Eljay
Truly enjoyed this one! I am usually wary of sequels but this book... wow... it was so gripping I didn't realise I have been reading until I saw light outside my window lol
I usually hate fight scenes (I legit just skim them) but this one I skimmed less than I thought I would
I really love the characters and their character development arcs were as how I expected but it was still very satisfying. I didn't think I would like the ending but I actually do
Didn't realise there's a third book coming but, I can't wait to read it!
I reaaally enjoyed this one and I'm so surprised cause I reaaally didn't like the first three much 😅
I think the main reason is that Simon's character has been given more time to be explored which resulted to less time for Clary and Jace. It's not that I don't like Jace, in fact I love his scenes with everyone, except Clary. I'm just really not interested in the Jace x Clary romance sorry 😅
Anyways won't really say much but man this book gave me a great time 👌🏼
Giving this a 4.5 stars and I really enjoyed this one heaps more than the first three books of TMI 😅
I finally care about the characters and I honestly didn't expect it (I really really didn't like the first three books of TMI...) Will does remind me of Jace but like 100x better lol. Jem is precious (reminded me of Jude from A Little Life 😢) and Tessa is not the pretentious useless lead I thought Clary was so yes I really liked her👌🏼
I can't wait to find out what Will's backstory is so I can understand why he's being how he is...
This standalone was such a delight to read. It's the first siren book I ever read, or really anything set in the ocean, so I didn't really know what to expect - and I was not disappointed.
I loved the whole journey they undertook and the characters have really grown on me (especially Kahlia I will fight for her). I also really love how the romance between the two characters were not rushed but the author really took her time to develop these two in a way that was not too dragging. The change in Lira's perspective and the last scene with her mother has created that tension that I flew through the pages and was glad to see how it was all settled in the end.
Sure this one didn't blow me away, but it was a solid 4.5 stars for me.
The things I loved: Ever and Sophie's friendship and character development. The ending - Ever and her dad's relationship, the talent show, how Ever's family has turned out. I love how dance was weaved throughout Ever's thoughts and the way she carried herself.
The things that were meh: the sexy(?) scenes, I don't understand how the main love interests were developed (they were just suddenly there?).
I can't really say much about the asian rep on this cause I'm from a different asian country. But the high expectations, the emotional blackmail, the nosy relatives, and the unaffectionate parents - I have either personally experienced it or have seen someone go through it lol (I feel bad that it's all negative but it is what it is).
I was not mind blown by this book, but I did have fun reading it! I enjoyed this book just like how I enjoy my (romcom) asian dramas 🥰
I truly enjoyed this book. The characters were well fleshed out and the author did a great job in showing the different family dynamics and the tension between the characters' relationships.
I also love how this book touched on the differences between the privileged and the lower earning immigrants. It was done in a way that wasn't over the top but it relayed the message well. The discussion on “good” and “bad” parenting and motherhood was also done well. We were given equal insight on the two sides of the story and it made me think for myself on which side I would stand.
The ending really broke my heart and brought me to tears. After everything, a mother still loves her child unconditionally. Giving this a 4.5/5 ♥️
This would be the first classic I have read in ages and it took me a while of getting used to.
From the beginning, I found that I enjoyed the book and it did make me think about my views on the subjects that Lord Henry and Dorian discussed. I did get stuck for a bit at some parts where I felt it was dragging, and I had to listen to the audiobook at the same time so I can proceed (the audiobook was a delight to listen to!).
The characters were well fleshed out considering this was only a few hundred pages (so much better than some thicker books I have read), although the plot was not as gripping as I wished it would have been.
Overall, this was a really great read.
This is the first Gillian Flynn book I ever read and I really enjoyed her writing.
The characters were well written and it helped with my interest on who did what. The family dynamics and how it was written played a huge part and I think it was done really well.
The ending was somehow something I imagined but in a different way, so I kind of guessed it but not really? I don't know lol but this was a good start to my October spooky reads and I was glad it didn't really scare me that much.
I really enjoyed this book and as one of those who watched the movie before reading the book, I can say that the book is waaaay better.
It was really fun to follow out little crew out on their quest. I had a lot of refreshers from taking Greek Mythology in Classics and I gotta admit I had to google a bunch of them lol.
Being a middle grade book it was easy to read and to get into, it was also not too descriptive like the fantasy books that I'm used to end I liked that it was that straightforward.
I can't really say more but I know for sure Rick Riordan is going to be one of my favourite authors.
“People aren't born good or bad. Maybe they're born with tendencies either way, but its the way you live your life that matters.”
I enjoyed this book so much more than the first two! I like how the plot was executed and even those reveals and plot twists I certainly enjoyed.
I still can't fully support Jace and Clary, though. I really can't stand Clary and all her ‘mundane-ness'. I know that there was the difference of how Clary and Isabelle thinks because of their upbringing, but sometimes Clary was just too impulsive and I just don't see how I would want to root for someone who always gets everyone in deeper sh*t. With Jace, I was able to empathise with his struggle but I still can't support his being with Clary for some reason.
I really loved all of our other characters, but probably Isabelle and Luke the most.
Overall, I was glad to finally finish this book so I can read The Infernal Devices lol.
This book felt like a whirlwind the whole time I was reading it.
I liked the pacing with this one, it wasn't too fast nor was it too slow. It didn't bore me with too much filler scenes building up to the main ship scene but showed just the necessary scenes. I have to admit though it was gripping only from when they were at Luke's place.
I love how Alec was given a lot more attention in this book, and how his struggles were also given space to be talked about but I did feel like we could have seen more of him and Isabelle. I did feel like the part with Isabelle and Meliorn could have been explored just a little bit more. It would have been fun to venture more into the fae world a bit with this book - it just felt a bit lacking and would have been more interesting.
Now, Imogen. Hmm... She was a frustrating character for me. She did seem formiddable at first but I felt like it all ended very... underwhelmingly? I don't know what part she has to play in Jace's life - I kind of have an idea - but I guess I was wanting something more?
With Clary and Jace, I'm still very uncomfortable with them so I don't want to say much about them really. I like Jace's humour but something about him doesn't sit well with me for some reason and I don't know what. With Clary, I did get sad about the bit with Simon but I liked them together somehow. She's interesting and I love her relationship with Luke and their little moment at the end was such a sweet moment that I really liked.
Overall, I feel like this book could have done more and I was left feeling a little underwhelmed for some reason. It did pique my interest to read the next book more than City of Bones did, that's for sure.
PS.
I struggled hard with the ship scenes not knowing what any part of a ship is called, I got so confused. I just know they're in a ship period lol
Wow... This book literally hits close to home. This is the first book I have read written by a Filipino author, with Filipino leads, set in my Motherland, Philippines. I'll skip the technicalities and just focus on the message of the book and what it represented for me.
I loved seeing the reality of the Philippines being shared to the world - not the beautiful beaches, or the warm hospitality you would find in the company of Filipinos, but the current state of living and the difference of classes and how each of the classes treat others. As Jay says, “It strikes me that I cannot claim this country's serene coves and sun-soaked beaches without also claiming its poverty, its problems, its history. To say that any aspect of it is part of me is to say that all of it is part of me.” So yes, I do not wish to just claim the beauty of my Motherland, but also the other parts that come with it.
Personally, this was a story that was painful to read. I felt his pain and helplessness of not being able to do anything and to simply watch from afar. Needless to say it also made me miss my family, and reminded me of how much I worry about them constantly what with the state of the country. It made me reflect on my privileges and how I think about my fellow Filipinos. And I love books which invoke a deeper feeling than simply enjoyment of reading. I love books that make me reflect and relate to the characters in a way that I never expected to.
This book has changed me in a way that no other books I have read this year had. And I was really sad to finish this book so quickly.
This book was a good conclusion for the trilogy. It made me laugh, cry, and rip all my hair out of anger. I truly enjoyed twist and turn, although there were parts where it felt like it dragged on, but it may just be because I was busy and when I read I feel like I was not progressing.
Again, the writing when it came to the fight/war scenes, I usually don't care for them but for some reason, I read through every word and I enjoyed it. However, I did get confused with the time setting because of the modern slang SJM tend to use when it came to the banter. It kind of felt off for me, and it did bug me but then I got used to it after a few chapters.
Now for the plot, there were so many things happenning so many trials and it felt like they stood no chance of winning. I like that part of it, it made me fear for their safety too, and not disregard the fact that Hybern was a tough enemy. The Bone Carver part though, did feel a bit too rushed for me and anticlimactic. I don't know what I was expecting but I thought it would have been more terrifying than that.
Onto the two males - Tamlin and Rhysand. Tamlin's redemption arc I did really like. I know I said he irritated me, but one can argue he acted the way a guy too in love would act. He became blinded to what was right and what was wrong, and became too manipulative because he thought that he owns Feyre. When in fact, Feyre doesn't belong to anyone, she is her own self - something that Rhys understood. I would say, though, that love does not excuse his actions. He really does have anger issues, which Feyre also recognised, and he became too toxic to be in a relationship with. Love does not excuse that. Rhsyand, though, I loved every bit of him, but it felt like he was too perfect. I'm not sure if it was because I love him that I saw no fault or he was just written to be that - perfect. It isn't his perfection that made me really love him, though, it was the fact that even though he was worried about Feyre everything was still her choice to make. HE did not manipulate her nor did he guilt her into being who she is to be - he let her decide. That speaks a lot about the trust and respect he has for her. Something that Tamlin failed to have.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and have definitely loved the resolutions to the conflicts at the end so giving it four stars!