This is such a fun series! I love it. To be honest I flew through this book so fast that I won't have a lot to say about it because it's a blur. But IThis is such a fun series! I love it. To be honest I flew through this book so fast that I won't have a lot to say about it because it's a blur. But I LOVED the tension of will-they-or-won't-they find out about the secret identities. There was good romantic chemistry. I love this friend group. I love how the book explores heroes who have evil motives and villains that have good ones. My feels are all over the place!
Audiobook review: Narrated by Rebecca Soler and Dan Bittner. Soler is my fave so it's always a joy to listen to anything she does. Both narrators do great, so I'd recommend this format....more
A character becomes paralyzed after an accident and everyone starts talking about how death is preferable to living with a disability Ableist garbage.
A character becomes paralyzed after an accident and everyone starts talking about how death is preferable to living with a disability and the MC literally murders that character as a "mercy." Look, I understand the world but that's not a good argument for this happening. First of all, that decision was NOT the MC's to make. But moreso, why write this in at all? It only served to dehumanize people with disabilities. Just killing off the character would have been quicker and not insulting.
Also, lots of fat hate and instalove. The only thing I liked about this book was how the characters in the first two books crossed paths. Otherwise, I preferred the first two storywise, showing the beginning of the disaster.
I won't be finishing the series.
Audio review: This had the same narrator as the first book and she did improve her voicing work. It was pretty standard in terms of quality so if you must put yourself through this hateful book, the audio would be a fine way to go.
tw: very harmful ableism, fat hate, tornado, being trapped in a small space, murder....more
I didn't like the characters as much as the first book (this is a companion novel following a new family of survivors), but I did appreciate that the I didn't like the characters as much as the first book (this is a companion novel following a new family of survivors), but I did appreciate that the author showed us this same event from such a different perspective and setting. I enjoyed seeing how a huge city like New York would be affected by these natural disasters.
The main character, Alex, hits or thinks about hitting his younger sister sometimes, which was difficult to reconcile with my wish to root for him. There was a lot of sexism and an emphasis on traditional gender roles. Like, Alex didn't know how to make PASTA because "cooking is a girl's job." It's the end of the world! Learn how to open a can of spinach yourself, dude! Though less angsty and more mature than Miranda from the first book, his and his sisters' actions were more irritating.
Rep: Main character and his family are Puerto Rican.
tw: death, floods, illness, a brother hits his sister, starvation, sexism....more
I really liked the direction this took, I just wish it had gotten there a little sooner because I had trouble getting into the first half of the book.I really liked the direction this took, I just wish it had gotten there a little sooner because I had trouble getting into the first half of the book. There is a lot of back and forth and several reveals that keep you on your toes. The action scenes are still well written. I was more invested in the side characters than the main character. She has this amazing reputation, but then doesn't show us the skills or experience to back that up.
Overall, the Warcross duo is my favorite of Marie Lu's series. I just think her writing shines the most here.
Audiobook review: Narrated by Nancy Wu. Wu's narration strengths are accents and dialogue/voices, but her plain reading is SO robotic. I've listened to another book narrated by Wu before and felt the same. I started this book in print and switched to audio thinking the format would suit some of the action scenes better. That might be true if this was in the hands of another narrator. I would not have switched if I'd known this was read by Wu before hand but it wasn't until I started listening and recognized her voice that I realized my mistake. The robotic reading made the story lifeless.
Print vs audio: I'd recommend the print book if you can. Unless you like your audiobooks to sound like your GPS is reading to you....more
This book irritated me so much. Shallow, trite plot and writing. Undefined characters that contradicted themselves in the same scene. Rushed romance wThis book irritated me so much. Shallow, trite plot and writing. Undefined characters that contradicted themselves in the same scene. Rushed romance with zero chemistry. The whole FBI plot was.... not good. This was just not good. (This is totally subjective of course! And keep in mind that this is not my usual genre.)...more
I really liked this! I don't read many retellings anymore, and especially not many about mermaids so I don't have much to compare this to though. It dI really liked this! I don't read many retellings anymore, and especially not many about mermaids so I don't have much to compare this to though. It did take me a few chapters to get into - until we actually meet a mermaid. A lot of it did feel predictable, especially considering the title, but it played well with elements from the original Hans Christian Andersen tale and the Disney movie, and overall I did enjoy myself.
Started to feel drawn out and repetitive around the middle, but pulled itself together in the end. The end is a little strange but I appreciate that KStarted to feel drawn out and repetitive around the middle, but pulled itself together in the end. The end is a little strange but I appreciate that Kurtagich actually provided answers and reasons.
If you liked 'The Haunting of Hill House' on Netflix, I think you would definitely enjoy this creepy house.
Audio review: 5 stars. Narrated by Polly Lee. Character voicing was good. The audio production utlizes background music, sound effects, voice distortion, and overlaid background whispering to up the creep factor. In short, the audiobook was PURE NIGHTMARE FUEL. I could only listen during the day and I STILL had freaky dreams. EVEN MY CAT WAS FREAKED OUT by some of the voice effects.
Do I recommend Print or Audio?: The audiobook was such a production that I grabbed a copy of the print book to see if it had special formatting. There are some letters and diary entries "photocopied" into some pages, but overall I think the audiobook offers a more chilling experience. It built the tension in a way I don't think the print could capture. Definitely go the audio route if you can.
tw: this REALLY spiked my anxiety while reading. Child abuse, bugs, starvation, hanging, hauntings....more
Beautiful. I was not expecting the depth that this book provided It's not just a romance, it's the story of two people whose paths keep crossing over Beautiful. I was not expecting the depth that this book provided It's not just a romance, it's the story of two people whose paths keep crossing over the span of 10 years. There are times that I loved these characters, and times that I hated them. They are flawed, they make bad decisions, but the book doesn't brush this aside. These character struggle with and actually process their feelings and their actions. At its heart this story is a romance but it's not an easy, fluffy one. There is a journey these character have to go through. And although it's a romance, I was more invested in the friendships and the characters themselves, which allowed that journey to feel very genuine and fulfilling to me.
Audiobook review: I did have both the print and audio version of this, but I have to say that I preferred the audio due to the naration. Both narrators portrayed emotions extremely well. They added sighs, scoffs, laughs, and so on where it fit the scene. The editing had some pacing issues (pauses between lines, or no pauses between scene breaks) but the narration itself was a delight.
tw: Cheating/thoughts of cheating. I felt the book processed this well and did not romanticize it, but if that's a hard line for you then you may want to skip this one....more
Snow and Mistletoe by Kasie West - 5 stars So predictable but I don't mind because I realized I was grinning like a fool while reading the en3.75 stars
Snow and Mistletoe by Kasie West - 5 stars So predictable but I don't mind because I realized I was grinning like a fool while reading the ending! Because you can see it coming, the short length was perfect to give you a dose of holiday fuzzies while not dragging anything out. I felt like I got to know the main character the best of the 4 stories, maybe because this was the only one written in first person. The road trip was interesting, the friends were enjoyable, the romance was sweet. Loved the healthy good guy love interest.
Working in a Winter Wonderland by Aimee Friedman - 2 stars I really just felt stressed while reading this one. It's set in a retail store during Christmastime (YIKES) and secondly, the main character was grouchy about her job. It just wasn't an enjoyable vibe. One character is horrible and I did not enjoy any of their scenes. The romance was rushed, though I did think it was sweet. This is one that I think would have benefited from a longer format to develop things more, although I didn't enjoy the writing or characters enough to want to spend a whole book with this story.
The Magi's Gifts by Melissa de la Cruz - 3 stars A good lesson, but the title gives it away and it felt very unoriginal since it didn't deviate much from the original story. It just gives you a feeling like you've read this before. Although I didn't really like this, I don't have anything particularly negative to say about it either.
Grounded by Nic Stone - 5 stars Fantastic! Perfectly encompassed a holiday feel, romance, friendship.... A good exploration of coming out, race, and wealth. Characters felt appropriately developed for the length. The format is fun with about 50% of it being told in text messages. The other 50% was so beautifully written that it brought the setting to life and made me feel like I was there. Wow, just wow....more
This was the best of the trilogy because it played with time travel the best. I read them all back to back and I'm not sure how the books would reallyThis was the best of the trilogy because it played with time travel the best. I read them all back to back and I'm not sure how the books would really stand up on their own because there was definitely only one arc that you had to wait until book 3 to see any twists or payoff. One twist was soooooo transparent though, and I felt like this just could have done more with the cool premise.
Caution - LOTS of fat shaming throughout. I remember chapter 9 being pretty full of it. Descriptions like "his 15 double chins were wobbling," being likened to large animals, and fat characters always being out of breath. It was extra infuriating because the main character is so demeaning to fat characters (who are good guys, who she likes!), but when her cousin calls her fat she recognizes it as hurtful and is offended....more
I liked that this was set in college. I liked the emphasis on choosing your own destiny. I liked how it showed the healing power of love (not just romI liked that this was set in college. I liked the emphasis on choosing your own destiny. I liked how it showed the healing power of love (not just romantic love). I like these characters and was really invested in them throughout the series. I also just plain liked the angels and angelbloods.
What I didn't really like was how small the battle ended up being. I mean, it's a huge deal for the main character because it's about the people she loves, but I thought this was gearing up for something bigger. Although, I have to be honest, most trilogies that I've read that do try to take on something HUGE fail spectacularly. So maybe it was for the best?
Anyway - not a fave and not without flaws, but I did enjoy this series! I binge read all 3 books in just a few days. ...more
I was not interested in this by its summary alone. It was only after I saw so many people gushing about the audiobook that I decided to give it a try.I was not interested in this by its summary alone. It was only after I saw so many people gushing about the audiobook that I decided to give it a try. Here's what I wish I had known. This is not a mystery about missing girls, it's a REVENGE mission. I would compare it to The Female of the Species.
I have to wonder if the author wrote this with an audiobook adaptation in mind because the audio production quality was some of the best I've experienced. The sections from Sadie's POV are read by Rebecca Soler, who is one of my favorite narrators because of the emotion she brings to her performances. And the podcast sections of the book were done by a full cast, complete with music and background noise. The audio quality gets a 5 star rating.
The story did feel a bit incomplete, but that was probably the intention. This mirrors real life and we don't always get fulfilling answers in real life. I would say that if you listened to the Serial podcast or watched the Making a Murderer documentary, however you felt about the way those presented information and concluded is probably similar to how you will feel about this story. It's gripping, it raises questions and present evidence, but it won't bring the closure we're used to in books and movies.
Trigger warning: pedophilia, parent with addiction, absent parent, loss of sibling...more
I don't read much adult romance, and even less that is erotic, so I don't have a lot to compare this to in terms of style, substance, etc, *fans self*
I don't read much adult romance, and even less that is erotic, so I don't have a lot to compare this to in terms of style, substance, etc, but I found it very fun for what it was and did not want to put it down!
Audio review: Hazel's voice actress was great! Josh's actor was good except for when he did female voices, they were awful! He made them all sound vapid and bored, which especially did not fit Hazel's character. I would most likely recommend the print over the audio if you can get it.
rep: Korean-American main character and side characters.
Overall, this was a middle of the road series for me. Each book had things I liked and things I didn't like. There were many elements I liked in this Overall, this was a middle of the road series for me. Each book had things I liked and things I didn't like. There were many elements I liked in this final book, but I do think this story has gotten away from the original premise. It seemed to morph into something else (though related) and I didn't feel like there was much payoff with the final conflict.
I think you'd like this if you like stories that explore what it means to be human. There are good messages about emotions and acceptance. There is a love interest with a disability.
I enjoyed my binge listen (the narrator took some getting used to at first but then she grew on me) but I do not think I would have enjoyed these nearly as much if I had read them as they came out with large gaps between each one. So I'd recommend a binge read. ...more
I didn't dislike this, but I didn't like it as much as the first book. It continues the story well, but I was annoyed with the constant lack of communI didn't dislike this, but I didn't like it as much as the first book. It continues the story well, but I was annoyed with the constant lack of communication and assumptions that the majority of the book was built on. The last bit was good. I really liked the message about emotions. (I'm always a fan of books that explore humanity in this way.) If you've ever wished you could turn off your emotions because they are too painful, this book explores that....more
The main character is black, gay, fat, and neurodiverse. Side characters are diverse and intersectionIncredible! Best book I've read this year so far!
The main character is black, gay, fat, and neurodiverse. Side characters are diverse and intersectional in race, sexuality, gender identity, disability, mental illness, and religion.
Amaaaaaazing teacher and parental involvement.
Potential triggers: Systematic police brutality and murder. Death of loved ones....more
Of note, this is 100% built on miscommunication, BUT it was one of the better done stories I've read thVery cute, quick summer read. Set at the beach.
Of note, this is 100% built on miscommunication, BUT it was one of the better done stories I've read that revolve around this. There was a good reason for it and I appreciated how much the main character examined her feelings and mistakes.
Representation/Potential Triggers - death of a boyfriend (it's in the summary!), grief, heart transplant recipient, stroke/TIA....more
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