forevermorepages's Reviews (811)

I might need to sit on this one for a bit because it was very different from V.E. Schwab's other books and very different from what I expected. I did love it, yes, but something about it didn't feel quite right. In a way, it left me feeling the same way Vicious did, unsettled, uneasy, but then I could pinpoint why: self-harm is one of my triggers and that book was riddled with it. Addie on the other hand, wasn't triggering, wasn't entirely painful, but I felt as though it was missing something, an added layer of oomph perhaps. And maybe the subject matter did leave me feeling uneasy, because my own mortality is something I've yet to come to terms with even though I'm 19 and have years and years of life left in me.

But anyway, this was a quiet book and one I'm never going to forget (I remember Addie) and something I'm going to need to ponder before formally writing a review.

-Book Hugger

I'm waffling between ratings right now, but I think ultimately that while I appreciated the discussions about race and found the middle portion of the book to be quite amazing, the first and last 100 pages really disappointed me. I wasn't attached to Obinze or her relationship with him, and I was disappointed to find the focus shifting towards that instead of Ifemelu's personal life, her career, her new relationship with Nigeria after leaving America. But, I know it worked for some people, so I still recommend this book with high regard. It's definitely not a forgettable book.

Moreover, I also felt the book to be a tad disorganized. The jumping around timelines in the beginning confused me and I wasn't quite understanding the purpose of it. I think the novel really could just have used some refining and definitely a good 100 or so pages cut out. It dragged in parts.

I do still love Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's writing and I'm definitely going to read her other books as well.

-Book Hugger

This was my first historical fiction book and I had a lot of hope for it, especially in the first hundred pages. I definitely don't think my qualms of this book are representative of the entire genre, so I'm going to happily be trying again. Most of my issues were with the development of the romance and the miscommunication between the two characters. If they'd actually had conversations this book would've been 100 pages long and would have saved me the constant eye rolls and boredom with Lucy's shenanigans at the end of the novel. But anyway, I liked Tessa Dare's writing and I found the story moderately compelling, so there's that, I just didn't like this particular storyline (and ugh the best friend's brother trope is SO GOOD and this did it so poorly).

I also wish that we could have seen more of the historical setting because I really wanted to know (1) what on country this took place in, (2) what year, (3) what political things were happening, but I think I hit the wrong genre for any of that background info. We'll see.

-Book Hugger

I'm a little more picky on how I give five star ratings nowadays, but don't let that dissuade you because this really is one of the better books I've read lately. It took me so long to finally get ahold of a copy after it was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it was so good, so worth the wait. Don't let anyone say that YA doesn't need any more coming out stories because as someone who has always seen herself just a little in them, damn do we need good ones like this.

Usually, the trope of the "out guy" and the closeted guy dating ends in the one that's out being mad that the other can't just come out, and usually, it's very problematic and poorly written. I think Sophie Gonzales handled this really well, though, and kept it nuanced between Ollie respecting Will not being ready to come out and him being sad when Will pretended he didn't exist or made fun of him in front of his friends. Will could still be closeted and not be a jerk, basically. (But with that said, I do love Will, and I definitely see myself in him.)

Also thank GOD for a book that uses the word "bi" on page. And lets a bi girl date a boy. Finally we're getting some good stuff in these books.

But anyway, I really appreciated this and that it wasn't just about their relationship. Ollie's family situation with his aunt's cancer and the grief before losing someone was done really well, in my opinion. It was just really sweet.

My only qualm was that while I appreciated the flashbacks to the summer, I wish it had been fleshed out how Ollie and Will met and how their relationship developed. I was a little confused and I think that could have been clearer (and also would have established more of a stake in their relationship from the beginning.)

-Book Hugger

This didn't do a ton for me (and I'm so sorry to say that because the concept is very cool and Nnedi Okorafor's writing is very beautiful!) and I'm sad to say I didn't entirely enjoy it. Novellas as a whole are hit or miss for me, but I'm glad I tried it out!

-Book Hugger

This was really cute and sweet - technically a reread because I read it in middle school (I think), but I didn't remember a whole lot so it felt like I was reading it for the first time. It was a lot harder-hitting than I anticipated going into it, but thankfully all of the topics were addressed at a middle-grade level so I didn't feel like I was pummeled by graphic discussions of school shootings (one of the topics I tend to avoid in books bc of personal experience). Some of the writing annoyed me, but overall, I did really love this book and I am very grateful that my friend gifted it to me for my birthday!

tw: school shootings, death of a sibling/parent

I really enjoyed this. I think I would have liked it more if I had read it in a smaller copy (I was reading it inside the Norton's Anthology which is rather bulky and the font is so small...stuff like that really can shape my reading experience!), but I really loved the quietness of the story (much in the way that I loved Frankenstein). I definitely saw the plot twist coming, but it was done in such a compelling way that I really appreciated it.

Anyway, moral of the story, whatever Gothic, Victorian, etc genre this and Frankenstein fall into, I adore!

-Book Hugger

Really, really interesting analysis of Trump's presidency! As a political science major, I definitely found lots of this fascinating!

this held up to the test of time :)

sure, it's got its problems, but it makes me happy and i think that's all that matters

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Yes, I am counting a reread as a read, and that's all I shall say. IT WAS AMAZING AGAIN, DUH

-Book Hugger

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This was really informative and eye-opening, definitely not something I'll be forgetting any time soon. I really appreciated the discussions about missing and murdered women (something a lot of people tend to ignore) and the education system, but I found everything she said to be really powerful and important. I'm really glad I read this.