This book was alright. Maybe not my vibe, but I wanted to give it a shot! It was an interesting concept & I did enjoy the parallels between power dynamics of this fantasy world vs. the real world. However, I often felt like I was being hit on the head with a hammer. Perhaps it’s because it’s geared toward YA audiences, so I acknowledge that I may not be the target demographic for this. But after the 10th time of a repetitive explanation of how the book eater women are oppressed, I was kinda like, okay yeah…I get it. The world building seemed a touch lazy, there was a singular likable character & even she was not super great. Normally I love morally ambiguous characters, especially women, but I also think the backstory for her moral ambiguity was…boring…I hate to say it, but it was. Motherhood & all that, sure, but also I hated the relationship she had with her son, so I was kinda like eh….whatever. Overall, it was a pleasant, albeit forgettable read. 

This was such an adorable read! I had so much fun reading it, & I absolutely loved the disability representation. My favorite part of the entire book was the friend group! I love their dynamic so much, they are honestly #squadgoals if people are still using that hashtag. I’m currently reading the audiobook to the next book in the series, & loving that too :-) 

Cute read! I think I struggled a bit to understand some of what was going on with the education aspect. I’m from the US, so obviously they do things differently in Ireland than here, but I struggled with the concept of them spending so much time on this one business project. They didn’t seem to work much on any other courses. I also thought that MC Nishat was older than her sister Priti, but it also mentioned Priti being 16, and according to a quick Google search, one usually takes the junior cert at 15, so Nishat would’ve also been 16 or maybe 17…I was a little confused by that. I was also confused by Flavia’s story, namely what she was doing in Ireland after moving. Her being Brazilian was an interesting way to explore cultural differences, & I obviously love a sapphic, interracial couple — especially when neither of them are white. 

I also had a bit of trouble with how awful most of the characters were, & how quickly & seamlessly everyone transitions from enemies to friends. Chyna in particular had next to no character development, & while I acknowledge that bullies are real & awful & not redeemable, etc., I did feel a bit of emptiness in the book regarding her character. I felt she had no personality beyond, like…being a b*tch. 

The writing is definitely very YA; not bad, but I sort of felt like I was being hit on the head with a hammer at times. Overall, this was a fun & interesting read that touched on so many important topics: immigration, queerness & queerphobia, bullying, etc. 

This was an interesting read, one that I read in one sitting. I wouldn’t say it’s the best novel ever written, but it was fun & for the most part, it kept me on my toes. I had a few issues with some of the writing, particularly the awkward queer aspect that felt tacked on & wasn’t really dealt with…but I appreciated it as a thriller/mystery! I also didn’t love the anticlimactic deaths of practically every non-main character, nor did I love the rushed ending. Nonetheless. did enjoy reading it!

Overall this is a good book, but not a great one. I found Daphne and Simon’s marriage to be a bit chaotic, getting damn near close to violent at times. Their argument scenes are a little bit difficult to read, because Simon’s internal monologue is basically like, “I found myself wanting to hit her but couldn’t.” Other than that, I suppose I enjoyed it. This was basically my first historical romance novel, and it’s making me a bit hesitant to try out more, but I will! And I will be entirely honest, I do believe the show is better (though it does quite pain me to say).  

I don't know if it's because absolutely nothing is happening (as in, there is exactly no plot), but I cannot sit through this book any longer and pretend I don't hate it!

This was a great book about war and the struggles that society faces in the battle to be free. I enjoyed the introduction of the characters; meeting the sisters was my favorite part. I didn’t enjoy the descriptions of the battlefield as I found them a bit treacherous to get through. But the ending was interesting, and I particularly loved this retelling of an age-old tale of two sisters leading the fight towards freedom.