themoonwholistens's Reviews (698)

*mixed feelings has entered the building*

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I’m just a sad about how I ended feeling about it. I just was not into the characters and the plot even though theoretically this would have been a story I would be into..

I think the main reason that I could not continue this was because the plot just felt non-existent and all over the place. The progression of the world-building wasn't working for me and I do have to say that it does focus a lot more on the character relationships than what what I wanted which was weird because I usually love character-driven plot.

I do think that if you are in it for the friendship and found family aspect, you are still going to get that. But just like with almost any story, I think we can agree that you need to at least be invested in main characters perspectives, which is not what happened to me *disappointed sighs*. I probably would have continued reading this for that found family aspect though. Those parts were the good parts. (and you know... sapphic... *twinkle*)

I can see this being loved by people who like relatively lighter Sci-Fi that focuses more on found family bonding and the enemies-to-lovers aspect. It just wasn't for me.

DNF @40%... Do with this knowledge what you will.

"To the reckless, lovestruck kids.
(The former may be lethal, but the latter makes it worth it.)"

that dedication page tho

♡ this review is featured on audiobook empire ♡

”To be truly nobel and brave is to have the courage to follow your dreams and your heart.”

FORMAT READ: Audiobook (Recommended)
SIMILAR VIBES: Coco (yes, the movie)

— overall thoughts: 3.5 —

I had so much fun listening to the calming, feel-good audiobook of this story about bulls and matadors. From the sound of hooves to lighting a match stick… you’ll hear and feel all of it I promise!

Hear me out, despite the fact it’s centered around a family of cattle basically (and that it's supposedly aimed towards a younger audience than I am), themes of feminism and empowerment were still so prevalent the whole time. Metaphors and comparisons to the male dominant sectors of our own society was what I mainly got from the story, which always equivalents a good read.

Alicia was a great driving force to the plot while not failing to keep me entertained. It follows her as she strives to find a way to get into that arena with matadors despite being told that she cannot participate as she is a *cow* and not a *bull*. I don't think I have read a book with this kind of plot before so it was intriguing for me to begin with. Especially since it's told from the perspective of the actual animal. She kind of goes on this little adventure since she's trying to hide from her father that she's participating in said activity.

It’s definitely the proper length that children of a young age would enjoy and not get bored of so easily. Especially with the audiobook, that is only 3 hours long, and sound effects that make the narration much more entertaining.

It’s well performed by a FULL CAST (Brad Raider, George Spielvogel, Malili Dib, Yolanda Corrales, Leila Cohen) that just made it a lot easier to track all the different characters and make distinctions of them in my head. I don't think I have read other audiobooks by any of these narrators before but the casting of the voices were just spot on and they just fit feel of the story so well. I listened to it mostly at nighttime, pacing was a little slow for my personal taste, but I felt like I was being a read a bedtime story to with how soothing the overall effect was.

As a musician, I enjoyed the classical spanish vibe music that was playing in certain scenes. I actually thought that they played the right music at all the right spots. It made me, specifically, feel nostalgic since they were pieces that I used to play and that just contributed to my overall enjoyment.

Andrew Avner actually writes and produces short films over at Disney and this book definitely gives me those slightly whimsical but quirky vibes that younger audiences (and myself) love. Together with a plot that audiences of all ages can still take a lesson or two from.

*I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobook Empire. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.*

//
I just finished it and wow... that was such a calming, feel-good audiobook to experience

RTC

//
bulls... this is about... spanish BULLS (and cows :0)

I am so amazed by the production of the audiobook though

they literally have sounds of hooves, those spanish guitar runs (i hope you know what I'm talking about), bells, and everything I feel like I'm in Coco (yes, the movie)... but make it about the bulls


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”That’s all we are, aren’t we, just souls who are sometimes kind and sometimes cruel and almost always complicated.”

FORMAT READ: eBook (Adobe Digital Editions)
SIMILAR VIBES: The Mermaid’s Voice Returns In This One
READ FOR: easy to get through but uplifting poems

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*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
*Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

OVERALL: 4.5



The Pillow Thoughts installment will always have a special place in my heart. It always seems to speak to me personally. I needed this and it reached me at the perfect time.

It always gives me that perfect whimsical, hopeful vibe that is perfect to sleep to. Which is perfect considering the title. The poems are like my literal thoughts when I’m lying down on my bed and nearly about to sleep. Courtney Peppernell is a poet that I adore because of how well she can translate thoughts to something that everyone can read and relate to, no matter what it is really about. I found myself just smiling in certain parts <3

This particular collection speaks about when you’re translating from a place of hurt to a place of healing and love. I love the way this ‘series’ progressed in terms of themes. It’s nothing too heavy but is enough to uplift you.

”I don’t think about you when I’m lonely; I think about you when I’m doing the things I love.”

ugh, here I am having feelings again <3

The illustrations in between sections in this book are also my favorite out of the three books!! They’re wonderfully designed and matches the particular section’s theme.

”Who you are is louder than you think."

WRITING STYLE: ★★★★☆
THEMES: ★★★★★ (the musical related ones were my favorite)
ILLUSTRATIONS: ★★★★★

-------------------------------------

PRE READ:

I've read and reviewed the ARCs of this whole installment XD I'm so hyped for this one <3

Thank you to Dante Fabiero for sending me an ARC to review

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Update: January 9, 2018
So I kind of reread/skimmed this book again recently and I just want to add to my initial review here on Goodreads how precious Slothilda and Peanut are! Aside from being cute n cuddly, Fabiero was able to make relatable content while keeping the feel-good feeling as the pages go on. There is room to improve on in that I am definitely looking for more content and scenes that are not so common in the media if this were to be followed.

Going into this book, I got what I expected and was not let down by the entertainment value in it.

I am so excited for the future Slothilda projects and I will keep on supporting Dante Fabiero & Slothilda!! It's cute, it's relatable, and definitely something I would want on my nightstand for a quick read & glance every once in a while after my binge read or something to flip through when I feel down. That is without considering my love for corgis. . .

I am a fan. If that is not already obvious.

[[My mistake for tagging this as a Graphic Novel but rather a compilation of cartoons and mini stories]]

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Update: September 27, 2018
I actually really enjoyed this graphic novel. And I like how the format is kind of similar to poem books (divisions and some content) but contains a minimalistic but satisfying cartoon to make them that more entertaining. It was so relatable and I found myself aww-ing at every page that had peanut in it <3

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Update: September 25, 2018
this looks so cute!! I'm excited to get it started

[Long review incoming]

*Thank you to the publisher -Wednesday Books- and the author -Dustin Thao- for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

You’ve Reached Sam is basically about the question “what if you get a chance to talk to someone who has already passed?”.

Like a lot of other reviewers, I'm sad to say that I was also disappointed as it didn’t really live up to my expectations of a mystical and, though heart-breaking, still a fulfilling read. It made me wish that they didn’t compare it to Kimi no Nawa because I think it ended up hurting this book more. I did still enjoy it for what it was but I found myself waiting for that drop of awe that never happened.

First things first, I’ve been seeing some reviewers label this as Ownvoices when it isn’t (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just mislabeled). If I’m analyzing it correctly, Obayashi (Sam’s last name) is a Japanese name, even their other friend Yuki sounds Japanese and the author is Vietnamese. Based on other aspects of the story (cherry blossoms, anime, lanterns, the fact that he visited his grandparents in Japan, etc.) it was obvious to me that the author wanted to point out the Japanese inspirations in the story. Let’s not equate Ownvoices as something that a book needs to be in order to be considered good nor should it be used just because both the author and the character is Asian.

with that out of the way…

The best part about this book is Julie’s character arcs over losing and moving on from her first love. In my opinion, it was one of the best written character storylines (in terms of progression and what was tackled) revolving around grief that I have read in a while. With that said, it’s definitely a heavy read, especially in the beginning and you really feel the anguish and frustration that Julie is going through. My emotions were in sync with Julie’s, in a way.

But I was immensely disappointed by the Your Name/Kimi no Nawa comp because the only thing they had in common was that they both have a magical realism aspect (that wasn’t even similar in their mechanisms). Which is not enough, in my opinion, to say that this book is reminiscent of Your Name. I loved Your Name for the intensity and mystery of the fantasy that was given a *gasping-out-loud-while-crying-your-eyes-out* explanation by the end and the journey that we were on from BOTH characters' perspectives, which we didn’t really get here.

“If the ending is this painful, I don’t know if this was worth it all.”

The romance in Your Name was effective in that we were able to slowly watch the connection build up between the characters before the heart-wrenching part happens (if you watched it, you know what i mean). Here it was kind of done the other way around and while I think the premise was really promising and interesting, I had a hard time feeling a connection to Sam and Julie like I did with the main characters in it’s anime comp.

Don’t get me wrong, I did end up crying in two distinct parts so I’m not saying that this made me feel like I had a heart of stone. It’s definitely still capable of bringing out feelings of sadness but maybe not enough. You know it's sad but you move on very easily from it like "yeah that was sad" and read on. Which I feel like should not be the goal? xD

There were more than a few parts that annoyed me. Given this is young adult, the immature scenarios and personalities are slightly understandable but i don’t think the “mean kids” and other “mean people” were flushed out or written very well. It honestly felt like they were just there to provide additional conflict when I think the book could have done without them or if their personalities were more subtle/nuanced/implied. It felt very “in your face” and I didn’t enjoy that. Especially since I don’t think that part of the plot was given proper closure either. There were certain plot decisions that i wasn’t happy about because they felt like cop outs. It added an aspect that did not match the atmosphere I was hoping for.

I did really love the development of Julie's friendship with the other characters. It was heart-warming to watch. Though I think too much was going on and a storyline such as this would have benefitted with less issues but were delved into more deeply.

The main problem that I feel like this book had was that the conflict was coming from too many different areas that the story had a hard time pulling that together at the end. I’m going to once again bring up Your Name since it’s everywhere in the promotion of this book and it’s hard not to compare it when they do that… but in that movie the characters are mostly fighting against this natural phenomenon and that’s really where the main conflict was. And although multiple conflicts isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, it needs to form a cohesive storyline that comes full circle in the end…. which was what Your Name was able to do successfully but this particular plot failed to see through, in my opinion.

Additionally, part of what made Kimi no Nawa so heartfelt is how unflinchingly set it was in Japanese culture. From the fantastical aspect, to behavioral patterns, setting, and character dynamics. It was easy to see the details and thought put into it that it added another layer of realism to the story. Which was another aspect that this book lacked since the most we got was Sam going to Japan a few times, mention of cherry blossoms, an Asian Film Club, and some lanterns… all of which didn’t really play that big of a part in the plot though it did somewhat do things for character development.

“Now I can’t wait to move on and make new memories with you. Just don’t forget the ones we made here.”

I’m being nitpicky here but I just naturally become one when I’m sent ARCs. There was a line that implied that songs about love weren’t good and it was never directly taken back by the character who said it even though it was sort of implied in a separate scene. Based on the message of the story, I don’t think that’s what the author meant to do but I hope they fix that in edits. I don’t know if I’m just a little more sensitive to the musical aspect because I’m a musician but that just left a bad taste in my mouth.

In a writing style standpoint, this had the magical realism aspect that Your Name has but as a reader, it lacked the connection and heart-fulfilling moments that I feel every time I watch Kimi no Nawa.

↣ Again, this is a heavy book that brings that mood with it a big part of the way through. So I suggest not reading this until you are in the mood for something more heavy-hearted and slow-paced. I do think this is the kind of book that can affect someone’s life if read at the right time and in the right circumstances. Just please stop comparing it to Your Name, I don't think they are anything alike. ↢

— 2.5 —
⇢ content warnings// Grief, Death, Physical Harassment


⤜ pre-read review ⤛

update: ARC has been secured

“We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while.

FORMAT READ: Audiobook (Recommended)
SIMILAR VIBES: Good Omens
READ FOR: thought-provoking story (think like: Scythe)
READING LEVEL: Level 3-5 out of 5

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OVERALL THOUGHTS: 4/5

This reminded me of a black mirror episode.

PLOT: ★★★★★
It was a wild ride but I was there for it. There are also some things that I would like to leave to your own discovery so I'm not discussing this part :')

WRITING STYLE: ★★★★☆(4.5)
It took some getting used to though I ended up really loving and appreciating it in the end. Ray Bradbury has a very unique style and voice when writing that it resonated so well into the story <3

WORLD BUILDING: ★★★★☆
This is the last section that I wrote for this review and I have nothing else to say without spoiling all of the important parts. I really hope this is a book that does it for you because even though I just read this, I already consider it as a classic (even before I found out when it was published). It was a fun and meaningful time so if you have any other book recommendations like this one and Scythe... please do not hesitate to recommend them to me :)))

CHARACTERS: ★★★★☆
Montag was by far one of the most interesting protagonists out there. He goes through so much and I was feeling for him every step of his journey.

I just wanted to give him a hug by the end of the book.

THEMES: ★★★★★
I have no idea where to start.

There were so many things talked about in this book from ideas on politics to business to how controversies happen. It talks about who we are to decide what should be known. It is about knowledge. AND WOW. This is practically the mother book of Scythe.

There is so much more to this book but I want to leave it to you to read. Just know that it was done so well XD it didn't seem like a book that was written decades ago and comes to show how relevant the topics that are discussed still are in the contemporary world.


PAGE TURNER: ★★★★☆(3.5)
If I’m going to be honest, there were some parts that dragged a bit but like I said, it all plays out well in the end but this book did take me some time to get through for such a short book. I do have to say that it is worth every second of your time <3

“We're going to meet a lot of lonely people in the next week and the next month and the next year. And when they ask us what we're doing, you can say, We're remembering.”

“There was once an invisible man who had grown tired of being unseen. It was not that he was actually invisible. It was that people had become used to not seeing him.

And if no one sees you, are you really there at all?"

This is a book that deserves all the praise it gets and so much more. I remember finishing it within 8 hours IN SCHOOL. Every free time I had that day you will find me reading this.

This is such a unique book with a unique writing style and plot. I never wanted this book to end and I this is one of those books you could read to little kids but also something teens and adult will definitely enjoy as well. I was very much not disappointed when I read this and I wish I could forget I ever read it so that I can enjoy it for the first time again.

This book took me by a landslide.


For every kind of reader, because this is not a book for readers but for human beings.

This serves as my review for the whole Attack on Titan series

This is one of my favourite animes and series of all time. It's also one of the highly acclaimed anime series ever so if you don't even know about Attack on Titan at this point... you are missing out. I'm updated with the manga since it's still ongoing but it is going to be ending very soon. I do think you should watch the series first before reading the manga :)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!! Especially if you are into fantasy with high paced action sequences, surprising twists, and mystery.

plot→ It's basically set in this world wherein the last of the human race are forced to live behind this circular walled city called Paradis because titans who devour humans suddenly started appearing on Earth. The story begins when, after 300 years I think... or is it 30??, a titan suddenly breaks into the walled city. The story revolves around Eren (and friends) who has always dreamed of being part of the Survey Corps as they were previously regarded as the heroes of the city. However, they have since been looked down on by the residents because their expeditions outside the walls in the past years have always resulted in mass slaughter.

There are 3 branches in the city's military body: the Survey Corps, the Garrison, and the Military Police Brigade. Survey Corps go outside the wall to scout areas for expansion and most of the skilled ODM (this is the gear that they use to kill the titans) users are in this branch since they fight the titans most frequently. Garrison patrol the walls of the city and are in charge of protecting the walls from titan invasions. Military Police Brigade stay in the innermost city to protect the royal family and whoever else is rich and powerful enough to live there. There is also a side branch that takes care of the new recruits and trains them before they are placed in the actual military body.

I didn't know this had a military thing going on and to be honest it's one of favourite sub themes in fantasy so that was a pleasant for me.

One of the interesting sociopolitical points in this series is that the city itself is subdivided into 3 walls: Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. The poorest in the city are forced to live on the outermost wall since they are the ones that titans would most likely get to first in case the city is breached. The richest are in Wall Sina like the royal family. This raised a lot of points to think about especially when the wall gets breached and they need to move towards the inner parts of the city.

I'm not going to go too much else in depth because it is partly a mystery series but one of the main things that made this series standout to me is the looming idea that they don't really know who the enemy is. Honestly, this series raises a lot of political issues and discussions that I like to talk about with other people who have also read/watched it. Another aspect that I like here, is what is really considered good or bad, if there even is such a thing in a person's motives. You'll see this more on the later sides of the series because the first part is more on action scenes and build up since it's meant to pull you into the world. But the later arcs just add up to it and make it seriously one of the most phenomenal stories I have come across.

If you haven't realized: I love this series TO DEATHHH.

I consider this a must watch and must read for basically everyone who just wants a good story with characters that you won't get tired of. I also just want you guys to meet my man Levi basically hehe <3 I'm kidding but seriously... this series has one of the best plots and storytellings especially it's lore side. I was gasping at every plot twist and this is coming from a person who usually ends up guessing what happens in the plot.


This is Levi btw^^ *heart eyes*

WARNING: the manga is definitely on the gory side but the anime not much so (but still intense). it didn't really bother me though but you have been warned,