“Just because you don’t remember hearing them doesn’t mean they’ve stopped talking. It means you’ve stopped listening.”

A super fun, imaginative MG with a focus on self-identity and a celebration of mythology/culture.

This would work so well as an animated TV show! I could visualize everything so vividly while reading and my brain kept translating it to a show. I loved the focus on Lei finding herself, feeling caught between worlds, as well as the fun of reconnecting with nature.

This is a very... solitary book, meaning that for most of the journey it is just the main character and a talking animal companion. That did lead to some parts of it feeling a bit sluggish, as the pacing was a bit off, which could be a struggle for certain younger readers but! I also appreciated that it gave us time for the main character to rediscover the world around her (mostly) on her own.

Overall, a fun time that would be good for fans of PJO or Aru Shah. 

“The name Rachel Price is almost synonymous with mystery. Because her disappearance was like a puzzle, and it’s human nature to want to solve a puzzle, don’t you think?”

A bit of a let-down after AGGGTM, but still entertaining.

It was a struggle to get into, due to the slowness of the plot and the unkindness of the main character (I understand why she was the way she was, I don't even blame her, but it was still annoying to read her bullying people who had done nothing wrong even if I completely understood her motive/trauma.)

Eventually, though, it picked up and while I had started piecing things together, I hadn't figured it all out by the end which was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, not my favorite but it was okay.

Bit conflicted on how to review this one.

Firstly, this is such an improvement from Star Daughter!

This was incredibly creative, with an interesting plot and well-developed world/magic system. The characters read young (even for YA) which lead to a lot of their interactions feeling both petulant and rushed. It reminded me of a DCOM in book form (particularly a Descendants-esque movie) which I think will be perfect for some people.

I also think that's why this book doesn't exactly work for everyone. And why it didn't work for me. I'm rounding my rating up to a 4 star because I really do think this was successful in being the type of story it wanted to be, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the story it wanted to be lol.
The pacing and the immature way everything was handled, as well as a struggle with characterization are among the top of my issues with the book. At the end of the day, these are also really subjective things and I know that they wouldn't bother everyone the way they bothered me.

Overall, I loved the rep. I loved the magic system and the mythology. I loved how unique the plot was. I think this book has a lot going for it and I do recommend it, as long as you're not expecting this to be the most developed YA book you've ever read.

“You are in all of my happiest places.”

Once again, Emily Henry has saved me from a reading slump. There's witchcraft in these books, I swear.

There's a part in here where the main character jokingly describes herself as 'slow-release hot' and strangely, that's a good way to explain my feelings about this book.

For someone that's been struggling to read anything lately, this gripped me immediately. It was so easy to fall back into the familiar writing style.

However, it probably wasn't until the last 30% that I realized how much I loved it. The romance, the individual characters, Harriet's journey to finding herself; every piece of it had somehow grown on me without me even fully realizing it.
I still had a few qualms, particularly the fact it felt a bit more... formulaic in comparison to the rest of her books, but even that faded as I carried on.

One of my favorite things about Emily Henry's books is that they're actually therapist appointments under the guise of a cheerful romance. Happy Place was no different. Somehow, no matter how much I do or don't relate to her characters, there are always lines that feel like someone took a look into some part of me and made it coherent. Made it something lovable. It's a really special feeling and it shocks me every time.

Overall, I hope she keeps writing these beautiful, sappy, vulnerable books for the rest of time and I hope each of them makes me feel as happy and understood as they have thus far.


Current Ranking:

1. Book Lovers
2. Beach Read
3. Happy Place
4. People We Meet on Vacation 

“It felt like the world had divided into two different types of people, those who had felt pain and those who had yet to.”

Despite having been recommended this book a million times, I admittedly knew very little about it before picking it up. I knew nothing beyond the barest elevator pitch: it was a memoir about grief and culture and identity.

I recently lost an extended family member to cancer, so this might have been the perfect time to read this or the worst. I'm still not entirely sure. I know that it made me feel a lot. My experience with my family member is entirely different and I didn't witness any of his struggles (we live across the country from each other), but the way she put her grief into words was so meaningful.

I can struggle with memoirs because (sometimes) I feel like the authors have a tendency to paint themselves in rose colored lighting, which is understandable. We all experience our lives and the events that shape us in our own ways, but when the authors seem incapable of admitting they're flawed human beings that make mistakes... I struggle to care about their story.
Which is why I was so impressed with the way the author was so candid in here. She speaks of the rough experiences she's endured, but she also never attempts to hide her own mistakes or shortcomings. It was such a simple aspect that made this so much stronger.

Overall, I don't read many memoirs so I'm still not very confident in reviewing them. I know this is easily my favorite I've read. It's heartfelt and raw, with one of the best insights into culture and grief and family that I have ever read.

I completely get the love for this book and I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you're someone trying to branch out from only reading fiction. It's a heavy read, but super comprehensible and perfect for someone trying to get into nonfiction. 

“The things that scare us can also give us joy. We just have to learn how to see them in a different light.”

Yet another really fun addition to what is such a sweet, adventurous series.

In this one, Aru is fourteen and I loved the way her getting older is handled. She's still young and naive, but there's beginning to be moments of realizations throughout the story as she's becoming aware that the world isn't quite as easily divided as she'd once believed.

Amidst that, there's also plenty of silly humor and fun hijinks. It was nice to be back with these characters and I appreciated Mini getting some more attention. She's such a sweet character and it was cool to see her strengths represented more in this one.

I did feel like a lot of the book felt pretty repetitive, but that can happen really easily with quest books where they're going from place to place.

There's also quite a few Harry Potter references in here which... is understandable, but always a bit jarring lol.

Overall, I stand by the fact this really is such an underrated middle grade series and I will continue to recommend it to everyone looking for a series for their kids (or anyone that loves middle grade.)

 

“They had both knew from the beginning that they would not save each other.”

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

From the moment I read what this book was about, I was certain I was going to love it. A dark, diverse Peter Pan retelling with themes of trauma, grief, lost childhood, addiction, etc. was right up my alley. I love the light, fairytale, whimsical versions of Peter Pan but I also know how well the story can lend itself to darker themes and I was excited for what the author was going to do with this.

Before I carry on with the review, I want to say that I'm aware that this was this author's debut and the act of writing a book is an impressive feat. Not every book will be for every reader. That doesn't mean I am not aware of the work put into this or that I mean any ill will to the author themself. Even just the act of including all of the rep in here (disability, specifically) was incredible and something we need more in fantasy.

That being said, I cannot remember the last time I struggled this much to read a book. My issues were with every aspect of the story made it difficult to even pick up. I struggled with the pacing, the worldbuilding, the characters, the writing style, and even the way the themes were handled (specifically ones I had experience with.)

There's so much that could have been fantastic about this book, but I don't feel like it was capable of reaching its full potential.

The world-building was a mess that was barely described and when it was described, I ended up more confused than I was before. I understand the world beyond the Island is supposed to be like ours, but not - though even this is never really explained, other than a difference in currency and the Peter Pan book having been written by a different author.

The Island itself was a geographical disaster. While I understand the intention of this may have been to replicate the dream-like confusion and nonsensical view of the world that exists in childhood, no one ever questions it or brings such a thing up - leaving the reader to wonder if they're just immensely stupid or if nothing is truly being explained.

The characters were impossible to connect with/care for/sympathize with, any of it. We're supposed to believe that they're this way due to the trauma they've experienced from the island and the Dust addiction, but then we have flashbacks to one of them (at age 7) beating the shit out of their 4 year old sister because their family loved her ballet moves. Sibling rivalry is a thing and I'm not lessening that, but you can't have me believe a character is only terrible because of what Peter Pan made them and then show me they were always terrible.

Another thing, Peter wasn't even a character. He was a cardboard cut-out villain that murders mercilessly and giggles. That's literally all he does. He goes from acting like a drunk child to calling Tink a bitch. The story of Neverland always includes the fighting and stopping of pirates. That's a plot that can get dark and I appreciate that, however; the violence felt sadistic for the sake of being sadistic. This Peter and his Lost Boys don't imagine themselves as the Island's valiant protectors or glorious heroes stopping the villains, they're just creepy and torture any adult they come across.

One final point before I end this review, as it is already long and negative enough. I usually try to stay objective and keep my personal opinions out, but in case you're like me, I wanted to mention: this book was very descriptively written and could be particularly graphic or disturbing, especially when it comes to the gore or the vomiting. I'm not usually bothered by what I read, but there were moments this actually turned my stomach.
If you're someone with sensitivities, triggers, or even just sensory issues I would recommend being aware of that before heading into the book.

Overall, I'm absolutely devastated that I disliked this as much as I did, but I can't honestly rate it any higher. As always with ARCs, I'm grateful to have read it and I truly do wish the author the best. 

 “Icarus approaching the sun. Touching it. How good it felt. The light. The warmth. How could she not want to bask in it forever?”

Been trying to figure out how to review this because my thoughts are terribly conflicted.

The first half of this book kind of felt like watching a very heavy DCOM, complete with enough deception and terrible decisions to kill a man. The second half read more like a romcom? with unnecessary conflict? This created a story that felt really disjointed. There were times things felt too slow and others too fast, times where the humor felt really insensitive or out of place, and a whole lot of conveniences that were hard to ignore.

Moving on from that, I did appreciate following Mika as a main character. She is complex, flawed, and makes the worst decisions I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing, but she is also impossible not to sympathize with - at least a bit.

A lot of this book revolves around identity, particularly all of the different aspects of identity and how it affects every decision Mika makes. From being the only child in a Japanese immigrant family to simply her identity as a woman, every single expectation put on her has created the decisions she's made and left her completely unmoored in her thirties. She's used to completely recreating herself for others and this has led to the fact deception is her initial response.

I appreciated these conversations and the nuanced look it took at her situations and the journey she was on. Honestly, I would have preferred if the book had focused solely on her finding herself and slowly shedding the expectations of others.

However, that wasn't the case. Don't get me wrong, we do get that - to a certain level - but it takes a sideline to every other topic this book wanted to deal with. Which might not have bothered me if I'd liked the other two characters, but Penny and Thomas were horrible and I was relieved to finish the book so I could be free of them.

Already... a romance between

the bio mom and the adoptive, widower father

is kind of an uncomfortable dynamic from the get-go, but Thomas made everything so much worse. He was so creepy and rude that by the time we saw the other side of him, it just felt like a manipulation to make the reader root for their romance.

And Penny... don't get me started on her.

So. There were a lot of things I think this book did really well and I really enjoyed/appreciated, but there was also a lot that could have been handled better.

I'm glad I read it, but it's not one I'd necessarily recommend.

“There are so many worse things than death. Not to be loved or not to be able to love: that is worse.”

No one touch me. No one speak to me. No one look at me.

I thought having this series spoiled for me would make me immune to the epilogue but apparently not. I have never been so wrong. I cried while reading the entire thing. What the actual hell, honestly?

It took me awhile to get into this book particularly, actually. Not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because the plot seemed to moving a bit slow compared to the previous books. Particularly with the amount of letters from the Consul and all of the side characters we began to follow. Once I got past the first 30%, it got much easier enjoy.

It's been a consistent thread throughout this trilogy to tread the line between devastating and hopeful, and no two words describe Clockwork Princess better. Even at the bleakest moment, there is an undeniable light across the story. A hope that filters through between everything.

I could also go on forever about the use of Dickens to explore Will's character arc and how much I loved that aspect of the story. On the themes of curses and self-hatred and love and family. There are so many fantastic things about this trilogy (even if it is not without flaws.)

Overall, if it wasn't clear, I don't know what to do with myself now. 

“Some adventures require nothing more than a willing heart and the ability to trip over the cracks in the world.”

I preferred this over the first one, but not by much.

Every Heart a Doorway is one of my least favorite books but people kept telling me to try the rest of the series, as the books follow different characters/plots. After having read this one, I see why they suggested that. This one was better, but I still think this series is just not for me.

A lot is personal preference, with these stories just not working for me. Some of it is technical. In both circumstances, I think it is better if I don't carry on with any further installments.

I see why everyone likes this one so much, however, I had too many problems with too many aspects to feel capable of enjoying it.