beccisays's reviews
369 reviews

There was so much senseless animal death in this. Chicken massacres happened twice, plus peacocks. A dog died for no good reason. She even tied her dog and goats to someone’s car when she skipped town, luckily no deaths as a result but it’s still thoughtless and cruel. Not an animal but her sister’s terminal illness was just thrown into the mix and concluded so quickly and callously. I’m not against any of this in books if it makes sense but none of it added anything to the plot that couldn’t have been achieved by going a different route IMO. 

It was free with the Audible Plus catalogue, the romance was romancing and the smut was smutting though so, what ya gonna do?

My favourite parts of this book were the lists, like the literal reasons to live and all the silly ways in which society interacts with mentally ill people that would never make sense for physically ill people.

There were some other moments of relatability in this for me, notably the discussion around books as a coping mechanism or form of escapism.

For the most part though, this story didn’t speak to my experiences. I think that’s fine and to be expected though, this was Matt’s story and personal experience. 

I’m glad that because of this book, there are more people being brave and honest enough to speak openly on their experiences with depression. Any books and authors that contribute to lessening the stigma and shame of subjects like this, gets my support.

It wasn’t bad but I didn’t love it. I had really high expectations, this was one of the books I was most looking forward to this year. I'm wondering now if I set myself up for a fall by setting my hopes too high and that’s why this felt a little underwhelming. 

First of all, I appreciated the disability rep and that we saw this in a main character. In particular, I liked that Lettle's limb difference and chronic pain was acknowledged and dealt with thoughtfully, however it never held her back or came off as a weakness.

I also liked the sapphic romance and how normalised same-sex attraction was in this world. However, I do think the attraction between Yeeran and two strong, fierce women in leadership positions felt a bit predictable. I think the connections would have been more meaningful and impactful if only one had been in a position of power or if it wasn't so easy to compare the two against each other.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters deeply. I think the writing and story were okay, I just felt very passive reading this, like I was viewing the events at a surface level without being emotionally invested. I also couldn’t quite get behind the drum as a weapon thing, although it’s an interesting and unique concept with potential, I just failed to connect with it. 

I really needed a boost today and along came Ms Haddish to curse me with some of her infectious joy and resilience.
This audiobook was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. I feel like I’ve just been through a pep talk, a sex-ed class, a stand-up routine and too many life lessons to count.

I came in hoping for some of the relatable, tell-it-like-it-is, comic relief that Tiffany is known for and came away with all that, plus a heavy dose of inspiration from her words of wisdom, life experience and unique perspective. 

PLEASE get the audiobook 🙏🏻 hearing Tiffany’s words straight from her is the way to go. I’m not surprised she was nominated for a Grammy on her last audiobook if this performance was anything to go by. I will be going back to listen to The Last Black Unicorn ASAP. If the audiobook wasn’t already worth it for her incredible narration, it’s worth it for her comedic timing, sound effects and bloopers. 

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Tiffany Haddish for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a refreshing, profanity laden, blunt and unapologetic take on self-help books. I don’t think it’s meant to be life changing or the cure for clinical depression, there’s no secrets or truths that I now know that I didn’t before.

However, sometimes it is really validating and comforting to hear your experience echoed in someone else’s voice. It is also a relief to stumble across a person who shares your dark or self-deprecating humour, so that you’re able to indulge it without causing a fuss or shock to others who process difficulties differently.

There were, of course, some aspects of this that don’t comfortably or entirely fit my experiences. There were certain notes of advice or encouragement that works by appealing to ego or a flair for the creative or dramatic that I just didn’t relate to. At times, this did feel like a take on mental health from a male perspective too. Saying that, when the conversation surrounds depression and suicide, men are an underrepresented voice and so I am very glad this has been given a platform to reach other males who may be in the same headspace. 

As a quick listen, that’s free with Audible plus and easily accessible when I was having a tough morning, I can’t really fault it. 

I liked this, just not quite as much as the Zodiac signs book from the same series. It’s interesting and I appreciate that all the phases were covered in detail, not just new moons and full moons. I’m going to try to remember to relisten to sections during particular moon phases as a reminder of what prompts were included.

It was a relaxing and interesting short audiobook that I could listen to while doing some self-care. I liked that it gave equal time and attention to all the signs and that you were encouraged to apply each sign's energy to yourself by using the focuses during that season, instead of just paying attention to your sun sign or signs that feature in your birth chart. 

This was okay, I didn’t love it but it was a welcome change in my usual reading habits. A bit of a filthy fluff read.

The relationship unfolding was ✨uncomfy✨ to witness, especially as someone who has found themselves sucked into controlling and abusive relationship dynamics in the past. The narrator absolutely knew what she was doing giving Sam that voice and accent. Male or female, it serves fuckboy energy and a very particular and immediate brand of PTSD to Londoners.

The main characters were horrifically middle class, desperate to live life on the edge and be recognised for their woke, wild ways. I don’t think I had a favourite character - maybe Owen or Dave? They seemed the most down to earth. I did still snort laugh a few times, the frankness of the casual drug culture in England was refreshing and relatable to read about. It’s comedic in a tragic way but that’s just the reality of it I suppose.

I loved this series so so much! This book was the perfect way to wrap up such a powerful and emotive story. Therefore I, of course, have just finished crying my eyes out.

At first I was a bit confused by Aefe's chapters and questioning their inclusion. However I'm glad the author led us backwards to the beginning of Reshaye's story, so that she could humanise her and show her to be just another victim of the people who ruthlessly pursue power, instead of a monster or a weapon. I'm also very grateful we were given ample time at the end to find out what happens to the characters after the war, to understand what they chose to chase or rebuild and to know what their own happily ever afters looked like. I think this might have been the spiciest book so far too, which is always a bonus!

The themes throughout of survival against all odds, the craving to feel seen and safe above everything else and finding home within a person really struck a chord with me. Perhaps it's just because I loved the characters so much by this point and connect with the emotions behind the words but I could not stop highlighting parts of the book.

I failed to really connect with this as much as the first and third book. It is no doubt a good book, however I didn't save a single quote or cry once, I also put off adding a review so something wasn't clicking for me at the time. It was either a case of middle book syndrome or trope fatigue.

I didn't love that for the first half of the book the main characters were separated, it's something I've seen used far too much in follow-up books to add some angst and it was the 2nd book in a row where the author had chosen to go that route, so I'm willing to hold my hands up to perhaps being unfairly turned off by that trope alone.