lizards925's reviews
411 reviews

adventurous emotional funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have read Cochruns previous 2 books, and I think this is her best one yet. There are 2 plotlines in this book, the first is about repairing the falling out between Logan and Rosemary they had as teens. The second is about these two women being able to bring their old English teacher, now parental figure, across the country via a road trip as his dying wish. Like most romance novels, it does rely on tropes to get readers attention but what I like about Cochrun's novels are that she does not only rely on them to write her story. This is a story about romantic love but also familial, platonic, and love for a community. The relationship between Logan and Rosemary was cute, endearing, and at times annoying but still entertaining to see develop throughout the story. I enjoyed Joe character very much and loved every scene he was in; I would have loved to read more about him and his past, maybe not as a full novel but a novella would be cool. I think this is the first romance novel I have read that made me emotional and cry at the ending, I would definitely reread this one in the future.

Content Warnings

Looking for Alaska by John Green

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hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I knew nothing about this book besides the infamous scene that lead to many schools banning it from their libraries due to indecency. After reading it I would say that is a huge disservice to the story. I did not like the characters much, but they are relatable, messy, funny, and hopeful. They annoyed me but also made me feel for them because they are teens going through a difficult time and there is no rule book on how to deal with your first loss. The story is divided into two parts, before and after. The before is much more slice of life and focused on Pudges desire to be something, to experience something new. The after is full of the characters being obsessed with the past and the why and how to continue when those are both unclear and unresolved. It might be YA but I think people that aged out of that age range could still find elements of the story touching and introspective.

Content Warnings

Homebody by Theo Parish

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

4.5

This was a cute and relaxing read about Theo’s journey into discovering and finding out it means to be nonbinary. Any reader that falls under the trans/nonbinary umbrella would relate and appreciate the creation of this graphic novel. The story is short but rewarding, the color scheme and art style fit the theme. Overall a great read for anyone looking for a short but reflecting graphic novel.

Love, Creekwood: A Simonverse Novella by Becky Albertalli

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

It was a cute read, definitely geared towards people that have read both Simon vs the homosapiens agenda and Leah on the offbeat. The novella focuses more on both of these relationships and how college life/ long distance is affecting the characters. For fans of Nick, Alice and Nora, unfortunately there is not much about them in this story but it makes since it’s not very long. I listened to the audiobook and the major con of it is how repetitive the naming of emailing address can be. I would guess about 20% of the audio is just characters rattling off the list of emails. If you can get passed that then I would recommend if you want more of the Simon-verse. I would go for the print/ebook version unless you really want to hear Micheal Crouch as Simon which is what made me want to listen instead of read this story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

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adventurous funny medium-paced