Book Review: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

Overall: 5/5

Plots and Themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Attention Grabbing: 5/5

This is my second time reading this book this year, but I didn't review it the first time so I felt like I'd do it justice here. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me follows Vanessa Mazur, assistant to Aiden Graves AKA the Wall of Winnipeg. He's an NFL superstar and he's been annoying her for two year with his random demands and lack of gratitude. So she's quitting, not in a dramatic way (at first), just in a way that allows her to finally pursue her dream of freelance graphic design work. That is, until Aiden Graves decides he wants her back and is willing to do anything to rehire her, even if it's as his temporary wife to fulfill his visa requirements. 

This book isn't some super deep masterful book, but it's extremely entertaining and I think that's worth more than any classic. If you're the kind of person who appreciates all your standard tropes like marriage of convenience or trauma bonding, this is the one for you. It's not exactly like all the books you see on Tiktok with this trope though, because Vanessa is a well-rounded protagonist who makes her own decisions. She's a little weird at times, but she's entirely realistic and totally relatable. Mariana Zapata has a gift for writing situations that are obviously made for romances but animating them through female protagonists that feel like real people. 

I love Mariana Zapata and this is largely known as her best work. I think it definitely has a chokehold on me and it's just super comforting and I could read it a million times and find all new reasons to love them.  

Book Review: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Overall: 5/5

Plots and Themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Attention Grabbing: 4/5

This is a reread of a series I read in high school and I'm pretty happy with how the quality has held up. It's inarguably young adult, but the quality of the story lines hold up. A few things weren't as deep as I remember them being, specifically the romances and how they're formed, but it's hard to look at teenagers falling in love when you're not a teenager and understand their perspective. But I still think the story is so clever, the manipulation of fairy tales to this quirky dystopian world is so weird but also at the same time so obvious? I don't know, it strikes the perfect balance and it definitely holds up. The cultural references are still iffy, but I appreciate that she improved her representation in her other series. 

Book Review: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Overall: 5/5

Plots and Themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Attention Grabbing: 5/5

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is contemporary with a paranormal twist. Witches exist, they manipulate golden waves of magic that dance around them to do all sorts of things from potions, to fire, to flying on broomsticks. Oh, and they're always orphans. Mika Moon uses her solitude and her magic powers to run a semi-popular video account where she teaches her followers real magic tricks that no one would ever guess were real magic. When someone does recognize the realness of her magic, she is recruited to an odd home filled with three young witches to guide them to self control of their own magic. Only, witches are always meant to remain alone, but Mika can't help but want to help the little family stay together. Even if the distrustful librarian of the house doesn't seem to want her anywhere close. 

This book made me feel nostalgic which is so weird considering I've never read it. But it was so wholesome, found family with a dash of romance with the best sort of pacing. The characters were all so eclectic and unique yet fit with each other so well. It was the perfect mix of quirky and serious, everything I want from a book trying to run the line between magic and contemporary. This book also handles diversity so nicely, rather than making a big deal out of it, they all find their places perfectly in a natural narrative where everyone belongs. 

I would totally recommend this book, it's the coziest of fantasies. There's really no word for it outside of wholesome, and I know that these characters will be living rent-free in my mind for quite a while. 

Book Review: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)

 

Overall: 5/5

Plots and Themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Attention Grabbing: 5/5

I read this book for the first time in like 2011, before any of the movies had come out. I haven't read it since. I did read the prequel when it came out a few years ago and I was shocked by how well-written it was- not to hate on the original but only because I feel I'm often disappointed by books I read in middle school. Really though, the quality of this book holds up. 

It's firmly YA, but it's done in a way that doesn't belittle the intelligence of the age group. It's well-written and it has deeper themes that come together so nicely. I think that current YA books struggle to balance themselves that way, they either dumb it way too far down or they stray too far into new adult or even adult territory. This book is covering something truly horrific, but I don't believe it's too gory or traumatizing for the age group. I think it teaches valuable lessons and it continues to deserve all the hype it gets.  

Book Review: Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1)

Burn for Me

Ilona Andrews

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

 I would very much appreciate if books that are this good would stop having covers like this. Burn for Me is a paranormal/sci-fi-ish kind of book and contrary to the incredibly romantic looking cover, it goes far beyond the romance. We've got secret powers, we've got intrigue, we've got class conflicts, and we've got MURDER. It all combines to an incredibly interesting and enthralling narrative with a great protagonist who has strong and solid moral boundaries. 

I'll start with my one qualm to get it out of the way before going more into how this book is amazing. There's a bit too much self-reflection where I'm being fed way too much info. Like the author is like wow I'm blonde but over and over people come up and tell me I have a good dye job just cause it looks like I'm racially ambiguous and so on and so forth. Situations like that where her feelings were a bit too spoon fed. But that's very much not the majority, I really like Nevada as a narrator and think she has a voice that I can't get enough of. 

The romance is very artfully done. It's not too overwhelmingly insta, it has the right amount of instant vibes combined with a kind of slow burn that's hindered by Nevada's own instincts. I really love it and think it blends very well into the central plot of the story. Too often in PNR we see the romance overpowering the narrative, but they coexist very well in this book. 

So yeah I'm recommending it 100%. Push past the cover and enjoy it for the banger that it is. It's also kind of an aged book and I'm surprised I've never heard of it before, definitely deserves way more hype.

Book Review: Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes #1)

 

Six Crimson Cranes

Elizabeth Lim

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Six Crimson Cranes is the latest and greatest by Elizabeth Lim, author of Spin the Dawn. And just like I loved that duology, this one quickly shaped itself into one of my favorite reads of 2021. It has everything you could possibly want: evil stepmothers, forbidden magic, confusing romances, and character growth. 

Shiori thinks life can't get much worse than her imminent forced marriage to a "barbarian of the third rank" which will force her to move far from the family she adores. But then, she discovers that her stepmother is in possession of powerful and illegal magic and her stepmother curses her and her brothers as penance. Now, she is forced into silence without even her own hidden magic to console herself. She is unidentifiable, and people say that the bowl on her head is a sign of demons. Her brothers don't have it much better, forced to turn into cranes at night and forbidden from returning to the castle. With the assistance of the betrothed whom she thought she would hate and a recently befriended dragon, it's up to Shiori to break the curse and save her family. 

It made me cry. Books that make me cry always hold a special place in my heart and this one is no different. It had the right balance of adventure, romance, magic, and plot twists that kept me hooked basically from beginning to end. The end which was a cliffhanger that will probably keep me up at night and anxiously waiting for the sequel. I also liked the consistency that it had with Spin the Dawn, obviously not the same book at all but some of the same sorcerer-esque elements in a completely different setting. I can't recommend this book enough and I literally can't wait to read the next.

 

Book Review: Black Arts, White Craft (Black Hat Bureau #2)

 

Black Arts White Craft

Hailey Edwards

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Black Arts White Craft is the second book in the Black Hat Bureau series narrated from the perspective of Rue, a reformed Black Witch. Black Witches in this universe feed off the powers of others. They eat hearts and they're stronger for it. White Witches pull magic from themselves and though they are weaker, they tend to live lives much less determined by their urges. Rue is the child of both and could have gone either way. After a fifty year stint as a Black Witch, circumstances forced her to the White side where she gained a ward and a new life. Her old life is once again encroaching and despite her desire to stay away from it, she might have to reveal things better kept secret.

The first book I was like desperate for romance and thought that the protagonists were keeping such a far distance from one another. This one was a lot more on the romance side of things so I'm pretty satisfied with where that's going. But these books are so freaking short that we only got a teaspoon of the backstory that was hinted at with the epilogue of the first book. I think the little plot twist about her heritage was fun and unexpected, definitely drove it all towards more of a Hailey Edwards book. 

I'm really excited for the third book in this series, I think that there's a ton of potential and that I can't wait to actually meet her grandfather and his father and have a super fun and quirky family gathering. I also think that the magic is super unique and weird and has lots of room to grow. There's really no way it could go wrong.

 

 

Book Review: Delivering Evil for Experts (The Guild Codex: Demonized #4)

 

Delivering Evil for Experts

Annette Marie

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Okay I'm incredibly biased I don't know how well-written this whole series was especially on the rise and fall of the conflict but the romance was done impeccably. It was a slower burn than what you would typically expect from a PNR but it was definitely worth the wait. This is the fourth book in the Demonized series, Zylas and Robin are attempting to prevent the opening of a portal and potential enslavement of the entire demon race while also trying to break the existing curse upon demons. Simultaneously, they're dealing with the eventuality of their separation and the differences which plague any potential relationship they might form. 

I have gotten bullied so much already for liking this pairing because of their obvious differences but frankly the author handles it so well. We don't just jump into anything and even when we see them together, we do so knowing the considerations that have gone into it on both sides. The ultimate message of individuality and self-love and development really hit me too. It's just really expertly done and really had me in all the feels. 

The plot itself and conflict aside from the relationship is good but more forgettable than the romance and relationship is. I liked the series a lot but I could recognize the flaws in that element. I'm still recommending it, once you get past the weirdness of it it's honestly the cutest thing.

 

Book Review: Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (The Guild Codex: Demonized #2)

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble

Annette Marie

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble is the second book in the Demonized series and like the ninth in the Guild Codex universe. Robin and Zylas have made a couple of deals with one another centering around her protection and his return to the demon realm. But there's more than just a contract between them, they have the abilities to work magic that neither has ever heard of before and the mystery is getting a lot more complicated than just figuring out the specifics of Summoning. 

I'm really loving this book and these characters. I think that everything is really being given the attention it deserves and nothing is just happening instantly or without consideration. Robin hasn't practiced magic for pretty much her whole life and that shows in her ability to use it, but she's also very driven and practical about it. There's also the whole cultural difference thing between her and Zylas and they really manage that on a case by case basis. But they take the time to talk it out (most of the time) and I think it really creates an interesting bond between them. There's real substance to the argument that humans haven't put the time in to really understand demons and vice versa and you can see that through their interactions. 

Yeah I'm loving the plot and the characters and the building romance. I think that the rest of the series has a lot of potential but I've really loved it so far and totally understand what's going on. It has a lot of solid lore and a lot of sold development through and through.

Book Review: Kill the Queen (Crown of Shards #1)

Kill the Queen

Jennifer Estep

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

So the first book in the sequel trilogy to this trilogy came out last week and I decided it was time to do a reread and I didn't write a review the first time I read it. Let me tell you, the reread did not disappoint. If you're a fan of gladiators, magic, and underdog heroines this is the perfect book for you. Evie has been a royal underling for most of her life. She was only twelve when her parents were killed and she became a ward of the queen as an unwanted cousin. As such, she's been forced into all the diplomatic duties that the people with the real power have ignored. When her psychotic cousin stages a coup to take the power from the queen and murder every single possible heir, she goes into hiding as a gladiator to figure out a way to fight back. 

Evie is great because she's realistic. She knows her worth and has spent 15 years performing below it. She doesn't want to be a pawn, even for the good of the kingdom. Some people could find problems with that but like she still does what she's supposed to, even while recognizing the weight of the injustice. I love her for training and fighting for something she doesn't even really want but something that she knows is necessary. 

It also helps that the romance is so cute yet subtle. I thought it was a bigger part looking back on it so it was a little disappointing to see so little of Sullivan, but I think it speaks to the centrality of Evie's own arc that the romance plays such a minor role. Doesn't prevent the significance of their scenes though and makes me really excited to reread the next book. 

If you haven't read this series then you really need to get on it, it has every single thing that I think anyone could possibly want. It's way underrated and it's one of those books that I'll never stop recommending.

Book Review: Song of the Forever Rains (Mousai #1)

 

Song of the Forever Rains

E.J. Mellow

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Larkyra has just reached her majority, the youngest of the trio of Mousai that inspires fear and respect for the Thief King. Her voice gives her magic that most could not comprehend, the ability to rip people apart or put them back together. She's ready for taking on more responsibilities, she wants to succeed at her first solo mission. It involves her posing as a fake fiancee for a corrupt duke, using an addictive form of diluted magic and taking out the subsequent aggression on his stepson. 

I liked this book a lot. I thought it had a pretty decent plot that kept me engaged through the very end. What really made it so notable and unique among all the other books with similar plots would probably be the family dynamics. The banter between the sisters was hilarious and fun and just felt so authentic. And the fact that they have such an open and mutually respectful relationship with their father? Basically unheard of in this kind of fantasy and I was living for it. 

Larkyra's powers were also a fun part of the narrative. I love a good plot line all about balance, balancing the strength that a power like that provides you with the responsibility which you have to keep it under control. I just love a protagonist who is so aware of themselves, it's just really refreshing. 

So while it was a tad predictable and a little weak on the romantic front, I really appreciated this read. I don't know if I'll read the next when it comes out because I'm obsessed with Larkyra but like this is a definite recommend.

 

Book Review: Star Witch (The Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic #2)

 

Star Witch

Helen Harper

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

So I thought that Brimstone Bound would have to be my favorite Helen Harper series but this one is really raising the bar. Ivy and Winter had an awkward encounter a few weeks ago and haven't talked since. She doesn't want to be part of the Order but she does want to see him. When she's recruited to work with him and go undercover on one of her favorite shows, it seems like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, things get pretty serious pretty quickly and the danger of the whole situation escalates faster than she can really keep up with. 

I said it in the last review and I'll say it again: I love Ivy. I also love Rafe and obviously I'm obsessed with Brutus. They're such a funny cast with such amazing interactions. I think that Ivy goes a bit overboard with the whole lazy angle but we really get to see her step up for what she believes in in this one. It's campy and fun but still has a great underlying plot that keeps you wanting more. 

I just have to restate how funny Brutus is. Like, you won't think it's funny unless you read it but a cat who only speaks in monosyllabic statements like "food", "pet", and "bitch" turning around and basically giving us a whole page of poetry? That's comedy gold right there and no one's going to convince me otherwise. I loved him and I loved the story which he was such an intricate part of. 

So yeah, this is perfect for urban fantasy fans because it's my ideal urban fantasy. I'm recommending this series a lot and I've already read it all so I can really confidently do so.

Book Review: You Had Me at Hola

You Had Me at Hola

Alexia Daria

Overall: 4.5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is a round up to five stars kind of book for me, the kind that I recognized had a couple of hiccups but that just had me thinking for the whole day after finishing it to the point that I'm just like points for vibes. You Had Me at Hola is a contemporary romance about two actors who primarily film telenovelas and soap opera trying to make their big break into a streaming service show for a broader audience. When their chemistry is a bit off, they decide to spend some time together to get more comfortable. They end up actually having a ton of chemistry but really struggling in the whole work-life balance. 

The ultimate goal of reading contemporary romances, at least for me, is getting that falling feeling like in your chest where you're like wow this really HITS. This one gave me that a couple of times where I was feeling like there's nothing I need in my life more than to be a famous actress falling in love with my co-star on and off screen. It also convinced me that I could never be a famous actress though cause of everything that goes into staging those kinds of scenes. Props to them for filming that and getting it all to work out so well on the pages. This book is unique because we have the simultaneous scripts of their show running in the background while we see their story play out. There are a bunch of parallels and it's really fun seeing it all come together. 

I loved Jasmine as a character because she's everything you hope you would be when a super attractive man shows up and your whole job is to play it cool. I think that we overplay the idea of the suave and easy-going actor a little too much and that Ashton's awkwardness counterbalanced with her rationality was a refreshing and appealing mix. I can't stress how much I love the awkward uncomfortable male protagonist though, I don't look for it exclusively but I can't help but root for someone that's so simultaneously talented in pretending yet stressed out when he has to pretend. 

So yeah, I loved it but I did have a few problems with it. The biggest ones being with the start and end, there was way too much exposition just forced on us in those first and last pages. I was just supposed to digest all of the information on the tragedy of their pasts rather than seeing it through dialogue or rehashed traumas. And the epilogue when we got a flash-through of all their amazing successes and stuff was a bit irritating. Still a 4.5 for me, but could have eased us in and out of it a little better. 

But definitely read this book! It's the perfect summer romance, it's light but serious and has a good message but isn't too much to be considered like analytical or anything.

Novella Review: Stolen Threadwitch Bride (Stolen Brides of the Fae #6)

Stolen Threadwitch Bride

Clare Sager

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Stolen Threadwitch Bride is the sixth installment in the Stolen Brides of the Fae novella series, a fantasy romance collaboration that doesn't have to be read in any particular order. Before I start, I'd like to thank Clare Sager for sending me a free ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review! Ariadne has grown up alienated in her village, first for the color of her skin and then for the nature of her fae-blessing. But she loves to sew and the quality of her craftsmanship combined with her gift for enchantments is close to winning her a contract and security. Until she's selected to be the tithe for a system that hasn't been used in a century. Now she's gotta learn how to get along with the fae lord she's stuck with or else figure out how to outmaneuver him and win her freedom. 

This is set in the same universe as Beneath Black Sails but you definitely don't have to read those to enjoy it. It's pretty exclusive in it's depiction of the function of magic and everything going on and it makes for a super easy to read novella. The whole "stolen" element is a little questionable and I've really appreciated how the different authors have been twisting it in different ways. Like Lysander was required to take a bride, he took Ariadne despite their being other more willing humans. But he wasn't horrible about it and it ultimately came down to Ariadne's choices and where she wanted to be. 

Their romance is cute and perfectly paced, even probably for a full-length standalone. I really appreciated the development that both of these characters were able to experience in such a limited span of time. I don't know if we'll ever see more of these two, but I definitely wouldn't mind!

Book Review: Scorched Heart (Firebrand #4)

Scorched Heart

Helen Harper

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the fourth and most recent addition in the Firebrand series following the adventures of Emma, a detective for the Supernatural Squad and a supernatural entity all on her own. She's finally decided it's time to investigate the tragedy of her parents murder, but she's quick to discover that the clean-cut confession from 25 years prior could have been all an elaborate mistake. With more murders cropping up in the same fashion, she takes it upon herself to right the wrongs that set her whole supernatural journey into motion. 

I like paranormal books well enough, but there's a thin line that they're usually walking between funny and overdone. This series has really nailed the balance between that kind of sardonic humor of urban fantasy protagonists with a serious plot. It's also more of an adventure with romance rather than a romance with adventure, enough to satisfy the fact that I basically can't read books without romance at this point but not to overdone to ruin it for readers who prefer action. I think that this whole series has been so well-written and all of the mysteries have been so well-constructed. It has the real potential to be an extended series of mysteries with really infinite volumes in my opinion. 

The only thing I was a little disappointed with was the revelation of the nature of her phoenix powers. I don't know, it's probably more like my preference in the characters I read but the nature of the right-place-right-time thing just felt weird. I didn't hate it completely, but I'm definitely looking forward to future additions to give more of an explanation into the mythology of it all. I don't know if a fifth book has been announced, I know there's another series coming out but I don't know if I'll read it. I just want more of Emma and Lukas to be honest, their relationship is really shaping up with the progression of the mysteries.

Book Review: Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2)

Our Dark Duet

Victoria Schwab

Rating System:

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the second and final book in the Monster of Verity duology following the stories of Kate Harker and August Flynn. Kate is the daughter of a recently deceased kingpin and she's steering clear of the city he used to run and the monsters whom they've both angered. August is a Sunai, destined to identify the purity of humans' souls and weigh their right to live as he tries to save a city that has fallen into chaos. Both are struggling to balance their trauma and their desire to pave the way for a better world. 

Shoutout to VE Schwab because she rarely if ever fails to make me cry. This book literally traumatized me, I finished it and sat at my desk for the rest of the day with resting anxiety. This is such a beautifully written sequel, I was on the fence for a bit but the characters really won me over. They really developed so much in such a short period of time. I loved how it played with the idea of innate goodness, both in what the Sunai could understand as the tainting of a soul and the destiny which you are given based on your upbringing or familial ties. 

The only problem I had was with the pacing. The last hundred or two hundred pages were amazing but there were a lot of characters introduced at the beginning that didn't get the exposition that they deserved for the sake of keeping it to a duology. It just felt like it was leading up to a lot more but also maybe I'm just used to extended series. The ending wrapped up the main characters' extremely well but just lost me on a lot of other conflicts. 

All in all though it was an amazing duology! I didn't think I would ever like it as much as her other books but frankly it really got me. I'll be depressed for a while but at least I'm depressed with the understanding that it was an amazing journey.

Book Review: Midnight Smoke (Firebrand #3)

Midnight Smoke

Helen Harper

Rating System:

Overall: 4.5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the third book in the Firebrand series following the adventures of Detective Constable Emma Bellamy. She's been a detective for a few months now and has made great strides in the supernatural community. But a series of impersonations and a bank robbery could destroy all that progress and have especially caustic effects on her relationship with Lukas. Desperate to solve it all, she drinks a potion that gives her three attempts at redoing the horrible day and fixing all of its consequences.

I loved the whole Groundhog's Day idea, it's such a fun quirky paranormal take on crime. I said in my review of the other book that this was the perfect urban fantasy spin on a traditional detective or crime novel and yeah that stands. It has the whodunnit element but it also has the monsters and the magic. We didn't get much insight into Emma's whole backstory, or why she's the phoenix and what actually happened with her family. But I'll forgive that for the unique combination of magic and romance that occurred in this edition. 

This is a definite must-read if you're a fan of easy reads that still grab your attention and keep you reading. I love the mysteries, I love the romance, and I love the arcs that we've seen so far and I can't wait to read more.

Book Review: Brimstone Bound (Firebrand #1)

 

Brimstone Bound

Helen Harper

Rating System:

Overall: 4.5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Emma Bellamy is a police officer one step away from detective. She thinks she's doing great until she's relegated to the Supernatural Squad, where reputation says only screwups are sent. On her first night on the job she gets her throat slit and it should be the end. But it's not, because Emma reincarnates perfectly fine. Now she has to figure out who killed her while also trying to figure out what exactly she is and prevent a total all out war. 

This is hardcore paranormal urban fantasy, the kind with a comedic protagonist that narrates her thought process kind of literally. But I loved it. It's quirky and easy to understand without being too straightforward, the mystery of her murderer really stumped me. I should've seen it coming but frankly I had no idea that what was going to happen was a given. I was expecting something completely different because I was expecting only two ways that the story could've ended so I was truly surprised. I loved it and I'm already halfway into the sequel. 

If you're looking for one of those books like something Jennifer Armentrout would write (pre FBAA) then this is the read for you. I can see the budding romance coming up, which will definitely be perfect, but it's not overly lewd or trying to be shocking in that way. Definitely looking forward to reading this series through. 

Book Review: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)

Unravel Me

Tahereh Mafi

5/5

This is the second book in the Shatter Me series. Juliette has escaped from the clutches of the Reestablishment and found a group of rebels who she has a lot in common with. For the first time in her life she's around other people with superpowers, individuals who have faced similar alienation. She's desperate to shed the fears and insecurities which she's held so close her entire life and be a real asset to this revolution. 

A lot of people come after Juliette. She has a lot of baggage, which I think is fair considering the weight of her backstory. I read this book for the first time as a 12-13 year old and I liked it but I was annoyed by the characters. I think I understand it a lot better now, not that I have similar traumas but just trying to understand where they're coming from and how they interact with each other. I was mad that Adam got ditched the first time I read it, rereading the dialogue between her and Warner though had me real emotional and nostalgic and I really could understand it. Also I think it's a better representation of a normal teenage condition and the idea that your "first love" isn't going to necessarily be the person who's best for you. 

This is also much better to read knowing it's six books. I think that the first time I read it I was mad about how easy and convenient everything was. But seeing it from this new perspective and knowing the extent which the plot is going to go makes it a lot easier to get behind. I also think, for whatever weird reason, I was trying to read critically in eighth grade and not get invested in characters who felt toxic? Honestly though, it feels a lot less toxic and more tragic reading it the second time around. I really appreciate their arcs and how awkward they are, I don't think someone who has been raised to be anti-social would have an easy time in being social. But also I can totally see where Castle and Kenji are coming from, they're great characters to call her out on her bullshit and tell her to get her life together.

So all in all, it's just a really great book to read. It's almost a comfort read because it has exactly what you would want from a kind of romantic dystopian. It's not too heavy on the plot and not too heavy on the romance and really the perfect balance. I can't wait to finish the rest of my reread and see more from all my faves.

Book Review: The Archived (The Archived #1)

The Archived

Victoria Schwab

5/5

For the past four years, Mackenzie has had the title of Keeper. As such, she has a key that transports her into a secret Archive where the memories of the dead are kept. Not so much memories, more like ghosts. And when those ghost wake, it's up to her to guide them back to their drawers and resting places. After the death of her brother, her family decides to move to a new location with a higher traffic for these Histories and more confusion than she's ever known as a Keeper. 

This book was way better than I expected it to be. Think of it as like Ninth House but with a more YA spin. It had the intricate and beautiful worldbuilding that you would expect from a VE Schwab book while being aimed for a younger audience. There's definitely a huge difference in being aimed for a young audience and being well-written though, and this book definitely highlights that. It's made me super nostalgic because this is exactly the kind of thing that I would have read and loved in middle or high school. Didn't make me love it any less now. 

I'm excited to see how the duology concludes, it's definitely up there with my favorite VE Schwab books and I've read quite a few at this point. If you're a big fan of the paranormal then I can't recommend this book strongly enough. Also it made me cry so it definitely has a great emotional impact.