mj_reads's Reviews (415)

Book three of the Harry Potter series is a fan favorite, and while it isn’t my personal favorite of the series I can totally see why this book means so much to the other readers.

This book manages to be so similar and yet so different from the earlier books in the series. Our favorite trio is back at Hogwarts, and as always they have a bunch of obstacles preventing them from just having a normal school year. But it’s fine because lets be real, even though we love these characters and want them to be safe and happy (MY CHILDREN), we know they can handle pretty much anything. There is not anything that I can say about this book, or this series, that would be new information so I am going to continue this review in the same pattern as my others when it comes to rereading this series, and just list the things that I really appreciated/the things that really stood out to me this time around!!

- LITERALLY ALL OF IT
- I tried to make a list but I was basically outlining the book
- I loved this so much it may have jumped up on my list after this reread I feel like I have seen the light after all this time

In summary (even though I literally did no reviewing) this book is so important to the rest of the series and also to my heart, and I love it. Sorry??? I guess I lied when I said its not my fave??? (ok but actually I do think it has moved up to the number 2 spot)

The Lightening Thief is one of the most fun books I’ve ever read. It is full of adventure, jokes, lovable characters, Greek mythology and (my fave) lots of sass/sarcasm. Basically, it has everything that I could ever wish for.

First of all I just want to acknowledge that I first read this book back in 2010 when the movie came out (yeah I’m that kid who read the book because of the movie, not sorry about it though), and so I was a bit worried that seven years later I might not enjoy it as much as I did the first time around. Thankfully that was not the case, obviously I read this a long time ago so I can’t really remember how much I loved it, but I think I may have even loved it more this time around. This story just as so much to offer it’s readers!!! And I know that there is so much I didn’t appreciate the first time, because I don’t think I was even aware of all that it had to offer me. I feel like this is one of those series that continues to get better every time you reread it.

This story is pretty straight forward. We have Percy, who believes himself to be a below-average kid who has a life that is pretty sucky, only to find out that he is actually the son of one of the big three Greek Gods and that both he and his life are far more exciting and important than he could have ever imagined. Percy goes to camp-half blood, where he meets other demigods (children of greek gods/goddesses and humans) and is almost instantly set out on a quest to save the world.
Percy is joined by Annabeth (MY GIRL) and Grover, and the plot in it’s most basic form is your typical heroes journey), but thankfully the characters, the setting, and the tone of this book keep the story feeling fun and new. The writing is fast paced, witty, and very easy to follow. This story is very clearly aimed for younger readers, but like I mentioned earlier it has a lot to offer, so don’t let that keep you away.

Percy is the kind of character who questions the legitimacy of everything happening around him, despite the fact that he accepts his new life style he doesn’t necessarily understand it all which provides lots of opportunity for things to be explained both to him and the readers. This allows readers to kind of go along with Percy on his journey, rather than just read about it. It also provides a great opportunity to learn about Greek mythology, which is a lot of fun to read about! I think Percy’s curiosity about his new life, the other characters, and the tie in to Greek mythology are the books strongest factors.

I don’t want to go into too many details about which Greek Gods make an appearance, or about any of the challenges that our trio faces because I think that experiencing everything and figuring it out with the characters adds to the fun. This story will make you laugh, it will educate you in a fun way, and it will have you rooting for the characters to do their best. It’s heartwarming and fun, in all of the very best ways.

The second book in the Percy Jackson series does not disappoint. It is just as fun, fast paced, and witty as book one. As a matter of fact, it honestly has all of the great elements that book one provides readers, and then some more.

I think this book is more action packed and plot centered than book one was. Which is impressive because book one wasn’t not focused on the plot, so I think this just demonstrates how Riordian is able to get right to the point with this book. Lots of action and very focused on the events of this book rather than the big picture of the series, I guess this is sort of a filler book that helps get the characters where they need to be for the rest of the series, but it is so fun on its own that it’s fine. I think I kind of contradicted myself there but it makes sense to me so I’m gonna roll with it.
Basically this one is just super fun and gives me a whole lot of time to fall in love with the world and the characters some more.

The only other thing that I think is super important to comment on in this book is that there is a really seamless incorporation of Greek mythology in this. Obviously the story itself is inspired from many of the Greek myths but I just love how naturally the characters and Gods stories flow into this plot. It’s a fun read that teaches readers about a topic that is equally fun.

I won an ARC of this book from the publisher through a GR giveaway which has in no way impacted my review.
BR with Rosaline!

I have a lot of mixed feelings towards this story. This a story that packs a really important message. It deals with a lot of difficult topics including grief, love, loss, depression and finding who you are and who you want to be. And because of that, this book is important. All of those mentioned topics are handled really well, in a way that is respectful to the characters and any readers who may have dealt with something similar.

The descriptions of pain and grief, of living with depression, and of figuring out who you are after dealing with something traumatic, are all incredibly spot on. The descriptions made me, and I believe they will make other readers, feel something. The writing was beautiful, and accurately described some of the emotions that people would feel if they were in a similar situation or in a similar place emotionally/mentally to these characters. While I’m on the topic of the descriptions I feel like I should mention that the writing is great across the board, the author doesn’t just nail emotional descriptions, he also creates beautiful imagery throughout the story that makes it so easy to visualize everything that is going on. The characters feel real, and I think I would be saying that even if it wasn’t for how easy it was to connect with them emotionally.

One thing that really surprised me about this story was the content of it. While dealing with so many difficult things and so much emotional representation, this book was also just super sweet and super funny. While I was reading the book, I first thought that the author bit off more than he could chew. I liked so many different aspects of this story individually and was struggling to understand how everything would fit together without feeling completely tacky. Thankfully at the end of the novel everything comes together really well, and it just becomes a relatively accurate representation of how sometimes life has a funny way of working out exactly how you need it too. And I just want to stress that this isn’t even done in a conventional/obvious way that frequently happens in books where everything all works out. It’s messy, and weird, and a little confusing but most importantly it just all feels so natural when it all falls into place. Part of me wants to say that the real life aspect of this book was distracting from what could have been a more detailed journey of the mental/emotional effects of dealing with the things dealt with in this book, but I think that was just my own personal preference, because I’m not sure that was the point of this story. BUT that being said some of the deep introspective parts of this book that resonated with me felt out of place due to the light tone of things going on despite what the MC was dealing with. It was just a weird balance of the two, it managed to feel accurate and inaccurate at the same time.

My only issue with the story was the love aspect of it. I really cannot go into details without spoiling anything, so despite my best attempts at a spoiler free review, I’ll have to put this section under a spoiler tag.

Let me sum up the situation for you real fast before I explain my issues with it. Tess meets Jonah at a party one night, he leaves the next day and they continue to communicate online. Tess finds out via FB that Jonah has passed away is completely heartbroken. Fast forward a few weeks and Tess gets a message from Jonah’s fb where she finds out that while he relationship started with the real Jonah, eventually his roommate Daniel took over and was having the conversations with Tess. He developed feelings for her while he was posing as Jonah and so he reaches out to her. Tess originally feels betrayed but then curiosity gets the best of her and she starts talking with Daniel so that she can learn more about Jonah and also more about the boy who she has been messaging. They meet up, they connect and I’m sure you can see where this is going.
I just dislike that it starts off with lies, and that if it weren’t for the death of Jonah, that the relationship between the two of them would likely never have happened. I personally feel that this relationship is tainted with betrayal and disrespect for Jonah. I think it’s a huge slap in the face to Tess because she ends up having to question who she was mourning since it turns out that the boy she had been talking too was still alive. I think that this could have been just as successful of a coping mechanism if they were just mutual friends of Jonah’s, who had met up to help with their grief. I think that the idea that Tess loses someone she loves just to find someone else she has strong feelings for so quickly is unrealistic and unnecessary, and while it provides opportunities for Tess to find closure I feel like there could have been better/more realistic options to explore.

Overall this is a pretty good story with a pretty good message. I think it’s worth it for anyone to read and form their own opinion on. There is a lot to like and respect here, and after reading this novel I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out to see if the author has any other stories planned.

So I know a lot of people comment that this book is where the series begins to go downhill for them but like….I still think that this series continues to get better and better with each book?

This book was full of character growth and as the characters grow they acknowledge who they were before and why their growth is important and also why they used to be a certain way. It’s just really well done in my opinon. SJM rarely disappoints me when it comes to character growth and this book was no exception!

IDK I read this over a month ago and have been going through a lot lately so I literally have no idea how to write a real review for this lmao and when in doubt, LISTS.

The Good:
- Character growth, obviously.
- Lots of moments where the plot comes “full circle” which was literally SO satisfying (this sums up a lot of the good points that I don’t want to elaborate on because of spoilers)
- Lysandra & Nesryn were perfect additions to a group of characters that I already love so much.
- My boyfriend, Rowan.
- Rowan.
- Literally all of the scenes between Rowan and Aelin.
- Manon finally getting her shit together (I have to admit her chapters dragged a bit in the beginning but when we get there WE FUCKING GET THERE)
- FLEETFOOT

The Bad:
- In typical SJM fashion there were some cringe-worthy dialogue and descriptions
- Especially from Aedion & Chaol but its fine I still love them
- Dorian’s chapters were pointless through most of the story, although weirdly poetic lmao
- The whiplash I got from Chaol’s constant back and forth thought processes/emotions/actions, like????????????
- Manons POV through the first half of the book


Idk like I said it’s been a while and I don’t remember having many issues, and everything I do remember I can’t scream about in this review because it would become super repetitive and full of spoilers so this is all I have for you rn, sorry fam!! I loved it, thats really all that matters, right?

I liked this!! It wasn’t perfect and it had some flaws but overall it was a nice story. I don't think it's the best addition to the series, but on it's own it was entertaining enough.

Two stars because this had a lot of issues.

I somehow manage to forget how much I love this series so rereading this was a REAL treat.

The third book in the Percy Jackson series follows the same basic heroes journey set up as books one and two, and yet I found it to be so much better than it’s prequels. This book was so full of adventure and tons of fun, laugh out loud, moments for our characters. There were lots of emotional moments that helped give the story and our heroes much more depth. And as always I found myself blown away by how easily Rick Riordan teaches his readers about a topic such like Greek mythology that makes me want to learn more.

For me, the best part of this book is the introduction of some new characters. The hunters add a lot of sass and femininity that this series, which focuses on a young adult male, was lacking. They were a breath of fresh air in this world, and I loved the role that they played. They helped let our characters explore some new opinions and feelings regarding one another and I think that was a very important step in terms of character development. We are also introduced to the Di Angelo siblings who are honestly just so interesting. I love the mysterious past that they have, and I can’t wait to see the role that they play in the rest of the series.

While I was really interested in the new characters presented in this book, I was also still very much intrigued by our main/recurring characters. Without going into too many details at the risk of being to spoilery, they keep blowing me away with their actions and choices that they are making. I am literally so in love with all of them and their ability to continuously strive to do the right thing.

I’m now officially halfway through the PJO series, and I find myself struggling to pick up the next book only because I don’t want it to end.

Battle of the Labyrinth is a really intense read compared to the rest of the series. While the previous books balance nicely between the plot of each book and the incredibly world building, this one really focuses more on the plot and character development. It’s a nice change, because finally all the world building and introduction to Greek mythology amounts to something more than just some fun facts about the world. This is super satisfying because all of this build up finally gives us something more than just the fun light reads that the series was before this.

There were some fun additions and developments in this one, and I’ve found that while reading series like this the best way to highlight everything is with lists SO here we go
- Grover and his gf are precious I wish I could remember her name but to be fair shes only in the first few chapters.
- I love the multiple ways to interpret the prophecies and the different meanings that they have for the characters, it keeps the story on a steady path that is easy for readers to follow but still manages to keep readers on their toes.
- There is a lot of manipulation in this series and it was interesting to see how characters are finally starting to either give into it completely or finally stand up for themselves (lots of HELL YEAH moments)
- MRS. O LEARY. THAT’S LITERALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY BECAUSE ONCE YOU READ THIS BOOK IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE
- Rachel Elizabeth Dare is literally the most bizarre addition to the story, I get her point but I’m just really hoping that her character isn’t just a throw away one in the next book. I kinda hope she is significant past her purpose (sry spoilery if I elaborate) in this one.
- I have to go out of order here but that family dynamic at the end of this book (plus the appearance of a character when I honestly wasn’t sure what was going to happen next with them) had me soOOo emotional.
- I loved the history behind the labyrinth plus how the ending for the labyrinth. It was a really interesting concept.
- Lots of closure in this book that was important to move forward, this was also incredibly emotional though.
- Character growth across the board, even in minor characters so that was sweet!!
- OTP FEELS. FINALLY AFTER ALL THIS TIME.

I had a lot more I wanted to say but it’s been almost a week since I finished this so I need to post this review so I guess I’ll just leave it at this until my next reread. ON TO THE NEXT ONE. I"M NOT READY.

This is so difficult to review because while the book was really well written, it most definitely was not for me. 3.5 stars rounded up, because despite this book not being my cup of tea I cannot stop thinking about it.

Pretty Girls is incredibly graphic and gross. I can handle a lot of gruesome details, but this book was honestly just too much at certain parts. There are a few scenes that even thinking of them now after time has passed, still make me shudder/gag (I can’t elaborate because literally over half the plot is heavily tied to the gruesome details). Besides that, the concept here is pretty incredible. Super complex, although I personally found it relatively easy to figure out (if that makes sense?), the author really doesn’t leave any loose ends in this book, which was nice.

The plot follows two sisters, Claire and Lydia, who are reunited after years apart, when Claire’s husband is brutally murdered in an alley. Before this, Claire has always believed that she has a perfect life but of course the unfortunate death of her husband shines light on the not so pretty parts of her relationship with her husband, including things that she never noticed before. As the story progresses Claire starts to suspect that her husband is in some way tied to a lot of other messed up things going on, and her and her sister set off to figure out what everything could mean.

The plot is unique, the author really commits to every aspect of it. Like I said there aren’t really any loose ends, but I think she does such a good job of laying the groundwork that the story looses it’s wow factor. Not only do I easily believe the events of the story, I honestly see them coming way before the characters do. Up until a certain point, this was totally fine, I was still entertained by the story despite its predictable nature, but as the plot progresses the author relies on her gruesome and graphic details to give this story the shock that readers want from mystery/thriller novels.

It was really well written, just a little too gross and predictable for me to give a higher rating. I’ll still most likely check out other books by the author, I’ve heard this one is a little tougher on the stomach than her other works, so hopefully I’ll have better luck there!