madieanne's Reviews (337)

ahhh, i loved this! a spindle splintered is a short read, yet it still invoked so many emotions. the term “emotional roller coaster” would be an understatement.

zinna was such an interesting main character, and i loved being in her head. she was incredibly snarky and relatable, and i’d be remiss if i failed to mention how headstrong she was. 

i wasn’t expecting much in terms of plot, seeing as this is a novella, but i was pleasantly surprised. harrow managed to pack a lot of action and emotion into such a short book. 

i can’t believe i waited so long to read this! highly recommended!

writing is extremely juvenile and hard to get through. 

anatomy: a love story is a horrifying and brilliant novel. 

i’m honestly at a loss for words. i loved the writing style, and i found that it was easy to devour. the main characters, hazel and jack, were fantastic main characters. i loved their strangeness. 

the plot was incredibly intriguing. i felt very uneasy while reading, and i’m not sure if the uneasiness came from the graphic descriptions of medical procedures or the general ominous vibe. probably both. 

i was able to put the pieces together and guess the ending, but the reveal was no less shocking and horrifying. i don’t think I’ve ever felt such visceral disgust and rage while reading a book. dana schwartz created a terrific villain.

the epilogue left me hollow and wanting more, so the sequel will be my next read. 

(4.5) the voice upstairs was a brilliant ghost story !! 

wil and edison were both wonderful main characters, and i loved their distinct personalities. i loved how this started as a classic ghost story and slowly became more sinister as the plot developed. the twists and turns were insane. i never would have guessed the ending. 

while the main focus is the ghost story/mystery, there is a romance subplot that i adored. wil and ed’s relationship was tender and sweet, and i found myself rooting for them from the first page. the way they yearned and pined for each other had me giggling and kicking my feet. 

i also want to point out the atmosphere the author created. the writing style was incredibly intoxicating, and from page one, i was enveloped in the sinister, slightly off-kilter world of the grange.

If you’re looking for a ghost story with a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and mayhem, the voice upstairs is the book for you! 

foul heart huntsman was the perfect conclusion for a perfect series. 

i’m in denial. i can’t believe this is the end of the secret shanghai universe. my love for this series is so strong, and even though i’m sad it’s over, i’m glad I’ll always have a chance to reread it. 

the secret shanghai universe will always have a special place in my heart. 

full review to come. 

thank you simon teen for the ARC!

children of fallen gods was a riveting sequel. 

honestly, this series has me conflicted so far. i found both the first and second books hard to get through, and neither book grabbed my attention until the 80% mark. i think both books could be a tad bit shorter. that said, this was a major improvement compared to the first book. 

i loved aefe's character, and although i guessed who she was within her first few chapters, the big reveal still had an emotional impact. i think aefe's character was a brilliant addition to the story, and i look forward to seeing her character again in the final installment. 

i’m going to take a little break from this series and let myself process everything, and then i’ll come back and finish the last book. 

(3.5) daughter of no worlds was a decent story.

i’ve seen a lot of hype surrounding this series, which is the main reason i picked it up. unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations, but it was a good start to the trilogy, and i have a feeling the next book is going to be even better.

stories like we hunt the flame are the reason i love fantasy !! 

i mean it when i say this is one of the best ya fantasy books i’ve read. the storytelling was fantastic. it’s truly unmatched.

i loved zafira and nasir, they were amazing main characters, and they each had distinctive voices. books with dual perspectives are usually a hit or miss for me. sometimes i struggle to connect with one of the characters, and then i find myself bored for half the book, but that wasn’t the case with we hunt the flame. i loved getting glimpses of both zafira and nasir, and not one aspect of this book bored me. i was entertained and engaged the entire time. 

reading about the struggles of zafira and nasir and following along as they worked through their issues was gut-wrenching at times. the character development was well-fleshed out and some of the best i’ve read. 

i thought the dash of romance was perfect! i appreciated that the romance didn’t overshadow the rest of the story. nasir was such a sucker for zafira, and i adored every little interaction. 

i need everyone to read this !!

listen, i’m a sucker for cheesy paranormal romances, but this was BAD. was it entertaining? yes, for the most part. was i cringing every two pages? also yes. 

the characters were insufferable, and the dialogue was so embarrassing. i could not believe the shit harley and draven were saying to each other. it was so unnatural. 

i also want to point out that ember of night feels like a complete rip-off of the dark elements trilogy by jennifer l armentrout. there were a ton of similarities, and i don’t think it’s a coincidence. 

ahh illusionary was an incredible sequel! 

the plot was action-packed, tense, and filled with little twists and turns. i loved ren and cas’s character development, and i just adored the romance between them. i loved the way they loved each other.

illusionary broke my heart and put it back together again. i had so many emotions coursing through me while reading. i haven’t felt so strongly about a fantasy book in a long while. 

this duology is going to stick with me for a long, long time.