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obscurepages's Reviews (410)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hellooooo, this was so good??
This was atmospheric, romantic, and the prose was just lovely. I loved the writing style of the author and how the story unfolded in Wren's perspective. The plot was unique and thrilling, and as a reader, it never ran out of surprises for me. The characters get you hooked as well! We have a disaster bi MC, an emotionally constipated bestfriend, and a dark and brooding love interest. I was invested in these characters,
Apart from that, I was invested in the romance as well. There was a lot of tension and pining between Wren and Hal, and I loved their chemistry. (Also, enemies-to-lovers, plus "there's only one bed" trope?? I loved it!)
The world-building and the magic system were also great! I loved how science and magic blended together, I loved knowing about Wren's healing powers and how they worked. There was a lot of history between the three countries, too, which really helped pain the overall picture/situation for the plot.
I think my only complaint is that I wanted to see more action in the end, (and more pining? Because I love pain, I guess). I also wanted more characterization for Hal and, maybe Una too, since we see only little of her. But honestly, overall, this was so good!
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This was atmospheric, romantic, and the prose was just lovely. I loved the writing style of the author and how the story unfolded in Wren's perspective. The plot was unique and thrilling, and as a reader, it never ran out of surprises for me. The characters get you hooked as well! We have a disaster bi MC, an emotionally constipated bestfriend, and a dark and brooding love interest. I was invested in these characters,
Apart from that, I was invested in the romance as well. There was a lot of tension and pining between Wren and Hal, and I loved their chemistry. (Also, enemies-to-lovers, plus "there's only one bed" trope?? I loved it!)
The world-building and the magic system were also great! I loved how science and magic blended together, I loved knowing about Wren's healing powers and how they worked. There was a lot of history between the three countries, too, which really helped pain the overall picture/situation for the plot.
I think my only complaint is that I wanted to see more action in the end, (and more pining? Because I love pain, I guess). I also wanted more characterization for Hal and, maybe Una too, since we see only little of her. But honestly, overall, this was so good!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Okay I need the next two books in this trilogy!
Binti was such a nice surprise. I read this book without knowing anything much about it and was pleasantly surprised with what I read. From the writing, to the characters, to the world-building, they were all so wonderful. I definitely need to know more about their fictional world though, I'm so curious about it—imagine it, humans and aliens interacting and co-existing with each other.
I loved the subtle suspense and thrill of the story, and I also loved how Binti's culture and customs were highlighted in the story. I hope I see more of it in the next books.
Exact rating: 4.5 stars!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Binti was such a nice surprise. I read this book without knowing anything much about it and was pleasantly surprised with what I read. From the writing, to the characters, to the world-building, they were all so wonderful. I definitely need to know more about their fictional world though, I'm so curious about it—imagine it, humans and aliens interacting and co-existing with each other.
I loved the subtle suspense and thrill of the story, and I also loved how Binti's culture and customs were highlighted in the story. I hope I see more of it in the next books.
Exact rating: 4.5 stars!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
Minor: Racism
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
I came here for bi rep, and damn, I got it.
This was so good???? I literally couldn't stop reading once I started! It was funny, it was romantic, it was relatable, and best of all it tackled several issues prevalent in the real world. This book discussed biphobia, the good and bad parts of social media/having an online presence, political activism, messy families, first relationships/heartbreaks, and more!
I wanted more answers or closure from some parts of the plot, but they were left unanswered in the end so that's a bit of a setback. Still, this was such a solid read and I definitely enjoyed it a lot.
Creative blog will be posted soon as part of Follow Your Arrow: Book Tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
This was so good???? I literally couldn't stop reading once I started! It was funny, it was romantic, it was relatable, and best of all it tackled several issues prevalent in the real world. This book discussed biphobia, the good and bad parts of social media/having an online presence, political activism, messy families, first relationships/heartbreaks, and more!
I wanted more answers or closure from some parts of the plot, but they were left unanswered in the end so that's a bit of a setback. Still, this was such a solid read and I definitely enjoyed it a lot.
Creative blog will be posted soon as part of Follow Your Arrow: Book Tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia
Moderate: Bullying
internalized biphobia, invasion of privacy (photos being taken without permission), cyberbullying (hate/biphobic comments on social media)
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THIS BOOK MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM INTO THE VOID.
This was so so good? I can't even begin to explain how. It was tense, it was brutal, and it unabashedly explored the different sides of love, loyalty, and imperialism/colonization. This was a whole damn journey and it was magnificent.
Full review will be posted soon on The Nerd Daily!
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This was so so good? I can't even begin to explain how. It was tense, it was brutal, and it unabashedly explored the different sides of love, loyalty, and imperialism/colonization. This was a whole damn journey and it was magnificent.
Full review will be posted soon on The Nerd Daily!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
Colonization/imperialism
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This middle grade fantasy/mystery novel is full of magic and full of heart!
This was so fun to read. It's light and mysterious, but it was also very heartfelt especially since family was a big theme in the book. It was also filled with adventure (although I really wanted to see more thrill.) and plot twists! (I have to hand it to the authors, there were a couple of twists I didn't see!) Best of all was the magic/history of magic! When I was younger, I had a phase when I was so into magic and magicians! So seeing all the history of magic, especially of Black magicians incorporated into the story was really wonderful.
Overall, this was a great read and I'm sure both kids and adults will love this book! Full review on my blog soon!
Thank you so much MBC Books for sending me an ARC! This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
This was so fun to read. It's light and mysterious, but it was also very heartfelt especially since family was a big theme in the book. It was also filled with adventure (although I really wanted to see more thrill.) and plot twists! (I have to hand it to the authors, there were a couple of twists I didn't see!) Best of all was the magic/history of magic! When I was younger, I had a phase when I was so into magic and magicians! So seeing all the history of magic, especially of Black magicians incorporated into the story was really wonderful.
Overall, this was a great read and I'm sure both kids and adults will love this book! Full review on my blog soon!
Thank you so much MBC Books for sending me an ARC! This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just finished this book five minutes ago, and though I have conflicting feelings about it, it left me with a smile on my face.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega caught my attention a few months ago because of the fat rep! (And hello, look at that cover, it's gorgeous.) I'm so glad to have finally read it!
The thing is, yes, I loved the fat rep and the body positive message. Seriously, it was glorious. It was so lovely to see a brown, fat girl grow confident and comfortable with her body. At the same time, the plot... frustrated me a little bit. The sort-of miscommunication, the fallout with your best friend, the pettiness, it was all so frustrating for me. Several times in the book I wanted to shake Charlie and make her see reason. It's a good thing that the ending pulled through somehow, and Charlie achieved the last part of her character development, whew! I do wish Charlie's thing with her mom was more resolved though, I thought it was a bit lacking.
Still, this was a solid read! Those who are looking for romance, self-confidence, and a great body positive message will love this!
Exact rating: 3.5 stars! Full review on my blog soon!
E-arc from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega caught my attention a few months ago because of the fat rep! (And hello, look at that cover, it's gorgeous.) I'm so glad to have finally read it!
The thing is, yes, I loved the fat rep and the body positive message. Seriously, it was glorious. It was so lovely to see a brown, fat girl grow confident and comfortable with her body. At the same time, the plot... frustrated me a little bit. The sort-of miscommunication, the fallout with your best friend, the pettiness, it was all so frustrating for me. Several times in the book I wanted to shake Charlie and make her see reason. It's a good thing that the ending pulled through somehow, and Charlie achieved the last part of her character development, whew! I do wish Charlie's thing with her mom was more resolved though, I thought it was a bit lacking.
Still, this was a solid read! Those who are looking for romance, self-confidence, and a great body positive message will love this!
Exact rating: 3.5 stars! Full review on my blog soon!
E-arc from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow, wow, wow. I enjoyed this one so much!
This was funny and inspiring, and it tackled several social issues and stereotypes. It tackled the stigma/prejudice towards female athletes in rougher sports, being shunned because of not conforming into the more traditional ways of a community (in this case, the Indian/Indian-American community), girls not looking "feminine" enough or girls having big muscles and abs. It was all so wonderful, so kudos to the author for this!
Also, I have to say, I rarely ship cishet characters/couples but Kareena and Amit were so cute! Loved the family and friendship themes in the book, of course. I also adored Kareena as a main character, she was fierce and passionate, but sometimes she can come off as too proud and too stubborn.
Lastly, I'm sure those who loved the k-drama Weighlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo will enjoy this as well! Exact rating: 4.5 stars
E-arc received via Edelweiss. Thank you Flux Books! (This, however, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
More detailed review on my blog soon!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
This was funny and inspiring, and it tackled several social issues and stereotypes. It tackled the stigma/prejudice towards female athletes in rougher sports, being shunned because of not conforming into the more traditional ways of a community (in this case, the Indian/Indian-American community), girls not looking "feminine" enough or girls having big muscles and abs. It was all so wonderful, so kudos to the author for this!
Also, I have to say, I rarely ship cishet characters/couples but Kareena and Amit were so cute! Loved the family and friendship themes in the book, of course. I also adored Kareena as a main character, she was fierce and passionate, but sometimes she can come off as too proud and too stubborn.
Lastly, I'm sure those who loved the k-drama Weighlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo will enjoy this as well! Exact rating: 4.5 stars
E-arc received via Edelweiss. Thank you Flux Books! (This, however, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
More detailed review on my blog soon!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Medical content
Minor: Homophobia
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is EVERYTHING.
Joanna Ho's lyrical and powerful writing combined with Dung Ho's gorgeous illustrations resulted into an affirming and heartwarming story that teaches us to love and celebrate our Asian identity.
This was so sweet and tender. It explored the beauty of our identity and nurtured self love and confidence throughout the story. Family was also an important theme in this book, just as much as identity and self love. Both strength and hope can be found in the form of the women she looks up to (her Mama and Amah), and her own little sister who looks up to her. As another Asian kid (Filipino here!), I've seen how westerners and even our own(!) poke fun at others because of eyes like these. This story is what every Asian kid should have heard when they were younger, and a story that young kids should hear now. Because maybe, learning to love and accept ourselves is our own kind of revolution, too.
Joanna Ho's lyrical and powerful writing combined with Dung Ho's gorgeous illustrations resulted into an affirming and heartwarming story that teaches us to love and celebrate our Asian identity.
This was so sweet and tender. It explored the beauty of our identity and nurtured self love and confidence throughout the story. Family was also an important theme in this book, just as much as identity and self love. Both strength and hope can be found in the form of the women she looks up to (her Mama and Amah), and her own little sister who looks up to her. As another Asian kid (Filipino here!), I've seen how westerners and even our own(!) poke fun at others because of eyes like these. This story is what every Asian kid should have heard when they were younger, and a story that young kids should hear now. Because maybe, learning to love and accept ourselves is our own kind of revolution, too.
"My eyes that kiss in the corners and
glow like warm tea
are a revolution.
They are Mama
and Amah
and Mei-Mei.
They are me.
And they are beautiful."
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
THIS WAS JUST AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE FIRST BOOK. SOMEONE PLEASE HOLD ME.
I was literally in tears as I finished this book. It was so good! Reading this sequel felt like coming home to a friend. Especially because I loved the first book and I missed Darius so much. I'm so glad we got another book and we see more of his story! The writing style was on point, the characters were amazing, the overall message of the book was heart-warming. I swear, this book is absolutely everything.
Full review on my blog soon!
I was literally in tears as I finished this book. It was so good! Reading this sequel felt like coming home to a friend. Especially because I loved the first book and I missed Darius so much. I'm so glad we got another book and we see more of his story! The writing style was on point, the characters were amazing, the overall message of the book was heart-warming. I swear, this book is absolutely everything.
Full review on my blog soon!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I just finished this book 5 minutes ago and now I'm so soft!
Damn, this was good. Equal parts exciting, funny, and romantic. The plot was a head-scratcher, and although there were times when the pacing was slow, it was still exciting. The writing style and prose were great, sharp yet can also be mellow sometimes and I loved that. Oh, and the main characters are two sweet, dumb boys who deserve all the world! *cries* Also, can I just say that the slowburn romance in this book made me want to tear my hair out. So good!
Damn, this was good. Equal parts exciting, funny, and romantic. The plot was a head-scratcher, and although there were times when the pacing was slow, it was still exciting. The writing style and prose were great, sharp yet can also be mellow sometimes and I loved that. Oh, and the main characters are two sweet, dumb boys who deserve all the world! *cries* Also, can I just say that the slowburn romance in this book made me want to tear my hair out. So good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture