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That was...about as good as I expected, tbh. It was fun, but it was also all over the place, and was barely concluded. I wish we got more of an answer to Simon and Baz's relationship problems. And, of course, since I still love the two of them to pieces, I'll probably read the third book.
I do sincerely believe that some books shouldn't have sequels, though, and Carry On was one of those.
-Book Hugger
I do sincerely believe that some books shouldn't have sequels, though, and Carry On was one of those.
-Book Hugger
Some small quibbles, but over all, I adored this.
Review to come.
-Book Hugger
Review to come.
-Book Hugger
I have realized since I wrote this review that it is very easy to lose your train of thought when confronted my a shirtless male you are attracted to. I forgive Alex now. I don't forgive myself for being a hypocrite. Anywho, carry on, this book still arguably sucks, but at least I know now that the main character isn't completely dumb.
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I was really looking forward to reading Labyrinth Lost. It has an appealing plot and an appealing, diverse cast. After finishing the book, I realize that's about all it really does have: an appealing, but poorly executed plot and an appealing, diverse cast. Most of the characters are Hispanic and some are in the LGBTQ+ community. Alex's best friend Rishi is Indian. The descriptions of food (and there were a lot) were some of my favorite parts, but that probably isn't saying much.
This book suffers from some very awful clichés and tropes. Right off the bat, Alex describes herself to be plain; she isn't as good as her pretty, but shallow, older sister, and not special like her younger sister. I can't name a book right now that carries this trope, but the overwhelming sense of deja vu I'm getting isn't saying the same.
Then, Alex meets a guy, Nova (his name throws me off because it ends in an "a" and in Spanish that would generally make it feminine), who is breathtaking and all that jazz...and of course, when she throws herself into the underworld, he's the one who follows her. Predictably. They barely know each other, but he helps her. Also, what was up with the scene where she loses all train of thought because he's shirtless? Ew? Why?
It only gets worse from there.
We come face to face with a love triangle, and unfortunately, Alex and Rishi just did not have chemistry, sorry, not sorry. I would have loved to see that play out well, but it just didn't. It felt really forced. And Alex and Nova didn't go well together, either, mostly because he they kept bumping heads. I honestly think she should have said no to either of them, but I'm a cynic, what can I say?
As well, Alex never faces failure. She is betrayed (not saying by who) and it basically seems like she forgave them. She's given the choice between two roads, one pretty one and one not-so-pretty one, and somehow the pretty one is actually the right choice? I think I screamed at all my friends the day I got to that part about how the pretty road NEVER ENDS UP WELL. I mean, A+ to Zoraida Cordova for finding one thing in this book that doesn't go as expected, but at the same time, REALLY??? THAT ROAD SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD. THE PRETTY STUFF IS NEVER GOOD. EVER. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.
Anyway, I could probably keep ranting about what I hated and all that, but let's do a quick overview of what I liked:
The focus on family was really nice. (Though...I didn't like how easily everyone forgave our idiotic heroine).
The FOOD.
The idea for the plot was very creative, definitely original, and the magic system was well-done.
The world-building was actually fairly strong.
But that's as far as it goes, so unfortunately, it's a two star read for me. I wish I could say I loved it...but alas.
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
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I was really looking forward to reading Labyrinth Lost. It has an appealing plot and an appealing, diverse cast. After finishing the book, I realize that's about all it really does have: an appealing, but poorly executed plot and an appealing, diverse cast. Most of the characters are Hispanic and some are in the LGBTQ+ community. Alex's best friend Rishi is Indian. The descriptions of food (and there were a lot) were some of my favorite parts, but that probably isn't saying much.
This book suffers from some very awful clichés and tropes. Right off the bat, Alex describes herself to be plain; she isn't as good as her pretty, but shallow, older sister, and not special like her younger sister. I can't name a book right now that carries this trope, but the overwhelming sense of deja vu I'm getting isn't saying the same.
Then, Alex meets a guy, Nova (his name throws me off because it ends in an "a" and in Spanish that would generally make it feminine), who is breathtaking and all that jazz...and of course, when she throws herself into the underworld, he's the one who follows her. Predictably. They barely know each other, but he helps her. Also, what was up with the scene where she loses all train of thought because he's shirtless? Ew? Why?
It only gets worse from there.
We come face to face with a love triangle, and unfortunately, Alex and Rishi just did not have chemistry, sorry, not sorry. I would have loved to see that play out well, but it just didn't. It felt really forced. And Alex and Nova didn't go well together, either, mostly because he they kept bumping heads. I honestly think she should have said no to either of them, but I'm a cynic, what can I say?
As well, Alex never faces failure. She is betrayed (not saying by who) and it basically seems like she forgave them. She's given the choice between two roads, one pretty one and one not-so-pretty one, and somehow the pretty one is actually the right choice? I think I screamed at all my friends the day I got to that part about how the pretty road NEVER ENDS UP WELL. I mean, A+ to Zoraida Cordova for finding one thing in this book that doesn't go as expected, but at the same time, REALLY??? THAT ROAD SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD. THE PRETTY STUFF IS NEVER GOOD. EVER. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.
Anyway, I could probably keep ranting about what I hated and all that, but let's do a quick overview of what I liked:
The focus on family was really nice. (Though...I didn't like how easily everyone forgave our idiotic heroine).
The FOOD.
The idea for the plot was very creative, definitely original, and the magic system was well-done.
The world-building was actually fairly strong.
But that's as far as it goes, so unfortunately, it's a two star read for me. I wish I could say I loved it...but alas.
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
At the moment, this is sitting at a 4 star, but I'm not fully sure yet. I still have some things to think about. Overall, it was a very powerful book, though, that I think could be of great importance, especially right now.
I ended up changing it to a 3 star because some things just really bugged me and I'm having trouble getting past them. I don't really feel like doing a full review either, but just know that I feel very middle-of-the-road about this book. It's not bad, but it's not good either and I can't really articulate why at this stage.
-Book Hugger
I ended up changing it to a 3 star because some things just really bugged me and I'm having trouble getting past them. I don't really feel like doing a full review either, but just know that I feel very middle-of-the-road about this book. It's not bad, but it's not good either and I can't really articulate why at this stage.
-Book Hugger
Girls of Paper and Fire is nothing like anything else I've ever read. It's incredibly diverse with a lush setting and a cast of characters (I love Lei, I love Wren, I love everyone except the men) that stand off the page, it has romance I actually cared about, and a ruthless plot that takes no prisoners. Natasha Ngan crafted a world with so much background and build it was hard to believe that I wasn't there in it as well; I honestly haven't read such fascinating world-building in a long time.
This was like a darker, higher-staked, and more diverse The Selection by Kiera Cass, which is basically what I pitched it as to my friend. Reading it was like reading one of my old favorites except everyone was falling apart and nothing was okay anymore. And wow. There's power in that.
Natasha Ngan writes with such a powerful voice. I was enveloped in her writing. This novel screamed own-voices and just...that made it so much more real. This wasn't written by someone trying to imitate someone else's experience, but by someone who knew every bit of trauma Lei had. And that was so obvious on page, and definitely not negatively.
I listened to a podcast interview with Natasha Ngan on Females in Fantasy where she said Girls of Paper and Fire is a story about female empowerment about female friendship and those bonds against the patriarchy. These girls bond together despite the horrors of their time as Paper Girls and while they may not see eye to eye, there's a connection with the shared trauma.
Now, I cannot speak to much of the representation here, but I have heard many people say it was wonderful. I suggest looking at their reviews for more insight on how the narrative helped them.
I cannot recommend this book enough, but be aware of the trigger warnings. It was not as graphic as I expected, but it's definitely heavy.
-Book Hugger
This was like a darker, higher-staked, and more diverse The Selection by Kiera Cass, which is basically what I pitched it as to my friend. Reading it was like reading one of my old favorites except everyone was falling apart and nothing was okay anymore. And wow. There's power in that.
Natasha Ngan writes with such a powerful voice. I was enveloped in her writing. This novel screamed own-voices and just...that made it so much more real. This wasn't written by someone trying to imitate someone else's experience, but by someone who knew every bit of trauma Lei had. And that was so obvious on page, and definitely not negatively.
I listened to a podcast interview with Natasha Ngan on Females in Fantasy where she said Girls of Paper and Fire is a story about female empowerment about female friendship and those bonds against the patriarchy. These girls bond together despite the horrors of their time as Paper Girls and while they may not see eye to eye, there's a connection with the shared trauma.
Now, I cannot speak to much of the representation here, but I have heard many people say it was wonderful. I suggest looking at their reviews for more insight on how the narrative helped them.
I cannot recommend this book enough, but be aware of the trigger warnings. It was not as graphic as I expected, but it's definitely heavy.
-Book Hugger
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“'Love and loss,' he said, 'are like a ship and the sea. They rise together. The more we love, the more we have to lose. But the only way to avoid loss is to avoid love. And what a sad world that would be.'”
First and foremost, this book made me take back basically everything I ever thought or said about Alucard Emory. Now that I've seen his past and understand it, I'm never going back. I really like how we were introduced to his past around the same time Kell was, because it made his character feel that much more real. I don't like knowing things in books when the characters don't because it feels less real that way, but when you're introduced to things when everyone else is, it's like you're with them. And that's good writing, in my opinion.
Continuously, I loved the growth of Holland's character. He went from a villain (book one) to an anti-hero (book two) to a hero in A Conjuring of Light and I'm living for it. He's one of the most fleshed out characters and his development is one of the most cared about I've ever read. The amount of attention Schwab has given these characters is astonishing and wonderful. This series has such a place in my heart for that reason and more.
I'm not going to go too much into the lives of my favorites because they stood out as usual, so I'm going to focus on some of the other things I liked about this book. I think at this rate you all know I love Lila, Kell, and Rhys with all of my heart. (Though, I will say I lost a little respect for Kell when he kept trashing on Alucard despite hearing his story, which wasn't fair to Alucard.)
I can't stop thinking about Schwab's writing honestly and how expressive it is. I actually see my writing style in hers because we do the same repetition and sentence structure, which is really weird because I haven't seen my writing style out in the world too much. But seriously though, Schwab writes so wonderfully and my writing can't compare in that sense.
“Scars are not shameful, not unless you let them be. If you do not wear them, they will wear you.”
Anyway, plot-wise A Conjuring of Light did what A Gathering of Shadows did not. It elaborated slightly on its predecessor's plot, but was mostly separate and concluded the broader plot. Not to mention, the conclusion was beautifully done and very settled, in my opinion. It left room for more, but an end as well. Which I'm glad for because of the Threads of Power series coming out later!! Yay!! Super excited for that!!
To conclude, I either can't remember finding anything wrong with this novel or there was nothing wrong with it. It's been awhile, but I think I've captured my feelings pretty well despite the time lapse. If you haven't read this series or are hesitant, I highly recommend trying it.
“Anoshe was a word for strangers in the street, and lovers between meetings, for parents and children, friends and family. It softened the blow of leaving. Eased the strain of parting. A careful nod to the certainty of today, the mystery of tomorrow. When a friend left, with little chance of seeing home, they said anoshe. When a loved one was dying, they said anoshe. When corpses were burned, bodies given back to the earth and souls to the stream, those left grieving said anoshe.
Anoshe brought solace. And hope. And the strength to let go.”
-Book Hugger
First and foremost, this book made me take back basically everything I ever thought or said about Alucard Emory. Now that I've seen his past and understand it, I'm never going back. I really like how we were introduced to his past around the same time Kell was, because it made his character feel that much more real. I don't like knowing things in books when the characters don't because it feels less real that way, but when you're introduced to things when everyone else is, it's like you're with them. And that's good writing, in my opinion.
Continuously, I loved the growth of Holland's character. He went from a villain (book one) to an anti-hero (book two) to a hero in A Conjuring of Light and I'm living for it. He's one of the most fleshed out characters and his development is one of the most cared about I've ever read. The amount of attention Schwab has given these characters is astonishing and wonderful. This series has such a place in my heart for that reason and more.
I'm not going to go too much into the lives of my favorites because they stood out as usual, so I'm going to focus on some of the other things I liked about this book. I think at this rate you all know I love Lila, Kell, and Rhys with all of my heart. (Though, I will say I lost a little respect for Kell when he kept trashing on Alucard despite hearing his story, which wasn't fair to Alucard.)
I can't stop thinking about Schwab's writing honestly and how expressive it is. I actually see my writing style in hers because we do the same repetition and sentence structure, which is really weird because I haven't seen my writing style out in the world too much. But seriously though, Schwab writes so wonderfully and my writing can't compare in that sense.
“Scars are not shameful, not unless you let them be. If you do not wear them, they will wear you.”
Anyway, plot-wise A Conjuring of Light did what A Gathering of Shadows did not. It elaborated slightly on its predecessor's plot, but was mostly separate and concluded the broader plot. Not to mention, the conclusion was beautifully done and very settled, in my opinion. It left room for more, but an end as well. Which I'm glad for because of the Threads of Power series coming out later!! Yay!! Super excited for that!!
To conclude, I either can't remember finding anything wrong with this novel or there was nothing wrong with it. It's been awhile, but I think I've captured my feelings pretty well despite the time lapse. If you haven't read this series or are hesitant, I highly recommend trying it.
“Anoshe was a word for strangers in the street, and lovers between meetings, for parents and children, friends and family. It softened the blow of leaving. Eased the strain of parting. A careful nod to the certainty of today, the mystery of tomorrow. When a friend left, with little chance of seeing home, they said anoshe. When a loved one was dying, they said anoshe. When corpses were burned, bodies given back to the earth and souls to the stream, those left grieving said anoshe.
Anoshe brought solace. And hope. And the strength to let go.”
-Book Hugger
It's actually getting kind of exhausting to be reading solely mediocre books in 2020. I didn't think I'd love Emergency Contact, but I kind of hoped it would be better than it ended up being. The problems really boil down to Mary H.K. Choi tackling too much and the awkward dialogue/problematic language use.
Some people may complain about the romance, but that was actually one of the few things I did enjoy, that managed to pull it up to three stars instead of something lower. I thought Sam and Penny were actually really cute together, even if their inability to converse easily in person was obnoxious. (It's so difficult to develop something healthy out of texting and I do wish that was addressed more.)
Anywho, the problem ended up being that Choi skimmed the surface of so many topics, but never delved deep enough. She discusses racism, albeit briefly; she discusses alcoholism (AND SAYS SAM MIGHT EVEN BE ONE), yet doesn't go into its effects; she talks about rape, but fails to acknowledge it until the last 50 pages. Overarching the plot is the relationship between Penny and her mom and Sam and his mom, but both are so loosely done and poorly resolved that it barely felt like the overarching theme. I just...I wanted more from this and I think that could have been achieved if Choi attempted to include less than she did.
The other issue I had was that the language this book used was...problematic to say the least. Some things come across rather insensitive, and I don't know, some of it just rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't love the dialogue; it felt awkward and forced, like Choi didn't really understand teen-speak, but didn't try hard to figure it out. I've never heard a single person used the word "ridic" before and nor do I ever want to.
I didn't necessarily hate the time I spent reading this book. I thought Penny and Sam were adorable, and their "meet-cute" was very well done. I liked the relationship between Penny and her roommate, Jude, which felt very "typical" of college roommates (I can attest to this.) Jude is a much better person than Penny (or the novel, really) gives her credit for, though. I hated Mallory, but I think I was supposed to. I also liked the inclusion of creative writing and college life because both felt surprisingly accurate.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Enter at your own risk, I guess.
(Also anyone who calls this YA is wrong. It's 100% new adult. I don't even care that it's marketed as YA. This is not a coming of age story, it's a coming of adult story.)
-Book Hugger
Some people may complain about the romance, but that was actually one of the few things I did enjoy, that managed to pull it up to three stars instead of something lower. I thought Sam and Penny were actually really cute together, even if their inability to converse easily in person was obnoxious. (It's so difficult to develop something healthy out of texting and I do wish that was addressed more.)
Anywho, the problem ended up being that Choi skimmed the surface of so many topics, but never delved deep enough. She discusses racism, albeit briefly; she discusses alcoholism (AND SAYS SAM MIGHT EVEN BE ONE), yet doesn't go into its effects; she talks about rape, but fails to acknowledge it until the last 50 pages. Overarching the plot is the relationship between Penny and her mom and Sam and his mom, but both are so loosely done and poorly resolved that it barely felt like the overarching theme. I just...I wanted more from this and I think that could have been achieved if Choi attempted to include less than she did.
The other issue I had was that the language this book used was...problematic to say the least. Some things come across rather insensitive, and I don't know, some of it just rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't love the dialogue; it felt awkward and forced, like Choi didn't really understand teen-speak, but didn't try hard to figure it out. I've never heard a single person used the word "ridic" before and nor do I ever want to.
I didn't necessarily hate the time I spent reading this book. I thought Penny and Sam were adorable, and their "meet-cute" was very well done. I liked the relationship between Penny and her roommate, Jude, which felt very "typical" of college roommates (I can attest to this.) Jude is a much better person than Penny (or the novel, really) gives her credit for, though. I hated Mallory, but I think I was supposed to. I also liked the inclusion of creative writing and college life because both felt surprisingly accurate.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Enter at your own risk, I guess.
(Also anyone who calls this YA is wrong. It's 100% new adult. I don't even care that it's marketed as YA. This is not a coming of age story, it's a coming of adult story.)
-Book Hugger
This is a hard book to review because it has stronger writing than both of Alice Oseman's other books (and that's saying something considering Radio Silence is one of my favorite books ever), but I didn't connect to the plot. Don't get me wrong, I love this, and in some ways I prefer it over Solitaire (though not Radio Silence). However, this book is about music fandoms, and while music is of great importance in my life, I have never been in one of their fandoms. I don't like boy bands or K-Pop and I may love We the Kings and Linkin Park, but I can't even tell you the names of the musicians in them. I couldn't relate to Angel as I could to Tori in Solitaire or Frances in Radio Silence. I couldn't relate to the message either, that it was truly worth it for Angel to have thrown most of her life away for a band. A part of me might have been able to understand it because of how much I love books, but I also don't think it's the healthiest message. There's more to lives than fantasy, even if that fantasy can be healing. Some of the best things for us are good in moderation.
But, with that said, there is an important message underneath that: that fandoms can be really toxic to musicians. Jimmy has severe anxiety and what the fandom does, twist his relationships around into romance and what-not, is really damaging to him. This is an immensely important message in the age of shipping One Direction members to the point that it impacted their friendships, in the age of Dan and Phil tired of people wanting them in a relationship. Do fandoms not see that shipping real people hurts the people involved? They're not characters...they're people, humans, with lives off-screen and off-stage.
I really appreciated this message, even if I couldn't connect so much to it.
"Most adults see teenagers as confused kids who don't understand much, while they're the pillars of knowledge and experience and know exactly what is right at all times.
I think the truth is that everyone in the entire world is confused and nobody understands much of anything at all.”
Some people have regarded it as Alice Oseman's best book by far and I can understand why. Fundamentally, it has more plot than either of her other books. It's written better (even if I got the UK version and couldn't understand half the words used, I could see that). But it didn't hit home so hard as Radio Silence did for me, which most people know is one of my all-time favorite books at this point.
Of the things I did like (and there are many), I loved the two POV characters, Angel and Jimmy. Angel is a Muslim woman and Jimmy is a transgender man. The diversity in Oseman's books is amazing and so...real. It never feels forced.
Angel's character was hard to relate to, as I've already stated, but I really enjoyed reading about her. I could understand the jealousy she faced with Juliet, because I encounter that all the time with my own friends. I loved that it focused on other friendships (which I really shouldn't have been surprised about; Oseman is a bit predictable in that aspect), even if I may have shipped Angel with someone...
As for Jimmy, his anxiety was really tangible for me, as someone who has issues with it herself (albeit less severe). He was my favorite character in this book by far. I liked how his relationship with Lister didn't develop beyond friendship in the book, but left room for the imagination. Neither of them were in a place for a relationship by the end of the novel, but I think, in time, they could be. I haven't read a book with a character who is an alcoholic (and isn't an abusive father) before, so reading Lister's story was very interesting for me. I think Oseman handled it well, as she does most things.
The ending, though, out of all of this book, was the most powerful part. It had the necessary kick and then some. It left things bittersweet. It gave us an opening for more, for joy, but wasn't perfect. And that's how the best endings are.
The verdict? This was a very, very good book, but the fandom aspect didn't work for me. It was still a solid four star read, and whenever I think of it, I think of the good things first.
I recommend this book first and foremost for anyone who has been in a music fandom, and then secondly to anyone who ever feels misunderstood.
"In an otherwise mediocre existence, we chose to feel passion.”
-Book Hugger
blog: http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
But, with that said, there is an important message underneath that: that fandoms can be really toxic to musicians. Jimmy has severe anxiety and what the fandom does, twist his relationships around into romance and what-not, is really damaging to him. This is an immensely important message in the age of shipping One Direction members to the point that it impacted their friendships, in the age of Dan and Phil tired of people wanting them in a relationship. Do fandoms not see that shipping real people hurts the people involved? They're not characters...they're people, humans, with lives off-screen and off-stage.
I really appreciated this message, even if I couldn't connect so much to it.
"Most adults see teenagers as confused kids who don't understand much, while they're the pillars of knowledge and experience and know exactly what is right at all times.
I think the truth is that everyone in the entire world is confused and nobody understands much of anything at all.”
Some people have regarded it as Alice Oseman's best book by far and I can understand why. Fundamentally, it has more plot than either of her other books. It's written better (even if I got the UK version and couldn't understand half the words used, I could see that). But it didn't hit home so hard as Radio Silence did for me, which most people know is one of my all-time favorite books at this point.
Of the things I did like (and there are many), I loved the two POV characters, Angel and Jimmy. Angel is a Muslim woman and Jimmy is a transgender man. The diversity in Oseman's books is amazing and so...real. It never feels forced.
Angel's character was hard to relate to, as I've already stated, but I really enjoyed reading about her. I could understand the jealousy she faced with Juliet, because I encounter that all the time with my own friends. I loved that it focused on other friendships (which I really shouldn't have been surprised about; Oseman is a bit predictable in that aspect), even if I may have shipped Angel with someone...
As for Jimmy, his anxiety was really tangible for me, as someone who has issues with it herself (albeit less severe). He was my favorite character in this book by far. I liked how his relationship with Lister didn't develop beyond friendship in the book, but left room for the imagination. Neither of them were in a place for a relationship by the end of the novel, but I think, in time, they could be. I haven't read a book with a character who is an alcoholic (and isn't an abusive father) before, so reading Lister's story was very interesting for me. I think Oseman handled it well, as she does most things.
The ending, though, out of all of this book, was the most powerful part. It had the necessary kick and then some. It left things bittersweet. It gave us an opening for more, for joy, but wasn't perfect. And that's how the best endings are.
The verdict? This was a very, very good book, but the fandom aspect didn't work for me. It was still a solid four star read, and whenever I think of it, I think of the good things first.
I recommend this book first and foremost for anyone who has been in a music fandom, and then secondly to anyone who ever feels misunderstood.
"In an otherwise mediocre existence, we chose to feel passion.”
-Book Hugger
blog: http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
no new thoughts upon a 3rd read except that I still love this book so much and ashfalfhlas I really want to read The King's Men rn but I'm taking part in a Readathon I created that doesn't have any space for it lmao
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after my reread i would still die for neil "i'm fine" josten. what a man.
Why hello! I could do this in individual reviews, but I think this is more concise.
The Foxhole Court:
I gave this one four stars, mostly because I felt like it was missing something. I loved the introduction to the characters and the fictional sport Exy. I read this within a few days and fell in love with it. The writing isn't fantastic and is heavy on the description, which is, most of the time, unnecessary. However, I loved it nonetheless and especially enjoyed seeing the character's backgrounds unfold on page. This book is the least dark of the entire series (which is saying something), but I could see where it was headed.
Also can I just give Neil a hug?
Warning: Do not give Neil a hug.
The Raven King:
I gave this one five stars because it really upped its game (pun intended). The writing is still rather eh, but the plot thickened and the characters became deeper. I think one of my favorite parts is how none of the characters feel flat, even though there's so many of them. They all have deep backgrounds and deep stories. It's not just Neil's story, but all of their stories. That's probably why it was so hard to let go of the trilogy when I finished it.
Ohh boy though. This book got insanely good, but insanely hard to read at times. These characters have been through A LOT and it really doesn't sugarcoat it.
I left this one wanting to hug Andrew, which is also a terrible idea unless you want to get stabbed. Though, I wanted to hug Renee and I think she'd let me.
The King's Men:
Also five stars.
I fell apart when I finished this. I read these three books over the course of two weeks, maybe three, and I loved every second of it. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entirety of The King's Men. NEIL DIDN'T DESERVE ANY OF THAT. ANY OF IT. Argh, it was so sad. But it also had some amazing quotes. I think the part that broke me the most was when Neil asked Andrew why he hated the word please. No spoilers, but his response is devastating.
To conclude? I highly recommend this series, but it's probably not for everyone. If anyone is conflicted about reading it, I believe there is a list of content warnings floating around somewhere...it is not for the faint of heart.
-Book Hugger
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after my reread i would still die for neil "i'm fine" josten. what a man.
Why hello! I could do this in individual reviews, but I think this is more concise.
The Foxhole Court:
I gave this one four stars, mostly because I felt like it was missing something. I loved the introduction to the characters and the fictional sport Exy. I read this within a few days and fell in love with it. The writing isn't fantastic and is heavy on the description, which is, most of the time, unnecessary. However, I loved it nonetheless and especially enjoyed seeing the character's backgrounds unfold on page. This book is the least dark of the entire series (which is saying something), but I could see where it was headed.
Also can I just give Neil a hug?
Warning: Do not give Neil a hug.
The Raven King:
I gave this one five stars because it really upped its game (pun intended). The writing is still rather eh, but the plot thickened and the characters became deeper. I think one of my favorite parts is how none of the characters feel flat, even though there's so many of them. They all have deep backgrounds and deep stories. It's not just Neil's story, but all of their stories. That's probably why it was so hard to let go of the trilogy when I finished it.
Ohh boy though. This book got insanely good, but insanely hard to read at times. These characters have been through A LOT and it really doesn't sugarcoat it.
I left this one wanting to hug Andrew, which is also a terrible idea unless you want to get stabbed. Though, I wanted to hug Renee and I think she'd let me.
The King's Men:
Also five stars.
I fell apart when I finished this. I read these three books over the course of two weeks, maybe three, and I loved every second of it. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entirety of The King's Men. NEIL DIDN'T DESERVE ANY OF THAT. ANY OF IT. Argh, it was so sad. But it also had some amazing quotes. I think the part that broke me the most was when Neil asked Andrew why he hated the word please. No spoilers, but his response is devastating.
To conclude? I highly recommend this series, but it's probably not for everyone. If anyone is conflicted about reading it, I believe there is a list of content warnings floating around somewhere...it is not for the faint of heart.
-Book Hugger
This reread only took me so long because I wasn't prioritizing it over my other books, so don't worry, I am still as painfully in love with it as I was the first and second times. I have found a new favorite Andreil scene actually and I think it's the one where Neil tells him "I am not a pipe dream. I'm not going anywhere."
---
After my reread, I am still as much in love with this series as I was initially. I forgot how strong the ending was with Neil and Andrew's relationship and just...my heart.
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Why hello! I could do this in individual reviews, but I think this is more concise.
The Foxhole Court:
I gave this one four stars, mostly because I felt like it was missing something. I loved the introduction to the characters and the fictional sport Exy. I read this within a few days and fell in love with it. The writing isn't fantastic and is heavy on the description, which is, most of the time, unnecessary. However, I loved it nonetheless and especially enjoyed seeing the character's backgrounds unfold on page. This book is the least dark of the entire series (which is saying something), but I could see where it was headed.
Also can I just give Neil a hug?
Warning: Do not give Neil a hug.
The Raven King:
I gave this one five stars because it really upped its game (pun intended). The writing is still rather eh, but the plot thickened and the characters became deeper. I think one of my favorite parts is how none of the characters feel flat, even though there's so many of them. They all have deep backgrounds and deep stories. It's not just Neil's story, but all of their stories. That's probably why it was so hard to let go of the trilogy when I finished it.
Ohh boy though. This book got insanely good, but insanely hard to read at times. These characters have been through A LOT and it really doesn't sugarcoat it.
I left this one wanting to hug Andrew, which is also a terrible idea unless you want to get stabbed. Though, I wanted to hug Renee and I think she'd let me.
The King's Men:
Also five stars.
I fell apart when I finished this. I read these three books over the course of two weeks, maybe three, and I loved every second of it. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entirety of The King's Men. NEIL DIDN'T DESERVE ANY OF THAT. ANY OF IT. Argh, it was so sad. But it also had some amazing quotes. I think the part that broke me the most was when Neil asked Andrew why he hated the word please. No spoilers, but his response is devastating.
To conclude? I highly recommend this series, but it's probably not for everyone. If anyone is conflicted about reading it, I believe there is a list of content warnings floating around somewhere...it is not for the faint of heart.
-Book Hugger
---
After my reread, I am still as much in love with this series as I was initially. I forgot how strong the ending was with Neil and Andrew's relationship and just...my heart.
-----
Why hello! I could do this in individual reviews, but I think this is more concise.
The Foxhole Court:
I gave this one four stars, mostly because I felt like it was missing something. I loved the introduction to the characters and the fictional sport Exy. I read this within a few days and fell in love with it. The writing isn't fantastic and is heavy on the description, which is, most of the time, unnecessary. However, I loved it nonetheless and especially enjoyed seeing the character's backgrounds unfold on page. This book is the least dark of the entire series (which is saying something), but I could see where it was headed.
Also can I just give Neil a hug?
Warning: Do not give Neil a hug.
The Raven King:
I gave this one five stars because it really upped its game (pun intended). The writing is still rather eh, but the plot thickened and the characters became deeper. I think one of my favorite parts is how none of the characters feel flat, even though there's so many of them. They all have deep backgrounds and deep stories. It's not just Neil's story, but all of their stories. That's probably why it was so hard to let go of the trilogy when I finished it.
Ohh boy though. This book got insanely good, but insanely hard to read at times. These characters have been through A LOT and it really doesn't sugarcoat it.
I left this one wanting to hug Andrew, which is also a terrible idea unless you want to get stabbed. Though, I wanted to hug Renee and I think she'd let me.
The King's Men:
Also five stars.
I fell apart when I finished this. I read these three books over the course of two weeks, maybe three, and I loved every second of it. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entirety of The King's Men. NEIL DIDN'T DESERVE ANY OF THAT. ANY OF IT. Argh, it was so sad. But it also had some amazing quotes. I think the part that broke me the most was when Neil asked Andrew why he hated the word please. No spoilers, but his response is devastating.
To conclude? I highly recommend this series, but it's probably not for everyone. If anyone is conflicted about reading it, I believe there is a list of content warnings floating around somewhere...it is not for the faint of heart.
-Book Hugger