“So long as you can hear the waters, everything seems possible: that the sun is the moon, that a star is a cloud, that dusk is dawn, and everything is both hallowed and haunted at the same time.”

literally can't figure out how to review this in a way that does it justice.

so what I will say is that this book is the most magical, beautiful thing I've read in quite some time. it won't be for everyone due to the fairytale, ambiguous nature of parts of the story - but it was most definitely for me. I'd recommend this to eldest daughters and people who loved Narnia growing up.

enchanting, stunning, and heartfelt; this will stay with me for a long time. 

This was such a fun read!

I've put off reading this for a bit because I'm not the biggest vampire person in the world. I can enjoy it in very small doses, but I get bored with the concept very easily. However! This was such a breath of fresh air in that regard, I felt like they were handled in a way that humanized them without removing their monstrous tendencies which is a hard line to walk.

The rest of the book itself was really enjoyable and well-plotted. A bit predictable but it's YA so I'm not holding that against it. The first half of the book was my favorite, as it almost reminded me of a dark, aged-up Disney movie. The push and pull of the two characters was fun to read about.

I also appreciated the fact this book didn't shy away from heavier topics. They were spoken about with the gravity they deserved, while still keeping the book YA - another impressive feat.

Overall, I liked this and I look forward to reading the sequel. 

absolutely loved this. perfectly balanced the heavier topics with moments of joyful resistance, paired with a beautiful art style and the nostalgic, witchy magic I was hoping for. truly one of the best graphic novels I've ever read.

This was a delight!!

I'm not a YA contemporary person. In fact, I usually really dislike YA contemporary and have accepted it's simply not a genre for me. However, after seeing this recommended again and again (and seeing the video of the author using the dedication to propose to his partner) I decided to give it a chance. 

I'm so glad I did. 

Admittedly, it was a bit of a rocky start for me. Not because the book was bad, but because I've been in an infernal reading slump and found myself struggling to get involved in the story. But the more the book progressed, the easier it was for me to completely settle into the story. 

I loved how this felt like a coming-of-age academia movie. I loved how the friendships were handled in here. I loved seeing Charlie grow into himself. 

The plotting itself was a bit weak (such as with the STRIP resolution/some pacing issues) and I did struggle to connect with the romance (which is completely subjective), but those things didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the book. 

Overall, this was lovely and if it sounds interesting to you, I highly suggest giving it a try. 

Decided to reread this so the drama and angst might pull me out of this horrific reading slump, and while I don't want to jinx it... I did read this entire book today so! There is hope on the horizon!

As for the book itself, it's even more of a mess than I remembered. There's just... so much wrong with it, from cringy dialogue to dubious consent to the fact the age gaps are just... ignored? However, it's also - evidently - really distracting and I do appreciate how fun of a read it is. 

Would I ever recommend this series? No. Am I glad I reread it? Of course I am, it's the first time I've finished a book in what feels like forever. 

Not going to rate this one because I'm not sure I even could. There were a lot of meaningful conversations in here, though I felt like they were never fully developed into what they could have been. I also wasn't prepared for the amount of incest or the way children were spoken about, which made me specifically uncomfortable. 

There's nothing wrong with this book; it's just not for me and I have no urge to keep reading it. 

I never know how to review poetry collections because poetry is such a deeply personal, subjective art (I don't rate it for the same reason).

Reading this, you could tell how much every single word meant to the author. The topics ranged from romance to identity to pop culture, but the heart of this collection was in every single one.

Overall, I'm glad I decided to pick this up. 

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is how you write a finale.

I'm trying to figure out how to review this as it's an ARC and the final book in a series, which leaves my hands a little tied on what I can say. What I will say is that it is taking everything in my power not to write the most incoherent, spoilery, praise review because holy crap; this was such a good ending to this series.

I really liked book 1. It was unique and fun and reminded me a lot of more nostalgic YA book series, complete with an angsty love triangle. What I wasn't expecting from book 1 was how much this series would grow and change with each book, becoming something much bigger and better than I originally anticipated.

This book is a roller coaster. If you've loved this series, you're going to adore this finale. It's a perfect conclusion, from the plot to the relationships (the relationshipssss. guys, you aren't ready) to the individual character growth.

If I had to critique any of it, I'd say that the villains sometimes felt a bit childish, the ending was a bit rushed, and there were a few things I would have liked clarification on, but there was a lot that happened at the end and I understand.

Overall, this was fantastic and I'm incredibly impressed by Vanessa Len. 

“Love isn’t something you can cup in your hands, and I have to believe that means it’s something that can’t ever be lost.”

left this believing life was neither great nor big nor beautiful.

this is the most conflicted I've ever felt about an Emily Henry book and I'm still not entirely sure how to put my thoughts into words. I'm not saying this is a bad book. Emily Henry's writing style is still incredibly comforting and after months of not being able to read books as fast as normal, I read this in two sittings.

however! this is undoubtedly my least favorite Emily Henry book and may take the spot as my biggest disappointment for the year.

I want to clarify: this is not because the romance isn't as prevalent in this book as her previous works. In fact, it's sort of the opposite.

first: the things that worked for me.

I loved the old money storyline. I loved the setting and Margaret's home. I loved the brief glimpses of Alice's friend group (there was text that Cillian sent that actually made me laugh.) I was the most invested in the pieces of Margaret's past we got, in seeing how she got to where she was now and hearing about this larger than life family.

from there... everything becomes kind of a mess. this book felt incomplete. I don't know how else to say it, but I felt like I was looking at an apparition of a book instead of a fully-fleshed out novel. certain aspects felt more like first draft ideas than a well-crafted, meaningful plot-point. some things seemed brought up as if they were important, only to be discarded and never spoken of again. there was also a certain level of predictability that bummed me out.

now... the romance, if it can even be called that when it's between Poppy's underdeveloped younger sister and an Adam Driver cardboard cut-out. I really, really disliked every single romantic scene in this book. They either felt entirely out of place or like they'd simply been added to fulfill a checklist of Things to Make Your Readers Swoon which I never feel with Emily Henry. All of the banter felt cheap or recycled from other lines, the tension was just not there, and

he says I love you after two weeks of knowing her??? what?

to briefly summarize my thoughts and feelings: did I enjoy the Margaret and the House of Ives plot? yes. do I think it was well-written? not really. did I enjoy Alice & Hayden's relationship? no. do I think it was well-written? absolutely not.

overall, this review makes it sound like I hated this book and I swear I didn't. It was fine, verging on enjoyable. It was also just an incredibly big let-down. I wanted to be someone that love this book and I'm really bummed I wasn't.


updated Emily Henry ranking:

1. Book Lovers
2. Funny Story
3. Beach Read
4. Happy Place
5. People We Meet on Vacation
6. Great Big Beautiful Life