Reading this book made me think about all the times I've been forced to go to Church or to listen to personal development seminars in the past. It wasReading this book made me think about all the times I've been forced to go to Church or to listen to personal development seminars in the past. It was just so incredibly preachy that it became difficult to tolerate at times.
This was surprisingly really charming. ♥ I fucking loved the banter between the two main leads, and the thrill of waiting for them to finally get togetThis was surprisingly really charming. ♥ I fucking loved the banter between the two main leads, and the thrill of waiting for them to finally get together was just so much fun! ♥ I also liked that we saw two very different -- but both very loving -- family dynamics between the Pepper's and Jack's families. ♥ There was some depth to the story as well! Aside from all the Twitter wars, there was a subplot about following your dreams, and doing what you love.
Whether or not you're interested in K-pop, I can assure you that Comeback will still tug at your heartstrings and pique your interests! If you're a sWhether or not you're interested in K-pop, I can assure you that Comeback will still tug at your heartstrings and pique your interests! If you're a sucker for sweet romances and are curious about Asian culture, do yourself a favor and pick this book up.
I'll admit, I'm pretty picky when it comes to reading self-published novels, so I tried to lower my expectations when I got into this... But believe me, I really didn't have to! I've come up with a list of what I wanted to see in Comeback, and I'll tell you whether or not this beautiful book delivered.
🎤 Wholesome leads with interesting backstories? Comeback is told from two alternating perspectives: from K-pop artist Emery Jung's, and music lover Alana Kim's, both of whom I appreciated a lot.
Emery, especially, became a quick favorite for me. He's charming towards everyone, driven towards his goals, and passionate towards his music. He's funny and sweet, but more than that, he's just your regular boy-next-door, doing everything he can to be the best that he can be.
Alana was a more closed-off, quiet lead, which is totally understandable given how much this character has gone through. She's hard-working, soft, and extremely considerate, even to the people who don't deserve her kindness. She grows a lot in the novel, and I'm so happy that she eventually realizes that she has to think of herself sometimes, too.
🎤 Intriguing side characters who actually help the MCs grow? Ashwood and Rose gave us a fantastic cast of characters, and while the Korean names made it harder for me to remember people, I eventually got the hang of it and loved all the secondary characters as well.
Emery's support system consists of the rest of his boy group's members--Yongnam, the caring older-brother-figure; Jaehyun, the confident sort-of asshole; Stu, the supportive best friend; and Sungil, the adorable group baby. Emery didn't always have the best relationships with them throughout the book. But somehow, they all helped him love and accept himself, which was just absolutely beautiful.
"It's time to stop playing the martyr."
Alana had her amazing cousin, Stephanie, who was sassy and persistent. Stephanie always gave the best advice, and was always ready to step up to anyone who tried to put Alana down. The sisterhood they shared was just amazing.
🎤 An adorable romance--with some depth? I already mentioned how Emery's such a sweetheart, yeah? Him trying his best to get close to Alana was just cute as fuck. Their awkward encounters and entertaining text exchanges just made me want to squeal into a pillow!
Of course, their relationship wasn't always great. Both the main characters had their own shit to deal with, and weren't always in the best state to be in a relationship. I don't want to spoil anything here, so just read it and you'll understand what I'm trying to say. But the romance was fabulous, and I was totally on board for it.
🎤 Realistic, honest family dynamics? Yes, Asian families are scary. They're intense, and sometimes they make you want to give the fuck up. I love how Comeback didn't shy away from that. Emery's parents never wanted him to give up a "better future" for his music career. (This is something I know a lot of Asian kids can relate to!) Sometimes it's no one other than your family that's trying to bring you down, and I think Ashwood and Rose did a great job showing that this is actually a reality that a lot of Asian kids go through.
Luckily he had his boys, and this just proves that blood isn't always thicker than water. Sometimes you need to surround yourself with people that will support you, rather than tear you apart.
🎤 Loooots of K-artist culture? Well, I wouldn't say lots, but we're presented with enough to get a gist of how much Korean celebrities have to go through to really shine and get to where they want to be. It isn't all glamor and glory. This book did a lot for awareness--awareness of how our idols are people like us, too, and have to go through so much crap and hard work, and how all of that can sometimes take a toll on them. Being famous isn't all sunshine and rainbows!
THE VERDICT While the pacing wasn't too great, and there was a lot of telling rather than showing, I can guarantee you that you're going to appreciate the fuck out of Comeback. Whether you're an Asian who wants to see some realistic representation, or a hopeless romantic who wants to see something sweet, or just your regular book lover who wants to read a well-crafted story, Comeback is a great read to get your hands on. You won't regret it--get your copy right here....more
Y'ALL SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS HERE GEM. 💎 💘 It's so fucking relatable. I was (still am?) Ariel, and I empathized so hard with his academic and tiY'ALL SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS HERE GEM. 💎 💘 It's so fucking relatable. I was (still am?) Ariel, and I empathized so hard with his academic and time-related struggles. 💘 This book wins at diversity. The characters are of different races, religions, and sexualities. 💘 AMIR IS THE SOFTEST LOVE INTEREST EVER CAN I HAVE HIM? 💘 The friend- and family- relationships went through so much development and I reveled in it all. 💘 There's a loooot of Harry Potter references if you're into that. 😉
It's been a long time since I cursed in a review, but I have to put it out there: Sadie fucked me up. It left me pretty hollow, but I guess that's what the author's trying to accomplish. Remember when Courtney Summers wrecked me with All the Rage? Well, she decided to come back for part two with Sadie.
"And it begins, as so many stories do, with a dead girl."
☎ Sadie is about, well, Sadie, who's looking for the man who killed her little sister. She grew up as Mattie's mother figure, so when Mattie's body was found dead, Sadie set off on a dangerous mission to bring justice down to the killer's door. This book was about Sadie's journey to seek closure for her sister's death, at whatever cost it took.
☎ There aren't a lot of characters in this book, which is okay. We get to focus on Sadie, who is a character with so much depth. She's always had to mature faster, since her mother wasn't the best mother out there. This made her incredibly strong, and her love for her little sister was off the charts. I had so much respect for her, and I don't know how I would've handled being in her situation--plus she also had a stutter, which made it hard for people to take her seriously.
That being said, it was so hard for me to really get into Sadie's head. I probably wasn't in the right mood when I read this, but I felt detached from her somehow. Or maybe it's because she herself felt detached from the world when she lost her sister. I can't really say, but this made it hard for me to really fall in love with her and her story.
☎ We don't just read from Sadie's perspective! Half of this book is told via a podcast, narrated by West McCray. It was incredibly interesting seeing an outsider's perspective on everything, and it made the story that much more real and modern. (If you love audiobooks, I do highly recommend listening to this book for a more 3D experience!)
☎ This book is so raw and totally relevant. Courtney Summers is basically the Queen of Heavy Themes Done Right. There's no sugarcoating in her books. (TW/CW) In Sadie, we dealt with pedophilia, child abuse, sexual assault, and murder--but we focused more on Sadie herself, and her struggle for justice. It was about fear, regret, and recklessness.
☎ The ending left me broken. I don't want to talk much about it to save you from spoilers, but let's just say that it really worked with the rest of the book.
"Everyone goes through shit, and there's always someone somewhere who has it worse. It doesn't make what you're feeling any less real or any less s
"Everyone goes through shit, and there's always someone somewhere who has it worse. It doesn't make what you're feeling any less real or any less shitty."
Reading The Cheerleaders made me both excited and scared at the same time. I mean, hello, a book about cheerleaders suddenly found dead days within each other? Anyway, safe to say, this book did not disappoint.
🎀 The heroine? Raw and honest. She's not always very likable, but that's okay. She's lost; she feels like everything's falling apart, and that no one has her back. But she's also driven, and determined, and won't stop at nothing to find out the truth.
🎀 The family dynamics? Realistic. We have a few flashback scenes from her sister Jennifer's POV, where we find out that they didn't always get along--they annoyed each other constantly, like any other pair of siblings. They both love and are loved by their mother, who is genuine and caring. They also have a step-dad, who, unlike step-parents in YA, is involved and protective.
🎀 The friendships? Truthful. Monica didn't want her friends to be involved in her search for her sister's murderer, to the point where she felt herself drifting apart from them. In fact, she felt more comfortable talking to her colleague, Ginny, with whom she forms a new friendship with. Ginny's sweet and soft, and we get why Monica opened up to her so quickly.
🎀 The writing? Easy to get into. Take note that I'm not as big of a thriller reader as others might be, but I found Thomas's writing to be really smooth and natural. It kept me turning pages, never needing to stop in confusion (or, like in some other cases, irritation).
🎀 The most important thing? You'll be kept at the edge of your freaking seat. I promise! You won't know who to trust. Who's innocent and should be handled with love and care? Who's the cold-blooded murderer you need to stab with a thousand pitchforks? Take a good guess--you could be on point, or you could be dead wrong.
Characters were okay, but the writing was wayy too choppy, and I felt like a lot fo stuff didn’t make sense? + Annoying scifi cursing 😒 Totally shippeCharacters were okay, but the writing was wayy too choppy, and I felt like a lot fo stuff didn’t make sense? + Annoying scifi cursing 😒 Totally shipped the romance though 😍
Not the Girls You're Looking For wasn't what I expected it would be--but that's definitely not a bad thing! It's just that I expected a light, fun reaNot the Girls You're Looking For wasn't what I expected it would be--but that's definitely not a bad thing! It's just that I expected a light, fun read based on the way the synopsis was written, but this book was brutal. It was a tad dark, but it was just so truthful and hit me right in the feels.
I'll admit, the start was a tad slow, and I was iffy about the girl-on-girl hate, but I came to love this book so much, and I definitely want more! Generally, here's what you will LOVE about this book (hopefully) as much as I did:
And even then she was less alone here than she'd believed. Less alone than she'd feared.
1. Character growth!
Lulu's not easily likable. She makes rash choices that don't always make sense. As the story progresses, we get to know her more, and she also discovers more about herself. It's lovely watching her realize that sometimes, we have to lower our pride for the people who are important to us. It's great getting to learn along with her as well.
2. Realistic girl friendships.
The girl-squad in this book features Lulu, Audrey, Lo, and Emma. And to be honest? They're bitches. They're the kind of bitches who talk trash behind people's backs, who don't think about the consequences of their actions.
They have fights, misunderstandings, and all those negative things that come with any friendships. It's natural! I find them to be really authentic teenage girls. I seriously commend the author for showing even the ugly--but truthful--side of girl squads.
3. Awesome family dynamics.
Lulu comes from a mixed family. It was refreshing to see someone try to blend in to a culture they're not from, since I see it all the time when my Chinese relatives marry non-Chinese people. Again, this isn't all kittens and rainbows--we see that it's tough for some people, but it happens!
While Lulu isn't always on the best terms with her extended family (again, totally relatable), the love she has for her immediate family is just amazing. They have ups and downs like we all do, but at the end of the day, family is family.
4. JAMES! JAMES! JAMES!
James is one of the most adorable leading guys ever. Fine, you won't like him the first time you meet him, but you'll come to love this quirky, sweet, caring guy. The romance definitely takes a backseat since this novel focuses on friendship and family, but it's a side-story you will adore. I wish we had more of it!
5. Diversity! (POSSIBLE SPOILER! BE WARNED!)
Like I said earlier, Lulu comes from a mixed family, so this book champions cultural diversity! We were introduced to Arabic food and practices, which was fantastic. But!!! It also features sexual diversity. One of Lulu's friends is bi, which I appreciated a lot. It took her a while to open up, but when she did, Lulu and the rest of the gang were really supportive of her, and I loved seeing that a lot.
TYPICAL YA PLOT AND CHARACTERS, SPRINKLED WITH JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY actual rating: 2.5
You could shorten this book to half its length and probably wouTYPICAL YA PLOT AND CHARACTERS, SPRINKLED WITH JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY actual rating: 2.5
You could shorten this book to half its length and probably wouldn't notice the difference. I mean, honestly, you could probably already guess how this book would go just by reading the synopsis... and majority of your guess would probably be right.
🐺 Shadow of the Fox is told from two perspectives--from an innocent, childlike half-fox-half-human hybrid, and from a brooding, murderous samurai. Neither really has any quality that you haven't seen in YA before.Although they're not entirely unlikable, they're a far cry from becoming your next favorite MCs.
🐺 Plot... What plot!? You know how with anime, 70% of the 200 episodes are actually just mini-stories that add zero substance to the actual story?Shadow of the Fox is the same. There were definitely a lot of interesting scenes, but the story would be the same if they were taken out.
🐺 The vibe is great. It feels anime-like, which is I think what the author was going for. I enjoyed learning more about Japanese mythology, although not a lot was memorable since everything felt very filler-y.
If you're looking for a great Julie Kagawa read, I'd direct you to The Immortal Rules, or even The Iron King. This just wasn't Kagawa's best work, and while the Japanese mythology involved was brilliant and fascinating, there isn't enough plot or character development to push it forward. I probably won't read the sequel unless there are some pretty rave reviews for it.
Picture this: You walk into a bookstore. You buy a book. You love the book. That book, my friends, is A Thousand Perfect Notes. What is there to love,Picture this: You walk into a bookstore. You buy a book. You love the book. That book, my friends, is A Thousand Perfect Notes. What is there to love, you may ask? Well here's a list for all you doubters out there:
"Other people are born for nonexistence."
1. This book is so honest. Beck's mother is abusive--and I mean abusive. She does horrible things, just because she wants her son to live out the dreams she herself can no longer push through with them. This book shows the ugly side of abuse--and how sometimes you just can't fight for yourself even when you need to. It shows that there are always choices to be made, all with their own ups and downs.
"Life would be unbalanced without sharp words to stick in your ribs like a thousand little knives. Beck's here to fill the quota."
2. Beck is the cuddliest human teddy bear ever! Our hero is the opposite of every single brooding douchebag we've met in YA. He's sweet, caring, and he doesn't fight back. But that doesn't mean he's weak!!! He just knows when a battle shouldn't be fought, and I think that's incredibly brave.
3. Beck's little sister is such a gem! See, little Joey's sweet... sometimes. I love how realistic her character is--she doesn't have the best personality, being raised by an abusive mom. But she and Beck always look out for each other. They have the best dynamics, and I love how bubbly she was around him. See here, little kids can be 3-dimensional characters, too! Huzzah!
"Some people are born for sunlight and orange peel smiles and running on the beach and wild flowers in their hair."
4. I love August. Beck's love interest, August, does have that I-need-to-fix-you vibe going on, but for the first time in for-freaking-ever, I didn't find it annoying at all! I thought she was so authentic, and the cute kind of quirky. She loves cake (!!!), battered-up shoes (or, well, no shoes at all), and still gets fabulous grades that she works hard for. A true inspiration, this little lady!
"If you do not say hello, you do not need to say goodbye."
5. The romance was a hurricane, y'all. Beck and August's relationship wasn't always smooth-sailing. But it was genuine and delightful to read about! They became friends first, too, which gave them a good foundation. I just loved them so much together!
6. THE ENDING--you'll understand once you've read it. *spoiler free* The ending was just so beautiful and made me bawl my eyes out at 2:45 in the morning.
*Note: I'm giving this book only four stars since it was a bit tough to get into, and there was just a bit too much purple prose for me. Overall, though, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone!
"You are not defined by the men in your life, no matter how powerful."
I was completely conflicted about my thoughts on What If It's Us. This book
"You are not defined by the men in your life, no matter how powerful."
I was completely conflicted about my thoughts on What If It's Us. This book definitely wasn't bad, but it was a lot different than what I was expecting. Let me elaborate with my feelings!
❤ I know this book is mainly a romance book, but I felt that there was a bit too much romance in this one. The main characters had internships, summer school, college applications, etc., to think about, and the romance really cut away from those.
❤ I related so much to Ben, who was super chill but also not at the same time. [I make so much sense, right!?] Anyway, he was more of the go-with-the-flow of the two MCs, but he also did a lot of overthinking--very much like me! That being said, I wasn't the biggest fan of Arthur. He was so dramatic, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it made it hard for me to really connect to with him and want to read about him.
❤ The whole book was very theatrical. This was both a pro and a con for me! For one, the cutesy scenes were all so fucking cute, but then, they also seemed too much sometimes. I mean, I'd be drained as heck if all those super adorable things happened to me all in a short span of time. Or maybe I was overthinking things? [I was in a huge reading slump while reading this, okay!?]
❤ I haven't read from Adam Silvera before, but like Becky Albertalli's Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, this was very easy to read. Despite being in a reading slump, I managed to fly through this book in just a couple of days! The writing was incredibly charming with lots of humor, and you could tell that there were both touches of Becky and Adam in the characters. The two POVs had their distinct voices, which is always a great thing.
❤ I looooved both boys' families! Arthur's parents had their problems, but it was still clear that they loved each other and just had different dynamics from most happy parents, and that they supported Arthur in everything he did. Ben's parents were charming and sweet. What's lovely is that neither had the nonexistent-parents trope. [HUZZAH.]
❤ I wish we also got the less-drama-more-love side of the friendships here. Don't get me wrong, the awkward-slash-broken-apart friendship stuff going on here was totally realistic, but I wish we got to see more of the lighter, more chill side of them as well. I did appreciate both Ben's and Arthur's friend groups here, but again, it's a personal preference to have a balance between the drama and the chill.
❤ I loooooved the ending. This is something I can't talk about because I don't want to spoil anyone, but I felt like it was perfect for the overall vibe of the book. I think I can say it's my favorite part of the whole story, and I wish other books could have an ending as fitting as this one.
3 KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO WILL LOVE THIS BOOK AS MUCH AS I DID
1. People who love action-packed books Heck, this novel begins with an intense fight scen3 KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO WILL LOVE THIS BOOK AS MUCH AS I DID
1. People who love action-packed books Heck, this novel begins with an intense fight scene between Eelyn and her people, and their sworn enemies, the Riki. Obviously, being a viking book, war is always just around the corner. There are tons of those training montages we say we hate but secretly love, which are just as fun to read as the actual fights, which we don't get a lack of, either.
The pacing's not too fast and not too slow, which makes said fight scenes perfectly powerful, but not too overbearing. Add that in to the very simple-but-elegant world-building, and you've got yourself a pretty solid viking read!
2. People who love awesome characters and relationships even more Sky in the Deep is surprisingly a character-driven novel. Eelyn's strength is in her body and in her soul. She can stand on her own in a fight, and she can stand firm with her beliefs. Her relationships with her brother, her captors, and her clan, are absolutely beautiful and realistic. They can be rocky at times, and there are definitely lots of disagreements, but in the end, love prevails.
I also adore the romance, which was subtle and very lowkey. It takes a backseat compared to the action and familial love, which is really refreshing. BUT! It's definitely still super swoon-worthy. Plus it's an enemies-turned-lovers trope, which I know we all love!
3. People who love books with beautiful messages the most This book manages to bring across so many wonderful messages about love and family, and standing up for what you believe in. It does this without being pushy and in-your-face, which is a tough feat for most. Kudos and bonus points to miss Adrienne Young for making me want to become a stronger individual!...more
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