baysriddles's Reviews (184)

I am not a Black male living in America, so I cannot write a review based on my experiences and/or relations to this book.

HOWEVER, I will say that the writing is beautiful and it’s a gorgeously-written book.

The stories Coates writes are heart-wrenching and eye-opening.

This book is heavy and I had to put it down several times in order to fully comprehend and reflect on the stories and writing.

Overall, 10/10 recommend. This should be a required reading!

This was one of the only mysteries/thrillers I've read and I'm pleasantly surprised!!!

I was hooked from the very beginning and it only took me two nights to read. I was so invested!

This feels like The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars meets Riverdale. Such an interesting concept, but it definitely works!

I have two things that just didn't sit right with me though:

I wish there would have been more talk about domestic abuse-- both physical and emotional. This book explores it, but I think there should have been some type of take-away for the audience (what are the signs, what are the consequences, etc.).

THIS NEXT PART CONTAINS A SPOILER, SO DON'T CONTINUE IF YOU PLAN ON READING THIS BOOK:

I wish the author would have included signs to look out for when someone is contemplating suicide. Simply stating "depression" as a symptom is super stereotypical and only adds to the stigmas surrounding mental health.

I am a huge mental health advocate and it's hard when books talk about/explore suicide, but don't actually give any learning points and/or take-aways from it.

This rom com was simply phenomenal.

I struggle with a lot of the same chronic illness/pain symptoms Chloe has, so I related to her throughout the entire book.

There were times I was in literal tears because I felt so seen, understood, and not alone— which I never really have felt with a book before.

From her abandonment issues, to her social anxiety, to her messiness from chronic fatigue... amazing.

This book is funny, emotional,

This was a cute YA romance! It was also very fast and only took me about 4-5 hours total to read (and I’m a slow reader). I’ve watched the movie several times and LOVE it, but while reading this, I realized that the book and movie are VERY different. The writers and producers of the movie took a very different take from the book for the movie. Regardless, the book was super sweet too! I think I liked them both equally. I removed a star because some parts were *super* cliche and cheesy, thus making parts very predictable.

I picked this one up about three weeks ago and fell in love almost right away, but put it down because I was just SO unmotivated. I picked it up again this week and ended up finishing it. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! Stella & Michael are so dreamy and I loved their different storylines. Five stars from me! If you haven’t read this cute, quirky, and steamy romance yet— you’re missing out! And if you’re in a reading slump and having a hard time getting out— I highly recommend this book to pull you out!

Loved this one!!! Gavin and Thea’s chemistry is out of this world. I really enjoyed the side characters as well. I often find myself “picking sides” in romance novels, but I had to stay neutral in this one because I liked the characters so much. 10/10 recommend this ADULT (!!!) romance!

Trigger Warnings: suicide and depression.

This was a beautifully written book. I usually don't gravitate towards magical realism storylines but I really liked this one. It's such a tragic yet beautiful story of grief and finding oneself. I removed a star because some parts felt unnecessary and I didn’t fully understand the art references. I definitely recommend this one to those struggling with loss but also wanting to read about hope and the beauty that can come from loss.