claudcloud's Reviews (310)

If you, like me, are aching to re-live your childhood and dive into a book that will bring back the nostalgia of the fairy-tales you grew up loving, then this would be the choice!

Unfortunately, it does kind of read like a fairy-tale, too - the pacing is extremely confusing and info-dumpy at times, the characters are not quite as developed as I'd like them to be (and Evangeline is simply your run-of-the-mill hopeless romantic, borderline naive protagonist), and the plot is rather predictable.

That being said, am I still going to continue with this series - because I am genuinely curious to see where Garber takes it and because she's managed to make me love Jacks? Yes. Absolutely I will. Bring on the fated love stories and happy (?) endings!

I needed a short and sweet audiobook for my year-long reading challenge, and, on a whim, I decided to give the next installment in this series a shot - and I don't regret doing so!

I expected to have way more trouble with it than I did, considering my experience with Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but surprisingly, going directly to audio works in its favor! I liked the stories in this volume way more, I felt much much more for the characters,

and I will fight for Kazu Tokita's happiness as long as I live!

Now that I've read this and knowing what I know about what the book's been through - I'm more convinced than ever that it absolutely deserves to be on shelves for as long as possible!

Such a compelling story (I haven't felt this much intrigue in a long, long time), such compelling characters (I can gush about every single one of them at length), such a beautiful setting, and such a brilliant exploration into both how power can go wrong so easily, as well as what it is to be powerless.

I will absolutely be picking up more from Joan He!

I wholeheartedly agree with some other reviews I've read of this where they mention how 'Yellowface' could have been more of an incisive critique of the publishing industry, instead of a book that mainly calls out cancel culture and Twitter mobs. But damn if it wasn't still good as hell!!

If I was half as delusional and self-absorbed as June Hayward, I would maybe finally be able to make something of myself. Unfortunately for me, I've elected to be a good fucking person instead.

Oh to have a friendship and love story like Dolly and Farley do...

I picked this as my first read of 2024 on a total whim - but I don't regret finally having read it! I loved the witty writing style, and I really enjoyed the overall message, which is that you don't need a romantic relationship in order to feel fulfilled as a person, and that your friends can provide just as much love in your life as a partner, if not more. I also enjoyed the focus on learning how to accept love and how to be okay with yourself as a person, which is something that really hit home for me!

Most of all, it left me yearning for the kind of love that Dolly describes in her memoir. That security and constancy is something that I've never experienced, but I really hope I do someday.

Am I glad that I've finally experienced this series? Yes, of course! Am I also very glad to have been made privy to the Warner love train decades after it first started? Also yes!

Did I also think it was mid? Unfortunately, yes.

Tahereh's writing is what carried me through this, to be honest, because I personally love her style (which I knew I would after reading "This Woven Kingdom") - but I didn't get much more out of these books. It's fun for escapism purposes and for the nostalgia of going back to our dystopian roots, but there's better out there, in my opinion.

Kenji is the best character in the series. No further comment at this time.

Still not sure how to feel about this second half of the series... but let's just say I'm still enjoying it for the moment. Looking forward to see where Juliette

Ella

's story goes next!

Suzanne Collins can genuinely do no wrong