Absolutely loved the concept of a "Behind the Music" type documentary that's given to us as a transcript. It really makes it that much more interesting to see how characters develop and show personality without the standard narration or description and it works pretty well. You get a lot of conflicting viewpoints, which feels realistic and messy. Daisy Jones is an absolutely iconic character that you can enjoy for her vulnerability and strength at the same time. I think the book as a whole may work better as an audiobook, though I chose to read it as a book first since I prefer that format when diving into something new.

I'm not usually one for cheesy rom coms, kind of have to be in a specific mood for that, but every time I came back to this book I had a hard time putting it down. I love the concept of merfolk beings genderless beings and their whole society. Ross/Crest was just the right amount of sassy to completely fall in love with them and Sean is an absolute bean. I was endeared to the ups and downs of their relationship and genuinely wanted things to pull through in the end, which was totally satisfying, if not a little unexpected.

I love the more mature and realistic ending of the two separating but still making time for each other in their own way, with Ross going back to the Blue and Sean staying on land. It makes it stand out from other romances which prioritize sacrificing what makes you you in the name of love and I'm glad this story was more focused on the identity we gain and understand from loving and being around other people.

Though there were a few plot holes here and there, that didn't detract any entertainment I got from this book. There is a lot of talk about sex and intimacy in this book for a YA novel, though it doesn't get too graphic and fades to black when it starts getting spicy, but if that unnerves  you just be aware. I know this author likes to make their work sex positive so that understanding helped me a bit going in.

This book makes a great summer beach read and hopefully will give you the warm fuzzies it certainly gave me.

Nick has to be probably one of the most oblivious, dumbest character in fiction, but in an almost endearing sort of way. I knew I wasn't walking into the grandest superhero epic this side of the MCU, so I went in with very little expectations and was surprised by how entertained I was by this book. Sure, each plot point was predictable, as it's meant to be, and the amount of secondhand embarrassment is through the roof, but it's really the curiosity of "how will these characters react in these situations" that got me through it. 

At first, I couldn't help but think "Oh Nick, why you gotta be so cringey" only to remember that, shoot, this was me in high school. It was refreshing having a main character that is so unapologetically messy and awkward and still manage to come off as somewhat likeable. His internal monologue is definitely not for everyone, but if you like quippy, sarcastic dialogue you may like it just fine.

Despite everything I enjoyed about the book, it still doesn't get top marks because nope, can't get on the pro-cop wagon it's doing here, so if you want to steer clear of any copaganda you may want to skip this one.

Final thoughts? Need sequel now.

Honestly, I don't know if I find the style of this book positively refreshing or perhaps just a bit unfocused. I like how it reads like a stream of consciousness type diary straight from Ropa's brain, though the Scottish slang may be a bit overbearing at times, but that's coming from an American who's not exactly used to it. As a result of this kind of POV, we're not given more information about this world. There's a post apocalyptic thing going on, but we're only given a few tidbits here and there as to what life is like and a few vague mentions about what caused it. It made the book a little bit difficult to imagine at times, trying to figure out how visions of current Scotland would compare to this one. I hope this gets fleshed out in later installments, since as of right now it seems almost unnecessary, but who knows.

I really enjoyed Ropa's character, a sarcastic, determined teenager that tries her best for her family in her own way. She's caring in the moments that count and  it was cool how she was determined to continue her education through audiobooks and podcasts. She's just the right kind of rough around the edges that doesn't make her too grating or unlikable.
B

Before the plot starts to take hold, it feels like the story is a little bit all over the place. We follow Ropa doing some odd jobs in between moments meant to kickstart the central action, which makes it seem like there's a loss of steam at some points. The "library of the dead" itself plays a very small role in the book, which is a little disappointing since it seemed like such an interesting setting, and other plot points just come and go so quickly that they seem to have little little bearing on the story. They may  give a little added weight to Ropa's situation and fuel her motivation, but they more often drag a scene down rather than fill it with more urgency.

Still, the book was engaging and I'm definitely going to give the sequel a read to see what's next for Ropa and what fresh horrors still await her.

This is just a lovely little fable that just had me smiling from ear to ear. The stories within a story flow so well with the overall narrative and weaved so much more into it. I love how all these little plot threads tied together in the end, as if they're all connected by their own red strings.

A really sweet and engaging middle grade fantasy that manages to be both heart lifting and heart wrenching. Ember and her friends make a delightful trio that bounce really well off each other. The dragons of this world are interesting, though I wish we would have gotten a little more of them and their society. I hope desperately for a sequel where more of this world can be explored and we can see a little bit more of the characters grow.

While heavy in terms of writing style, Half Witch has a lot to offer those that are in the mood for a modern, tongue-in-cheek fairy tale: high stakes, an amazing dynamic between our two leads that grows into something truly beautiful, and witches that come straight out of your nightmares. Though I wasn't too keen on the religious aspect, the book manages to keep from being too preachy and have it be an element of the story rather than its entire purpose. I would definitely say that this is probably more for the teen crowd, as there are a lot of mature themes being thrown around as well as some disturbing imagery.