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forevermorepages's Reviews (811)
I feel heartless for not crying. Someone comfort me and tell me they didn't really cry either.
-Book Hugger
Check out my blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
-Book Hugger
Check out my blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
To All the Boy's I've Loved Before was fun, fluffy, and cute, but when it came down to it, I needed something deeper. I loved the family aspect of it, especially seeing the existence of a parent (because you know, they do actually exist). However, I would have liked to see the effect Lara Jean's mom's death had on her or her family, instead of just referencing it occasionally as a background. I also wish we got to see more of why Josh and Margot broke up (especially with the drop of some explanation, but it never being picked up). Though, I guess that's why there's book two and three.
Of the other things I loved, I thought Kitty was adorable and the fake-dating trope is a huge guilty pleasure of mine. I would have loved to see Lara Jean and Peter's relationship evolve a little more before we got to the end of the book, but again, this is a series, so I can understand. However, a little more depth could have gone a long way. I think I just need deeper contemporaries--thus, why books like I'll Give You the Sun and Emmy & Oliver are on the top of my list for me.
What didn't I like? Oh...that's a long list, unfortunately.
First, Lara Jean is the most annoying, self-entitled child I have ever read about. On top of that, the decisions she makes are completely absurd. Who actually would trot on up to their old crush, kiss them right on the lips with ZERO prep, and then walk away, all for the sole purpose of making someone else believe she was over him? Excuse me? Why are we lying so much? Just tell the truth. It's so so so easy to say, "Oh yeah, I still have feelings for you" instead of making an elaborate lie and trapping other people inside of it. This might come from the fact that I'm trying to go without lying (Ronan Lynch, anyone?), so I really don't have mental power to deal with liars. That could be why I couldn't stand Lara Jean.
Second, Lara Jean's best friend is an actual brat and I find it slightly horrifying that Lara Jean allowed her to walk all over her. This girl sneaks out, drinks, and does who knows what with who knows who. I'm not going to go into my idea of morals or anything here, but GURL. Anyway, I found their friendship to be fairly unhealthy and I don't think it was a good representation of how friendship should be. Friendship isn't lying about your friend's whereabouts or letting them ditch you for three weeks randomly. Friendship is more than that, but it's also not that kind of treatment. Hopefully this gets touched upon in book two and three, but I honestly don't see it happening. I'm sitting over here, very disappointed in this representation.
Third, am I honestly the only person who didn't like Peter? He's the common "I'm an actual jerk, but once you fall in love with me, you'll see exactly how sweet I am". But he was never sweet. I never found him that sweet. I can sort of see the redeeming qualities, but at the same time, not enough to change my opinion. They both are too childish to be sixteen. The ages just don't add up. I'm fifteen and I have more maturity than both Lara Jean and Peter (not to be vain or anything). So?? Hello??
If you like cute, fluffy, contemporaries meant for the beach and lemonade, I recommend you pick this one up. But if you're looking for something with more depth, turn away. I'm still going to read P.S. I Still Love You because my library has it, so it's free, and I would really like to see what happens next. Thanks for the cliffhanger, Jenny Han.
Also, last little piece, if anyone were to ever send out the only love letter I've ever written, I would panic.
-Book Hugger
Check out my blog and explore my other reviews at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Of the other things I loved, I thought Kitty was adorable and the fake-dating trope is a huge guilty pleasure of mine. I would have loved to see Lara Jean and Peter's relationship evolve a little more before we got to the end of the book, but again, this is a series, so I can understand. However, a little more depth could have gone a long way. I think I just need deeper contemporaries--thus, why books like I'll Give You the Sun and Emmy & Oliver are on the top of my list for me.
What didn't I like? Oh...that's a long list, unfortunately.
First, Lara Jean is the most annoying, self-entitled child I have ever read about. On top of that, the decisions she makes are completely absurd. Who actually would trot on up to their old crush, kiss them right on the lips with ZERO prep, and then walk away, all for the sole purpose of making someone else believe she was over him? Excuse me? Why are we lying so much? Just tell the truth. It's so so so easy to say, "Oh yeah, I still have feelings for you" instead of making an elaborate lie and trapping other people inside of it. This might come from the fact that I'm trying to go without lying (Ronan Lynch, anyone?), so I really don't have mental power to deal with liars. That could be why I couldn't stand Lara Jean.
Second, Lara Jean's best friend is an actual brat and I find it slightly horrifying that Lara Jean allowed her to walk all over her. This girl sneaks out, drinks, and does who knows what with who knows who. I'm not going to go into my idea of morals or anything here, but GURL. Anyway, I found their friendship to be fairly unhealthy and I don't think it was a good representation of how friendship should be. Friendship isn't lying about your friend's whereabouts or letting them ditch you for three weeks randomly. Friendship is more than that, but it's also not that kind of treatment. Hopefully this gets touched upon in book two and three, but I honestly don't see it happening. I'm sitting over here, very disappointed in this representation.
Third, am I honestly the only person who didn't like Peter? He's the common "I'm an actual jerk, but once you fall in love with me, you'll see exactly how sweet I am". But he was never sweet. I never found him that sweet. I can sort of see the redeeming qualities, but at the same time, not enough to change my opinion. They both are too childish to be sixteen. The ages just don't add up. I'm fifteen and I have more maturity than both Lara Jean and Peter (not to be vain or anything). So?? Hello??
If you like cute, fluffy, contemporaries meant for the beach and lemonade, I recommend you pick this one up. But if you're looking for something with more depth, turn away. I'm still going to read P.S. I Still Love You because my library has it, so it's free, and I would really like to see what happens next. Thanks for the cliffhanger, Jenny Han.
Also, last little piece, if anyone were to ever send out the only love letter I've ever written, I would panic.
-Book Hugger
Check out my blog and explore my other reviews at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Only a Goodreads review because I have little time for full ones at the moment:
This book is heavy. REALLY heavy. That's honestly the main reason for the four star rating because it had some topics that are...triggering for me and like the idiot I am, I ignored them, thinking, "nah, it won't be that bad!" It's bad. Massive trigger warnings for suicide and self-harm. I think if I read this when I was in a better headspace, it would have been okay, but at the same time, while realistic, I don't think there's a reason for a book to be this dark.
Besides that though, my other main issue was that I didn't completely understand the alien part and it was never truly explained. The ending felt both open and incomplete. I wanted more and not necessarily in a good way. I love open endings as much as the next person, but this was more than open; it was lacking.
As for the things I loved though, well, the important conversations about love and relationships and mental health. It's an incredibly important book if you're in the right headspace for it. The characters felt real and raw, like I could touch them. While I didn't completely mesh with the writing initially, the writing felt incredibly right for the story.
And wow, this is more the length of a full review, whoops. We're done here.
-Book Hugger
For full reviews, check out my blog at bookhuggerreviews.com
This book is heavy. REALLY heavy. That's honestly the main reason for the four star rating because it had some topics that are...triggering for me and like the idiot I am, I ignored them, thinking, "nah, it won't be that bad!" It's bad. Massive trigger warnings for suicide and self-harm. I think if I read this when I was in a better headspace, it would have been okay, but at the same time, while realistic, I don't think there's a reason for a book to be this dark.
Besides that though, my other main issue was that I didn't completely understand the alien part and it was never truly explained. The ending felt both open and incomplete. I wanted more and not necessarily in a good way. I love open endings as much as the next person, but this was more than open; it was lacking.
As for the things I loved though, well, the important conversations about love and relationships and mental health. It's an incredibly important book if you're in the right headspace for it. The characters felt real and raw, like I could touch them. While I didn't completely mesh with the writing initially, the writing felt incredibly right for the story.
And wow, this is more the length of a full review, whoops. We're done here.
-Book Hugger
For full reviews, check out my blog at bookhuggerreviews.com
I really need to write reviews, ugh...
This was super cute and I really enjoyed it. It depicts grief so well and I'm thankful for that.
-Book Hugger
Until I get my crap together and write a review, visit by blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
This was super cute and I really enjoyed it. It depicts grief so well and I'm thankful for that.
-Book Hugger
Until I get my crap together and write a review, visit by blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
This was a great fluffy read for vacation!! Full review to come later!!
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
I have to be honest, the beginning of Never Fade wasn’t strong enough for me. I was really confused and lost with it all. Then, somehow, I found myself sitting on my bed Sunday morning, crying because Alexandra Bracken is horrible to her characters, but most of all managed to make me feel something. The characters are just so amazing, especially the new ones (JUDE). This book broke my heart so much AND THAT ENDING. Not to mention, Barnes and Noble was out of stock of In the Afterlight and I’ve got a million other books to read, so I’m sitting here impatiently waiting for when my TBR (to be read) list is small enough to handle me getting it.
Anyway, as for the plot and the story, I liked the majority of it. I couldn’t get past the confusing beginning, though, and the whole time I was trying to understand what happened in between The Darkest Minds and Never Fade. Some things weren’t clear enough to earn it five stars. I feel really bad giving this book four stars because I love Bracken’s writing and the characters, but I want this to be an honest review and that’s my honesty.
I hope that In The Afterlight is better and as good of an ending as I want for this series. My fingers are crossed!
-Book Hugger
for more reviews like this visit www.bookhuggerreviews.com !
Anyway, as for the plot and the story, I liked the majority of it. I couldn’t get past the confusing beginning, though, and the whole time I was trying to understand what happened in between The Darkest Minds and Never Fade. Some things weren’t clear enough to earn it five stars. I feel really bad giving this book four stars because I love Bracken’s writing and the characters, but I want this to be an honest review and that’s my honesty.
I hope that In The Afterlight is better and as good of an ending as I want for this series. My fingers are crossed!
-Book Hugger
for more reviews like this visit www.bookhuggerreviews.com !
I'm a little confused at the ending?
Anyway, this book was good, but nothing remarkable to me, and I think if it had been written differently it could have been a lot more impactful.
-Book Hugger
Anyway, this book was good, but nothing remarkable to me, and I think if it had been written differently it could have been a lot more impactful.
-Book Hugger
“The more a person pushes others away, the clearer it becomes he is in need of love the most.”
This was the first book I read for Booktube-a-Thon 2017 and I loved it so much. Surprisingly, I actually started it sometime last year and I was so bored I had to put it down...and yet now I'm giving it a raving 5 star review with little complaints. A brief explanation on how that changed: I got out of whatever book slump I was in at the time. Let's just say, I am beyond glad I gave this novel a second chance.
The Wrath & the Dawn is an atmospheric retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, the story of the man who marries a new woman each day and kills her at sunrise. This continues Shahrzad comes along and tricks him into keeping her alive by telling only part of a story. He becomes so interested in the story that he must keep her alive to hear the rest. Gradually, they fall in love at the end. I had already read a retelling of this book ages ago, Shadow Spinner, which was required reading for my seventh grade year. This was so much better than that, and I had a ton more motivation because I wasn't forced to read this book for a grade. Honestly, people need to stop giving kids required reading, just give them opportunities to choose a book. That's another argument though (and I think I have a "My Thoughts" post on it from approximately two years ago when I still did those oops). I'll put the link at the very bottom in case anyone desires to read that piece of trash.
This retelling was so perfect because it encapsulated (nearly) everything a retelling should be. I'm not so much for loose retellings, and this wasn't one of those, but it wasn't strict either. It followed the general idea and the main character's name was Shahrzad as well. Then it continued to the idea of them falling in love, and so on and so forth. The Wrath & the Dawn was more interesting than the original, with characters that are, in my opinion, more fleshed out and intriguing. It was beautiful.
“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky.”
On the characters, I loved Shazi (and what a cute nickname, it perfectly suits her). She's such a strong female, determined to avenge her friend's wrongful death at the hands of Khalid, and has a conscience when she realizes her feelings for him. Furthermore, Khalid was a really exciting character to read about. Especially, when it came to the "big reveal" plot twist because I didn't see that one coming. It's always nice to not be expecting one, especially when most books have a level of predictability that this one didn't have (and I'm so grateful for that). I especially love morally ambiguous characters, and more so when you cannot see their motives.
I also have a soft spot for secondary characters and I loved Jalal. I'm very glad that he didn't develop a romance with Shahrzad (and I was worried in the beginning) because they worked out so much better platonically. I also think I have a thing for captains of the guard (I'm looking at you, Chaol Westfall).
“You honestly expect me to breathe in a world without air?”
Lastly, Renée Ahdieh has a gift with words. The Wrath & the Dawn trapped me inside its world and I never wanted to leave (despite reading it in a singular day). Everything about it was beautiful. I aspire to write so wonderfully as Ahdieh.
“It was because they were two parts of a whole. He did not belong to her. And she did not belong to him. It was never about belonging to someone. It was about belonging together.”
Leaving with this quote seems right because I want to touch upon a theme I noticed...I think there was a strong bit of feminism and equality here. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in many other reviews, but Shahrzad and Khalid always made points to claim each other as equals, which is something you so rarely see in fiction. It was just another touch that made me fall in love with it a bit more.
If I have any complaints here, it was that the addition of magic to this novel felt a bit out of place. I would probably not have included it, but maybe it works better in the sequel. It was so loosely thrown in and it played such a small role to the plot, I just felt as though it didn't have a point. Hopefully this'll change with The Rose & the Dagger.
I highly recommend picking this one up! And if you don't like it at first, maybe you're in a slump.
-Book Hugger
For more reviews like this, check out my blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Required Reading rant: http://bookhuggerreviews.com/?p=236 (though now looking at it, it paints required reading in a somewhat good light, so whatever)
This was the first book I read for Booktube-a-Thon 2017 and I loved it so much. Surprisingly, I actually started it sometime last year and I was so bored I had to put it down...and yet now I'm giving it a raving 5 star review with little complaints. A brief explanation on how that changed: I got out of whatever book slump I was in at the time. Let's just say, I am beyond glad I gave this novel a second chance.
The Wrath & the Dawn is an atmospheric retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, the story of the man who marries a new woman each day and kills her at sunrise. This continues Shahrzad comes along and tricks him into keeping her alive by telling only part of a story. He becomes so interested in the story that he must keep her alive to hear the rest. Gradually, they fall in love at the end. I had already read a retelling of this book ages ago, Shadow Spinner, which was required reading for my seventh grade year. This was so much better than that, and I had a ton more motivation because I wasn't forced to read this book for a grade. Honestly, people need to stop giving kids required reading, just give them opportunities to choose a book. That's another argument though (and I think I have a "My Thoughts" post on it from approximately two years ago when I still did those oops). I'll put the link at the very bottom in case anyone desires to read that piece of trash.
This retelling was so perfect because it encapsulated (nearly) everything a retelling should be. I'm not so much for loose retellings, and this wasn't one of those, but it wasn't strict either. It followed the general idea and the main character's name was Shahrzad as well. Then it continued to the idea of them falling in love, and so on and so forth. The Wrath & the Dawn was more interesting than the original, with characters that are, in my opinion, more fleshed out and intriguing. It was beautiful.
“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky.”
On the characters, I loved Shazi (and what a cute nickname, it perfectly suits her). She's such a strong female, determined to avenge her friend's wrongful death at the hands of Khalid, and has a conscience when she realizes her feelings for him. Furthermore, Khalid was a really exciting character to read about. Especially, when it came to the "big reveal" plot twist because I didn't see that one coming. It's always nice to not be expecting one, especially when most books have a level of predictability that this one didn't have (and I'm so grateful for that). I especially love morally ambiguous characters, and more so when you cannot see their motives.
I also have a soft spot for secondary characters and I loved Jalal. I'm very glad that he didn't develop a romance with Shahrzad (and I was worried in the beginning) because they worked out so much better platonically. I also think I have a thing for captains of the guard (I'm looking at you, Chaol Westfall).
“You honestly expect me to breathe in a world without air?”
Lastly, Renée Ahdieh has a gift with words. The Wrath & the Dawn trapped me inside its world and I never wanted to leave (despite reading it in a singular day). Everything about it was beautiful. I aspire to write so wonderfully as Ahdieh.
“It was because they were two parts of a whole. He did not belong to her. And she did not belong to him. It was never about belonging to someone. It was about belonging together.”
Leaving with this quote seems right because I want to touch upon a theme I noticed...I think there was a strong bit of feminism and equality here. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in many other reviews, but Shahrzad and Khalid always made points to claim each other as equals, which is something you so rarely see in fiction. It was just another touch that made me fall in love with it a bit more.
If I have any complaints here, it was that the addition of magic to this novel felt a bit out of place. I would probably not have included it, but maybe it works better in the sequel. It was so loosely thrown in and it played such a small role to the plot, I just felt as though it didn't have a point. Hopefully this'll change with The Rose & the Dagger.
I highly recommend picking this one up! And if you don't like it at first, maybe you're in a slump.
-Book Hugger
For more reviews like this, check out my blog at http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Required Reading rant: http://bookhuggerreviews.com/?p=236 (though now looking at it, it paints required reading in a somewhat good light, so whatever)