The Luminaries: A Book Review

Okay, I wasn't sure what to think about this book at the beginning, but it grew on me! I don't have a super great love for paranormal, but this got me in the mood for fall, and it had some great spooky vibes. It's got a haunted forest with vampira, kelpies, basilisks, a werewolf, and all sorts of other creatures. It's got clans of monster hunters intent on protecting the outside world from these nightmares. It's got a girl who wants nothing more than to be a hunter, even if she has to lie to do it. 

I was a bit worried about the entire plot being based on Winnie's lie and whether she could keep lying. But honestly, it didn't bother me too much, and it doesn't dwell on the lie too much. I liked the friends-to-enemies-to-almost-lovers vibes between Winnie and Jay (there better be kissing in the next book). I loved the dark forest vibes with nightmares and the small town full of monster hunters. And that ending had a twist that makes me excited for the next book!

All in all, I think this book will find a solid home with those who love paranormal thrillers. It's well-written and well thought out! And I love how the idea for this story came from Susan Dennard doing a choose-your-own-adventure for six months on Twitter. The book community is amazing.

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

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

Trigger/Content Warnings: parent abandonment, monster fights, gory and frightening images (dm me for details)

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

The Dragon's Promise: A Book Review

Elizabeth Lim weaves such enchanting Chinese fairytale stories, and this duology was no different! I loved Six Crimson Cranes so much, and I was excited to pick up The Dragon's Promise. While I did overall like this sequel, it didn't quite live up to my expectations (similar with Unravel the Dusk, the sequel to Spin the Dawn). 

I think my biggest issue with this book is that the plot felt like several tangents strung together. It just didn't feel cohesive to me, and I didn't see a ton of character development because of it. I also got really annoyed with Kiki—her dialogue was immature, her mistakes drastic, and her help too convenient. Also, where was the romance in this book?? And that ending. I don't get it. 

That all being said, I still liked this book. It has some cool underwater scenes and some great parallelism to the first book. The writing is magical, and I love Shiori's relationship with her brothers. But at this point, I'm realizing I have more negative things to say than positive, and it hurts my heart to rate it 3 stars. I really did enjoy reading it, but it was a bit of a let down.

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

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

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

Finding Gene Kelly: A Book Review

I’m going to preface this by saying I’m not sure I’m the right audience for this book. It’s HEAVY on the endometriosis rep, so much so that it takes up the plot, character development, romance development, and basically every other aspect of the story. As someone who is lucky enough to have never dealt with endo, I found the endo rep to be a bit overwhelming. (But that’s probably the point because from what I can tell, endo is pretty overwhelming and inescapable.)

Basically, I’m having a hard time reviewing this. If you like the guy-taking-care-of-the-sick-girl trope, then you’ll definitely want to read this one. Cause that’s at least 50% of this romance. If constant mentions of pain and bodily functions bothers you in romance, then maybe skip this. 

I had a few other issues about this book. I couldn’t really connect with Evie very much. She actually annoyed me for a lot of the book. I also had issue with how the toxic-mom issue resolved, and I found the constant punning to be a bit too annoying for me. And the third-act breakup was extremely predictable.

Overall, it was a cute enemies-to-lovers romance. And I think it will connect with readers who have endo. I just don't think it was for me.

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

Thank you, Torie Jean, for the ARC!

Trigger/Content Warnings: endometriosis, chronic pain, toxic mom, swearing, makeouts, one brief open door(ish)

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

One Dark Window: A Book Review

Wow, this book just got better and better as it went along! It really is perfect for fans of For the Wolf, Legendary, and Uprooted. It had all the dark magic vibes with a broken kingdom, magic cards, secrets, a race to save the world. AND it has the most incredible slow-burn romance ever with a man who reminded me of Mr. Darcy. Every small touch or small smile from him made me SWOON. 

Another thing I love about this book is Elspeth. I love the dynamic of her having a Nightmare in her head, talking to her, protecting her, and slowly taking over her. She is the perfect character for this story: secretive, determined, and tough-as-nails even through her fear. 

I can't wait to read the sequel because THAT ENDING was a cliffhanger. So be warned. But I really, really enjoyed this. It has lovely, atmospheric writing that transports you into the world, and it has a complex magic system with its own lore. I highly recommend to my dark adult-fantasy lovers!

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

Thank you, Orbit Books, for the ARC!

Trigger/Content Warnings: possession, violence, one open door scene, swearing

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

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee (Young Readers Adaptation): A Book Review

I’m having a hard time rating this book. The information provided deserves five stars. But the execution as a book for “young readers” is three stars. I found the beginning of the book fascinating and captivating, and then it slowly tapered off into politics and laws and movements. Not that this is bad at all, but I don’t think many young readers would make it all the way through this book. It's honestly quite boring. The audience is clearly for adults still, which is a shame.

This book also tried to be too many things at once: history textbook, journalism, and memoir. It’s jumbled all together, and I had a hard time understanding how the memoir bits fit into the rest. The stories just didn’t engage me.

Treuer’s goal, as he states, is to paint a less tragic picture of Native life in America, which I’m not sure he achieved. I think he did a great job at going through the detailed history, but he still focused on tragedy. I think sharing less politics and more stories of intimate Native American lives could have helped (and would have connected more with young readers).

All in all, I wanted more story and more emotion for a young readers adaptation. Instead I got a history textbook with bits of memoir and journalism thrown in. This book wasn’t horrible by any means, but I think my expectations were a little too high.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Content: 5
Inspiration/Value: 3
Overall: 3

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

Trigger/Content Warnings: (all of these are noted, but usually not in great detail) war violence, racism, genocide, abuse, substance abuse, rape, murder

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

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove: A Book Review

I really enjoyed reading this book! I loved the ancient Indian world with a focus on spiritual energy as magic, and I loved all the politics driving the plot. I've discovered that I LOVE politics in my fantasy books, especially when they move the plot along quickly. This story had so many twists and turns; it truly was a joy to read! 

There is also the cutest romance, but be warned—it is a SLOW burn. But the payoff is totally worth it. I loved the character development too. Katyani makes huge strides in her growth, and she is a great character to follow through the story. I also loved the inclusion of Indian myth monsters and creatures.

I do wish that the spiritual energy/magic part was developed a bit more, and I wish the romance wasn't as much of a slow burn. But honestly, this was a solid YA fantasy that I enjoyed. I would definitely recommend if you liked The Tiger at Midnight, Poppy War, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess. 

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

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the ARC!

Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, torture, monster attacks, war violence

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

The Bluff: A Book Review

The Bluff is my second Emma St. Clair book, and idk. I don't think her writing is for me? But I say that hesitatingly because I can imagine liking her writing if I'm in the mood for a silly, fluffy romcom, which apparently I wasn't in the mood for this week. But anyways. Her silly metaphors drive me insane, and I'm kinda getting annoyed of the Graham family and how mushy they are. I need some grit in my romance, so this all just felt too fluffy for me. 

I did like the character growth of both James and Winnie. I just didn't like how it didn't happen together in their relationship. The third-act break up was a bit dumb too, and I kept getting frustrated with James and how he handles things throughout the book. I liked the grump/sunshine trope, but James was too much of a grump with little-to-no redeeming qualities. 

That being said, the plot was entertaining, and I did feel like James and Winnie had great chemistry. I didn't hate this book—I just felt annoyed while being entertained at the same time. Is that possible? I still plan to read more Emma St. Clair books to give her another try. Hopefully my mood will be more forgiving next time!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 2
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Thank you, Emma St. Clair and NetGalley, for the review copy!

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