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simonlorden's Reviews (1.38k)
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
tw: pedophilia, child sexual abuse, drug addiction, murder
You know a book is going to be heavy when it starts with a thirteen-year-old getting murdered, but that doesn't even begin to describe Sadie.
I don't expect it to bring her back. It won't bring her back.
It's not about finding peace. There will never be peace.
Read the full review on my blog, A Thousand Worlds.
tw: pedophilia, child sexual abuse, drug addiction, murder
You know a book is going to be heavy when it starts with a thirteen-year-old getting murdered, but that doesn't even begin to describe Sadie.
I don't expect it to bring her back. It won't bring her back.
It's not about finding peace. There will never be peace.
Read the full review on my blog, A Thousand Worlds.
For a long time, when I was a little younger, I thought that was how every girl saw other girls - this mix between beauty and awe and curiosity, a thin layer of lust just underneath.
[white bisexual girl MC / black/white biracial lesbian LI ]
This was a very difficult book.
On the one hand, it's a magical love story between two girls, with beaches, lighthouses, bonfires, penaut butter and music and dancing. I really loved the whole starlit, magical aesthetic of this book, I loved that the word bisexual was used, I loved that the bi main girl had a guy friend that she could have dated but never wanted to.
On the other hand, this is a story about grief, and about one of the most unhealthy mother-daughter relationships I've ever seen. Grace's mother is written as a very complicated woman - in fact, most of the characters in this book are complicated, layered, and well-written. I loved how nobody was really perfect and everyone felt real.
But I didn't enjoy reading this book. I loved the occasional soft scenes between the girls or between friends, but I couldn't handle the constant tension, and honestly, I can't say that I genuinely liked any of the characters. It sucks because when I write down all this, I feel like I should have enjoyed the book, but it was frustrating to read.
I was going to rate it 3 stars but I actually liked the ending, so there's that. I still think this is a very important book, and I hope others will enjoy it more. Idk, maybe I'll reread it someday.
[white bisexual girl MC / black/white biracial lesbian LI ]
This was a very difficult book.
On the one hand, it's a magical love story between two girls, with beaches, lighthouses, bonfires, penaut butter and music and dancing. I really loved the whole starlit, magical aesthetic of this book, I loved that the word bisexual was used, I loved that the bi main girl had a guy friend that she could have dated but never wanted to.
On the other hand, this is a story about grief, and about one of the most unhealthy mother-daughter relationships I've ever seen. Grace's mother is written as a very complicated woman - in fact, most of the characters in this book are complicated, layered, and well-written. I loved how nobody was really perfect and everyone felt real.
But I didn't enjoy reading this book. I loved the occasional soft scenes between the girls or between friends, but I couldn't handle the constant tension, and honestly, I can't say that I genuinely liked any of the characters. It sucks because when I write down all this, I feel like I should have enjoyed the book, but it was frustrating to read.
I was going to rate it 3 stars but I actually liked the ending, so there's that. I still think this is a very important book, and I hope others will enjoy it more. Idk, maybe I'll reread it someday.
I picked up this book because from the title and the cover I expected a more lighthearted, funny memoir with lots of animal shenanigans. It was very far from what I expected. While there were definitely some heartwarming parts or useful facts (like the warning that cats like to sleep on cat tires), most of it was just... about mundane parts of the author's life I had no interest in. I understand the point of a biography is to tell a person's life, but in my opinion, you need some reason to care about this person's life (because you already know them, because the style is funny, etc.) and I just didn't. That, and there were so many animals dying or being euthanised in this book, and I know that's part of the profession, but it just made me sad.
tldr; This isn't a bad book, but it's not the lighthearted funny read I expected, and I lost interest.
tldr; This isn't a bad book, but it's not the lighthearted funny read I expected, and I lost interest.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was offered a copy of this book for review, and I'm glad I got around to reading it. I love stories based on mythologies, and I have a thing for scavenger hunt-type stories around the world. I Do Not Trust You is about two groups worshipping Egyptian gods fighting each other for their own god, but it also addresses other cultures, other gods, and what makes something sacred.
I admit that the beginning was a little tough - being introduced to M, who has a unique name, goes by her initial, and knows history even better than her teacher made me roll my eyes super hard, but in the end, both she and Ash grew on me.
This book also had several plot twists that I appreciated - some I figured out in advance, some I didn't, but I liked how they complicated the story and the relationships between the characters. (Mike is the best!)
I can't really speak for the accuracy of all the historical facts and mythological stories, but this book is either very well-researched or very imaginative, because the stories work well with the puzzle.
In short, this is a fun adventure that I recommend if you like mythological scavenger hunts.
I was offered a copy of this book for review, and I'm glad I got around to reading it. I love stories based on mythologies, and I have a thing for scavenger hunt-type stories around the world. I Do Not Trust You is about two groups worshipping Egyptian gods fighting each other for their own god, but it also addresses other cultures, other gods, and what makes something sacred.
I admit that the beginning was a little tough - being introduced to M, who has a unique name, goes by her initial, and knows history even better than her teacher made me roll my eyes super hard, but in the end, both she and Ash grew on me.
This book also had several plot twists that I appreciated - some I figured out in advance, some I didn't, but I liked how they complicated the story and the relationships between the characters. (Mike is the best!)
I can't really speak for the accuracy of all the historical facts and mythological stories, but this book is either very well-researched or very imaginative, because the stories work well with the puzzle.
In short, this is a fun adventure that I recommend if you like mythological scavenger hunts.
this was so sweet and soft it's gonna give me a toothache, and seriously I can't wait to see the cover
rating: 4.5 stars
RTC
rating: 4.5 stars
RTC
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To lead this crew, I had to promise them the world and dangle their nightmares from the top of my silver hook.
Before I learned that The Navigator’s Touch was a retelling of Peter Pan, specifically Captain Hook, I wasn’t sure if it would be a sequel, or more like a companion novel that tells the story of what Ragna was doing while Ersel was fighting for her own freedom. In the end, it was both. It’s mostly a sequel, but a few flashback chapters tell us how Ragna lost her hand and got her own crew… that she doesn’t trust.
A lot of this book is about Ragna’s relationship to her crew, which I really enjoyed. Their development in the second half of the book makes you wonder about how reliable Ragna is as a narrator, and whether she was really judging her crew correctly up until that point.
Ragna is a flawed person in many ways – she is motivated by revenge, trauma holds her back from trusting people, and she has the tendency to treat those around her quite badly, including her crew and Ersel. This changes somewhat towards the end, and her progression was interesting to see.
(...)
Overall, I enjoyed both The Seafarer’s Kiss and The Navigator’s Touch, and I actually ended up rating this one a star higher than the first book. I am eager to see where the story goes, because it didn’t sound like the end is anywhere near.
(Also: I would love to see good fanart of Ragna’s marks, because damn.)
Read the full review on A Thousand Worlds.
To lead this crew, I had to promise them the world and dangle their nightmares from the top of my silver hook.
Before I learned that The Navigator’s Touch was a retelling of Peter Pan, specifically Captain Hook, I wasn’t sure if it would be a sequel, or more like a companion novel that tells the story of what Ragna was doing while Ersel was fighting for her own freedom. In the end, it was both. It’s mostly a sequel, but a few flashback chapters tell us how Ragna lost her hand and got her own crew… that she doesn’t trust.
A lot of this book is about Ragna’s relationship to her crew, which I really enjoyed. Their development in the second half of the book makes you wonder about how reliable Ragna is as a narrator, and whether she was really judging her crew correctly up until that point.
Ragna is a flawed person in many ways – she is motivated by revenge, trauma holds her back from trusting people, and she has the tendency to treat those around her quite badly, including her crew and Ersel. This changes somewhat towards the end, and her progression was interesting to see.
(...)
Overall, I enjoyed both The Seafarer’s Kiss and The Navigator’s Touch, and I actually ended up rating this one a star higher than the first book. I am eager to see where the story goes, because it didn’t sound like the end is anywhere near.
(Also: I would love to see good fanart of Ragna’s marks, because damn.)
Read the full review on A Thousand Worlds.
Do you want 50 pages of fluffiness with paranormal girlfriends, a supportive nonbinary roommate, a werewolf that's really like a big puppy, relatable studying-feels, and more? Then this book is for you.
I always love little hints in urban fantasy stories where paranormal beings are public about how society has adjusted to them. Having their paranormal status on their ID (and not even just the fact, but their species as well) is really invasive, and a detail that makes you think, but it wasn't really the focus in this particular story.
The sex on the first date (and sex twice in a 50-page story) kind of threw me off, but this was really sweet and cute and I love Derek.
I always love little hints in urban fantasy stories where paranormal beings are public about how society has adjusted to them. Having their paranormal status on their ID (and not even just the fact, but their species as well) is really invasive, and a detail that makes you think, but it wasn't really the focus in this particular story.
The sex on the first date (and sex twice in a 50-page story) kind of threw me off, but this was really sweet and cute and I love Derek.
Recently I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of A Duke by Default, the second in the Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole. It was one of the best romance novels I’ve ever read, with my favourite dynamic and a Scottish swordmaker love interest. Naturally, I bought the first book to see where it all started. (Note: The books each focus on a different member of the same friend group, so they can be read standalone with minor spoilers/cameos from the previous books.)
I admit that I enjoyed A Duke by Default more, but I still loved A Princess in Theory. The main character, Naledi grew up as an orphan and wants to work on identifying and stopping diseases and epidemics. Her parents died when she was small, so she doesn’t know anything about her past – including that she’s engaged to the prince of an African country.
Read the full review on my blog, A Thousand Worlds.
I admit that I enjoyed A Duke by Default more, but I still loved A Princess in Theory. The main character, Naledi grew up as an orphan and wants to work on identifying and stopping diseases and epidemics. Her parents died when she was small, so she doesn’t know anything about her past – including that she’s engaged to the prince of an African country.
Read the full review on my blog, A Thousand Worlds.
This was such an emotional rollercoaster. It's perfect and well-written and adorable, but it also has so many FEELS about Monty and his upbringing and his father, both good and bad ones. Bad: that reference to him being suicidal. Good: Everything with Scipio. Basically I love this but also ouch, feels. (And I get that the lowkey homophobic comments are period-appropriate, but goddamnit Felicity.)
“I know this isn’t fun to hear, and it sure as hell isn’t fun for me to say, but I’ll say it because no one else will. Even if your father or Charlotte aren’t willing to tell you the truth when you fuck up, I will. And I hope it’s clear that I’m doing this because I’m your friend, and I want for you to be more worthy of that than you are right now.”
review to come.
review to come.