Natália
“Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it's a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed.”
I'll admit, I'm surprised by this book. I went in not expecting to like it at all - I wasn't even planning to read it if not for a buddy read. From the start, it wasn't a story that caught my eye...but, thankfully, I was wrong! The tale of the two sisters and their desperate attempts at escaping their abusive father while navigating a magical carnival that is more than meets the eye captured me from the start - add a fluid narrative with short chapters that left me wanting more and making the pages fly, riddles, a mystery to solve, a mysterious figure that oversees the entire show while remaining in the shadows, a roguish sailor and an enemies to lovers couple and I was sold. It did take me a while to warm up to Scarlett and Tella, especially the first one, but once the Caraval started, I was already engrossed and she did develop through the story, so she became more likable as the book progressed. I have to say, I was constantly surprised because the author played with my expectations of what was going to happen and turned them on its heels. The ending was very good and left the door open for more things to come, and I can't wait to find out why (and maybe, soon, meet the elusive Legend?). Picking up the sequel very soon!
"Who are you to question love?''A god, Persephone."
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
I love a good retelling, especially a Greek Mythology one. And I have to say, Hades & Persephone's story has my interest, so I was obviously very anxious to get to this book. I maybe expected more than what this novel could provide, because I was disappointed. The world was interesting and there are characters that saved the book for me - Hermes, Hecate, and Hades being the main ones, but overall it was mainly sub developed, Persephone was whiny, naive to a fault (bordering on stupid) and most of the plot was not only predictable, but boring as well. It often felt like bad fanfic. There's also your typical female rivalry over a guy, your controlling, over-protective mother whose only personality trait is being ambitious and irritating, and your hyper-excited best friend who is only there to facilitate some plots. The ending was also incredibly rushed, but at least it was semi-satisfied. By the end, I was more interested in following maybe Hecate's, Hermes', and Aphrodite's love stories than having TWO more books following Persephone, as much as I like Hades. Needless to say I won't be reading the next installments in the series.
"No, because you won't let it die. You keep the past alive in your mind."
Another very satisfactory read by Dame Agatha, and probably going into my favorites among her books. We have here a classic murder mystery, with elements that the author excels at: lots of family drama, interesting, fleshed-out characters, and dynamics between them, and a shocking plot twist at the end. I love how Agatha lays the clues through the novel so everything is perfectly tied up at the end, and because of that, I could guess a few of the twists (but not all, and definitely not the main one). Very happy with my first ‘Christmas' read of the month!
“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.”
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I can totally understand why this book became a classic and the importance of it for literature in general. I was expecting this to be a harder book to read, with denser writing, but I found it overall very fluid and quick reading. But it wasn't a very likable read - I think the only character I actually liked (or at any rate felt sorry for) was Basil. I think knowing beforehand all the Oscar Wild went through because of this book and the sidenotes about terms and meanings of some phrases, references to other works, etc, helped me understand and even like this more than if I've read it without this previous knowledge. I'm happy to have read it, but I don't know if it will be a story I'll go back to in the future.
"And trust wasn't meant to be given in one lump sum. It was earned, little by little.”
It's been a while since I read a book in one sitting! I've been missing this, a nice, light, fluffy, and thoroughly delightful romance novel to get my mind off things for a couple of hours. It's my first ever book from Alex Daria, but I can't wait to read more, because I was hooked from the start. The chemistry between our MCs, as well as the friendship and care that developed between them, was just so good! They compliment each other well and help each other to grow through the story. I LOVE Jasmine and her primas of power, their relationship and friendship are everything! Jasmine is my favorite character, she's kind, mature, and strong in so many ways, though she still has her issues and insecurities that she works out through the novel. Ashton is so cute and lovable, though I feel that he was a tad obsessive with some issues (and I understand why, but I felt that sometimes this issue was exaggerated).
What I most enjoyed out of this book was how, though the romance and the personal issues of the MCs are the main focus of the story, the author still managed to discuss some issues like the cost of fame, privacy (or lack of thereof), culture, misogyny and racism in the entertainment industry, as well as how certain genres of media are looked down for a number of reasons. Some of those discussions and lines from characters seemed sometimes too overdone, but nonetheless, it was good to have a romance novel discuss such topics.
I had some issues with some things towards the ending (especially a kind of ‘redemption' of a specific character that had me ‘wait, are you serious?'), but that didn't take from my overall enjoyment of the book. I still loved every second of our main couple and their interactions, of the making of the show, of Jasmine and Ashton's families, and can't wait to pick up the next book in this series to follow the other Primas!
“It varied, but it was all paid for in the common currency of human misery.”
Force of Nature is my first book by Jane Harper. I had The Dry on my TBR for a while but never got around to it. I enjoyed the narrative style and how fluid it is - I usually like stories that change back and forth between the actual investigation and what really happened in the past, I found it helps building tension and keep me guessing the solution. I also enjoyed how tha author managed to tie things up, even while adding subplots. This is the second book in the Aaron Falk series, and while you can read it without reading the previous one, I think that it would've been better if I did - there are hints of what happened at the end and there's an emotional conflict within the MC that would've made more sense and appealed to me if I had read the first one previously. The lack of connection to our main detective was actually an issue for me, though in general it didn't hinder the story.
Lack of connection to the characters was an issue through the whole novel - I need to care about these people to want to know what happened to them, to want the detective to solve the case, to feel for the victim. And while I thought the secondary characters, especially the ‘suspects', where interesting, whit a well-developed arc, I couldn't feel a thing for Alice, our missing woman, except contempt, annoyance and a will for her to actually die soon within the story because she's such a major bitch I couldn't stand her for another page. So that didn't bode well. And, like I said, I like Falk, but didn't connect much to him, it felt very bland - again, this could have been because I don't have the background from the previous novel.
Though I think it was all wrapped up well, I found the ending just ok. I don't know why, but I was expecting something more...dark and impactant? I am curious to read The Dry and plan to read other books by the author, but now I know not to go in expecting a mind-blowing thriller.
“What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?”
Oh, how I wish I loved this as much as everyone seems to! I do love Schwab's writing, it's always easy and quick to read, and there's something whimsical and atmospheric about this novel, which is something I usually like a lot. And though I liked Addie as a character, and can understand her motives and found her life, and how she managed to survive inside the confines of the bargain...I just couldn't get into the romance. Henry is...bland at best. He is annoying and the type of ‘tortured' and philosophical character I dislike. I can understand Addie's fascination with him, being the only one who remembers her after so long and all, but I couldn't see the sparks, I couldn't see the chemistry, and just found the present-time chapters boring. I could see the plot twist regarding the reason why he remembers her coming a mile away, and when it was confirmed, I couldn't feel the sadness and hurt these characters were feeling.
Actually, my favorite character was Luc. He was so interesting, this demon who in time started to become more and more human, who stroke a bargain with a girl thinking we were going to win her soul easily but found himself drawn to her, a constant, immortal companion to him. Their relationship and dynamics were more exciting and had more sparks than the supposed main romance, so I couldn't help being drawn to it. I kept wishing to get back to their chapters every time there was a ‘present' one, and I could've read more and more about them, and I think that's part of why I didn't enjoy this as much as everyone. After a while, Addie and Henry were getting on my nerves, and I kept wishing for Luc to make an appearance so I could be interested again.
It was an ok book, but not an amazing one as I was hoping, and I can say this is a bit overhyped. Still, I still love Schwab's writing and can't wait to pick up other books by her.
“You don't need anyone's permission to be you, Yads.”
A lovable book with a good background on Latinx culture and incredible family/friendship dynamics. I loved Yadriel's character and his struggles, the fact that being a trans man was such an issue with his family, and how, though he loved them, it was hard to try to belong among them without losing himself - add to that the fact that he didn't have his ‘brujo' magic, the death of his mom and now a cute ghost following him around after a failed exorcism and it seems almost too much. I like how he developed during the novel, with the help of his cousin, and Julian (who, though a bit impulsive at times, is also another lovable character), and how in the end he managed to overcome his struggles. I also like how social issues were woven into the story.
I have to say, though, that the main plot was somewhat weak - I don't know if, after reading so many paranormal YA stories, it became almost too predictable, but I could see how everything would play out, the big reveal and the plot twists by chapter 2-3. Yes, I still enjoyed the journey, and the romantic aspect of the book, but knowing where the main plot would end up diminished my excitement with the novel somehow. Still, I enjoyed how everything turned out and I could appreciate the journey and the development of characters and relationships.
“Indelible is a word for stories.”
I love these companion novels! I always found them to expand on the world and to give more context to myths within the story. That is exactly the case here, where we learn some of the stories about the famous saints from the Grishaverse - including our little friend Alina Starkov and The Darkling. It is also something that will be important for the King of Scars duology as well, and while I was reading the first novel, I had to stop and pick this one up to give me more context.
The edition of this book is gorgeous, with beautiful, colorful illustrations and the hardcover mimicking an old leatherbound book one could find in churches or old libraries. It looks beautiful on my shelf, among the Grishaverse novels!
“A heart of stone can still be broken.”
This was a novella set after Queen of Nothing about an adventure involving Jude and Cardan, and through this story, we get to know more about Cardan's past and how that shaped him into the character we meet in The Cruel Prince. It has a fairytale-like feel and we finally get Cardan's POV, which was surprisingly interesting. It doesn't add much to the overall story, but I enjoyed it all the same and the physical copy is just GORGEOUS! I would love maybe a short stories book with tales of other characters from this world, with the Modern Faerietales & The Dark Part of The Forest characters as well, with beautiful illustrations and a graphic project similar to this one! Who knows?
“History gorges itself on women raised high and then brought low by men grasping for their power.”
Expected more because of all the hype surrounding it, but honestly, it was a bit disappointing. I liked the world-building and the overall plot, but things took too long to actually happen and it felt too introductory. Although there is a vast cast of characters, only 2-3 of them were really interesting.
Sorasa is by far my favorite, she is complex and nuanced, by far the most clever among the group, and the one who actually solved most of the problems through the novel. Andrew is another favorite, mostly because he is lovable and loyal and I couldn't help but like him. Vartik and Sigil are interesting, but since they came into the group by the final third of the book, they have yet to show more about themselves. I wanted to see more of Rhida's POV, she also seems to be an interesting character, but again, we see very little of her. Erida...I had hopes for her at first. It's interesting to see from the POV of one of the antagonists, especially an ambitious young Queen, but she is annoying at times and surprisingly naive.
Corayne as an MC was very disappointing. She seemed promising at first, we see how clever and ingenious she is, but that seems to vanish through the story and she's mostly scared, naive, and basically a prop, only to be wielded when necessary. She doesn't add much in terms of habilities or smarts, and she lacks personality. Dom irritated me with his constant whining about how he is an Immortal who doesn't feel/gets hurt, and how he misses his friend, how he failed...the whole tortured act tires quickly. He is mostly brute force as well and even that seems to fail when needed - he gets punched more than he does the punching.
The ending to this one, especially the last chapter, was a bit anti-climatic and honestly, “cartoonish evil”. The story is promising and I don't think it's a bad book at all, but in no way is as surprising and thrilling as the hype surrounding it made me believe. I am interested in seeing where the series is going and I hope there is a development in the next installments (especially in character and pacing).
“Love is an enchantress—devious and wild. It sneaks up behind you, soft and gentle and quiet, just before it slits your throat.”
I really enjoyed this book, as much as I think it was predictable. It's fast-paced and the writing is fluid and I found myself almost immediately drawn into the story and characters. That may be because of how atmospheric the book is and I loved it. I also enjoyed the romance and the relationship between the side characters. The ending is bittersweet, but it was a bit rushed, though, and things could've been better explained without leaving everything to a final monologue from one of the characters. But this didn't take from my enjoyment of the story, so I wasn't bothered as much.
A good standalone fantasy/paranormal YA and I'm excited to read more from the author!
“You know," said the young man with enthusiasm, "I think you're splendid, simply splendid.""Cut out the compliments," said Tuppence. "I'm admiring myself a good deal, so there's no need for you to chime in.”
Unlike “By The Pricking of My Thumbs”, this one is a typical Tommy & Tuppence novel - full of mystery, spies, war, Secret Service, and the likes. They are not my favorite Christie detectives, but I usually enjoy their novels. I love the relationship between them, the complicity, the way they compliment each other, and how, even when aging (btw, the only recurring detectives who do), they still go out to help their country, to solve mysteries, and put themselves in harm's way. I absolutely LOVE Tuppence, who, once again, is the star of the novel - she is not content in being a ‘stay at home and wait for the husband' kind of wife, while Tommy is out solving mysteries and being in the center of events. She is clever, resourceful, fearless, kind, and funny. What's not to love?
For the very first time, I was able to uncover the true culprits before the reveal (I never felt so clever haha), but that only enhanced my experience. Because of it, I could see the cleverly hidden crumbs Agatha laid through the story so when things were finally revealed, I could appreciate it in full. I still love to be made a fool creating all sorts of theories only to have them blow up in my face in the end, though.
"There's no shame in breaking...You just have to put yourself back together again."
A solid end to a trilogy that took me by surprise. I first started Ash Princess not expecting much, but color me surprised when I found myself enjoying the world and the characters as the story went on. Theo is such a great MC, she has an amazing story arc with a solid development through the books - you can see her becoming a leader and a Queen in her own right. In this novel, especially, she's at the top of her game, understanding when sacrifices need to be made, thinking of the whole, and acting coldly and rationally instead of acting on emotion. The rest of the crew is just as great, they all have a role to play, especially in this book, and we get to see more of Heron in action, as well as my favorite couple ErikxHeron.
The story goes into a predictable route (I mean, I guessed a character death by halfway through book 2), but that didn't put me off at all - even knowing what was probably going to happen, I was still interested in reading more. I liked how everything wrapped up, the decisions Theo made at the end, especially concerning the Kalovaxians and Cress.
I had an issue with a couple of things, that prevented me from giving this final book 5 stars: the epilogue and the introduction of a very unnecessary character. Maile is the most annoying, useless character in this book by far - she was introduced to create a bit of dissent among our group, be annoying, appear in about a dozen scenes, and be paired up with a more important character with whom she has NO chemistry. We don't see the pairing being developed at all, is just tossed at us and we're expected to buy it. And talking about useless things....let's talk about how that epilogue shouldn't exist because there's NO NEED for it. It doesn't add anything new, no valuable information, there isn't even a jump to the future to see how our characters are going. The final scene from the final chapter was a perfect ending on its own, there was no need for more. These are minor stuff compared to the rest, but I need to point it out.
Overall, it was a solid ending, and I'm gonna miss these characters and this world, more than I thought I would when I first started.
“You can be the most powerful witch in the land, but you will always have a weakness, and that will always make you believe you have no power when someone exploits it. There is no greater strength than the ability to understand and accept your own flaws.”
This book was a delightful mix of The Name of The Wind and Memoirs of a Geisha, but instead of telling the story of a famous, powerful hero, it seems we have a villain. We follow Tea, a scorned witch who tells a stranger how she came to be on an isolated beach resurrecting demons - how her magic was discovered as she resurrected her older brother who was killed on the battlefront, her training, and how she was ever scorned and feared by other witches and ordinary people, the mysteries surrounding the dark forces looming on the horizon, the boy she loved... - all while wondering: is she really that evil? And how did the naive, hopeful girl we see beginning her journey, become the sad, vengeful witch we find on that lonely, bone streaked beach?
This first book covers the beginning of Tea's journey, while also hitting at darker times to come later on. The writing is engaging and it's very easy to like and relate to the characters, especially our MC. The side characters are also very funny and entertaining and it's nice to see Tea building these connections, even though we know that it won't last as we have intersped chapters of Future! Tea telling her story. The romance is also a tiny spec on the story, but it adds some flavor, especially in lieu of the revelation of the final chapter of the book. I also liked the whole magic system and the idea of heartglasses. There aren't many twists here, but I don't think they were needed as I was engaged in the narrative already. I like where the book left us because it's almost impossible not to want to pick up the sequel right away. Can't wait to check it up soon!
“It's always easy to explain the unknown by postulating a superhuman and arbitrary will.”
This was my least favorite out of the trilogy. Everything here was just so easily conquered and though the ending had a good plot twist and wrapped up this segment of the story...it just wasn't as intriguing or clever as the previous books. The whole plot of the Mule could've easily been wrapped up in the previous novel and his defeat was somehow too easy and anti-climatic. The second arc of the novel was a bit confusing to me because the main reasoning for its existence didn't make sense - why would the people of the first Foundation be afraid of the Second Foundation if they were technically working towards the same goal, the Seldon Plan? Why would they want to thwart the Second Foundation at all? I mean, before reading this, I was expecting maybe that the two Foundations would have to fight each other for dominance, or they would meet halfway and come together to form the Second Empire. But neither happened and there's absolutely no reason for them to fight at all since nobody (except the Second Foundation people) know what the Second Foundation does, except that it helps The Seldon Plan and that everything is doing fine.
I finished this book feeling equal parts kind of unsatisfied and confused. I also would have liked to see the final result of the grand Plan, but alas, I've heard there are more books after (and before) this main trilogy, so I guess I'll have to go after them for answers. Although this book is a bit of a mess, I really really enjoyed the first two, so the overall feel was a good one. I'm excited to read more Asimov in the future.
“If we were judged by the things we most regret, no human being would be worthy to sweep the floor.”
I'm still reeling from this ending. WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!
I'll confess, I enjoyed Scythe, but I found it was slow at first and it took me a while to really get into it. But this sequel starts with a bang already and doesn't let the shoe drop at any time! We deal with Rowan going rogue, Citra's new role as Scythe Anastasia, and her possible role as a leader among the young Scythes, the New Order growing despite Goddard's death, and someone targeting both Curie and Anastasia. We're also introduced to Grayson, a seemingly ordinary guy who will have a much larger role than he himself knows. We also learn more about the Thunderhead, especially since we see into her ‘thoughts' a bit in this book.
Things quickly start to get out of control and there are a few plot-twist that turn our characters and the story upside down. I just couldn't see any of these things coming and honestly can't wait to see how Schusterman will deal with the aftermath of this ending in the final book. I really flew through this installment, and it was so fast-paced that an almost 500pgs book felt like it had 200 or so. I can't wait to pick up the final installment!
“But I'm not afraid anymore because heaven and hell are not destinations. They are decisions.”
So, I was not expecting to not only enjoy this book but finish it feeling bittersweet and emotional. When I first picked it up, I was a bit afraid, because I'm not the bravest person, especially regarding horror/terror movies or books - I usually don't watch/read them, or else I can't even go to the bathroom at night without turning all the lights. Thankfully, I didn't find this book to be that scary. It left me tense and nervous, but never scared properly. I do think that, if turned into a movie/tv show, some of the scenes would provide a good jump scare and would have me screaming my lungs out. But reading those scenes, it wasn't so bad.
One of the things that made this book so enjoyable to me was the characters, especially Christopher and Kate (his mom). They are so charismatic, and relatable, it was easy to sympathize with them and cheer for them. Also, Christopher is the most adorable, good, and wholesome book child ever and I just wanted to protect him against the world at all times. He's just so lovable, ugh! The other characters were very realistic and human, you could relate to them, even the worst among them - they are layered and you can understand why they do the things they do.
From the midway point onwards, the story takes on this frenetic rhythm and the tension is off the charts - there were times I needed to put the book down because I was just too nervous. But, whenever I picked it back up, I flowed through a good chunk. The ending had very good twists (one I was definitely NOT expecting and made the story more interesting), with this heart-warming ending. I shed a few tears at times, not gonna lie, but at the end of it, I was really happy with how everything turned out. There is this one character that I think the author did a bit dirty and she deserved better, but it didn't take from the rest. There's this feeling of an open ending, though everything resolves itself, and there's absolutely no need for a sequel.
Since I'm not a big fan of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I didn't know what to expect coming into this book, and I was honestly pleasantly surprised. I'll have to keep an eye for any upcoming works by this author now!
“Society is much more easily soothed than one's own conscience.”
This book pulled the rug out of me so many times in a span of 100 or so pages and I absolutely loved it. At first, after part 1, I was starting to think the story would follow a very predictable path and was a bit disheartened by this...then, everything changed in part 2 with a very unexpected plot twist that brought much-needed tension back to the story and had me devouring the last 100 or so pages to see what would happen and what new revelations the author would bring. I was not disappointed because at the very final chapters we got another good twist that left me anxious to pick up the sequel! This series is quickly winning me over, and I can't wait to see how it will all end!
“It's odd, isn't it, why farce so often seems to get mixed up with tragedy?”
This book is now part of my Agatha Christie favorites. What an engaging, entertaining, and surprising novel! For the first time, I reached the halfway mark without a theory of what was going on and what direction the story was taking and I absolutely loved it. And then, when I thought I had things figured out...Mrs. Christie pulled the rug from under me AGAIN! So many twists! I also loved Bundle as the main character, she's so charismatic, is strong-willed, and action-driven! Her interactions with her father (who is absolutely delightful) and Inspector Battle are so good, and I love how supportive they are of her, especially her father. There is a rather unnecessary romance plot, but all in all, it didn't bother me, especially after the reveal in the end. I could have done without it, but it wasn't enough to diminish my love for this book. An obvious 5-star for me!
“What a strange constellation they all were.”
I don't know how to feel about this book. Overall, I loved the tense atmosphere, I absolutely LOVE the characters and how they've evolved during the series (and I think they're at their best in this voluem) and there are interesting things happening here. But the entirety of the series revolved around a mystery and a quest and the way it was resolved was just...unsatisfying, anticlimatic...well, just disappointing, really. It felt like it was for nothing, all this build-up, and there wasn't anything to explain why that was, no big plot twist to make up for it. And the big issue this installmente presented was solved in a couple of pages. There were characters with lots of potential (ahem, Gwellian), who seemed to have a bigger role, but were just diversions and were never really utilized. It could've been much more, but it was an ok ending with lots of loose ends and possibilities that can be explored in the future.