Channi
None Of This Is True was such a rollercoaster! This went from a 5 star read to a 2 star read then back up within the last 25%. Ultimately, it veers too close to pedo apologetics and that dampened my reading experience. However, the suspense and tension-building are great. I recommend the audiobook for this novel.
It pains me how little I liked this novel. While I enjoy Christina and Lauren's writing style and am not opposed to reading more of their books, The Unhoneymooners is one of the least romantic romances I've ever read. Most of the blame falls on how every single main character is kind of the worst. This felt like watching an episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia where The Gang Gets In A RomCom.
Abby Jimenez is such a good writer, and you can really tell she writes from experiences. I personally found Jacob to be painfully relatable, and I was very happy to read him and Bri's story.
Some of this book is a little messy, but I still felt so hard for these characters and was happy to follow along as they reached their HEA.
Everything about The Secret History is nuanced, but nothing more nuanced than the way this book made me feel. The first 200 pages are overwhelmingly boring that I almost dnf'd, the rest is certainly compelling, though often uncomfortable. Everybody is so unlikable, but nobody more than Richard: a walking embodiment of sexism and internalized homophobia, choosing his own isolation and knowingly deciding that the only who he would dare relate to are the most pretentious people he could find.
I understand a lot of this was the point and acknowledge that The Secret History is a blueprint for many novels, but I find some dark academia has explored the same themes in a way that I personally found more nuanced and interesting.
Mad Honey is so well-written and complex, giving the reader so much to focus on and leaving them with so much to consider. The story itself is compelling, and the two main characters are very well-defined. There's a lot of aspects that don't make for an easy read— the language can be dense and the subject matter is often heavy. However, I'm glad this was my first read of the year.
Solnit is a wordsmith with a gift for exploring roses, politics, climate change, beauty, truth, and George Orwell in a way that overlaps and merits a lot of reflection from the reader. I nearly gave this book a 5-star rating for the section “Retreats and Attacks”, which I will carry with me for the rest of my days. However, sometimes I felt Solnit might've jumped around a little too much. Overall, I loved this book and I hope other readers love it as much as I did.
“Behind The Beautiful Forevers” is a hard read that I definitely won't want to revisit. That being said, I have no doubt that this book will stay in my mind. Through the lives of several slumdwellers in Annawadi, India, Katherine Boo explores themes of corruption vs hope and questions what the capability is for those in positions of poverty to escape.
“Daisy Jones & The Six” is a book drenched in nostalgia, even though the events that are being discussed are completely fictionalized. This story follows the rise and fall of a band that I imagined as “Fleetwood Mac meets Florence and The Machines”. The tale, which focuses heavily on the band's two leaders Daisy and Billy, is written in an interview format, which allows for many perspectives on similar events. The multiple perspectives really helped to create layers to this band, and made it easy to empathize with characters who might otherwise be unlikable.
The issues I had with Daisy & The Six are far and few between. Mostly, this book isn't at 5 stars because it didn't capture me in the way a lot of my favorites have. But I would be lying if I didn't say that my reading experience was enjoyable and emotional. I definitely recommend giving “Daisy Jones & The Six” a read!
“I'm Glad My Mom Died” is impactful in many ways. There are parts of this book that made me cry for her. There are parts that caused a lot of reflection for me as both an individual and as a mother.
The way McCurdy writes is in present tense, and the style is similar to journaling. I thought this style was very well-done. Understanding McCurdy's thought processes from the perspective of her at that present moment make it easy to empathize with her experiences.
I've seen a lot of reviews say that this book is funny and a lot of other people say that it is insensitive to call the book funny. I think McCurdy is pretty funny, and while her lived experiences are not funny, her sense of humor is very present in her writing. This is an important aspect of “I'm Glad My Mom Died” because McCurdy's humor helps to balance out the heaviness of the subject matter without ever coming off as inappropriate.
I would recommend this read to anybody, so long as they are comfortable reading about the possible triggers which McCurdy discusses. Possible triggers discussed include: disordered eating, emotional abuse, exploitation, and addiction.
4.5/5 ⭐️s, rounded up.
Talk about a glow up. A Court Of Mist & Fury is not a perfect book, but it might just be a perfect sequel. Sarah J. Maas does a great job of expanding the lore, plot, and universe; creating a compelling reason to revisit these characters; introducing new characters who enhance this book and; generally keeping a reader's interest. Themes about trauma, abuse, and liberation are consistent throughout Maas' sequel. Feyre is still not my favorite protagonist by any means, but the events of the last book made a lot of her whining feel more warranted. The flaws I see with ACOMAF are easily forgivable when everything else in the book is so good.
As for those flaws: I can't give this book a full five stars because there are instances where the author decides to show instead of tell. For instance, we get a chapter where one character tells the story of everything that has happened so far from their perspective, which felt redundant and annoying.There are also certain conflicts that feel like artificial concoctions. I blame Maas' editor for not making her cut those chapters out.
However, if you enjoyed the first book even a little, then the second book will blow you away.