cat
DNF @ 54%. 2.5 stars.
I'm so disappointed - this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. But I had the hardest time getting into this because I had NO backstory. How did we get here? They hint that there's places that are not like they're society.. what are they like? Why is this different? What is up with the magic? Why are their poachers? Who are they? Based on other reviews I know some of these questions get answered later on but I'm just way too confused to get into the story and honestly not enjoying my time. I see so many people are enjoying this and I can definitely see why but this was just a miss for me.
2.5 stars.
the artwork is GORGEOUS but I really didn't like much else. Rose was so unlikeable and unbearable, and I didn't really like or connect with any of the other characters either. nothing was really fleshed out enough for me. I see people describing this as a coming of age story and talking about character development but IMO Rose doesn't develop or grow at all.
dnf @ 63%
I'm sorry but I've literally never been so bored reading a thriller. the drunk/medicated/confused/unreliable main character trope is tired. so much time is spent describing the most boring shit. I don't care about Anna or the traumatic event or ANYTHING. I was pushed to finish this b/c I wanted to see where it would go but I truly just cannot.
This just wasn't what I expected it to be at all. There was little discussion or exploration of the fantastical/paranormal elements or the writing to inmates and it instead focused mainly on the death of Olivia's brother and the grief her family has been experiencing after the fact. I liked the beginning of this and thought that it set up for some really cool things to be introduced but they never ended up being fully formed. Kara was a terrible character, and this could have be played on because she is the “daughter of death”, but that never happened so she just seemed like a terrible friend and person with little to no backstory. Prescott's character was pretty unnecessary as well.
I think the cover, title, and synopsis do not match up with the actual content.
3.5 stars
- This has such awesome rep!! A black bisexual main character with HIV, MC is adopted by two gay men (one black, one Hispanic), one of Simone's best friends is asexual & a lesbian while the other is bi, and a black love interest.
- There were some minor writing/plot issues - for example, there were several parts where it felt like lines had been cut out and the moment jumped ahead - but considering this is a debut novel written by a seventeen year old (!!!), these things were easy for me to ignore.
- Author made a point in the authors note to say that this wasn't a story about tragedy but I really felt like it was - a majority of the story was devoted to the secret threatening notes & Simone worrying people would find out she had HIV. I almost wish this was more Emma Mills-esque - more slice of life-y with really fleshed our characters and relationships with Simone being HIV positive still obviously playing a role in that. I would have loved to hear more about Simone's dads and their family, her two best friends and their relationships, and see her relationship with Miles really blossom.
- While I didn't love this as much I hoped I would, I still think it is a really important read and will definitely be interested in more of Camryn Garrett's work in the future.
This was written so beautifully and had such amazing lines. I loved Hannah's relationship with her brother and Hannah herself. I almost wish this wasn't written in verse so we could have gotten some more from the story - background, setting, relationships, etc. Especially Hannah exploring her gender identity - after she first thinks she may be gender fluid, the plot line is pretty much completely dropped and instead focuses on her and Ezra's relationship. Overall, I really liked this!
really torn between 4 and 5 stars on this one!
likes:
- a girl taking gross rape-y guys into her own hands?? sign me up
- cute female friendship
- such good commentary on things like rape culture & slut shaming
- feminist shit!!
dislikes:
- I would have liked more focus on Alex than her relationship with Jack which I felt took over a little towards the end; Alex's character was who was most interesting to me
3.5 stars. Not much to say about this but it was a pretty solid thriller! It had a different concept, the overbearing in-laws with a sketchy past, that I found really interesting. It focused a little too much on the MC's job which I thought was pretty pointless to include - even though it intercepts with the main plot at some point I still didn't care to read about it. Some things were a little too spelled out for me, and I did end up guessing the last twist about 20 pages before it happened, but I still enjoyed reading it.
yeah it's gonna be a no from me dawgI'm down for a book about a taboo subject. [b:All the Ugly and Wonderful Things 26114135 All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Bryn Greenwood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500552983l/26114135.SY75.jpg 46061078] by Bryn Greenwood is one of my favorites. But this was NOT done well.The writing is cheesy & angsty and overly academic - I've never met two teenagers who speak like Lochan & Maya do. I felt like I was constantly being manipulated into thinking this relationship was okay. Lochan is obsessive and jealous and often violent. Maya read incredibly young to me, which just made the whole thing feel even weirder. Far too long with so much focus on mundane things - full pages describing waking up, making breakfast for their siblings, taking their siblings to school, being at school themselves, thinking about each other, picking up their siblings from school... I'm bored just writing this.I'm honestly having trouble expressing my thoughts because this was kind of a mess and there's so much I didn't like about it.
3.5 stars. Good, not great.
The most interesting part in the book is literally told to us in the synopsis. While the writing is compelling and I felt anxious throughout wondering whether or not they were going to be caught, it all just fell a bit flat for me. Natalie is quite dumb for someone who apparently “knows the law” and Will is the stereotypical cheating whiner of a husband that is often portrayed in thrillers. Will def check out more from Margot Hunt in the future!
I'm so shocked by how much I liked this!!
Likes:
- The atmosphere of this is SO good. It's ominous and spooky and I genuinely got chills while reading this.
- Queer shit!! A female/female relationship & an asexual character.
- The writing is fucking GORGEOUS.
- Feminist themes throughout!
Dislikes:
- A little too long.
- The ending fell a bit flat for me.
big nope
—————-
- during their first kiss: “Shut up, I hate you so much.” is this meant to be.... hot?
- literally don't even have sex until 86% of the way into the book yet they talk about having sex the entire time
- felt NO chemistry
- weird hatred of “nice guys”??
- constant reminders of how small Lucy is & how BIG and STATUESQUE and BEAUTIFUL Josh is
- constant referral to Josh's eyes as “serial killer eyes”????
- Josh is weirdly jealous towards a guy Lucy is working with & tells him not to talk to her again as if she's not a grown ass woman
- the word r*tarded being used in a book that was published in 2016.. yikes
- the ENTIRE CONFLICT of the book is the fact that Josh and Lucy both want the same promotion and we doN'T EVEN FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH IT IN THE END (like I guess it's assumed but ?? couldn't include an epilogue with Lucy at her new job or w/e?)
I was really enjoying this book for probably the first 50% of it. After that, I just felt physically ill reading it. I couldn't even care about the secondary romance brewing or the baby or whatever happens between Lily and Ryle after he starts fucking abusing her. The descriptions of abuse in this and the manipulation I felt as a reader just ruined the entire book for me. Maybe if the synopsis let on that this was literally an entire story about domestic abuse I would have enjoyed this more but ugh.. no. Also why couldn't Lily have just fucking ended up alone and chillin' with her baby???
