With and Without You: A Book Review

I was so excited to read this after reading Always Never Yours last year and loving it. However, this book fell far short of my expectations. I didn't really enjoy the plot. The fact that it was centered around whether the MC should break up with her boyfriend or not was really boring. There wasn't any tension to the plot, and showing all the details of a long distance relationship was long-winded and dull. I also got annoyed with the MC several times throughout the book, especially her obsession with having sex for the first time and convincing her boyfriend that his dream of med school wasn't his "true" dream. She felt like an especially immature teenager, unworthy of getting her own story. 

Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book to really anyone, and I'm sad I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 2
Character Development: 1
Overall: 2

Thank you, Penguin Teen and NetGalley, for the ARC!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here! 

I Must Betray You: A Book Review

I always know going into a Ruta Sepetys novel that I'm going to learn about a part of history I previously knew nothing about. I Must Betray You was no exception! Learning about communist Romania in 1989 was truly eye-opening. Sepetys paints a detailed picture about what life was like living there with all the betrayals and poverty. Unfortunately, I feel like painting this picture got in the way of deep character development and the plot in the first half of the book. While it was interesting learning about Romanian life, it felt very much like going through the motions for too long. The second half picked up a lot though, and it lived up to my expectations of lots of action and revolution! 

So while this wasn't my favorite Ruta Sepetys novel, it was still inspiring and taught me a lot about this little-known part of history. I really appreciated the author's note going deeper into the history as well as pictures from that time. An interesting historical fiction!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Penguin Teen, for the ARC!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here! 

Daughter of the Moon Goddess: A Book Review

THIS BOOK. This book has everything: luscious fairy-tale writing, a fast pace (seriously—I can't remember the last time a fantasy book moved so fast and so well), beautiful storytelling, rich Chinese lore, a freakin cute romance, DRAGONS, and basically the best ending that warmed my heart. And guess what?? It's a duology!!!! So I get more of these strong, vibrant, and lovable characters! 

Seriously, this book did everything right, and it's now one of my favorite fantasy stories of all time. Without a doubt my favorite adult fantasy. You will LOVE this book if you like Mulan, Spin the Dawn, and The Priory of the Orange Tree. Don't hesitate to read this one!!!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for the ARC!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here! 

The Ivory Key: A Book Review

I will read any Indian fantasy every written, and The Ivory Key was no exception! I loved this fantasy debut, especially it's focus on sibling relationships. I liked the idea of four siblings each trying to discover the Ivory Key for their own agendas and the different dynamics that caused between them. There was plenty of Indian culture in this book too, especially with the food, jungles, and weapons. 

I will say that this book was pretty predictable for me, right down to the last plot twist. And I wanted more personality variety within the siblings—they all seemed a little too similar (I would have loved a morally gray sibling, or even an evil one to increase the stakes). But overall, this is a great debut! 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, HMH Books, for the ARC!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here! 

A Song Among the Silence: A Book Review

A Song Among the Silence is a wonderful debut! I enjoyed reading this book by Julie Janis. Her characters are deep and interesting and the magic system and lore is detailed and captivating. The plot expands very well through the story, and I honestly can't wait to see what happens in the next book. There are lots of twists and plenty of tension. There were some minor things that pulled me out of the story, but overall a splendid debut. Definitely read this if you like the secret identity trope, fairies, dark magic, winter settings, a morally-gray villain, and romance. It has it all! 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Julie Janis, for the ARC!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here! 

When Night Breaks: A Book Review

This was a fun duology with sparkling magic, haunted mirrors, and dark secrets. I really enjoyed the first book, Where Dreams Descend, and mildly liked the sequel, When Night Breaks. I think my biggest complaint about this sequel was the pacing. The first half was entirely too slow, and it had my pet peeve of the love interests being separated for a large portion of the book. In fact, I didn't find myself being particularly impressed with this book until the ending, which is a shame. Plus, the ending left a lot of questions unanswered and loopholes that bothered me. But still, I found the prose well-written, and it had interesting characters and deep world building. 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 4
Overall: 3

Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the ARC!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here! 

Beasts of Prey: A Book Review

This book started off a little slow for me, and it took me awhile to connect with the characters. But once I did, I was transported into a vibrant jungle world with unique and terrifying beasts, secret magic, and a quest to save the world from the god of death. The world building and lore is a great strength to this book—honestly everything else pales in comparison. But I would still say the last half of the book is thrilling, with plot twists I did see coming, but somehow still managed to surprise me.. I couldn't read fast enough, and I need the second book right away! 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 3
Overall: 4

Thank you, Penguin and NetGalley, for the ARC!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!