annieice's reviews
776 reviews

actually pretty cozy and the stories were pretty realistic. i liked all of them and it was interesting how every character's voice was unique and they all were voiced by other narrators too. it's basically a book about people dealing with living under capitalism. tells you to try new things, or just take care of yourself, find new hobbies etc. Natsumi's husband was in the wrong tbh, i don't care. anyways good cozy book really shows the power of communities and libraries.

it was surprisingly unique for a YA contemporary book with magical realism elements. the MC was very unique and relatable somehow. i like how she was technically morally gray and her rivalry with Henry was pretty interesting. i actually cringed with her many times but dang was Henry a green flag. the ending was too happy I suppose but we're all okay with the poor girl going pretty unscathed so I don't care. the book did a critique of classism well in simple ways but it also kind of leaned capitalistic at the same time which I didn't really like but oh well. still a book i'd recommend and it's more have on the realism than magical part.

i actually think i did watch some videos of 8 passengers back when i was a kid/tween especially the ones related to back to school, so it sounds even more bizarre to know what was happening behind the cameras. since i grew up i have a GENUINE DISTASTE AND HATRED towards family vloggers or just parents who film their kids for content and clout, but knowing about this family was insanee. Shari is so brave for helping her younger siblings get out of this horrible abuse and her writing and audiobook narration was awesome. Ruby is such a weird woman, she'd be a quite interesting case study. i do wonder if Jodi ever really liked her or just you know pretended and manipulated her... I don't like Kevin tbh, i know Shari decides what she feels about her own father but he was just such a deadbeat... and i know men can be victims of abuse too and stuff but i don't know... i guess they broke him a lot. i also say that this was 100% a cult. a cult doesn't need to be big to be one, and tbh with the amount of listeners and customers they had.... anyways i'm glad things are better now but God i feel bad cause these kids were unlucky to have such a horrible mom and meh dad. anyways i saw some ppl complaining that Shari didn't leave her LDS church because it was pretty integral to this whole thing happening... and i see their point. everything i learn about this religion is against my will and is pretty horrible. not saying anything against all their believers but... yikes. BUT i'll say i did like that Shari didn't stray away from her belief in God, that was admirable. hope she always stays with that no matter what religion. anyways the 4 stars are for the writing, narration and personal enjoyment, obviously the story isn't being rated as it's a memoir.

I HATE ENDINGS, WHYYYY??? THIS WAS SO PERFECT AND I JUST.... I CANTTT.
I LOVE HOW EVERYONE GOT THEIR HAPPY ENDINGS (DID THISSEL DIE???) BUT MY POOR AUTISTIC BABY LAOIS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE MONSTERS, NOOOO. 
also the additional comics are just awesome, i want more slice of life ones of everyone after the finale, i can't say good bye yettt. 
oh also i loved how even though i enjoyed shipping many characters (because Ryoko is great at chemistry) i'm glad romance wasn't a part of the story at all, such a breath of fresh air. love seeing all my characters be like a family with each other

i've gobbled all the manga up so fast, why oh why??? i really want to own the physical volumes so i can reread them anytimeee

PERFECTION the plot twists, the reveals, the character developemnts, the world building, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MANGAAA

my God i also love Kabru x Laois!!!!

i'm hungry to finish it all today!!!

AAAAAAAAAA! why do i love this story sooo much??? like all the characters are so well written, the recent stories were CRAZYYY and i lowkey ship KabruxMithrun??? also just the LOREEE the WORLDBUILDING, other fantasy writers should take NOTES

the 3rd book was as filled with adventures as ever but this time our heroine was magicless but not powerless. i liked how she never gives up BUT it does feel a tad unrealistic. look I'm not new to fantasy stories with MCs who do ANYTHING for the ones they love and for the greater good but it always makes me feel like it's just not how someone with so much responsibility would act... like being brave wouldn't be easy. sure it isn't necessarily easy for Amari either but still... i think I'm in the minority when I say I still like Dylan, I guess I just can't give up this idea of him I have where he turns out to be right after all. it sounds like a better story than this one, which of course is gonna make you ask 'why are you reading this series then?' because I keep having this hope that it will go the way I want it to. like the lesson the author is giving seems a bit problematic, where he seems to condemn standing up for the oppressed people, he doesn't seem to like resistance and the MC trying to be 'one of the good ones' always keeps on being celebrated and as the right way to be... it just pisses me off. just because you're an oppressed class/group doesn't mean you have to just follow all the rules and be perfect to prove them wrong. you don't change the status quo that way, you gotta fight. just because you're not being treated as badly as the others doesn't mean you get to sideline the rest ya know? i just want this series to get more serious, and make the villain be more believable and human (come on why is the whole world so terrified of a child with mental issues?! also isn't it the parents' and society's fault he's that way? why is everyone giving up on him getting rehabilitated/redeemed?) now I'm not saying the series did everything bad, there were attempts to challenge the status quo but it wasn't enough. does this mean that the author is saving the big guns for later? maybe, I really hope so, because for some reason I'll still stick with it because if I don't analyze it too deeply I still like the story in a purely fun way and because the world-building and the MC are unique somehow.