Madalina Mesrefoglu
I was heartbroken by this book. Towards the end, I started crying so much because of the horrific reality of what had happened. The world is fully aware of the Holocaust and the actions of the Germans during World War II, but hardly anyone talks about the Japanese. It was only after reading this book that I realized that even with all of the war literature I have read, I still do not know the whole truth about what went on during that time.
4.75/5 stars
This book was just as incredible as the first one. I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the fact that it started off slow until I was able to reconnect with the world and characters. I loved the setting, the relationships that were formed, and the characters in Nevernight, so I thought that the events that followed would not be as fun. However, Jay Kristoff did not let me down. As intriguing and mind-blowing as the first book, this one had a lot of plot twists, a cast of new and old characters, and the same captivating and smart lyrical prose. This series is so good, I cannot wait to finish it. Actually, I can; I want to enjoy every second of it.
5/5 stars
I started reading this book because one of the YouTubers I watch was reading it aloud for a book club, but I was not able to finish it in time for the livestream. Still, it was a fun and enjoyable read. The book itself felt a little bit too long, and the story's first half was more engaging than its middle, where not much was actually happening. But the story really grabbed me in the last few pages, and I found myself devouring the story. I cannot wait to see where the story goes in the next books in the series.
4/5 stars
The main reason I picked this up to read was because Nora goes off script, but it turned out that it was better than this. I thought I would find a new favorite author, but now I'm conflicted. A few weeks later, I can say that I had to read the description again to remind myself of the plot. The fact that she was engaged to someone else but was still in love with her childhood sweetheart really bothered me. It did not seem fair to her future spouse, and it caused my enjoyment of the characters' interactions to decrease.
3/5 stars
I almost finished this book in a single day because of how quickly and easily it was to read. I truly enjoyed the writing in this book. The feelings and thoughts of the main character felt so real, and I could easily relate to them. I also liked the brief glimpses we got of Charlie and Nick as well as the backstory of Charlie's relationship with his sister.
I really love this universe, and I will definitely keep on reading every book written by Alice Oseman.
4/5 stars
Despite my excitement to read this, it fell flat for me.
I did not enjoy the fantasy element of this book because, when I started reading it, I was expecting more of a reflection on childhood experiences. Instead, I was given a retelling of fantastical stories that sounded like they were made up by a child. After a while, I stopped questioning the logic of it all and how everything seemed to happen at the perfect time. Though at times I thought the book should have been shorter, it left me wanting more. The plot was a little boring, and I did not connect with the characters at all.
3.25/5 stars
Though it was written over 45 years ago, this is a great self-help book that is still relevant today. This book shows how to use constructive and positive self-talk to combat negative and self-deprecating thoughts. I like that it gives a lot of examples of “what to say to yourself” in different situations. For a nonfiction book, I read it far too quickly, and I do not think I appreciated it as much as I would have if I had taken my time.
4/5 stars
I am not sure yet if I enjoy this series. After just one week, I am already beginning to forget what happened. I just did not connect with this as much as I did with another fantasy books. Perhaps it is because I prefer high fantasy novels with a sprinkle of romance over romantasy.
While the other books are not at the top of my priority list, I will definitely keep reading them. Maybe I will grow to enjoy them more.
3.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this book. It had a full cast of characters, which made the overall experience much more enjoyable than if I had read the book. If I had read it, I think I would have become bored quickly due to the way it was structured.
The plot is really interesting and catchy, and I enjoyed the way the story went. I liked how the people who were interviewed gave little hints of how crazy the story turns out to be, which made me eager to get to the end. I am not sure how to feel about the ending because it seemed like there was still more to be revealed and some unanswered plot points left. Every time we are around Jodie, the book gives us a strange sense of unease, even though it helps the reader relate to her victimization. And I had a lot of fun trying to figure out what was wrong with her.
I loved that you were unaware that this is a thriller until you get to part 2. It sounds like a normal story of two women who are born on the same day becoming friends. And then things soon become worse.
4/5 stars
I picked up this book from the library because it reminded me of Junji Ito's style, and I discovered later that this was because he did the artwork. This is a collection of short horror urban legends. It was nice to read a book with a different structure that looks like a manga. I liked how the illustrations added to the creepiness and eerie atmosphere of the stories. Snow Day was my favorite of them all.
3.5/5 stars
I found that I don't enjoy books in which I know where the story is heading. And this one was just that, meaning it was a little monotonous and sometimes difficult to understand due to its use of language. Because of the style and the necessity to read aloud several paragraphs in order to understand the writing, I found this to be harder to read than I had anticipated.
I didn't feel connected to the characters, and as a result, I didn't care what happened to them. Additionally, the idea of letters disappearing from the vocabulary of the town failed to capture my interest. The book did not seem to have much at stake in terms of plot, and I eventually got tired of reading the same style of correspondence between characters.
3/5 stars
It took me a full year and a half to finish this since I didn't feel like reading nonfiction books.
Because of our opposing views on life, I found myself fervently annotating and debating almost everything this author said. The main reason I like the first book so much more than Homo Deus is that it tells the story of humanity instead of being filled with speculations and hypotheses. Compared to the first book, this one lacked the historical background and specific examples that I found interesting in Homo Sapiens.
3.25/5 stars
I should have listened to those reviews saying that this book solidifies people's anxieties about having children. I really thought I would DNF the book after the first 50 pages or so because it was so difficult to read. And then halfway through, I realized that this was a thriller and that it was meant to disturb and frighten you.
3.75/5 stars
This was a fun audiobook to listen to. Not very memorable—after two days, I'm already beginning to forget what happened. Although it had a promising beginning, it was simply recycling the notion of “a woman in a world of men”.
I went into this thinking it's a love story for some reason. I think that's what I enjoyed this book the best overall, even though we only get just a small portion of it.
Everything seemed a little too much after a while: hearing her dog's thoughts, how practically all men are terrible, or Elizabeth's intense frustration at being misidentified as a secretary/housewife. The story just didn't captivate me as much as I would have hoped.
3.5/5 stars
Update February 2025: I reread this for book club, and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time. The audiobook is engaging, emotional, and at times frustrating. I still don't love how nearly every man in the book is depicted as evil. Still, it's interesting how just a few months can change my perspective on a story.
I need more of this author. This book has excellent atmosphere and writing, but far too short. After the halfway point, the interesting, action-driven portion of the novel felt rushed, even though the plot initially seemed to be moving slowly. But nonetheless, the story was quite enjoyable.
4/5 stars
An amazing story of friendship, the value of school, love for books and the dominance of social classes.
I could almost picture the neighborhood and smell the warm summer air because of the excellent descriptions, and feel as though I was a part of Elena and Lila's story of friendship.
This is a must book to read if you have a nostalgia for the Italian landscape, for the summer days, or if you love literature in general:)
4.75/5 stars
Great audiobook. Fantastic world-building and characters that feel so fleshed out and real. The idea of taking revenge in the name of your family in a world where a corrupt government rules reminded me of Assassin's Creed. With death lurking around every corner, this had the feel of an intense action film. This is a new favorite book series and a 5 star read.
PS: I just discovered that this book is considered ‘controversial' because of the purple prose and the heavy footnote count. I have also heard that this series is great if you liked the “Shatter Me” series' writing style. Use this knowledge however you see fit.
This has such a bad Romanian translation, I found the writing to be completely awful. The narrative lacked depth; at times, the characters acted incredibly foolishly, and I feel like the author blamed everything on the fact that are protagonists are children. Overall 2.75/5 stars (which seems really high considering what I read).
4.25/5 stars
This was such a nice surprise. I didn't have high expectations from this book when I started reading it, but the first chapter truly grabbed my attention. Is a whodunit story with multiple points of view, a writing style (from our main character) that reminded me of the narrator of The Book Thief, romance, death and lies that are mixed in with the truth.
I didn't enjoy how the story unfolded, it felt like the characters didn't get the closure that I've been hoping for. I also got lost in the POVs and trying to make all the connections, but I still enjoyed annotating about each thought and answer I had as the story developed.
Nonetheless, I recommend this book to any reader seeking a more historical fiction murder mystery.
