Kyle
4.5 stars
I actually really loved this one? I don't know what it was but I just really loved Mike and Jared and Mel.
And I just adore Patrick Ness' stories. I think the concept of this is so clever and I enjoyed the execution, but I'd totally understand other people not liking it.
Just a really fun read for me
3.5 stars
I didn't predict the twist, but I also wasn't 100% shocked (didn't impact my rating).
My thoughts on this one are a little jumbled, so just keeping it brief: I thought it was an interesting story, I definitely enjoyed reading it, but the writing style is a little ... strange. I don't know how to describe it.
But I do think E. Lockhart has a strange writing style in general in other books I've read by her, but I still enjoy it. The repetition might have been a little off putting with this particular one
Just perfect nostalgia.
I started reading this series during one of the darkest periods of my life 10 or so years ago, and these books brought me so much comfort and happiness.
I never got around to reading the last book because life got hectic and it just got put on the back burner, but I'm so glad I finally came back to it and saw the end of Ruby's story.
This series will always have a happy spot in my heart.
I genuinely just didn't get this one.I've read five books by Stephanie Kuehn - I enjoyed [b:Charm & Strange 16045088 Charm & Strange Stephanie Kuehn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1363712741l/16045088.SY75.jpg 19056527], [b:Complicit 18404113 Complicit Stephanie Kuehn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1383352823l/18404113.SY75.jpg 24573000], and [b:The Smaller Evil 27774725 The Smaller Evil Stephanie Kuehn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447185617l/27774725.SY75.jpg 44941876]. Unfortunately, [b:When I Am Through with You 32957193 When I Am Through with You Stephanie Kuehn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497634528l/32957193.SY75.jpg 51829351] and now Delicate Monsters just didn't work for me. Particularly with DM, I'm not sure I even know what happened.Legitimately, if someone could explain the ending to me and how everything connects, it would be genuinely appreciated. I can enjoy a book with an ending that is more open to interpretation and not all answers are given - but with this one, I felt like very little was explained, enough to where I don't even understand the events of the last couple chapters/what they all mean.Sadie's inclusion in the book felt more tacked on - the book really felt centered around Emerson and Miles. I don't know - I feel like I can't focus my thoughts on how I feel about this one. Just a lot of disappointment (and confusion).
I think TDJ had some really interesting things to say in this one, and the finale is fantastic, but the plot just runs too similar to Carrie.
That's not to say this story doesn't have some stark differences, but knowing the general direction the plot was going to go left little room for surprise.
I enjoyed it, but just not as much as Grown and Allegedly. Although, it's the first ending I've liked of the three, so there's that.
If you're a fan of her books, I think this is a worthwhile read, but it's not the book I would point to as an introduction to Jackson as a writer.
While I wasn't sure about this one for the first 100 pages - I thought, I finally was reading a Courtney Summers book I wouldn't be crazy about - this is perhaps her best book. [a:Courtney Summers 1487748 Courtney Summers https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1638224423p2/1487748.jpg] has evolved so much as a writer, and it's evident with this book - the structure shows a level of sophistication missing from a lot of YA. I fear that this will unfortunately be one of her less popular novels, considering how little I heard about it. I probably wouldn't have known it was coming out myself if I wasn't someone who has read nearly all of her previous novels and keeps an eye out for her new releases.The story, while somewhat obvious, is told from the perspective of Summers' most complex narrator, a girl so desperate for adoration, validation, and love that she can't see the writing on the wall directly in her face. Georgia is a frustrating character to read from the perspective of, but she is a real person - who doesn't want these things?This book is so dark - I'd argue it might even be an adult novel, however, I think that this is a book that really pushes the boundaries of YA. Courtney Summers knows when to show us the unflinching reality, but also demonstrated incredible restraint at a particular scene near the end. She could have leaned in to all of the darkness and depravity occurring, but what she chose felt all the more effective. While I don't think this book is readily accessible content-wise for all YA readers just given how dark it is, I think older teens and adults should absolutely read this.I'm so excited for the direction Courtney Summers' career will go, because the ending of this novel leaves so much to explore thematically across all her forthcoming books.If you haven't read this yet, and have enjoyed previous Courtney Summers novels, go out and give this one a read - if you haven't read any Courtney Summers yet, I highly recommend (I'm partial to [b:Fall for Anything 8470445 Fall for Anything Courtney Summers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465546161l/8470445.SX50.jpg 13335096][b:Fall for Anything 8470445 Fall for Anything Courtney Summers and [b:This is Not a Test 12043771 This is Not a Test (This is Not a Test, #1) Courtney Summers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1314375864l/12043771.SX50.jpg 17010494], but I have yet to read a book by her I haven't loved).
4.5 stars
This is one of the most complex YA novels I've read in years.
It's kind of hard to describe what this book is really about, but on its face it's a simple alternate history novel set during the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
What really shines through in this book is the web of relationships between Lada, Radu, and Mehmed. I haven't seen such an interesting tangle between three characters in so long.
It's also so interesting how the passage of time is handled in this novel, in a way that feels unique for a YA. We really travel through several different years, cities, and stages of life for the characters.
This is so different from other books I've read more Kiersten White, and I'm so pleasantly surprised. The range she's been able to display is remarkable, and I'm very intrigued to see what the overall arc of this trilogy ends up being.
I am a little uncertain about what the plot will be to carry two future books, but I'm invested for the ride.
4.5 stars
I don't read memoirs ever, but this one was worth it.
Devastating, heartbreaking, eye-opening. It's such a strange experience having the curtains pulled back on someone I watched as a child and see all of the life they lived off-camera.
This is a heavy, worthwhile listen for anyone interested.
I'll be completely transparent that I only really bothered picking this one up because I listen to Crime Junkie. The premise alone reminded me very heavily of [b:Sharp Objects 18045891 Sharp Objects Gillian Flynn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475695315l/18045891.SY75.jpg 3801] by Gillian Flynn. It's definitely reminiscent of a very, very infamous true crime case (probably the most infamous and well-known amongst people who don't really follow it). This one was definitely easy to listen to and follow along, some of the twists were fun - a little outlandish, but kept me on my toes - others more obvious. The ending is rather open-ended, but I'm okay with that for the most part. It definitely had me listening on the edge of my seat while I was driving during those last two chapters. I think there's just not a lot of substance here in terms of character development (Margot feels like the only fleshed out character, however, I still felt this strange detachment from her - she felt like a self-insert in a fanfiction of a true crime fanatic), a couple twists too many. Also, while I did get more invested in the second half of the story, I wouldn't say it's very gripping. This is something that's obviously going to vary just on subjective taste, but I really wasn't too invested at first. I definitely felt for Margo and her real life struggles, but outside of that - not too much. Repetition played a major part in this, I think. I felt like I kept getting told the same details about Margo and her determination to find justice for January that I felt like I only really knew the same maybe two details about their relationship. If that relationship had been more fleshed out in areas of repetition, I might have felt more invested in this woman finding justice for her childhood friend, which should be a compelling storyline. Also might have enjoyed this more if I wasn't as familiar with the case it closely parallels and some of the major theories people speculate about.
This one just didn't really work for me like Okorafor's other works I've read. Obviously it's a very short start to a series of novellas, but I just felt like there wasn't enough here for me to latch on to. The world of this one felt too thin compared to the worlds in [b:Noor 57632292 Noor Nnedi Okorafor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618407986l/57632292.SY75.jpg 90269668] and [b:Remote Control 34215764 Remote Control Nnedi Okorafor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587580886l/34215764.SY75.jpg 55266235].
Be sure to check out my review on Medium and feel free to subscribe and follow my content as I walk through the process of editing my first novel and post old and new pieces of writing!
https://medium.com/@kyleg99
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this one, but I felt like some aspects of the plot were a little under developed. I think that the themes and the story line were different from anything else that I was used to reading, which is something that I appreciated.
I think that the ending was a little rushed and there were some moments where I wish the writing had been a little stronger. However, I think that Nnedi Okorafor has genuine talent as a writer and I would be very interested in reading more of her work. Specifically I would love to read a longer pc by her because I think her concepts and themes are very elaborate and would really benefit from more pages.
Overall, I would recommend this one because I think that it gave me the opportunity to read different stories from anything else in the mainstream fiction market and shows Okorafor has a lot of talent and potential for such a short piece.
Conflicting thoughts on this one. The epilogue is perfect, but the resolution to the main conflict is pretty lame. It's a surprisingly sweet ending to a pretty bloody trilogy, but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the plot yet.
The Wicked King was definitely my favorite of the three. But I still don't feel like the rest of the trilogy ever really reached the highs of the end of The Cruel Prince outside of the last couple chapters of TWK.
Overall, didn't love this series like I hoped I would, but it's still a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys YA fantasy with an emphasis on the political scheming.
I think The Wicked King was overall stronger than The Cruel Prince, however, it still didn't blow me away like I was expecting. I think that while this book was more consistently interesting and engaging, the ending of this doesn't match up to the chaos of the second half of its predecessor. The political maneuvering remains the strongest part of this series - the dynamic between Jude and Cardan is also a lot more interesting than the first book. I think that the final book has a lot set up for a great finale.
While the tone of this review might sound on the more negative side, I really did enjoy reading this one and am interested in seeing how it all ends.
3.5 stars
This one is definitely a slowww burn. I would say this one didn't pick up for me until about 200 pages in. Those last 170 pages are definitely compelling and I couldn't put it down by the end, but it was a bit of a struggle in the beginning.
I was tempted to rate this one higher, but I really wasn't that invested until over halfway in. I'd give the first half maybe 2.5-3 stars (not bad, but very average) and the second half a solid 4.5 maybe. So I think 3.5 is fair.
I have really high hopes for the rest of the series though and am excited where it will go from here.
This sequel was vicious. I thought I would like this one early on, but the closer I got to the end, I realized I had no complaints and was so invested I had to give this one 5 stars.
Where the first book dragged for me in the middle a bit, this one is longer and so tightly paced I wasn't bored once in 400 pages. And I thank Lu's restraint to not linger on long travel scenes between the action. Other authors definitely could have dragged this out to nearly 500 pages with all of the traveling between the different perspectives.
This sequel is a great example of how to avoid Middle Book Syndrome. It continues the story from the first book, changes the settings and elevates the stakes to so much higher than the previous book, and leaves us in such a different place from The Young Elites.
While the concept isn't the most original, Marie Lu has an incredibly compelling storytelling ability I noticed from the Legend trilogy. She has really come into her element with this series.
I fear the final book has no happy endings in store, but I just have to know how this all ends. This series is definitely one of my big surprises of the year (well after it was published lol).
3.5 stars
I actually did enjoy this one a lot and can understand where it gets its acclaim from. I think because I'm someone who isn't actually a big superhero fan, or a comic book reader, a lot of the breaking of genre convention and other stuff kind of went over my head in terms of appreciation.
I do think that there's a lot of strong political messages in this one, with a great cast of non-heroes (of varying degrees), although the pacing did drag for me in a lot of places. I also understood the purpose of the interludes at the end of each chapter, but they often felt too long or didn't hold my attention and took me out of the flow of the story.
Definitely a very worthwhile read, but probably one that won't really linger in my mind to the extent of other political allegories I've read. I am curious to check out the film adaptation, since I've never seen it.
A brutal sequel, shifting focus to new characters with a lot to offer while still advancing the central plot of the series. I think that while this sequel is less-focused than Vicious, it actually wound up being my favorite of the two simply because of how intriguing the new additions to the cast were.
Even for someone who isn't drawn to superhero stories in film, I can't help but be entranced by these books and can't wait to see how things conclude (?)