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themoonwholistens's Reviews (698)
// I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. //
"Smiling, they fell back to Earth"
The writing style kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading it. I love this writing style and these are the kind of writing styles that really gets the readers attention and keeps them intrigued the whole time.
I loved the idea, theme and moral of the book. The island and all the things it could mean for different people. The island could be something like a cage for some people with a piece of land surrounded by vast waters. . .but to others, they see it as a challenge or just another thing they have to cross and in fact, they enjoy it.
The characters!! Edgar and Shay are pretty cute here. Flounder is just a baby to me. And the characters in general were written out well.
I also liked how the family concept is added here and how it was interpreted by the story.
The story is very unique and creative. The characters made me want to protect them and carry them with me forever, they were very realistic and believable. The execution of this book was good. I really can't even think of what I didn't like about this book. If there is, it probably is very minimal and everything good definitely outweighs the bad.
Full Review: [coming soon]
This was a very good first novel for Ferris Gibbs. It was wonderful.
"Smiling, they fell back to Earth"
The writing style kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading it. I love this writing style and these are the kind of writing styles that really gets the readers attention and keeps them intrigued the whole time.
I loved the idea, theme and moral of the book. The island and all the things it could mean for different people. The island could be something like a cage for some people with a piece of land surrounded by vast waters. . .but to others, they see it as a challenge or just another thing they have to cross and in fact, they enjoy it.
The characters!! Edgar and Shay are pretty cute here. Flounder is just a baby to me. And the characters in general were written out well.
I also liked how the family concept is added here and how it was interpreted by the story.
The story is very unique and creative. The characters made me want to protect them and carry them with me forever, they were very realistic and believable. The execution of this book was good. I really can't even think of what I didn't like about this book. If there is, it probably is very minimal and everything good definitely outweighs the bad.
Full Review: [coming soon]
This was a very good first novel for Ferris Gibbs. It was wonderful.
*Thank you to the publisher -Inkyard Press- for sending me an ARC for their Winter 2021 blog tours. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
✧ you can read an excerpt of this book on my blog ✧
To be honest, I am not much of a contemporary reader but when I am in the mood, this is the writing style that my brain mechanisms thrive in. It’s an understatement to say that I was touched.
I love that it was told in multiple perspectives with timelines switching before, during, and after the looming arrest that served as the catalyst for the plot. It created layers to the story and did a lot to build the relationships between the characters.
I am completely soft for stories centered around a family/community and this book about sisters, written by sisters, encapsulates all the emotions that I wanted it to bring.
— overall thoughts: 4.5 —
⇢ trigger warnings//
An equally strong plot and character driven story that will get you lost in the writing.
If I were to describe the story telling style, I would say it’s closest to Daisy Jones & The Six wherein you go through the process of piecing together the details of the story as the narration goes on. Clearly, I have a type since I have read Daisy Jones four times now. I just find that kind of writing style to be highly thought provoking as a reader. With the fact that it managed to turn a usually-contemporary-plot into a mystery/thriller… I stan.
Truthfully, my favorite aspect of it boils down to the fact that you see the way everything builds up to the twist in the end. Then when it drops, you’re left wondering why you didn’t see it from the very beginning.
PLEASE. Do you see this writing?? T_T
There were discussions on teen activism and exploration on socio-political themes embedded all throughout the plot of the story… while still being a, well, thrilling thriller that is borderline coming-of-age. And really, I am always enamored by well-written sibling/family dynamics.
There are times when I find characters in YA contemporary novels to be unbelievable because of how they interact with people their age… but this was not that. It’s so cleverly written and executed while still being relatable to young adults of this generation. You’re given the chance to be able to get attached to each of the sisters between everything that is going on (including side characters wink wink).
This was truly a timely book when I read this with what went down in the US. It's truly disheartening to see how differently you can be treated simply based on your skin color and this book explores all of that.
↣ Fast-paced, exciting, and emotional mystery/thriller with characters that feel like you’ve known them forever. ↢
This might turn into one of my most recommended books.
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12/02/20: I have decided to make this the first book I'm going to read for 2021 to celebrate me getting an ARC for one of my most anticipated releases of the next year.
------------------
UPDATE: I GOT AN ARC!! :D
------------------
9/25/20: fingers crossed that my favorite people from inkyard press pull through for the arc of this one or i might get broken hearted
chat with me on ⤳ instagram
✧ you can read an excerpt of this book on my blog ✧
To be honest, I am not much of a contemporary reader but when I am in the mood, this is the writing style that my brain mechanisms thrive in. It’s an understatement to say that I was touched.
I love that it was told in multiple perspectives with timelines switching before, during, and after the looming arrest that served as the catalyst for the plot. It created layers to the story and did a lot to build the relationships between the characters.
I am completely soft for stories centered around a family/community and this book about sisters, written by sisters, encapsulates all the emotions that I wanted it to bring.
— overall thoughts: 4.5 —
⇢ trigger warnings//
Spoiler
Death, Drugging, Fire, Grief, Homophobia (religious), Lynching descriptions, Police brutality, RacismAn equally strong plot and character driven story that will get you lost in the writing.
If I were to describe the story telling style, I would say it’s closest to Daisy Jones & The Six wherein you go through the process of piecing together the details of the story as the narration goes on. Clearly, I have a type since I have read Daisy Jones four times now. I just find that kind of writing style to be highly thought provoking as a reader. With the fact that it managed to turn a usually-contemporary-plot into a mystery/thriller… I stan.
Truthfully, my favorite aspect of it boils down to the fact that you see the way everything builds up to the twist in the end. Then when it drops, you’re left wondering why you didn’t see it from the very beginning.
“But as I sit here and contemplate all of these things I know as confidently as my own name, I realize you probably have no idea why I want to pursue this degree in the first place. Well, it’s because I’ll be able to dig into our stories. I can do my part to help pull together the threads of our past to form a better view of our historical tapestry.”
PLEASE. Do you see this writing?? T_T
There were discussions on teen activism and exploration on socio-political themes embedded all throughout the plot of the story… while still being a, well, thrilling thriller that is borderline coming-of-age. And really, I am always enamored by well-written sibling/family dynamics.
There are times when I find characters in YA contemporary novels to be unbelievable because of how they interact with people their age… but this was not that. It’s so cleverly written and executed while still being relatable to young adults of this generation. You’re given the chance to be able to get attached to each of the sisters between everything that is going on (including side characters wink wink).
This was truly a timely book when I read this with what went down in the US. It's truly disheartening to see how differently you can be treated simply based on your skin color and this book explores all of that.
↣ Fast-paced, exciting, and emotional mystery/thriller with characters that feel like you’ve known them forever. ↢
This might turn into one of my most recommended books.
------------------
12/02/20: I have decided to make this the first book I'm going to read for 2021 to celebrate me getting an ARC for one of my most anticipated releases of the next year.
------------------
UPDATE: I GOT AN ARC!! :D
------------------
9/25/20: fingers crossed that my favorite people from inkyard press pull through for the arc of this one or i might get broken hearted
chat with me on ⤳ instagram
This was such an emotional story and it’s evident how close each of these stories are to the the authors that wrote them. And it translates to me, as a reader, ten-fold.
⇢ trigger warnings//
One of the authors is a Filipino actually based in Manila, if I’m not mistaken, and I cannot express how happy that made me. Criselda Yabes wrote “Fron Sulu, a Farewell to Dad” and I might have teared up because of how close to home it hit me. Even though it wasn’t written in Tagalog there was something about the writing that felt familiar even though I have never read from this author before. It might have also been the mention of places that I grew up visiting that made the story feel close to my heart.
There were too many relatable stories and this is one of the non-fiction books I’ve read that contained a lot of stories that personally stuck. Even then, as what is normal for a short story collection, not all of the stories were for me but the number of stories that I resonated with trumps the ones that I felt like other people could relate to more.
I was surprised at the difference of backgrounsd the authors came from. Some were photographers, playwrights, poets, full-time writers, bloggers, etc. that came from parts of SEA and Euro-America. I think the authors were able to successfully convey their experiences in an enjoyable way for the readers to process. I would love to see more fully local SEA Muslim authors if they ever do another compilation similar to this however.
There were a lot of discussions brought up about the Muslim culture and how their history has shaped our present, especially how these all related. It took me some time to read, decipher, and process everything just because it’s not a culture that I’m particularly familiar with. Nevertheless, I learned a lot and I’m really happy I read this.
I’m glad I read this even though it was outside of my comfort zone, I always like learning more about other South East Asian cultures.
*Thank you to Frankie @ Penguin SEA for sending me a copy to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
⇢ trigger warnings//
Spoiler
suicide (mentioned and discussed), death of a loved one, child death, war,One of the authors is a Filipino actually based in Manila, if I’m not mistaken, and I cannot express how happy that made me. Criselda Yabes wrote “Fron Sulu, a Farewell to Dad” and I might have teared up because of how close to home it hit me. Even though it wasn’t written in Tagalog there was something about the writing that felt familiar even though I have never read from this author before. It might have also been the mention of places that I grew up visiting that made the story feel close to my heart.
There were too many relatable stories and this is one of the non-fiction books I’ve read that contained a lot of stories that personally stuck. Even then, as what is normal for a short story collection, not all of the stories were for me but the number of stories that I resonated with trumps the ones that I felt like other people could relate to more.
I was surprised at the difference of backgrounsd the authors came from. Some were photographers, playwrights, poets, full-time writers, bloggers, etc. that came from parts of SEA and Euro-America. I think the authors were able to successfully convey their experiences in an enjoyable way for the readers to process. I would love to see more fully local SEA Muslim authors if they ever do another compilation similar to this however.
There were a lot of discussions brought up about the Muslim culture and how their history has shaped our present, especially how these all related. It took me some time to read, decipher, and process everything just because it’s not a culture that I’m particularly familiar with. Nevertheless, I learned a lot and I’m really happy I read this.
I’m glad I read this even though it was outside of my comfort zone, I always like learning more about other South East Asian cultures.
*Thank you to Frankie @ Penguin SEA for sending me a copy to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
*I received an ARC of this book for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
I adored this ❤︎ there were issues that were pointed out in such a short story that is relevant until today even though the original novel was published some 4 years ago.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SO GORGEOUS; it did a lot to convery Juliet’s emotions, the pallette is used well and so my style, translates the comic relief
tw// homophobia, fatphobia, cultural appropriation, white apologist
— overall thoughts: 3.75 —
To point out some of points that were tackled so bravely:
✧ it talks about the conflicts that could arise after coming out to your family and does it well
✧ pointing out the actual realities of issues like homophobia in families like Juliets
✧ cultural appropriation in a white dominated society
✧ “it’s just a phase”
At the heart, it is a coming of age story that showed the realities of how hard it can be for families to accept but also that not perhaps not everyone will be like that and there will be some people who will love you no matter what. Together with all the insecurities come at that age.
I loved the character dynamics and being able to see plainly see the cultural appropriation in certain parts irked me, but that was the point. But Harlowe… oh boy. But that also goes to show just how entitled some white folks can be with topics like racism and the fact that it was pointed out so blatantly has me applauding.
I’m really glad they came out with this graphic novel because I might not have been able to get around to reading the novel, and it might be the same with other people. This, I feel, makes it more accessible to a lot more people which is important for such an important story.
There really is no excuse to be ignorant at this point with all the stories just like Juliet Takes a Breath that are being published.
This was a well done story on every level. It did feel like everything was moving too fast, I guess that comes with the graphic novel format.
↣ This was a nice breather and a surely important story to thousands of people. I wish this was more hyped but maybe I just missed said hype. ↢
instagram | blog | ko-fi | booksirens
“I love you like the seas love the moon. Whatever you are, whoever you love. I’m here.”
I adored this ❤︎ there were issues that were pointed out in such a short story that is relevant until today even though the original novel was published some 4 years ago.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SO GORGEOUS; it did a lot to convery Juliet’s emotions, the pallette is used well and so my style, translates the comic relief
tw// homophobia, fatphobia, cultural appropriation, white apologist
— overall thoughts: 3.75 —
To point out some of points that were tackled so bravely:
✧ it talks about the conflicts that could arise after coming out to your family and does it well
✧ pointing out the actual realities of issues like homophobia in families like Juliets
✧ cultural appropriation in a white dominated society
✧ “it’s just a phase”
At the heart, it is a coming of age story that showed the realities of how hard it can be for families to accept but also that not perhaps not everyone will be like that and there will be some people who will love you no matter what. Together with all the insecurities come at that age.
“They didn’t even know me and it was like they loved me.”
I loved the character dynamics and being able to see plainly see the cultural appropriation in certain parts irked me, but that was the point. But Harlowe… oh boy.
Spoiler
Using Juliet as “proof” that she wasn’t being an ally was so out of line to an infinite degree.I’m really glad they came out with this graphic novel because I might not have been able to get around to reading the novel, and it might be the same with other people. This, I feel, makes it more accessible to a lot more people which is important for such an important story.
There really is no excuse to be ignorant at this point with all the stories just like Juliet Takes a Breath that are being published.
This was a well done story on every level. It did feel like everything was moving too fast, I guess that comes with the graphic novel format.
↣ This was a nice breather and a surely important story to thousands of people. I wish this was more hyped but maybe I just missed said hype. ↢
“If you don’t have a hum, just a breathe.”
instagram | blog | ko-fi | booksirens
♡ this review is featured on audiobook empire ♡
Augie + Isaac = my favorite kind of friendship
The Tribulations of August Barton is a coming of age novel that has both quirky and relatable characters. I found myself laughing in more parts than one.
— overall thoughts: 4.5 —
The entire cast of characters were fantastic and I fell in love with each one of them. Except maybe Rose, she was not exactly my favorite love interest and I wasn’t able to relate to her character that much. I do like the fact that the plot also focused on other characters aside from August like his grandma and relatives. The character interactions might have been one of my favorite scenes!
Surprisingly, the jokes hit me at all the right points which I did not expect. The writing style was great and fit the tone that the book was aiming for very well.
It was fascinating to watch August’s subtle character development, especially within the limited pages of a novella. Although, I found the representation of Augie’s anxiety to be a little bit too stereotypical and over the top. However, being inside Augie’s head was still extremely relatable and there were parts that even I saw myself in him. There were some scenes that didn’t seem realistic but given that the book is a humor contemporary I am assuming that it has something to do with that.
There were timeline skips that went a little bit over my head but it was easy to catch up to what was going on.
I absolutely love that song that Augie sang at one point. It sounded so authentic and fit the mood, the narrator did a splendid job. James Oliva’s voice is exactly what I would imagine August’s voice to sound like in real life so that was great. The sound effects were spot on. It helped me feel more submersed into the story. Even though it was a novella, the ending still left me fulfilled and it was a great experience.
The pacing was just right for a contemporary but I never found myself getting bored. Which has been happening to me a lot recently but I am glad to say that The Tribulations of August Barton managed not to get myself yawning.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short and light coming of age novel that doesn’t shy away from saying what needs to be said. I might just check out the rest of the August Barton series now!
*I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobook Empire. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.*
⟹ INSTAGRAM | BLOG | KO-FI | BOOKSIRENS ⟸
”The future shortly became the past, and one could never predict how things would turn out. What was important was the current moment—this moment, right now,”
Augie + Isaac = my favorite kind of friendship
The Tribulations of August Barton is a coming of age novel that has both quirky and relatable characters. I found myself laughing in more parts than one.
— overall thoughts: 4.5 —
The entire cast of characters were fantastic and I fell in love with each one of them. Except maybe Rose, she was not exactly my favorite love interest and I wasn’t able to relate to her character that much. I do like the fact that the plot also focused on other characters aside from August like his grandma and relatives. The character interactions might have been one of my favorite scenes!
Surprisingly, the jokes hit me at all the right points which I did not expect. The writing style was great and fit the tone that the book was aiming for very well.
It was fascinating to watch August’s subtle character development, especially within the limited pages of a novella. Although, I found the representation of Augie’s anxiety to be a little bit too stereotypical and over the top. However, being inside Augie’s head was still extremely relatable and there were parts that even I saw myself in him. There were some scenes that didn’t seem realistic but given that the book is a humor contemporary I am assuming that it has something to do with that.
There were timeline skips that went a little bit over my head but it was easy to catch up to what was going on.
I absolutely love that song that Augie sang at one point. It sounded so authentic and fit the mood, the narrator did a splendid job. James Oliva’s voice is exactly what I would imagine August’s voice to sound like in real life so that was great. The sound effects were spot on. It helped me feel more submersed into the story. Even though it was a novella, the ending still left me fulfilled and it was a great experience.
The pacing was just right for a contemporary but I never found myself getting bored. Which has been happening to me a lot recently but I am glad to say that The Tribulations of August Barton managed not to get myself yawning.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short and light coming of age novel that doesn’t shy away from saying what needs to be said. I might just check out the rest of the August Barton series now!
*I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobook Empire. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.*
⟹ INSTAGRAM | BLOG | KO-FI | BOOKSIRENS ⟸
“Never been one for worse-case scenarios... when they happen, you cope.
And usually it’s the ones you never think of that get you so... why worry?”
FORMAT READ: Audiobook (Recommended)
SIMILAR VIBES: What If It’s Us, I'll Give You the Sun
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless stated otherwise*
— overall thoughts: 4.5 —
The plot reminds me of that movie with Jude Law and Cameron Diaz, “The Holiday” but make it a grandma and her granddaughter. Even the "city girl" and "country girl" aspect of The Switch is there.
However, it's actually not exactly a romance if that's what you're thinking. It's more about how to move on and just enjoy life for what it is. I know that's a broad idea but just trust me that it isn't focused on the romance aspect. It actually tackles some serious topics without making it heavy on the readers which made me that more interested. (I'm still whipped for Jackson though.)
I listened to the the audiobook for this one and the narrating voice for Eileen and Leena are separate people that sound exactly like how I would imagine them. special note: they’re british? I liked their accents is what I’m trying to say, I had a good listening experience.
— plot — ★★★☆☆
It still has that wholesome content and endearing quality that everyone needs a touch of right now. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would??
— writing style — ★★★★★
For a stereotypical plot, I was enjoying myself a lot HAHA it was just so easy to get through and I felt like my grandma and my sister was reading this to me (which is kind of ironic because leena's sister... you'd know if you read this)
— characters — ★★★★★
I went into this expecting the charming and lovable characters… and I wasn’t disappointed!! The plot doesn't go crazy but the characters were so fleshed out that it felt like they were my own grandma, my neighbors, friends, and all that.
Eileen (the grandma) has such a pure and dreamy (but still realistic) outlook on dating that I wish I had sometimes. While Leena... it was just so fun to watch her figure out how to navigate her grandma's life and learn how to just be in the moment. They were both so relatable in different ways... and I JUST WANT TO WRAP THE WHOLE CAST IN A BLANKET AND PROTECT THEM FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD!! (except ethan he can leave)
— themes — ★★★★☆
Underlying themes of letting other people in to your life and placing yourself in their shoes was actually really well put out. I was surprised at the balanced themes without making it too heavy or too light.
— page turner — ★★★★☆
To be honest, there wasn't any part that I could say I got bored of. I seriously wanted to figure out how Leena was gonna survive in her grandma's life and how Eileen was gonna take on her "london adventure".
I would see this book being picked up by people who would want a pleasant and wholesome (for the most part) story. And I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for one of those feel-good (albeit a bit stereotypical) stories to take a break from those wild fantasy rollercoasters, just like I did.
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
⟹ INSTAGRAM | BLOG | KO-FI | BOOKSIRENS ⟸
“you will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of”
— overall thoughts: 4.0 —
An accessible self-help book that anyone can benefit from
That was honestly one of the best thing's I've ever read. I just need to say that my notes for this review is 4 screens of my phone long but I'm still not sure if I'll be able to string the right words together to make a comprehensive review without outright ranting. There are just too many messages placed in this crash course of a book, but I guess that's what made it amazing for me. Anyway :) ....
the overall message of this book is basically to place your attention on the most true, immediate and important parts of your life.... and something about that just made me feel like a happy little tree
// I received an advance readers edition in exchange for an honest review //
"Always question things.
Learn about the planet.
Get out and travel.
Go on crazy adventures.
Don't be afraid to fall in love.
Never hold back.
Make your dreams come true."
The writing style of this book was actually pretty good if you ask me. It isn't boring.
But the plot was just not unique enough for me and not enough characters for me to exactly be head over heels for it.
Though, I did love the few characters I was given when I was reading this book. The female MC did annoy me in a way though hehe. The character development was really really good.
Adam and Camille here were just so adorable. MY HEART !!! *fangirls* *screams* *rolls on the floor*
*sigh*
Their relationship was just so cute and adorable even though I found it so dramatic and corny at times. I was turned into complete trash by these two. Peace.
The theme and the mood is another thing I really liked since it really made the book feel a tad n=bit more different than to other books in a way that you won't be able to explain.
I think the word "refreshing" is the best way to describe this book.
"Always question things.
Learn about the planet.
Get out and travel.
Go on crazy adventures.
Don't be afraid to fall in love.
Never hold back.
Make your dreams come true."
The writing style of this book was actually pretty good if you ask me. It isn't boring.
But the plot was just not unique enough for me and not enough characters for me to exactly be head over heels for it.
Though, I did love the few characters I was given when I was reading this book. The female MC did annoy me in a way though hehe. The character development was really really good.
Adam and Camille here were just so adorable. MY HEART !!! *fangirls* *screams* *rolls on the floor*
*sigh*
Their relationship was just so cute and adorable even though I found it so dramatic and corny at times. I was turned into complete trash by these two. Peace.
The theme and the mood is another thing I really liked since it really made the book feel a tad n=bit more different than to other books in a way that you won't be able to explain.
I think the word "refreshing" is the best way to describe this book.
