danadoesbooks's Reviews (954)

Dragonfly in Amber is the second book in the Outlander series.  I went into it knowing nothing about the second book and I think it added to the enjoyment. There are some pretty big reveals early on in the book so I won't summarize anything here!

I had complicated feelings about Outlander but I decided to continue reading the series. I enjoyed Dragonfly in Amber more because of the plot. However, just like in the first book, there are these scenes that make me question if I want to continue. I'm not saying violence or gore shouldn't be present in books, but in these cases, a lot of it seems gratuitous and unnecessary to the plot.

I know this is an unpopular opinion but I don't understand the love of Jamie. Whenever I start liking him, he does something horrible to Claire. Most of the time it is in jest, but there have been times in the series so far when it wasn't. There are moments when Jamie is swoon worthy but he is a flawed character for sure.

I fully intended to take a break from the series next month but Dragonfly in Amber ended so well, I'm going to need Voyager soon!

In From Blood and Ash, Poppy has been marked as The Maiden since her parents were brutally murdered.  She is forced to remain veiled and pure until her Ascension.  As her Ascension grows nearer, Poppy feels more trapped by her title and role in society.  Luckily, she has found a way to feel more like herself with her training and helping people in the community.  However, as evil looms closer, the danger to Poppy increases because of her role. 

Overall, this book is an exciting read.  I found it a little difficult to keep the details of the world and creatures straight, and it was made all the more difficult at the end of the book. I also wasn't a huge fan of the romance that seems to be forgotten at times and forced at others.  However, I love how much action was packed into the second half of the book!  I plan to continue reading the series because I need to find out what happens after the cliffhanger in book one!

Louisa Clarke is one of my favorite characters. While I didn't know what would happen after the events in Me Before You, I was still excited to read two more books focused on her.

When I read the second book in the series, After You, I was disappointed. Louisa was not herself (rightfully so) but the plot felt unnecessary. So much so that I got rid of my copy. It took me two years to feel like I was finally ready to read the third book.

I am happy to say that I loved Still Me! The Louisa of the first book is back. She moves to New York for her new job and is able to start over. Louisa's escapades made me giggle out loud. Some things that happen to her made me cry. I tried to read this book slower just so it would last longer.

My advice to anyone thinking about continuing the series is to skip or slog through the second one because the third book definitely pays off!

Yadriel just wants to be accepted as a brujo by his traditional Latinx family.  Since Yadirel is trans and identifies as a boy, his family won't let him participate in the ceremony.  With the help of his cousin Maritza, Yadriel performs the ceremony.  With his cousin Miguel missing, Yadriel tries to use his new responsibilities and powers to summon Miguel's ghost.  Instead, Yadriel summons Julian Diaz's ghost.  Now Yadriel must find out what happened to Miguel and Julian.

My favorite part of this book was the character dynamic between Yadriel and Julian!  While this novel can be very emotional at times, it also had me giggling over Julian's antics.  Also, Julian's support of Yadriel and his push to try new things is really sweet.  These two characters and their relationship make this book as strong as it is.

Thomas does a wonderful job making Yadriel's identity an important point to the story without making it the whole story.  I like that Yadriel is already out from the start of the novel. Although his community is still working to accept him as a brujo, Yadriel's story is so much more than his coming out story. It was a significant moment in his life and Thomas also shows what Yadriel's life is like after.

Cemetery Boys is phenomenal and I highly recommend it if you like more character driven novels!

Prepare to binge this book. It took me a little while to get the characters down and their relationships because of the alternating viewpoints, but once it did, I couldn't put it down.

Your House Will Pay opens in March of 1991 in Los Angeles only a few days after Rodney King was beaten by LAPD.  While told mostly in the present, this novel will flashback to 1991 and share the memories of Shawn Matthews.  In 2019, he has a stable job and home when he is forced to relive the murder of his sister, Ava.  Also in 2019, Grace Park is trying to uncover the mystery of her own family.  Her older sister stopped talking to her mother two years for reasons that Grace doesn't know.  One event forces the Matthews and Park families to confront their shared history and deal with the consequences.

Cha was very strategic about which character's point of view certain chapters were told from.  This allowed the reader to get the strongest emotional response from the events happening.  I like that this novel doesn't try to provide concrete answers to these problems but rather offers an opening to discuss these topics.  

This book is emotional, confrontational, and, at times, uncomfortable to read. However, Your House Will Pay is incredible and I cannot recommend it enough!

This book was quirky at first but took a very weird and then horrific turn. No thank you!

Sula (1973) tells of the friendship between Sula Peace and Nel Wright.  Sula and Nel keep each other's secrets when they are young, but a betrayal between them when they are older could mean the end of their friendship.

Once again, Toni Morrison packs so much emotion into such a short book.  Sula is less than 200 pages but I found myself rereading sections to savor the power of Morrison's descriptions.

I highly recommend reading the foreword of this book before reading.  It won't spoil anything, but the author gives insight into the opening chapters and how she would have changed it.