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lisashelves's Reviews (976)
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Gild is a story about Auren, a woman with golden skin and hair, who is the King Midas’s favourite.
“A cage is a cage, no matter how gilded.”
I kept seeing this book everywhere and everyone was so loving and enthusiastic that I couldn’t really put off reading it any longer. Everyone’s enthusiasm made me super curious and I wanted to know what all the hype was about hahaha.
The story started off really interesting and it immediately set the tone for Aurens life. She’s kept in a cage her whole life, because of her gilded skin, and Midas takes advantage of that. The first thing I noticed was her devotion to him, even though he manipulates her at every turn and keeps her prisoner. Stockholm syndrome at its finest if I say so myself. It was heartbreaking to read about her protecting and justifying whatever Midas did. I was very happy she wanted freedom though.
When looking at the characters, Auren has a lot of potential to be a strong female protagonist. Her heart is in the right place, but because of her situation she is very much kept down and away (literally). I would like to see her grow more outside of the cage she is put in. Midas is very much a villain that I’m not the biggest fan of. He is interesting, but very corrupt and manipulative.
I liked the parts in the castle, as it really set the tone and world for Auren and the plot. The second half was more interesting in what was happening, but not as engaging as I found the first half. At the same time, I kept having the feeling that not a lot was happening and this whole book is just an introduction to what will happen later on in the series.
Overall, it was a good start to a series that has a lot of potential for more. I am curious to see how it’ll continue forward.
Gild is a story about Auren, a woman with golden skin and hair, who is the King Midas’s favourite.
“A cage is a cage, no matter how gilded.”
I kept seeing this book everywhere and everyone was so loving and enthusiastic that I couldn’t really put off reading it any longer. Everyone’s enthusiasm made me super curious and I wanted to know what all the hype was about hahaha.
The story started off really interesting and it immediately set the tone for Aurens life. She’s kept in a cage her whole life, because of her gilded skin, and Midas takes advantage of that. The first thing I noticed was her devotion to him, even though he manipulates her at every turn and keeps her prisoner. Stockholm syndrome at its finest if I say so myself. It was heartbreaking to read about her protecting and justifying whatever Midas did. I was very happy she wanted freedom though.
When looking at the characters, Auren has a lot of potential to be a strong female protagonist. Her heart is in the right place, but because of her situation she is very much kept down and away (literally). I would like to see her grow more outside of the cage she is put in. Midas is very much a villain that I’m not the biggest fan of. He is interesting, but very corrupt and manipulative.
I liked the parts in the castle, as it really set the tone and world for Auren and the plot. The second half was more interesting in what was happening, but not as engaging as I found the first half. At the same time, I kept having the feeling that not a lot was happening and this whole book is just an introduction to what will happen later on in the series.
Overall, it was a good start to a series that has a lot of potential for more. I am curious to see how it’ll continue forward.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The Poison Season is a story about Leelo, a girl with magic who lives on an island surrounded by a poisoned lake, and Jaren, a boy who lives on the other side of the lake and is drawn to it.
“They say Endla grows roots around your feet so you can’t leave, even if you want to.“
I have been part of the street team for this amazing book that is coming out in December and I was super excited to finally be able to dive into this amazing book! I have to say, it didn’t disappoint and I enjoyed every minute of reading it!
The book starts of very slow. You get a really good sense of the world and the characters on both sides of the lake. With the introduction, the stakes are immediately clear as well. This makes sure that the feeling of dread and why characters are afraid of certain aspects are very believable. We’ve been shown what would happen if they went against the rules.
The pacing does pick up towards the end of the book, but the slow pace is never annoying or to slow while reading the book. The slow pace gave me so much time to learn their world and magic. It was beautifully written and the dual POV also tributed to that very much. it was wonderful to see the world through two sets of eyes. I also really appreciated how the characters dealt with the views they grew up with. It can be compared to the social norms or boxes we are put in this day. I loved reading how they went about all that and stepping outside the comfort zone or norms they’ve always known.
Leelo is such a precious character, but super strong at the same time. She has a lot of love to give to those she cares about and will do anything for them. Jaren is also a very sweet guy. He is understanding, respectful and very caring. Sage was a very difficult character, very much like a fox. I don’t agree with how she went about everything, but the underlining is the deep love she has for her family, in which I can relate.
The whole book felt almost like a soft and comfortable blanket and it was so good to read. The sweetness of Leelo and Jaren also felt so precious. Their romance was adorable and slow burn in the best possible way. I loved watching their relationship grow. Other relationships that were written so well in the book were the family relationships. They were integral to the story and its progression.
Overall, it was an amazing story that I enjoyed reading! It is soft, sweet, comfortable and beautifully written.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The Poison Season is a story about Leelo, a girl with magic who lives on an island surrounded by a poisoned lake, and Jaren, a boy who lives on the other side of the lake and is drawn to it.
“They say Endla grows roots around your feet so you can’t leave, even if you want to.“
I have been part of the street team for this amazing book that is coming out in December and I was super excited to finally be able to dive into this amazing book! I have to say, it didn’t disappoint and I enjoyed every minute of reading it!
The book starts of very slow. You get a really good sense of the world and the characters on both sides of the lake. With the introduction, the stakes are immediately clear as well. This makes sure that the feeling of dread and why characters are afraid of certain aspects are very believable. We’ve been shown what would happen if they went against the rules.
The pacing does pick up towards the end of the book, but the slow pace is never annoying or to slow while reading the book. The slow pace gave me so much time to learn their world and magic. It was beautifully written and the dual POV also tributed to that very much. it was wonderful to see the world through two sets of eyes. I also really appreciated how the characters dealt with the views they grew up with. It can be compared to the social norms or boxes we are put in this day. I loved reading how they went about all that and stepping outside the comfort zone or norms they’ve always known.
Leelo is such a precious character, but super strong at the same time. She has a lot of love to give to those she cares about and will do anything for them. Jaren is also a very sweet guy. He is understanding, respectful and very caring. Sage was a very difficult character, very much like a fox. I don’t agree with how she went about everything, but the underlining is the deep love she has for her family, in which I can relate.
The whole book felt almost like a soft and comfortable blanket and it was so good to read. The sweetness of Leelo and Jaren also felt so precious. Their romance was adorable and slow burn in the best possible way. I loved watching their relationship grow. Other relationships that were written so well in the book were the family relationships. They were integral to the story and its progression.
Overall, it was an amazing story that I enjoyed reading! It is soft, sweet, comfortable and beautifully written.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
House of Hollow is a story about Iris, the youngest of three sisters. When they were younger, they disappeared and were found a month later with identical half-moon scars. Years later, it seems that wherever they disappeared to is part of why Grey, the oldest, has disappeared once again.
“My sisters. My blood. My skin. What a gruesome bond we shared.”
This book was such a haunted, amazing story that sucked me in from the very first page. It is almost a shame I read it in summer and not during the spooky season haha. I think it would’ve made the whole experience of reading this book even better.
The pacing is really well done. It is really building up and it sets the stage for the events that happen. The mystery and the suspense created was really well done. It made me super curious about what would happen, what the answers were to the mystery and the questions it gave me. It makes it a very hard book to put down!
The characters are so complex and amazingly written to be honest! Iris and Vivi had a lot of character development, which was awesome to read. I also really liked the secondary characters such as Tyler and Cate. They were integral to the story and added so much more dept and humor.
I loved how focused this book was on the relationships between the sisters. It was really intriguing how different they were, but how depended on each other at the same time.
The way the book ending, holy damn, it made me want to get my hands on a sequel soooooo bad!! I really hope it comes out soon hahaha! This whole book just grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go! All the mystery and the twists were so good and kept me on my toes.
Overall, it was a very dark, haunted fairytale book that is a perfect read for the spooky season coming up!
House of Hollow is a story about Iris, the youngest of three sisters. When they were younger, they disappeared and were found a month later with identical half-moon scars. Years later, it seems that wherever they disappeared to is part of why Grey, the oldest, has disappeared once again.
“My sisters. My blood. My skin. What a gruesome bond we shared.”
This book was such a haunted, amazing story that sucked me in from the very first page. It is almost a shame I read it in summer and not during the spooky season haha. I think it would’ve made the whole experience of reading this book even better.
The pacing is really well done. It is really building up and it sets the stage for the events that happen. The mystery and the suspense created was really well done. It made me super curious about what would happen, what the answers were to the mystery and the questions it gave me. It makes it a very hard book to put down!
The characters are so complex and amazingly written to be honest! Iris and Vivi had a lot of character development, which was awesome to read. I also really liked the secondary characters such as Tyler and Cate. They were integral to the story and added so much more dept and humor.
I loved how focused this book was on the relationships between the sisters. It was really intriguing how different they were, but how depended on each other at the same time.
The way the book ending, holy damn, it made me want to get my hands on a sequel soooooo bad!! I really hope it comes out soon hahaha! This whole book just grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go! All the mystery and the twists were so good and kept me on my toes.
Overall, it was a very dark, haunted fairytale book that is a perfect read for the spooky season coming up!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
You’d be home now is a contemporary story about Emory and her brother Joey, who is a drug addict. It is a story about their bond and how an addiction effects the addicted and those around them.
“And if you’re not, like, solid with yourself, how can you help somebody else?”
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Kathleen Glasgow as a writer and have been seeing her books around for some time, Girl in Pieces especially. Constantly seeing her books and hearing good things made me curious, so when I saw You’d Be Home Now on sale I couldn’t help but bring it home with me. After having read a lot of fantasy lately I wanted something different to read.
The story takes place in a small town where everybody seems to know everybody. It makes it feel like everything somebody does will always be found out and thus no secrets are possible. It gives the sense that there is some sort of expiration date to the “good” and “calm” that is sort of present at the beginning. A sort of calm before the story. It made me very curious to see what would happen next. Especially with the prologue being very intriguing and attention grabbing.
The whole book is completely focused on one’s mental health and how events you have no say in can effect it. I applaud Glasgow for writing this book, as it is super realistic and I believe more books like these are needed in the world. Not only to give people who have never experienced mental health issues, or know somebody who does, an idea what it is like. It is also needed for those who can recognize themselves in this book. The story doesn’t shy away from the bad and the ugly and recognizing yourself and maybe what you’ve been through will make you feel seen. It will make you feel like it isn’t a taboo or something not spoken about!
I loved the way this story was written from the POV of Emory, and thus from an “outsider” looking in at the one with an addiction. A lot of things come around when someone close to you has an addiction and I loved seeing how it affected Emory and not only Joey. The ugly and the bad it brought, but also the hope. It was beautiful to see and read.
This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me that I won’t ever forget reading. I recognized so much of the feelings I had years ago, when reading how Emory felt about being invisible. It was eye-opening for me and honestly made me very emotional while reading this book. Because I saw my younger self in it, it made me cry multiple times when reading it. And to be honest, a book that makes me cry is just an instant 5 star rating hahaha.
Overall, it is an amazing book about an addiction and what it does to those affected. It is grabbing, honest, realistic and really makes you see and understand it more. It is just as Emory said, they are people as well, even if they struggle.
You’d be home now is a contemporary story about Emory and her brother Joey, who is a drug addict. It is a story about their bond and how an addiction effects the addicted and those around them.
“And if you’re not, like, solid with yourself, how can you help somebody else?”
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Kathleen Glasgow as a writer and have been seeing her books around for some time, Girl in Pieces especially. Constantly seeing her books and hearing good things made me curious, so when I saw You’d Be Home Now on sale I couldn’t help but bring it home with me. After having read a lot of fantasy lately I wanted something different to read.
The story takes place in a small town where everybody seems to know everybody. It makes it feel like everything somebody does will always be found out and thus no secrets are possible. It gives the sense that there is some sort of expiration date to the “good” and “calm” that is sort of present at the beginning. A sort of calm before the story. It made me very curious to see what would happen next. Especially with the prologue being very intriguing and attention grabbing.
The whole book is completely focused on one’s mental health and how events you have no say in can effect it. I applaud Glasgow for writing this book, as it is super realistic and I believe more books like these are needed in the world. Not only to give people who have never experienced mental health issues, or know somebody who does, an idea what it is like. It is also needed for those who can recognize themselves in this book. The story doesn’t shy away from the bad and the ugly and recognizing yourself and maybe what you’ve been through will make you feel seen. It will make you feel like it isn’t a taboo or something not spoken about!
I loved the way this story was written from the POV of Emory, and thus from an “outsider” looking in at the one with an addiction. A lot of things come around when someone close to you has an addiction and I loved seeing how it affected Emory and not only Joey. The ugly and the bad it brought, but also the hope. It was beautiful to see and read.
This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me that I won’t ever forget reading. I recognized so much of the feelings I had years ago, when reading how Emory felt about being invisible. It was eye-opening for me and honestly made me very emotional while reading this book. Because I saw my younger self in it, it made me cry multiple times when reading it. And to be honest, a book that makes me cry is just an instant 5 star rating hahaha.
Overall, it is an amazing book about an addiction and what it does to those affected. It is grabbing, honest, realistic and really makes you see and understand it more. It is just as Emory said, they are people as well, even if they struggle.
