Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: In Search of the Color Purple: The Story of Alice Walker’s Masterpiece
Author: Salamishah Tillet
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: real Black women and people
Recommended For...: nonfiction
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: Nonfiction
Recommended Age: 15+ (sexual assault mention, race and racism, gender politics)
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 256
Synopsis: Alice Walker made history in 1983 when she became the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for The Color Purple. Published in the Reagan era amid a severe backlash to civil rights, the Jazz Age novel tells the story of racial and gender inequality through the life of a 14-year-old girl from Georgia who is haunted by domestic and sexual violence.
Prominent academic and activist Salamishah Tillet combines cultural criticism, history, and memoir to explore Walker’s epistolary novel and shows how it has influenced and been informed by the zeitgeist. The Color Purple received both praise and criticism upon publication, and the conversation it sparked around race and gender still continues today. It has been adapted for an Oscar-nominated film and a hit Broadway musical.
Through archival research and interviews with Walker, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones (among others), Tillet studies Walker’s life and how themes of violence emerged in her earlier work. Reading The Color Purple at age 15 was a groundbreaking experience for Tillet. It continues to resonate with her—as a sexual violence survivor, as a teacher of the novel, and as an accomplished academic.
Provocative and personal, In Search of The Color Purple is a bold work from an important public intellectual, and captures Alice Walker’s seminal role in rethinking sexuality, intersectional feminism, and racial and gender politics.
Review: I really like this book and that was behind the scenes but at the color purple. I have never watched it unfortunately, because I have not been able to own a copy of it. That was something that my parents didn't really watch so I didn't get to watch it. Even after reading the behind the scenes of it I do feel like I should go pick it up. I also really appreciate how very early honest this book was and showing the hardships that happened behind the scenes.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: In Search of the Color Purple: The Story of Alice Walker’s Masterpiece
Author: Salamishah Tillet
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: real Black women and people
Recommended For...: nonfiction
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: Nonfiction
Recommended Age: 15+ (sexual assault mention, race and racism, gender politics)
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 256
Synopsis: Alice Walker made history in 1983 when she became the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for The Color Purple. Published in the Reagan era amid a severe backlash to civil rights, the Jazz Age novel tells the story of racial and gender inequality through the life of a 14-year-old girl from Georgia who is haunted by domestic and sexual violence.
Prominent academic and activist Salamishah Tillet combines cultural criticism, history, and memoir to explore Walker’s epistolary novel and shows how it has influenced and been informed by the zeitgeist. The Color Purple received both praise and criticism upon publication, and the conversation it sparked around race and gender still continues today. It has been adapted for an Oscar-nominated film and a hit Broadway musical.
Through archival research and interviews with Walker, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones (among others), Tillet studies Walker’s life and how themes of violence emerged in her earlier work. Reading The Color Purple at age 15 was a groundbreaking experience for Tillet. It continues to resonate with her—as a sexual violence survivor, as a teacher of the novel, and as an accomplished academic.
Provocative and personal, In Search of The Color Purple is a bold work from an important public intellectual, and captures Alice Walker’s seminal role in rethinking sexuality, intersectional feminism, and racial and gender politics.
Review: I really like this book and that was behind the scenes but at the color purple. I have never watched it unfortunately, because I have not been able to own a copy of it. That was something that my parents didn't really watch so I didn't get to watch it. Even after reading the behind the scenes of it I do feel like I should go pick it up. I also really appreciate how very early honest this book was and showing the hardships that happened behind the scenes.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: How I Learned to Hate in Ohio
Author: David Stuart MacLean
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Sikh character, gay characters
Recommended For...: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: January 19, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (homophobia, xenophobia, racism, language, bullying, hate crimes, depression)
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 249
Synopsis: In late-1980s rural Ohio, bright but mostly friendless Barry Nadler begins his freshman year of high school with the goal of going unnoticed as much as possible. But his world is upended by the arrival of Gurbaksh, Gary for short, a Sikh teenager who moves to his small town and instantly befriends Barry and, in Gatsby-esque fashion, pulls him into a series of increasingly unlikely adventures. As their friendship deepens, Barry’s world begins to unravel, and his classmates and neighbors react to the presence of a family so different from theirs. Through darkly comic and bitingly intelligent asides and wry observations, Barry reveals how the seeds of xenophobia and racism find fertile soil in this insular community, and in an easy, graceless, unintentional slide, tragedy unfolds.
Review: For the most part I really did like this book. I felt like the book did very well to have that 80s vibe and I really like the world building overall. I also felt like the character development was very sound and I was instantly interested in what was happening throughout the book.
The only issue I really have is reading the book was that I felt like what was a little slow and pacing.
Verdict: It was great!
Book: How I Learned to Hate in Ohio
Author: David Stuart MacLean
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Sikh character, gay characters
Recommended For...: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: January 19, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (homophobia, xenophobia, racism, language, bullying, hate crimes, depression)
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 249
Synopsis: In late-1980s rural Ohio, bright but mostly friendless Barry Nadler begins his freshman year of high school with the goal of going unnoticed as much as possible. But his world is upended by the arrival of Gurbaksh, Gary for short, a Sikh teenager who moves to his small town and instantly befriends Barry and, in Gatsby-esque fashion, pulls him into a series of increasingly unlikely adventures. As their friendship deepens, Barry’s world begins to unravel, and his classmates and neighbors react to the presence of a family so different from theirs. Through darkly comic and bitingly intelligent asides and wry observations, Barry reveals how the seeds of xenophobia and racism find fertile soil in this insular community, and in an easy, graceless, unintentional slide, tragedy unfolds.
Review: For the most part I really did like this book. I felt like the book did very well to have that 80s vibe and I really like the world building overall. I also felt like the character development was very sound and I was instantly interested in what was happening throughout the book.
The only issue I really have is reading the book was that I felt like what was a little slow and pacing.
Verdict: It was great!
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Burnt Sugar
Author: Avni Doshi
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: contemporary
Publication Date: July 30, 2020
Genre: Contemporary
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Pages: 240
Synopsis: In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her loveless marriage to join an ashram, endured a brief stint as a beggar (mostly to spite her affluent parents), and spent years chasing after a dishevelled, homeless 'artist' - all with her young child in tow. Now she is forgetting things, mixing up her maid's wages and leaving the gas on all night, and her grown-up daughter is faced with the task of caring for a woman who never cared for her.
This is a love story and a story about betrayal. But not between lovers - between mother and daughter. Sharp as a blade and laced with caustic wit, Burnt Sugar unpicks the slippery, choking cord of memory and myth that binds two women together, making and unmaking them endlessly.
Review: I had to dnf this read. The tried really hard to get into I just didn't care for the book after a few short attempts of trying it.
Verdict: Not for me but maybe for you.
Book: Burnt Sugar
Author: Avni Doshi
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: contemporary
Publication Date: July 30, 2020
Genre: Contemporary
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Pages: 240
Synopsis: In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her loveless marriage to join an ashram, endured a brief stint as a beggar (mostly to spite her affluent parents), and spent years chasing after a dishevelled, homeless 'artist' - all with her young child in tow. Now she is forgetting things, mixing up her maid's wages and leaving the gas on all night, and her grown-up daughter is faced with the task of caring for a woman who never cared for her.
This is a love story and a story about betrayal. But not between lovers - between mother and daughter. Sharp as a blade and laced with caustic wit, Burnt Sugar unpicks the slippery, choking cord of memory and myth that binds two women together, making and unmaking them endlessly.
Review: I had to dnf this read. The tried really hard to get into I just didn't care for the book after a few short attempts of trying it.
Verdict: Not for me but maybe for you.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Searching for Gurney
Author: Jack Estes
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: war stories, military fiction
Publication Date: November 10, 2020
Genre: War Novel
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore, death, PTSD)
Publisher: O’Callahan Press
Pages: 257
Synopsis: Searching for Gurney explores the damaged lives of three U.S. Marines and one North Vietnamese soldier in the late 1960s and '70s. Each character's story begins at a different place-JT, home and struggling with flashbacks; Coop, on leave and getting drunk at his grandfather's funeral; Hawkeye, at the moment a judge gives him the choice of jail or boot camp; and Vuong, leaving his small village to join the NVA with patriotic fervor. Sent home after a horrific ambush, the Marines face new battles with PTSD and a hostile American public that treats them as criminals. Nightmares, anger, and substance abuse destroy family relationships and, ultimately, one character's life. For all of them, making sense of life after war requires the utmost courage.
Review: I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. And throughout the reading I wasn't disappointed by it. I felt like the character development was sound and overall the story was intriguing enough to keep me up from beginning to end.
However I did have an issue with the pacing. I felt like it was really slow and I had to force myself to read through a lot of it. I also felt like the world building could have been a little bit better.
Verdict: It was good, just slow.
Book: Searching for Gurney
Author: Jack Estes
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: war stories, military fiction
Publication Date: November 10, 2020
Genre: War Novel
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore, death, PTSD)
Publisher: O’Callahan Press
Pages: 257
Synopsis: Searching for Gurney explores the damaged lives of three U.S. Marines and one North Vietnamese soldier in the late 1960s and '70s. Each character's story begins at a different place-JT, home and struggling with flashbacks; Coop, on leave and getting drunk at his grandfather's funeral; Hawkeye, at the moment a judge gives him the choice of jail or boot camp; and Vuong, leaving his small village to join the NVA with patriotic fervor. Sent home after a horrific ambush, the Marines face new battles with PTSD and a hostile American public that treats them as criminals. Nightmares, anger, and substance abuse destroy family relationships and, ultimately, one character's life. For all of them, making sense of life after war requires the utmost courage.
Review: I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. And throughout the reading I wasn't disappointed by it. I felt like the character development was sound and overall the story was intriguing enough to keep me up from beginning to end.
However I did have an issue with the pacing. I felt like it was really slow and I had to force myself to read through a lot of it. I also felt like the world building could have been a little bit better.
Verdict: It was good, just slow.
Disclaimer: I bought this book! Support your authors!
Book: Horrorstor
Author: Grady Hendrix
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black side character
Recommended For...: paranormal, horror, IKEA lovers
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Genre: Horror
Recommended Age: 16+ (horror, gore, violence, torture, depression, abuse)
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 248
Synopsis: Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.
A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.
Review: I have been anticipating reading this book for months now. And I was not disappointed. The book was so much fun to read and was so creepy at the same time. I really like how the author incorporated the IKEA catalog into this book and I really liked the story itself. The character development was wonderfully well done and the book left me wanting so much more.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the world building could have been a little better as I kept getting lost in some of the actions scenes.
Verdict: When will the author come out with the next book?
Book: Horrorstor
Author: Grady Hendrix
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black side character
Recommended For...: paranormal, horror, IKEA lovers
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Genre: Horror
Recommended Age: 16+ (horror, gore, violence, torture, depression, abuse)
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 248
Synopsis: Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.
A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.
Review: I have been anticipating reading this book for months now. And I was not disappointed. The book was so much fun to read and was so creepy at the same time. I really like how the author incorporated the IKEA catalog into this book and I really liked the story itself. The character development was wonderfully well done and the book left me wanting so much more.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the world building could have been a little better as I kept getting lost in some of the actions scenes.
Verdict: When will the author come out with the next book?
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Paris Library
Author: James Skeslien Charles
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction fans, library lovers
Publication Date: February 9, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (Language, Antisemitism, Hitler mentions, War, Grief, Sexual content)
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.
Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.
A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.
Review: Oh my goodness this book completely swept me away. I am a huge lover of anything that takes place during world war II. The story was very well plotted out and the characters are very well developed. I also felt that the world building was very well done. I was instantly hooked upon starting the book and I wasn't able to put it down until I finished it.
However, there were some moments in the book that I felt like the author could have went more into the whores of world war II and what was happening with the Jewish people, but they didn't. The book is very sweet, but it doesn't have that emphasis on not repeating the same mistakes that were made to start that war. So if you're looking for a book with heavy emphasis on the horrors of world war II, then this isn't your book. But if you're looking for a book that set during that time period and that can show you what it was like for people that were non-jewish, non Romanian, non-LGBT+, etc then this would probably be a good book for you.
Verdict: It was good, but I wished it showed more of what happened in the war.
Book: The Paris Library
Author: James Skeslien Charles
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction fans, library lovers
Publication Date: February 9, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (Language, Antisemitism, Hitler mentions, War, Grief, Sexual content)
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.
Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.
A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.
Review: Oh my goodness this book completely swept me away. I am a huge lover of anything that takes place during world war II. The story was very well plotted out and the characters are very well developed. I also felt that the world building was very well done. I was instantly hooked upon starting the book and I wasn't able to put it down until I finished it.
However, there were some moments in the book that I felt like the author could have went more into the whores of world war II and what was happening with the Jewish people, but they didn't. The book is very sweet, but it doesn't have that emphasis on not repeating the same mistakes that were made to start that war. So if you're looking for a book with heavy emphasis on the horrors of world war II, then this isn't your book. But if you're looking for a book that set during that time period and that can show you what it was like for people that were non-jewish, non Romanian, non-LGBT+, etc then this would probably be a good book for you.
Verdict: It was good, but I wished it showed more of what happened in the war.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc for a tour. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: I Think I Love You
Author: Auriane Desombre
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Lesbian and Bisexual Main Characters!
Recommended For...: romance fans, contemporary lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, slight language, sexual content)
Publisher: Underlined
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Emma is a die-hard romantic. She loves a meet-cute Netflix movie, her pet, Lady Catulet, and dreaming up the Gay Rom Com of her heart for the film festival competition she and her friends are entering. If only they’d listen to her ideas. . .
Sophia is pragmatic. She’s big into boycotts, namely 1) relationships, 2) teen boys and their BO (reason #2347683 she’s a lesbian), and 3) Emma’s nauseating ideas. Forget starry-eyed romance, Sophia knows what will win: an artistic film with a message.
Cue the drama. The movie is doomed before they even start shooting . . . until a real-life plot twist unfolds behind the camera when Emma and Sophia start seeing each other through a different lens. Suddenly their rivalry is starting to feel like an actual rom-com.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. I felt like the characters were pretty well developed and the plot was interesting. The book was really cute and sweet and it's just one of those books that you read when you want a strong contemporary romance book.
However, I felt like there was a lot going on in the book. There was a lot going on and I just got very bogged down with all the stories and romances and side quests and stuff like that. I also felt like the world building wasn't as great and that I think the book could have been a little bit more streamlined.
Verdict: It was cute, but I got a little lost in the crowd.
Book: I Think I Love You
Author: Auriane Desombre
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Lesbian and Bisexual Main Characters!
Recommended For...: romance fans, contemporary lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, slight language, sexual content)
Publisher: Underlined
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Emma is a die-hard romantic. She loves a meet-cute Netflix movie, her pet, Lady Catulet, and dreaming up the Gay Rom Com of her heart for the film festival competition she and her friends are entering. If only they’d listen to her ideas. . .
Sophia is pragmatic. She’s big into boycotts, namely 1) relationships, 2) teen boys and their BO (reason #2347683 she’s a lesbian), and 3) Emma’s nauseating ideas. Forget starry-eyed romance, Sophia knows what will win: an artistic film with a message.
Cue the drama. The movie is doomed before they even start shooting . . . until a real-life plot twist unfolds behind the camera when Emma and Sophia start seeing each other through a different lens. Suddenly their rivalry is starting to feel like an actual rom-com.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. I felt like the characters were pretty well developed and the plot was interesting. The book was really cute and sweet and it's just one of those books that you read when you want a strong contemporary romance book.
However, I felt like there was a lot going on in the book. There was a lot going on and I just got very bogged down with all the stories and romances and side quests and stuff like that. I also felt like the world building wasn't as great and that I think the book could have been a little bit more streamlined.
Verdict: It was cute, but I got a little lost in the crowd.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher for a tour. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Sweet and Bitter Magic
Author: Adrienne Tooley
Book Series: Standalone for now
Diversity: sapphic romance
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, sapphic romance lovers, romance lovers
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 9, 2021
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 368
Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, slight violence, plague/pandemic themes)
Synopsis: Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others.
Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret.
When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.
Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is, if they don't kill each other first..
Review: I really loved this book! I have always said that there's still not enough sapphic romance in fantasy. And I lived for it! The romance started as enemies to lovers and evolved rapidly from there. The world building was wonderful, the book is mostly devoted to character development, and I was hooked from beginning to end.
My only issue is that, for a fantasy read, this book had a lack to it in the form of action/a solid plot. It was more of a book between these two characters than your typical quest read. It's still good, but it's different to your normal fantasy.
Verdict: It's great but different.
Book: Sweet and Bitter Magic
Author: Adrienne Tooley
Book Series: Standalone for now
Diversity: sapphic romance
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, sapphic romance lovers, romance lovers
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 9, 2021
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 368
Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, slight violence, plague/pandemic themes)
Synopsis: Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others.
Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret.
When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.
Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is, if they don't kill each other first..
Review: I really loved this book! I have always said that there's still not enough sapphic romance in fantasy. And I lived for it! The romance started as enemies to lovers and evolved rapidly from there. The world building was wonderful, the book is mostly devoted to character development, and I was hooked from beginning to end.
My only issue is that, for a fantasy read, this book had a lack to it in the form of action/a solid plot. It was more of a book between these two characters than your typical quest read. It's still good, but it's different to your normal fantasy.
Verdict: It's great but different.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and then bought my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Project
Author: Courtney Summers
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Thrill seekers, mystery lovers, cult readers
Genre: Thriller
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 352
Recommended Age: 17+ (Language, Religion and religious trauma, Romance, Sex/sexual abuse from a religious authority figure, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death, and Gore)
Synopsis: Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye. She's spent the last six years of her life trying—and failing—to prove it.
When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its leader, Lev Warren and as Lo delves deeper into The Project, the lives of its members it upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her—to the point she can no longer tell what's real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn't know if she can afford not to.
Review: For the most part this was a good book. I like the world building and the character development of Lo and I really like the twist at the end of the book. I think the book is fairly well written and it kept me intrigued from start to finish. I loved how it was wrote from a dual POV narrative and how the timelines went back and forth between the two.
However, I did not like where the book went at times. I think that the book could have used a lot of trigger warnings because the book went into a lot of places that could bring up a lot of trauma for people especially religious trauma and sexual abuse trauma. Well nothing happened that was violent during the sexual parts, the person that our main characters we're having sex with was in a place of authority and was much older than them. When a person of authority has sex with someone under their care, that's not love it's abuse. And, in my opinion, with the abuser being much older than our two main characters, it gives off pedo vibes. There is also physical and emotional abuse in the book and it gets a bit graphic and hard to read because it's disguised as love. And that's what made this book really hard to read for me.
Verdict: It was good just hard.
Book: The Project
Author: Courtney Summers
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Thrill seekers, mystery lovers, cult readers
Genre: Thriller
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 352
Recommended Age: 17+ (Language, Religion and religious trauma, Romance, Sex/sexual abuse from a religious authority figure, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death, and Gore)
Synopsis: Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye. She's spent the last six years of her life trying—and failing—to prove it.
When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its leader, Lev Warren and as Lo delves deeper into The Project, the lives of its members it upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her—to the point she can no longer tell what's real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn't know if she can afford not to.
Review: For the most part this was a good book. I like the world building and the character development of Lo and I really like the twist at the end of the book. I think the book is fairly well written and it kept me intrigued from start to finish. I loved how it was wrote from a dual POV narrative and how the timelines went back and forth between the two.
However, I did not like where the book went at times. I think that the book could have used a lot of trigger warnings because the book went into a lot of places that could bring up a lot of trauma for people especially religious trauma and sexual abuse trauma. Well nothing happened that was violent during the sexual parts, the person that our main characters we're having sex with was in a place of authority and was much older than them. When a person of authority has sex with someone under their care, that's not love it's abuse. And, in my opinion, with the abuser being much older than our two main characters, it gives off pedo vibes. There is also physical and emotional abuse in the book and it gets a bit graphic and hard to read because it's disguised as love. And that's what made this book really hard to read for me.
Verdict: It was good just hard.
Disclaimer: I received this book in a box from Once Upon A Book Club box. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
Author: Robin Talley
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Bisexual main character and love interest, gay fathers, non-binary character
Recommended For...: LGBT+ readers, contemporary, ya readers, romance
Publication Date: December 1, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Recommended Age: 16+ (language, sexual content)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 464
Synopsis: Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything.
What she doesn’t have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over.
Of course, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn’t expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play’s success as Mel.
Which means that Melody McIntyre’s only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love.
Review: I really enjoyed this book so much. It felt like a love story to theater and theater kids. I loved the character development and the world building. I felt like the story was fairly solid and I also loved how mature most of the characters felt.
My only concern is that I felt like the pacing was a bit slow in the middle and I felt like the resolution was too neatly resolved.
Verdict: It was great!
Book: The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
Author: Robin Talley
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Bisexual main character and love interest, gay fathers, non-binary character
Recommended For...: LGBT+ readers, contemporary, ya readers, romance
Publication Date: December 1, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Recommended Age: 16+ (language, sexual content)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 464
Synopsis: Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything.
What she doesn’t have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over.
Of course, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn’t expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play’s success as Mel.
Which means that Melody McIntyre’s only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love.
Review: I really enjoyed this book so much. It felt like a love story to theater and theater kids. I loved the character development and the world building. I felt like the story was fairly solid and I also loved how mature most of the characters felt.
My only concern is that I felt like the pacing was a bit slow in the middle and I felt like the resolution was too neatly resolved.
Verdict: It was great!