» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★☆
Readability: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
Writing: ★★★★☆
Recommend: ✓

» PLOT «
Lazlo Strange is a dreamer. In fact, he's always been. Even as a child, he was obsessed with the city of Weep. Of course, it wasn't always called "Weep." It had a proper name, but one day, the memory of it was wiped away from his and other's minds, as well as from books. Now after many years, a hero from Weep by the name of Godslayer visits Zosma, bringing with him Lazlo's hopes of figuring out what happened to the city.

Within the plot, there is a central storyline, however it is pretty slow. The plot really ramps up during the second half of the book, and I will say that it is the better half. I love books that are more character driven, so I was fine with this, but if you want an actual progression towards a goal, this book will be tough.

They story of Isogal, Eril-Fane, and Azareen broke my heart, specifically the part where (view spoiler). It was heart breaking in the most perfect way.

The reveal and cliffhanger at the end was immaculate and brought tears to my eyes. The book ended at a perfect place to where I'd want to read the sequel.

» READABILITY «
Not gonna lie, the beginning of the book was slow. Especially since we were introduced to a lot of new vocabulary and because of the flowery language. However, after a few chapters, the book got better and better. It really ramps up after part 1. The first half was slower paced and the second half was faster paced.

» CHARACTERS «
The characters in this book are great. The central characters all have motives and aren't one-dimensional. They all have beliefs that are understandable and imperfect. Even the less likable characters have a (generally) good, but ultimately flawed reason for acting the way they do.

There were a lot of characters in this book, and I was surprised at the fact that (aside from the unique names), they were all distinguishable from another.

» WRITING «
The writing style of this book is very superfluous and descriptive. It is incredibly evident in the first few chapters, but after while, it becomes a lot easier to read.

Within the book, there are a lot of moments of exposition and info-dumps, but they felt natural enough.

» OVERALL «
Holy crap. I just finished this book and I love it. The ending was phenomenal. 2021 is so far starting off really well. This is everything I wanted out of a fantasy. 

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★☆☆
Plot: ★★★★☆
Readability: ★★★☆☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★☆☆☆
Recommend: ✗

» PLOT «
Following the survival of a multiple homicide, Alex joins Yale's freshman class and is tasked by the school to supervise their school's secret societies. But soon after the year starts, the death of a fellow student as well as other unexplained events occur, causing Alex to start to uncover the truth behind the secret societies and the sinister happenings around them.

I'll just out it out there, murder mysteries aren't my thing. At no point in this book, was I interested in the murder mystery. I just wanted to follow the characters... and then they removed the best character from the second half of the book...

On the other hand, I did like the general concept of the story.

» READABILITY «
Half of me really wanted to finish this book, the other half didn't want to read (maybe because I was kind of in a reading slump, or maybe because I prefer light-hearted books). After one of the better characters was taken out of the book, it became much harder to finish. (At this point, I spoiled the book for myself by looking up the ending/plot. This is not a good thing, but I can't deny that there was a point where I really wanted to keep reading.)

» CHARACTERS «
I only really liked one character, and I was very disappointed to find out the he wasn't really present for the second half of the book. No one was really likeable or relatable, and that made it so that I was not as invested in the story.

» WRITING «
Maybe the audiobook went by too fast and I missed it, but the lack of clarity between the past and the present sections was not as clear as it could me. I'm not the biggest fan of being confused, so the writing was just meh.

» OVERALL «
This was my first foray into dark academia and... it wasn't bad. Personally, this book is on the same level as Leigh Bardugo's other books, and also like the other books, I don't know if I will continue with the series. 

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★☆☆
Plot: ★★★☆☆
Readability: ★★★★☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★☆☆
Recommend: ✗

» PLOT «
Caleb has been in love with Evie for a long time now, but the last time he made a move, Evie neither wanted it or liked it. She's never been interested in dating, but not that she'f gotten control of her anxiety, the new transfer student has caught her eye. Caleb always thought that once Evie started getting interested in dating, they would naturally get together, but with her attention on the new student, Caleb gets desperate to move on from friend to boyfriend.

The ending was worth it, but I was not rooting for them at all. Literally most of the book I was rooting for Caleb to move on.

» READABILITY «
This was a medium paced, easy read.

» CHARACTERS «
Caleb and Beck (Evie's best friend, don't know how to spell since I used an audiobook.) were the best, and the best part of the book was when they finally decided on what they wanted (which happens to be (view spoiler).)

And I didn't like Evie enough to care about her or even root for her relationship with Caleb.

» WRITING «
The writing was okay, nothing special.

» OVERALL «
The ending was worth it, but that's about it.

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★☆☆
Plot: ★★★☆☆
Readability: ★★★☆☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★☆☆
Recommend: ✗


» PLOT «
After a horrifying public humiliation involving Ellie, her crush, and her best friend, Ellie decides the best course of action is to leave for England on a study abroad program. While the other students are there due to academic achievement, Ellie is only there because someone had dropped out last minute. But as Ellie meets the perfect, hot, British boyfriend, their whirlwind romance forces Ellie to reconsider what she really needs in life.

For the first half of this book, I was not enjoying it. It was only at the 80% mark before I started to get invested in the ending. The main reason for this is because of the main character. (More in the "Characters" section.)

A constant theme throughout this book was the fact that Ellie only came onto the study abroad trip to avoid her old friend, while everyone else is on the trip for educational and collegiate purposes. It is incredibly annoying listening to Ellie complain about how everyone is too focused on school and ruining her fun experience in England. Ellie is on an expensive trip to incredibly location, and all she can think of is her stupid relationship with someone she doesn't know. Crystal was stupid to give up England for Andy, but Ellie is stupid for only focusing on relationships over England.

» READABILITY «
The book was generally medium paced, but the first 3/4 is no doubt 1 star, and the last 1/4 is 3 or 4 stars. Clearly I had a harder time with the beginning and middle of this book.

» CHARACTERS «
The main character was so incredibly annoying. Within the first few pages, I knew that she wouldn't help me get through this book. She got better after 60% mark, but that wasn't much. Even with the improvement, she is so short-sighted and oblivious to everything. Even for a high schooler, she felt amateur and incredibly childish with no emotional maturity to the point of being annoying to everyone. All of the problems in her life are due to herself and her lack of awareness for the people around her.

Will, the hot British boyfriend, is so bland and clearly (view spoiler) when it comes to Ellie's relationship. Like, clearly we are supposed to want her to (view spoiler).

I love how Sage was portrayed later on. I'm glad that Ellie got over her initial impressions of her and saw that Sage wasn't a kill joy. Ellie's impression of Sage at the beginning was so annoying.

All of the side characters (Sage, Dev, and Huan) are so amazing. They are the only reason I got through this book.

» WRITING «
There's not much I can say about the writing, it was okay. It did what it was supposed to do at the ending regarding Ellie's relationship.

» OVERALL «
I started this book HATING it and now... I don't mind it. The ending was cute. 

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★★☆
Plot: ★★★★☆
Readability: ★★★☆☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★★☆
Recommend: ✓

» PLOT «
In this small cafe, there's a singular seat that can take you to the past or the future. Informed with the rules, four different sets of people embark on a journey to the past or the future in a attempt to reunite with someone in their past or future.

(The Lovers) The first story was plain, up until the ending. The end of that story was great.

(Husband and Wife) The second story was so sad and beautiful.

(The Sisters) The third story was okay.

(Mother and Daughter) The fourth story was sad and good, but not as good as the second story.

While the four stories are liked together, the link was quite minuscule and unnecessary. (Even the one in the last story.)

» READABILITY «
Some parts of this book are quite dull, but the overall story made up for it. If you can get through the more boring parts, the endings of each story are worth it.

» CHARACTERS «
In the first story (The Lovers), Fuminko was incredibly annoying and unlikeable. However... the ending of that story made up for her.

All of the other stories' main characters were unique and I liked most of them, but the side characters kind of all blended together.

» WRITING «
I'm not sure how to explain the writing in this other than the fact that it was blunt and straightforward. Despite that, the writing was actually really beautiful and reflective.

» OVERALL «
I honestly didn't think I'd like this book as much as I did.

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★★☆
Plot: ★★★★★
Readability: ★★★★☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★★☆
Recommend: ✗

» PLOT «
As Levana's reign begins to be more and more brutal everyday, her engagement to Emperor Kai and their impending wedding approaches. While Cinder and her friends fight for their freedoms and happiness, they meet Winter along the way, Levana's stepdaughter. Even with more and more allies, Cinder's fight is just as hard as it was before she'd kidnapped Emperor Kai. As her last chance to take her throne arrives, Cinder must decide if the many deaths are worth the war she is starting.

I read with the audiobook, but there was literally an hour of listening time dedicated to resolutions and endings. This book was way longer than the other in this series. Nearly double the length of the first three books. Was it too long? Kinda. Definitely. It really dragged on halfway through.

» READABILITY «
I both could not stop reading the first half after I started, which is odd, since I waited 5+ years before finally reading this book and did not want to continue. (If you want my extremely biased reasoning for why, read the "overall" section below.)

The second half, however, was not as good. This book was way longer than it needed to be, and it was pretty slow paced.

» CHARACTERS «
Something I mentioned before was the fact that I don't like childish characters. This is in my reviews of Cress and Layoverland, and my opinion has not changed. Iko, Cress, and Winter all have aspects of this characteristic that I don't like, thus I RARELY ever rooted for them (or their respective romances).

Honestly, Cinder, Thorne, and Kai are the best things about this book and 2/3 of them were in Cinder, which, in my opinion is the best book in this series. Not only that, but the relationship between Cinder and Thorne was the only reason I gave Scarlet 5 stars. Clearly I have my favorites.

» WRITING «
The writing in this is pretty good, but going back and forth between two different group perspectives is pretty jarring with the audiobook. However, I loved hearing the two separated groups coming together and meeting. It is no doubt one of my favorite parts of this book and this series.

» OVERALL «
I read the first three books of the series twice, and each time, I've stopped myself from reading this last book, (mainly because I didn't like Cress as much as I did Cinder and Scarlet). I was slightly afraid to read this book because I didn't like some of the "hero" characters (who I knew would eventually get their happy endings [sorry, not sorry that I'm a bitch]), and I was afraid that this book might be on the same level as Cress, but I AM SO GLAD IT ISN'T.

After 5+ years, I'm glad to have finished this book, but now I know for sure one thing: the first book was the best, and it only got worse :/ .

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★☆☆☆☆
Plot: ★☆☆☆☆
Readability: ★☆☆☆☆
Characters: ★★☆☆☆
Writing: ★★☆☆☆
Recommend: ✗

» PLOT «
After 9 years of the Trojan War, the final year of the war is explored, as the Gods and mortal fight and contribute to the deaths of many.

The plot of The Odyssey is far superior to this one. This story bounces from one thing to another, and the things that happened were random and not easy to follow.

» READABILITY «
I would not have finished this book (this fast or at all), had it for been for (1) the fact that I"m reading The Odyssey in a few days and (2) for the text-to-speech programs (because the audiobook I got was abridged :( for some reason).

This book is not easy to read, the writing and the story itself is complex and has a lot of underlying subtext. I had a very bad time reading this.

» CHARACTERS «
There are no real main characters, but for this I'll say it is Agamemnon, Achilles, Paris, and Hector. Out of all of them, I hated Paris and I liked Hector the best, but I was not rooting for either of them. My preconceived notions of this story had me rooting for Menelaus and the Achaeans, but I did not connect with the story or the characters at all.

» WRITING «
I understand with older and foreign text, translations are difficult and can be complicated, but this text is not the easiest to understand. These books are not easy to follow if you don't have some background knowledge.

This text is very repetitive. Phrases or words like "godlike," "bright-eyed," "son of *person*" are always used to described the same person or god. The phrases also never change, if you read it once, you've read it all. It does make it easy to distinguish each character, but that's not really a great thing (the fact that a character is only defined by one or two characteristics).

» OVERALL «
Some books simply require more effort to comprehend, and this one is one of them.

I'm disappointed, I do actually like The Odyssey way better. 

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★☆☆
*Plot: ★★★☆☆
Readability: ★★★★☆
*Characters: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★☆☆
Recommend: ✗

» PLOT «
Following socialist times, this book explores the rise and spread of western psychological learnings and knowledge in China.

*This is a nonfiction work, so no specific rating, just the average 3.

I love learning more about psychology and such, but I don't think I absorbed much of the information from this book.

» READABILITY «
I used a TTS program, so basically an audiobook. It made the book pretty easy to read and get through.

» CHARACTERS «
*This is a nonfiction work, so no specific rating, just the average 3.

» WRITING «
The writing is good, and it conveyed the information very well.

» OVERALL «
This book was really informative, but I doubt much of the information in the book will be remembered by me. Also, I did read this for school, and Dr. Zhang was my professor. :)

» QUICK OVERVIEW «
Stars: ★★★☆☆
*Plot: ★★★☆☆
Readability: ★★★☆☆
*Characters: ★★★☆☆
Writing: ★★★☆☆
Recommend: ✗

» PLOT «
Minimalist Fumio Sasaki gives his insight and advice on making and maintaining habits.

*This is a nonfiction piece of work that isn't focused on a story or plot, so the default rating of 3 stars was giving.

» READABILITY «
I'm not the best with reading non-fiction, especially self-help books, so the first month of reading, I barely touched the book.

There are 4 chapters, where the third is the largest. The book is slower placed in the first 2 chapters, but the third, though largest, is broken down into 50 sections so it was easier to read.

» CHARACTERS «
*This is a nonfiction piece of work not focused on any particular person, so the default rating of 3 stars was giving.

» WRITING «
The book can be a bit repetitive or contradicting, but otherwise the writing is straightforward and simple to understand.

» OVERALL «
I rarely apply the advice from self help books, so I don't know why I keep reading them. :/ 

Readability: 2/5
Plot: 1/5
Recommend: No

The Burnout Generation speaks about burnout and how everyone experiences. It explores more than one person's point of view on burnout in their life.

This audiobook was boring and I honestly didn't take anything from it... All they talked about was burnout and how everyone experiences it...that's it.