leahrosereads's Reviews (1.04k)

Oh look, I'm still not completely getting the main concept of the story, and BKV has added in a more complex part...yay!

The Paper Girls are still holding their own in this continuation of their crazy adventure from volume 1. They've got more tenacity and bravery than I would in these situations, that's for sure.

Still going to continue reading this series until I get it, or until the characters bore me.

Yada yada yada still not getting the whys or reasonings for the plot yada yada yada. Doesn't matter. I'm done with hurting my brain on a concept that I don't get in this situation other than on a very basic level.

This volume was so cool! The Paper Girls (Erin, KJ, Tiffany, and Mac) continue to show their adaptability well beyond what an adult would probably do in the same scenarios. BKV shows that kids/teens really have the strength and the flexibility to deal with situations that may seem "too mature" for them. He shows that kids/teens can deal better than adults sometimes at handling the tough stuff.

And I love it, because it's so true.

Definitely going to continue with the series, because I'm absolutely invested in these 4 kids' adventures.

Stuff is happening, and I'm starting to be less confused. Still overall confused, but less so, so progress, yay!

And I got the references! Which is always fun with nostalgia elements.

We see a little bit more behind the scenes on the big why elements of this story, and I'm glad for it. Of course, our badass heroines are right thick in the middle of it. Confused as well, but still moving forward, trying to figure out how to reach their goal.

This volume definitely gives me hope that I'll continue to progress from confused to understanding by the end of each additional volume.

*Fingers crosssed*

This is my first Lauren Beukes novel, but it definitely won't be my last. She's an incredible author who writes about horrific things beautifully. There are so many sentences and paragraphs that are completely quotable here, that I had a hard time keeping them all to myself. I don't want to accidentally ruin anyone's experience with this book by my adoration of her words.

Unless you like going into books completely, completely blind, you get a sense of what's in the pages from the synopsis on the front flap. However, unlike typical mystery/thrillers where the readers try to figure out the "who done it" part, Broken Monsters is told in several POVs and the who is found out relatively quickly.

But the why, the why's the freaking point of this story. From the commentary added around art, culture, and social media, to the delusions and even the paranormal aspect of this story (came out of left field, and I loved it), everything clicks in the end.

It was horror at its finest, and I'll definitely be checking out Ms. Beukes' other works in the very near future.

There are so many reviews that will be more eloquent and better thought out than what this mess is about to be, that I recommend just checking out ANYONE else's review. At the end of the day, I'm a one taker who just likes to pour my thoughts out to look back on, and that's about to happen.

THE POPPY WAR is what I hope to read every time I enter a book's world. I wish for fantastically developed characters and intricate worlds to escape into, even if the world isn't exactly a wondrous place. That's The Poppy War.

When we're first introduced to Rin, she's this tenacious teen hell bent on creating a better life for herself. This isn't the typical Chosen One trope. Everything Rin accomplishes is from incredibly hard work (sometimes to the point of abusing herself) and her desire to absolutely NOT be stuck in a life as an orphan war child. She's ruthless and fearless and refuses to give up. She's one of the strongest female characters I've ever read to such an extreme level, I know that there will be some readers who don't agree with her choices. But they're hers. A young woman who knows that if she doesn't succeed here, her life and dreams and hopes will be over.

War is a better path. And that's one of the most tragic thoughts I think I've ever read in a story. Rin chooses a life of war over an arranged marriage.

I genuinely had a lot of respect for every character introduced here to some extent. Rin's teachers are training generals and have a lot on the line, especially with how volatile this world is. Her peers are her competition and see her as a quota that the school has to fill. Of course, Rin shows those fuckers.

And that's just the first part. The rest of the novel has Rin in WAR. And the brutality that comes along with it is written in such details that every horrific act is described explicitly and in uncomfortable details. But that's the point. War isn't a comfortable topic, and it shouldn't be glossed over to keep the reader's mind at ease. You should be just as horrified with what's happening as the MC. And that happens here. So while I was at times uncomfortable by what I was reading, I appreciated RF Kuang for going there and being as ruthless in her descriptions as war is on the world.

This is a fantastic story, and RF Kuang has herself a devoted reader in me. I'm anticipating the next part of this trilogy to be just as gruesome and hard hitting, but I definitely think it's necessary for the topic.

My first YA viking story! Maybe my first viking story in general. I don't think I've ever read one before.

I liked it a lot! It was filled with violence and action and was super fast paced. The world was interesting, if slightly underdeveloped or not fully brought to life. The characters were what made this story though, and I though they were pretty fantastically written. I appreciate all of that and would've given this four stars if it wasn't for the romance.

Look, I get it. YA has romance. Usually. Not well done romance. But this one was just meh on top of blah on top of feeling completely unnecessary.

I don't get why we can't just have a bad ass heroine without the need of a love interest. Eelyn didn't need that plot development. I felt like it crippled her a bit, as most romances tend to do in YA.

All in all, I liked this story and will definitely read more by Young. I just wish the romance element was missing.

I don't really like when novellas don't add to a story in any real, necessary way. Yes, we get an insight to Jack's world in this, but it's not needed for the main story. The characters aren't more developed here and only the fantastical elements of the main story have any real substance to them.

I'd pass on this unless you need to see Jack's POV.

I won't be rating this book, because I went into it knowing that it was a genre that I don't like. However, I needed to read it for a readathon challenge.

It was pretty much what I expected - fluff without any real substance. The main character was pretty intolerable in her thoughts, but I really liked Sahil. He was the best thing about this book, and I'd actually read a story just about him, if this author ever chooses to write it.

He was exceptional. Everything else, wasn't.