emmreadsbooks's Reviews (1.28k)

This is the cutest love triangle graphic novel I've ever read - especially since it's a TRUE TRIANGLE. The art is spectacular and I loved how she stuck to the red and pink color scheme throughout. It really helped her art style show through. And the plot, the plot!! High school is stressful enough without being in a love triangle. This felt like a really mature take on a YA romance - there's no homophobia or trauma shown, just pure cute young sapphic love. Chloe deals with her failing english grade, Belle comes into her own, and Gina copes with the stress of college. And amidst all of this, Belle and Chloe rekindle their relationship from kindergarten. It's like a next level version of high school sweethearts. Also I couldn't get over the mascot? It's just so adorable. This is the quintessential feel-good contemporary graphic novel, perfect for fans of Heartstopper or Unfamiliar.

*Thank you to First Second Books and Hear Our Voices Book Tours for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This was the perfect pick me up on a Monday morning. Both inspirational and poetic, I want to print it out and hang it on the walls of my office. It was also awesome that MHN herself narrated it! I do think that I lost a little bit by listening to it rather than seeing the words on the page, but it was an overall nice experience.

*Thank you to LibroFM for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

A super fun and subtle sequel to Mr Wrong Number, we get all of the laughs that come with navigating online dating with a one night stand to friends to lovers plot. Hallie and Jack have undeniable chemistry. Like seriously, Jack can give me a nickname that sounds like an infectious disease ANY TIME. But also we get text exchanges that'll make you giggle and swoon, the best chaotic roommate ever in Ruthie, and Tigger, king of all cats. I spent last night trying not to laugh out loud while my fiancé was sleeping, but even then Lynn Painter made me bust out a few times. And the STEAM - this is definitely steamier than Mr Wrong Number, starting with a literal bang and more than a few more. Give me Jack Marshall and an elevator any day.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Very reminiscent of Room, this is a dark mystery novel that's a real page turner. While Sayers is wholly unlikeable at first, we grow to empathize with him as he finds himself trapped in a bunker-like prison. I had some issues with the portrayals of mental health throughout, but it was interesting that the reader also isn't cognizant of how much time has passed in his captivity. I did enjoy how Sayers evolves as a character and learns from the mistakes of his past, I just wish that we got to see him seek treatment after this harrowing experience.

This is by far my favorite installment in the Bergman series - full of swoony banter, sports galore, and a heroine who isn't afraid to go after what she wants. We've seen Ziggy in so many of the previous books, but it's worth nothing that it's always from her siblings' perspectives. And man, have they been sleeping on Ziggy. She's full of such power and fire, but keeps getting hung up on what other people think of her. Then there's Seb, the resident bad boy and brother's best friend. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do some angry yoga with him but he certainly doesn't start as boyfriend material. Let alone even *friend* material.

I felt like this book showed the most character growth out of the 6 published thus far, and that includes even some of the siblings from previous books! It really helped me feel more invested in the characters and just the entire saga that is the Bergmans. This was also my first time reading the ebook rather than listening to the audio, and I didn't feel like it detracted from the experience. Rather it made sense that for the bookish gal Ziggy, I do it the old (but really new) fashioned way. This book is full of easter eggs to previous books, as well as some of Chloe's other novels! This may be the one series where reading them in order is *imperative* IMO (and that's coming from a serial chaos demon)

That being said, I would let Ziggy tickle me until I pee a little for any insider knowledge on Viggo's book because I need that joyful chaos in the world NOW.

*Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

A YA version of The Lion's Den meets The Woman in Cabin 10 - really just an enjoyable thriller set at Semester at Sea. Jade's always wanted to travel, but she didn't expect she'd be trapped on a cruiseliner with her ex and her ex best friend. DRAMAAAAAA! There's so much gaslighting in this book, you really can't know what's real until the end. While certain plot points of this book were inevitable, I did enjoy the foreshadowing throughout. Plus it left me craving answers as to what happened NEXT with that bonkers ending.

*Thank you to Razorbill and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Do I like Ted Lasso? Yes. Do I like the Bergman Brothers? Yes. So why the hell wouldn't I like this epic mishmash?

This book is confetti and glitter shot out of a cannon compared to the rest of the series. There's so much angst and banter, rather than the ooey gooey instalove I've come to expect from Chloe Liese. Am I blinded by my love for Roy Kent? Maybe. But I really enjoyed how Oliver was portrayed from the perspective of someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and how we get to see some cracks in his sunshine and rainbows attitude. I'm left craving a Viggo book like it's nobody's business, but alas...

While more romance than fantasy, it definitely felt like something *new*. With elements of mystery and whimsy, the mundane undertaker is catapulted to a distinguished position. I loved the epistolary trope along with enemies to lovers, even if it was the mail carriers who got to have all the fun. Hart is an absolute monster at 6'9", nicely offset by the curvaceous Mercy. While we do get a little bit of steam, the story is centered around the Birdsalls and their business. It almost felt like cozy fantasy - is that a genre? Regardless I loved it and I'm surprised by how much.

Memoirs are so difficult to review, but this one is heartbreaking and lyrical and everything I didn't know I needed. Narrated by the author, we get to hear Ashley's journey through life with its ups and downs, battling an abusive home life and the aftermath of being sexually assaulted. This book is heavy, despite its page count, so take that into account before reading.

It almost feels like poetry. We have a young girl struggling with her home life and a semester of mistakes trying to rebuild. She has to deal with an abusive father, a homophobic mother, and just the stress of trying to keep it all together. Now add in the typical high school experience, and you understand just a fraction of what Aaliyah is dealing with. The book is primarily character focused as Aaliyah grapples with her sexuality and dreams, but worries about her little sister Trinity. As a character, she has more things on her mind than her best friend's drama or the upcoming cross country meet and that was refreshing. We'll definitely see more of Erika Turner.

*Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*