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abby_ace_of_books


Did they...did they really convince two entire kingdoms that a secret, third kingdom existed? And everyone believed them? I get that Rhen has a lot of other issues to deal with, but you'd think that proper education for his country might be a priority...
Also, you can't convince me that the King's Ransom card game is anything more complex than Uno.

Yet another series that I started when I was twelve and I have yet to finish yet.
While I didn't like this book as much as I did the first three, I still enjoyed reading about Jaron's (mis)adventures. His snarky inner monologue will probably remain one of my favorites forever.

It had a cool premise and I liked the pictures, but that's about it...
Spoiler It would've been three stars, but then Aamon died and he was the only character I liked.

"'And what if the treasure was the friendships we solidified along the way?' Arthur asked.
Lucy pulled a face. 'That's the worst treasure in the world. They already were my friends. I want rubies'"(192).

This book was my reminder that wholesome books can be just as good as angsty ones. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"'Yes...It's--unfortunate. We get trapped in our own little bubbles, and even though the world is a wide and mysterious place, our bubbles keep us safe from that. To our detriment...But it's so easy because there's something soothing about routine. Day in and day out, it's always the same. When we're shaken from that, when that bubble bursts, it can be hard to understand all that we've missed. We might even fear it. Some of us even fight to try and get it back. I don't know that I would fight for it, but I did exist in a bubble...Thank goodness you popped it'"(278-279).

Space steampunk setting and aroace rep?
I absolutely loved the vibes of this book and I highlighted a bunch of quotes that I loved before I accidentally returned the book to the e-book library and now I can't access it, so just know that there's a lot of good quotes.

Spoiler Also, can we get some justice for Nathaniel? He lost his mom and his dad and his grandmother, as horrible as they were. And when he was imprisoned, Eliza and Anna didn't even stop to consider what might've happened to him.

I haven't been this conflicted over a love triangle since I read A Tale of Two Cities...

Jet is the obvious choice, of course, but like Darnay, he could use a bit more "flavor."
Kasta, on the other hand, is angsty and depressed like Sydney Carton and even though he'd be absolutely horrible for Zahru, I don't care.

Thank you, Alice Oseman. Thank you for writing a book that I related to more than I've ever related to a book before.

I highlighted so many quotes from this book:
"I'd spent so much time thinking that my one true love just show up one day. I had been wrong. I had been so, so wrong. Everyone else was growing up, kissing, having sex, falling in love, and I was just... I was just a child. And if I carried on like this...would I be alone forever?"

"It was fun to read about in fanfics and see in movies, but the reality was kind of just like, Oh. Yikes. I'm uncomfortable, get me out of here."

"There were guys who had fun hair or good fashion or a nice smile. But I wasn't attracted to any of them. I didn't feel any sort of desire. When I tried to picture standing close to them, kissing them, touching them... I grimaced. Disgusting."

"I knew what it was like to feel bad about not having kissed anyone. And to feel pressured into doing it because everyone else was. Because you were weird if you hadn't. Because this was what being a human was all about."

"'Asexuality means I'm not sexually attracted to any gender. So I don't look at men or women or anyone and think, Wow, I want to do sexy stuff with them.' This made me snort. 'Does anyone actually think stuff like that?'"

"It was so easy to romanticize romance because it was everywhere ... I could see it all, all the time, all around, but when I got closer, I found that nothing was there. A mirage."

"People didn't really just look at boobs or abs and get turned on. Did they?"

"People are really out there just...thinking about having sex all the time and they can't even help it? ... People have dreams about it because they want it that much? ... I thought all the movies were exaggerating but you're all really out there just craving genitals and embarrassment. This has to be some kind of joke."

"There were so many things that I would never do. Would never even want to do or feel comfortable doing. So many little things I'd taken for granted, like moving into my first place with my partner, or my first dance at my wedding, or having a baby with someone. Having someone to look after me when I'm sick, or watch TV with, in the evenings, or going on a couples' holiday to Disneyland."

"I would never be one of these people. Flirting. Falling in love. Happily ever after."

"I've never had a crush on anyone in my life ... I liked the idea of it but...the reality..."

"It wasn't just a dislike of kissing. It wasn't a fear or nervousness or 'not meeting the right person yet.' This was a part of me. I did not feel the feelings of attraction, of romance, of desire, that other people felt. And I wasn't ever going to."

"Was everyone just having sex and falling in love all the time? Why? How was it fair that everyone got to feel that except me?"

"I was angry at the world for making me hate who I was ... I was angry at every single romance movie, every single fanfic, everyone single stupid OTP that had made me crave finding the perfect romance. It was because of all that, no doubt, that this new identity felt like a loss when in reality, it should have been a beautiful discovery."

"I don't like guys. Oh, so you like girls? No, I don't like girls either. What? that doesn't make any sense. Yes, it does. It's a real thing. You just haven't met the right person yet. It'll happen with time. No, it won't. This is who I am."

"I don't like anyone like that. I never do. This is just who I am and one way or another, we're all going to have to put up with it. I can still do amazing things with my life."

"So...I never had any crushes when I was a child. Not any real ones, anyway. Sometimes I confused friendship for them, or just thinking a guy was really cool. But I never really fancied anyone. Even celebrities or musicians or whatever."

"I used to dream of a spellbinding, endless, forever romance. A beautiful story of meeting a person who could change your whole world. But now, I realized, friendship could be that too."

"'Because I know myself. I know what I feel and...what I have the capability to feel, I think.' I smiled weakly at her. 'I mean, how do you know you won't fall for a guy one day?' Pip made a face. I laughed. 'Yeah, exactly. You just know that about yourself. And now I know too."


Sorry, I know that was a ton of quotes but I just felt like this book truly reflected my own feelings and I found so much of it truly relatable.
And to my cousins: I guess now I should read Heartstopper.
Link to Libby Annotations

At this point, I don't want Zahru and Kasta to end up together not because of how Kasta has treated Zahru (I'm all for a good enemies-to-lovers), but because of how Zahru has treated Kasta.
And honestly, I don't think that Zahru should end up with Jet either.

Moral of the story: Zahru's kind of a jerk now.

Not to be dramatic, but I would probably die for Danny and Colton if I had to.

This series is one of my favorites of all times and I have no idea how to put into words how much I love it. While the first book is not my favorite in the series, the worldbuilding is incredibly cinematic and unique and the romance ranks in my top five romances of all time.

Also, special thanks to my cousin for annotating my book with me. I'm glad you figured out that Maldon is a place and not a person.

Book 1: Cute romance, elements of a mystery, a bit of action and angst
Book 2: angst, angst, more angst, jumping out of planes, gun fights on trains, would you like some more angst?, more gunfights and kidnappings and murder and sacrifices and even more angst...

I absolutely adore this series.

Spoiler Also, Colton wins the Most Tragic Backstory Award. I feel so terrible for him and I get sick to my stomach just thinking about it.