3.5 stars

I wasn’t sure whether to give this 3.5 stars or 4, but ultimately I decided to lower it because of the slow plot and somewhat rushed ending.

I enjoyed this book. The slower plot allowed the characters to shine and develop, and shifted focus to the complex mother-daughter relationship Mina and Lynet have.

It took me some time to realize that when the perspectives shifted, the time did as well. At first, Mina’s chapters take place 15-20 years prior to the story, when Lynet is a toddler, and then shift to present; I think the flow was smoother once everything was in the same time period.

Additionally, I think the ending was too rushed to suit the slower pace maintained throughout the book or truly satisfy readers. I liked the way things were resolved, but it was all so fast and I felt some things were skimmed over.

Also, there was a sad amount of world-building, if I’m being honest. The North and South were explored on a basic level, but I think so much more could’ve been done with this world.

On a brighter note, the slow-burn f/f subplot was sweet and really paid off in the end. I liked Lynet and Nadia’s relationship, though again, I would’ve liked more details in the end.

Definitely not a perfect book, but an enjoyable, unique retelling that I would recommend.

CW: bipolar II disorder, discussion of suicide, homomisia, racism

While it wasn’t my favorite, I did enjoy this book. I haven’t really enjoyed a book in a few weeks, so this was refreshing.

I liked Suzette and Lionel’s relationship. They’re step-siblings, something we don’t see often in YA, but they still loved each other fiercely.

There was a lot of casual diversity, something else there should be more of.
- Suzette is black and bisexual
- Lionel has bipolar II disorder
- DeeDee (Suzette’s best friend) is a lesbian
- Rafaela (love interest) is pansexual
- Suzette and Lionel’s parents are an interracial, happily together but unmarried couple
- Suzette’s family is Jewish
- Emil (love interest) is black and Korean, and has hearing aids for his Ménière’s

I really liked Suzette and Lionel’s family dynamic as well. Both her mom and his dad are single parents that divorced and got in another relationship. The four of them adapted and now they’re as natural and loving as any natural family, through thick and thin.

This book also dealt with the unfortunate reality of day-to-day racism and the stigma against mental health. It’s all called out and there’s quite relevant commentary interspersed.

Sometimes, books with more characters lose character depth and development to further the protagonist’s story. This wasn’t the case here. I didn’t necessarily have a connection with all of them, but I felt that each character had a distinct, interesting backstory and present personality.

One thing I didn’t like was the ending. Everything was technically resolved, but I still think it was kind of left open. I had a few questions that weren’t answered, and in general I was just curious.

I think the bi rep did employ some stereotypes, but as I’m not bi, I’m going to leave that discussion up to ownvoices bi reviewers.

This review has taken about two hours, maybe more, so I think I’ll leave it at this. I did have a couple of issues, but overall this was a rather enjoyable, albeit simple and character-driven, diverse contemporary. I would absolutely recommend it.

CW: gore, mutilation

First off, the cover of this novel is GORGEOUS. I love the contrast of the frost and the roses, and Laylee looks great front and center.

As for the story itself, I really enjoyed it. It was a unique, fun companion to Furthermore, which I also enjoyed when I read it last year. I loved Laylee and I think her character arc was done very well. I was glad to see Alice and Oliver again, too.

The concept of a mordeshoor is fascinating. Laylee’s job was a little grotesque from time to time, and the consequences of letting spirits out of bounds were as well, but I liked reading about it. Definitely one of the most unique forms of magic I’ve seen in a novel.

However, I must say that in places, the plot did fall flat. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, though the main conflict was resolved unexpectedly early and left nearly half the novel for a plot I didn’t entirely understand. The second half was entertaining, but much slower and a bit scattered. The final thirty pages saved the story, and although I’d happily read any other books Tahereh wrote in this world with these characters, I was also quite happy with how everything wrapped up.

Whether or not you’ve read Furthermore, this is a whimsical novel that I’d very much recommend.

I liked this book and I absolutely sped through it, but it wasn’t what I hoped for. Seeing Simon and Bram as an adorable, developed couple made me really happy. I loved that Leah mentioned Percabeth and Inej/Nina as some of her favorite ships, and the Hamilton reference amused me even though I’ve never been interested in it. I think Becky does a great job of writing realistic characters that really represent what teenagers are like. I could also relate to the weird combination of stress, nostalgia, and excitement regarding high school graduation. I’m at the end of junior year, so I totally get it.

My issue is the same as many others: the scene where Abby tries to come out as lowkey bi to Leah, who promptly tells her that she’s either bi or not. Obviously, policing sexuality is never okay, and someone‘s label really isn’t anyone’s business but their own. The big thing, I think, is that although Leah calls out her friend’s racism and talks openly about society’s fatmisia, this scene is never corrected. Leah never apologizes, and Abby seems to just move on.

**Here’s a review that explains it in detail, and much more eloquently: http://boricuanbookworms.com/2018/05/06/leah-on-the-offbeat-very-very-offbeat-and-hurtful-to-me/

I also think the end was rather abrupt. I really loved the prom scene, but after that it skipped to an email Leah was writing to Simon that I presume is at least a few months in the future. The end. What happened when Leah and Abby met up with their friends? How did they react? Are Nick and Abby cool? How did graduation go down? How is everyone adjusting to college? I know every book has to end somewhere, and this one couldn’t possibly cover everything. But I feel like a lot of relevant information and scenes were left out. I think another chapter or two before that email would’ve made a world of difference.

I enjoyed this novel for many reasons; there’s humor, a developed fluffy m/m romance, a developing fluffy f/f romance, an emphasis on friendship, effortless and casual diversity, and an accurate depiction of all the emotions that come with the end of high school. However, Leah crossed a line and the end threw a lot of things out the window.

Good, but no more.

Dnf at 55% (page 270)

I’ve seen mixed reviews for this novel and was skeptical going in. I liked the beginning, but then the plot slowed down and eventually it just ... stopped. The love triangle dominated what could’ve been a really interesting story, and it wasn’t even a good one. There was the light, stable prince and the dark, passionate emperor — brothers, of course — and the clueless, gifted girl stuck in the middle trying to choose. Anton, Valko, and Sonya were all rather bland, and the brothers were borderline abusive. Manipulative, at least. I would’ve stopped reading about 120 pages earlier, but I pushed through in hopes it would get better. It didn’t. I got bored quickly and didn’t want to read, not even when what I imagine was intended to be a shocking twist was revealed. I have four other books due back at the library next week, so I didn’t want to waste any more time on this one. If you’re interested, definitely pick it up, but know that the angst very much overpowers the plot.

I enjoyed this book enough to read it in roughly a day. I think it was better than its predecessor in some ways, but not so much in others.

For starters, I loved each of the queens. They were cunning and powerful, with their own agendas, and Mirabella and Arsinoe were hesitant to complete their destined task. Katharine was quite ruthless, and I liked that about her. Katharine is still my favorite, but I’ve found myself truly liking all three.

The pacing was much more even than it was in the last book. There was fighting and sabotage, as well as the physical, emotional, and political aftermath of each. While I thought the second half was better than the first, I found the whole novel to be suspenseful and intriguing.

If I had one issue with this book, it would be that some things just didn’t ... feel right? Arsinoe nearly died at least three times and kept miraculously surviving, but Natalia and Joseph died what I think were rather pointless deaths. Only Nicholas’ death felt truly meaningful, and I think it’ll be one of the driving forces of the third book.

On that note, I’m not entirely sure what else will happen in the next installment. There was no cliffhanger or event that desperately needs addressing. Katharine was crowned, and her sisters and most of the other important characters successfully escaped the island. I think Jules will be the “renegade” mentioned in the third book’s synopsis. Aside from that and Katharine’s apparent inability to have sex or children, I don’t know what could happen. Obviously it shouldn’t be predictable, but my point here is that I’m not sure of any threads that could develop another book, much less two. I’ll just have to wait until release and find out.

Overall, a very good sequel despite a few imperfections. I’m glad this novel held up after how good the first one was, and I hope to enjoy the third just as much upon reading it.

Wow.

I haven’t read a book as amazing and intriguing as this one in a while. The story starts as one of time travel and heists, but morphs into one with the complications of the multiverse, identity, and memory. It’s rather fast-paced and executed very well.

The characters have a complex dynamic, a bit like the cast of Six of Crows. Far and Eliot took some time to warm up to, but I found myself liking them sooner rather than later. Gram felt almost like a side character for the first third of the book, though once he came out of his shell, so to speak, he was sweet and awkward and nerdy. (I think he might’ve been a person of color? I’m not sure; at one point there was a passage that mentioned how people always looked at him differently, in past and present. If I’m mistaken here, I’m very sorry. I don’t think it was brought up again.) I loved Imogen’s optimism and the fact that she changed her hair color every day. Goals, to be honest; if only I wasn’t so lazy. Priya (I know for sure she’s Indian and Hindu) might be my favorite. I loved that she was calm and steady but still compassionate, and she was a medic.

However, the best character, hands down, (or paws down) was Saffron the red panda. He ran off with Eliot’s wig. He hid up in the pipes with old heist outfits. He left hair chalk-colored paw prints around the ship. He was adorable and he must be protected. (I always fall for the animals lol oops.)

Far and Priya’s relationship happened early in the story, but over the period of almost a year that was skipped as the crew went on heists, pre-Eliot. I would’ve liked to see them come together in a bit more detail, but they were still a good couple. Gram and Imogen, on the other hand, had a lot of tension and mutual feelings without the courage to act on them. The rest of the crew shipped them, I shipped them, and when they finally became a couple, it made my heart happy.

Some of the historical site descriptions were a bit lackluster at times, but I could tell nonetheless that it was all thoroughly researched. I thought the time travel aspect was unique, and although I found the multiverse confusing at first, I caught up quickly and enjoyed the twist it gave the story.

I rushed to finish this before bed last night so I’d be ready to return it to the library today, and might’ve missed some minor details, but regardless, I loved the ending. Of the last 150 pages, 100 were intense battle and chase scenes, and the other 50 were seeing how everything played out. I was very satisfied, although I wouldn’t have minded a brief epilogue.

One other thing worth mentioning: this is a stand-alone sci-fi novel. Those are typically uncommon, so having such a great novel without any sequel commitment is refreshing.

All in all, this book absolutely exceeded the low expectations I had when I started. It sucked me in and took me along for the ride. I really enjoyed this novel, and will be reading Ryan’s other books soon.

Don’t sleep on this novel!!!

CW: gun violence, death

This is without a doubt a very powerful and relevant novel. I loved that it was told in verse, as I don’t think I’ve read anything in this format previously. However, I didn’t connect with it; this is surely intended to be an emotional read, and while I sympathized, I think it was too quickly paced for me to really empathize and truly take it in. As for the ending, it left me with questions.

While I think it had a few flaws, this was a quick read that I did enjoy regardless. It’s very impactful and important, and I recommend it to everyone who can handle the content. I’ll definitely check out more of Jason’s work.

CW: eating disorders

I’m not sure if this novel is ownvoices. However, it is a raw, powerful story about a girl with anorexia working toward recovery. It tells Elizabeth’s story of successes and struggles, and also discusses the medical side of eating disorders, such as other symptoms and diseases/disorders that can come from an ED. I found it informative, but not in an overwhelming way. Information was woven into the novel, given at the right times and for the right reasons.

A common, valid concern surrounding mental health novels is that there’ll be a love interest or a relationship that will cure the illness. While Elizabeth is coping with a breakup and a future romance is eluded to, she directly says that she wants to put herself and her recovery first. I think that was good on the author’s part.

The relationships that did exist were complex. Elizabeth’s mother likely had an eating disorder as well, though it was never specifically addressed. They struggled and fought and Elizabeth’s father was trying to understand both sides. I think this aspect was wrapped up well, and that eventually they could work through their problems.

On that note, though, I think the book as a whole ended a bit abruptly. I liked where it was going, and then it was over. A novel like this would be difficult to wrap up completely, given its subject matter, but an epilogue would’ve been nice. Maybe a couple of months later, about Elizabeth’s recovery, her friends from inpatient care, her adjustment to returning to school, even her mother’s recovery and how their family is doing.

I really liked Willa, Lexi, and Margot; Willa was my favorite. They were good friends to Elizabeth while still being developed side characters.

I went into this novel curious after hearing that two of my favorite booktubers enjoyed it. I didn’t know much about or expect much from it, but I was pleasantly surprised. This turned out to be a compelling story that I sped through, and I’m interested to see what Alexandra will do next.

I recommend this to everyone that can handle the content; several eating disorders are mentioned and a variety of related aspects are discussed in fair detail. Please be careful if you pick this up.

Dnf 61% (page 222)

The plot was alright. The characters were tolerable and even kind of interesting. Parts of this novel were weird, but not in a bad way. I think at one point Alastor used a traffic cone as a hat and even if I’m wrong, the mental image amuses me.

My problem? I was bored. So, so bored. It’s summer, and even with morning classes I could’ve read this in a couple of days. I kept pushing through thinking it would get better, but it didn’t. When I fell asleep reading this morning, I decided it was time to put it down for good.

I skimmed the last 4-5 pages and while it obviously didn’t make complete sense, the end result was predictable from early on.

Unfortunately, Alexandra’s books just don’t work for me. I didn’t finish The Darkest Minds when I read it a couple of years ago, and now this. Nothing against her as a writer or a person, but her writing just isn’t for me.