afi_whatafireads's reviews
589 reviews

A short but enthralling read. I slept it off before writing this, and what I can tell you guys, it still left me with a lingering feeling.

I loved how this book had taken me by surprise and that it was one of those reads that I did not know what to expect but then - it became one that is memorable.

The question of monsters - were they made or was it something that is produced by the system itself? Reading this reminded me of one of my favourite animes of all time - Psychopass - and how the higher power had used a system that seemed to be beneficial to everyone but has its downsides as well. And in this case, who do we blame? Do we blame the government for making a system that can simply capture someone and held them captive? Or do we blame the fear of the society?

A short but definitely an impactful read. I would love to see more of Sera Chung's works translated. This one was definitely a good one!~

just pure smut bye

This book had got me squealing and screaming and giggling my heart out. Such a heartwarming and fun read. And I liked that it touches on complex family relationships. This book had caught me, but the second half felt a bit too rushed, hence the ratings.

Character-Wise
Good lord , sayang gila dekat Nara dan Kid. And I like that they're around my age, so the working life, the balance and dilemma is pretty realistic and relatable. And in general, I just loved their dynamics and their relationship didn't feel too forced. The romance was pretty smooth and I loved the dynamics between all of the characters combined, including the side characters. It makes up such a good story.

Plot-Wise
Since its a feel-good book, the plot progression for me was okay. However, I was a tad dissapointed with how the second half went. It kinda felt rushed, especially when it comes to rekindling the relationship between Nara and her family. I also feel that Kid's character can be more well-written? Like he kind of feels a tad one-dimensional (or is just me cause I want more hahaha). It just felt put together in such a rush, and even the confession scene felt out of the blue :') I was a tad disappointed with that cause the characters are so dear to me.

Overall Story
Overall? I would say this is such a good read if you want something fun and light. Kid is a bucket of sunshine, and Nara is the sunshine protector :') The first half of the book was pretty magical to me, but I was a tad sad for the second half. But overall, will recommend to you guys to read! Its only me hahaha cause I had high hopes for this one.

3.75🌟 Overall

If there's one thing I love about this book is in the mundane lives of the characters, the intricate weaving of a community and how each and everyone of us is connected in their own ways. And to me, this book is perfect at a time like this - a time where Falestinians are seen as one collective being, a symbol of grief and horror. But this story, its an insight that they are more than just a collective symbol. This story puts a name to every single person, of them making mistakes, of them having dreams and inspirations, of them being in love, of them building up a family, of them having flaws. Its of them being human.

Written in an interconnected-short stories format, we follow the lives of Christinian-Palestinians who has started and lived their lives in Baltimore.

Firstly, I loved how diverse and different all the stories are. And its fun to see how they connect with one another. But on top of it all, I loved how each and every one of them, even in that small community that they lived in, are different from one another. Each characters has their own uniqueness and its just very mundane. Its the way that they were portrayed as any other neighbour that we can have, in which shows us that, they are all humans just like anyone of us. Some of the stories will leave you gasping in shock and will definitely take you by surprise. And some, will rip your heart open and make you cry. This variety of emotions through the characters that has grasped you from the very start of the story makes it such a wonderful read. Its eye opening but its also, just very mundane.

Out of all the stories, there were two that had me bawling and sobbing - Worry Beads, on complex relationships between families and how women were treated, and Escorting the Body Home, where I was both pissed and sad for the character.

But again, Darraj had done such a splendid job in showing the complex relationships between humans, and the struggles for the newer generation of a displaced community, living in a place that was home to them but not for the older generations. I liked that it was subtly interwoven in the stories and it was brought up in ways that showed that, the sense of belonging and home, it can be just a concept to them too and not something that is embodied.

Overall, this collection is endearing to me at most. I devoured it in one seating and it had changed my view in how we see them not just as a cause, but as humans. The fight for the right to stay and live as humans. From the river to sea, Falestine will be free.

4.5🌟 overall

Thank you to Times Reads for the copy! I truly appreciate it.

THIS BOOK HAS ME ON A CHOKEHOLD IN THE MOST DELICIOUS WAY.

One minute I was blushing, and then I was crying and then I was giggling. THE WAY LOWE AND MISERY HAD CONSUMED ME.

AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN CONSUMING MULTIPLE OMEGAVERSE (SUE ME) AND WEREWOLF ROMANCE, THIS ONE HITS ALL THE GOOD SPOTS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.

I mean it, Ali Hazelwood can write a grocery list and I will eat it up.

Whilst the political intrigue in here could've been executed better, ISTG, this book had me on a chokehold. Lowe's POV is so ENDEARING to a point that made me want to hug this so-called Alpha. AND BOY HE'S DOWN BAD FOR HER. LIKE DOWN BAD BYE IM SCREAMING CAUSE AGHHH.

Besides the romance in here (WHICH WAS IMMACULATELY DONE), I had LOVED the found family in here. And Lowe? oh Good lord Ali's men are made of something else i tell you. And please Ali, I can't fight the allegations anymore. This book had CEMENTED it. And for someone who had read all of Ali's works, I love the growth in her books and in her writing. And I liked that she's venturing out into writing more than just one type of genre which makes it so much fun to read.

Bride is that book that you can pick up and just read it on a whim. Honestly, if you don't like Ali's books anymore, its okay. Ali is a league on her own. I just genuinely enjoy her books, and her writing and just everything :')

AND PLEASE I BEG YOU ALI PLEASE WRITE A SEQUEL I FREAKING NEED IT.

4.95🌟 for this one :') Istg i'm already biased at this point hahaha.

Thank you to Pansing for this copy! i truly appreciate it hehe.

This book had been an acid trip that I was desperate to end but couldn't help reading till the very end. It was a book that had made me squirmed and felt the need to repent for something I did not do. It was a book that made me stared at the ceiling for some time or other and wondered, "how the actual heck this book came to be." And it did. And even putting a 4.25 star read to this makes me feel squeamish.

I beg. This is not a book that I will casually tell someone to read. No. Its not a book for everyone, and it will definitely leave you scarred for good. And you should definitely hate with every single cell of your body on what the narrator had done. Its vile, its disgusting and it makes you question yourself multiple times why the heck are you continuing with this book.

But there it is everyone. When you say if you want to do something, better go big or go home. And oh boy did Rijneveld wrote this in the most effed up way possible but the proses done so splendidly well.

We follow our narrator, a vet who does rounds at the local farm and became obsessed with one of the farmer's daughter. Looking through the point-of-view from the narrator himself, in an almost journal-memoir form of his feelings, we follow the transgression of his relationship and the downfall of two beings. A story, in which from its very core is the repercussions of abuse, is a story of two broken individuals, in which, they should not have found any bond, but did, and how the act in itself had affected not just the individuals but the people around them as well. Its the story of the aftermath of constant abuse - in multiple settings and different fonts - and a form of love that should never ever ever ever be acted upon.

There is almost a suspense element to the story, where we are anxious to follow the narrator and his spiralling. Reading about an unreliable narrator will always do that to you. But this one? It had made me praying and hoping, so, so badly, for his desires for the girl to go away. (but then again, that's wishful thinking). And paired with Rijneveld, long-winded proses, it leaves you almost breathless at times and suffocating to a point that I almost vomited at some pages. The impending horror knowing that this man - whom at the back of his mind - knew something was amiss, and that whatever his doing is indeed wrong, as each of the progression of their relationship escalated makes you dread the pages as you go.

Besides the proses, I feel that the writing for Rijneveld, with his ode to Lolita, to the references in pop culture at the time, makes it very Dutch. From the setting to even the references from different personas in history, we go through the farms of Netherlands through the narrator's gaze. And somehow, reading this almost like a fevered dream of sorts - but almost more of a nightmare.

Also, besides the cruelties of the unfolding of the events itself, Rijneveld has shown the aftermaths of the grooming and sexual act itself will impact more on the women, and not just the girl that was abused, but also the people around the narrator. Its almost like a theatre of sorts, where when the climax unfolds, everything around the said person (victim) is affected, from their livelihoods and to the society around them.

I felt that Rijneveld had done such an excellent job of portraying the domino effect of a heinous act. Where, even the predator feels that its an act of love, to the people affected, including the society around them, and the events that had unfold one bye one to further cement in regards to the act itself. That it is vile and horrendous. And that ladies and gentleman, to me, is how you write a story, in its most terror and horror but also, the symbolism that Rijneveld applied in the book makes it a very eye opening read.

No child has to go through such abuse. And, although the narrator had gone through a horrendous and most disgusting upbringing, that no one wishes upon anyone, it should not be a reason for the said person to look for love in places that they should not seek for in the first place. It is devastating to see how one childhood's trauma, can lead to another, in which the cycle will never break.

Again, not a book that I will tell everyone to read, but proceed at your own cost. Rijneveld is an author that I will definitely put on my radar - his writing is def something else.

Thank you to Times Reads for this copy! I truly appreciate it

Leave it to Ali Mother Hazelwood to be inspired to write a chess story after reading a Research Journal on the gender bias, especially in Chess (and yes maam, I did in fact read the paper that one of the characters referenced in here. Love it)

And that is why, whatever Ali Hazelwood writes, I will be biased and love them all anyways. And this one WITH ITS NON EXISTENT SPICE slaps so hard I was giggling, crying and gawking over how nerdy this book is.

And, ladies and gentleman, THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A CONTEMPORARY YA ROMANCE . It checks all the boxes. Not only its a coming-of-age story, BOTH the characters were portrayed really well, especially by their struggles, and, the way Ali Hazelwood actually writes FOR THE WOMEN, yup, we know she's a girl's girl. This book was everything and more, and my gosh, I will not hear any slander of this book because to me? Its perfection.

Let's start off with Mallory. She can be such a pick me girl if not executed well, but, I for one can see myself in Mallory so much, and that's why her character resonated something in me. This book is definitely for the ELDEST DAUGHTERS and for those who didn't believe that you can have a chance on love. Tears were shed, and I learnt a lot from this book as well. Mallory for me is endearing, even if she can be controlling and annoying - but I loved that everyone around her is always there to slap some senses in her.

and, *sighs* no one writes beautiful FICTIONAL men than Ali Hazelwood can, cause mygosh I don't even like trust fund babies, but for Nolan, Imma adopt this boy ;') I swear I love how their relationship progresses and the ANGST????? You would have to think I was reading 5 pages of spicy scenes, but NO, THEY WERE PLAYING CHESS AND IT WAS SO ANGSTY I WAS SQUEALING.

And that brings me to point three..... I LOVE HOW NERDY THIS BOOK IS. As a fan and occasional player of chess, reading Queen's Gambit was something... but reading this? Damn. Its just felt like a book written by a nerd for a nerd, even if its in different fonts. The way the romance was built up? Yeah please Nolan was so down bad for her I can't I love them to pieces.

Honestly, its always hard to write about a book that you love. There's so much emotions when I was reading this, and I love it to a point of no return. This book has my whole heart and AGH please, Ali Hazelwood and her agenda in pointing out the discrimination of women in STEM and men-dominating industries will forever be supported by me.

This one has my whole heart. I love it to pieces.

Definitely did a checkmate on my heart.

5 infinite 🌟 ! Thank you to Times Reads for this copy <3