huge Bruce Springsteen fan but as the book mentions it's a little impossible to live in New Jersey without having a vague idea about Springsteen's career. So a quick Googling said that Springsteen got his record deal in 1972, that would mean that Drew's father was sixteen when he "discovered" Springsteen. It's just such a ridiculous thing that just kept bothering me more and more. It would have been so easy to have his father discover some fake celebrity so this kind of issue wouldn't crop up.

Ultimately there are some really beautiful moments in this book. Music is such a big theme throughout and I loved how that wove it's way throughout the story. One of my favorite lines is Stevie comparing the boys to types of songs on an album and how those songs and therefore the boys make her feel. There's also great discussions about fathers. Stevie and Drew both have famous father's who are largely absent from their lives and Shane's father died when he was a preteen. I just really struggled to get over some of my issues with this book even though the one that bothers me the most is probably me being pedantic.

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Read 1/25-1/26

Three Stars

So I had completely forgotten about the synopsis by the time I finally sat down to read this book and I'm a little embarrassed to say how long it took me to fully realize this was a genderswapped Cinderella retelling. There were a few moments where I was like oh that's a little Cinderella-like but it took me way longer than it should have to recognize it was a definite retelling. There are also a couple of moments that visually referenced Disney's version of Rapunzel in Tangled. What I found interesting about this book is that I was enjoying it while reading but when I closed the book I realized there's a lot that I just really wasn't a fan of.

Princess Delia is impossibly perfect. She's an excellent flier, an excellent swordswoman, and a tech wiz. She doesn't really have any flaws which makes for a bit of a boring character. I liked her when she interacted with her sister and with Aiden. They brought something out in her but on her own or with other side characters I found I didn't really care for her. Aiden was a lot of fun. I always love a bit of a bad boy with a heart of gold type character. Aiden has been using his position as a palace chore boy to knick a few expensive items from the palace to fund his trip off the planet. As his story unfolded he got more and more interesting. Shania, Delia's sister, was the source of a lot of the humor in the book and had some truly amazing scenes. She was just so much fun and I always enjoyed it when she was on the page.

I was interested in the worldbuilding but I wish it had been more developed. I enjoyed the creation mythology behind the royalty and why they were the chosen rulers. I felt like we saw such a small part of the planet but I didn't get the impression there was more out there. The planet felt like it was really just a large city. I struggled a bit with the interplanetary relations and wanted to know more about the various planets the princes were from. The last page and a half of this book were so unnecessary. I just could have done without that entire conversation nevermind the logistics of why (without spoilers) that particular function would even be necessary??  

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Read 8/21-8/27

Five Stars

Who doesn't want to spend 500 pages yelling, "What the (expletive of choice) is going on???" This book was such a wild ride. I'm honestly a little happy I chose not to reread Gideon before diving into Harrow. I think it made my levels of confusion more bearable. I don't even know how to go about discussing this book or writing a real review without spoiling the entire book. The function of the book is to fuck with your head, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I was a little worried to read this due to the final events of Gideon the Ninth. I think my main enjoyment of Gideon the Ninth was Gideon herself and this book promised a lot less Gideon in it, so how could it compare, and would I love it as much? Spoiler alert: I loved it more! I just love messy narratives and messy characters and that's what this book was. The humor from Gideon carried over really well into Harrow and I cannot even recall how many times I laughed aloud. From dad jokes to memes this book covers all facets of humor.

Some of my favorite moments of Harrow include:

Some light cannibalism

A threesome with God

A coffee shop AU

There were plenty of other great scenes (500 pages worth in fact) and I can't list them all, just read the book, it's worth the time. I cannot wait to read Alecto the Ninth, who's got a spare time machine to use and jump ahead to next year?

[tometalk]

Read 5/20-5/21

Five Stars

I don't even know where to begin with this book. I could not put it down. Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy had the perfect messy relationships that I love to read about. There's the complex relationship between twins Ellis and Tommy who don't even have much of a relationship anymore by the time the book starts. The overly codependent relationship between Ellis and Harlow. Finally, there's also the twisted antagonistic relationship between Harlow and Tommy.

I think this book is going to be polarizing. I can see how it will be incredibly easy for people to decide they don't like Harlow and don't approve of her actions. I was just so sucked into her life and her decisions while often not the greatest were especially interesting as she tried to justify them to herself. The characters were all incredibly real. They screwed up, they weren't perfect, even their best of intentions could cause unintended pain. In my opinion this book did an excellent job discussing depression and the constant struggle dealing with clinical depression can be. Medication doesn't instantly fix everything and choosing to take medication or talk to someone can be its own fight each day.

I loved the setting, a small town being slowly swallowed by the ocean each hurricane season. The small town vibes of everyone being up in everyone else's business was perfect. I enjoyed the indifferent attitudes many of the townspeople seemed to have about the inevitable destruction of West Finch. I also loved the open ending of this book, it fit perfectly with the story.