chaptersofmads's reviews
845 reviews

Well... damn....

This was cute, if a bit boring at times. I felt it hard to connect emotionally to the story, like I was listening to someone tell me about the events happening rather than feeling the characters experience them but I'll admit that could just be a me thing. 

Loved the world-building and the rep. It really was done well. 

I'd recommend this to my younger siblings and people that really love MG, but maybe not to a kid that's struggling to get into reading. 

Forgot I never reviewed this, so to put it very briefly: not so good.

Intention: modern, mythical Atlantis meets Chicago? (The city, not the musical.)
Execution: Shark Tale but with less depth.

I get what this book wanted to be. There were moments when I felt like I could see the structure of what it could have been. But, unfortunately, none of those intentions ever felt realized for me.

Part of the issue may have been because the author simply wanted to do too many things. There were too many characters and creatures, the world-building needed to be scaled back a bit so that the reader could find their footing in the story. And instead, it just felt like a constant stream of random information that was expected to make you emotional.

On top of that, as the first line of this review indicates, the vibes were just not there for me. This is going to be super niche and an example of my Christian homeschooled upbringing, but if you've ever seen the Christian show Kingdom Under the Sea from 2003 - that's the energy I was getting. If that show had a baby with Shark Tale and Barbie in A Mermaid Tale, while somehow being incredibly boring and empty.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible book. I see the good in it. I just... think it could have been so much better. 

“...the passions of young girls are worth nurturing no matter how frivolous they may seem.”

What a pleasant surprise!

I was hesitant to pick this up at first, because this type of story doesn't usually appeal to me but after a few positive recs from people I trust, I decided to give it a try.

It's exactly what it promises to be: a romance novella with the plot of an aged-up boy-band fanfic. But it also has a lot of heart, which is surprising considering the page count. It doesn't shy away from the silliness of the plot, but asks why that silliness is something to be ashamed of - which I found lovely.

Unrelated to the story itself, but I'm always surprised when Jimmy Fallon or someone like that gets written into a story with actual dialogue. How does this work? Does one need Jimmy Fallon's permission before writing a scene where we have him interview a fictional boy-band member turned philanthropist clothing designer? Or can anyone just... use Jimmy Fallon's name in a story? Like if someone - hypothetically - wanted to write a reimagined Thumbelina where Jimmy Fallon inexplicably narrates the entire thing, how would they go about that?

Overall, this was fun and I'm glad I read it. 

“Is it silly that I didn't realize I was drowning until he told me he won't let it happen?”

This has a little kick to it, ngl lol.

I truly thought I was going to make it through this book without crying despite the facts that 1.) I cried while reading Ready or Not and 2.) I follow at least three people that have posted pictures of themselves crying upon finishing this book. Still, I'm not a big crier and I wasn't meshing super well with the first 40% of this book.

But that last 20%? It got me. I just sat in bed sniffling until I finished the book.

And then I impulsively rated it 4 stars (because emotions) and went to sleep. However, after reflection upon waking, I think 3.5 stars is a more accurate rating to how I felt about the book overall. Don't get me wrong. I liked this book, I thought aspects of it were beautiful and the scene where

her mother comes to see her outside of the cemetery

was equal parts beautiful and devastating.

However! I still felt like this fell short of what it could have been. In fact, for nearly the entire first half, I wasn't liking the book at all. Part of this is due to the fact I don't like grumpy male x sunshine female. (Even though this gets explained and Miles isn't this way this whole book, I'm still not a big fan of the really kind, borderline manic pixie dream girl protagonist and the asshole glower man. Maybe this is because I'm the asshole glower person, who knows.)

Some of this is due to the dialogue occasionally feeling stilted or the plot meandering a bit, with certain parts dragging while others (that deserved to be fleshed out) were rushed past.

And then there's also the incredibly personal gripe section, like the part where he's chewing by her ear and she's into it. That's a completely subjective ick and I accept that.

With that being said, this was such an easy read. Not in terms of subject matter, but because Cara Bastone's writing style works really well for me. I find that I can visualize everything she writes really easily and her characters - whether I like them or not - do feel really real, which is impressive.

Overall, this was definitely a good read and I recommend it, just maybe not quite as much as I thought I would before I read it. 

“The only way you can let me down is if you started hiding who you are. You may think I bring out the best in you, but I'm only helping you see the man who is already there. The man I love.”

I really did intend on giving this a higher rating, but after what had to be the fiftieth time of me being incredibly grossed out... I realized any higher would be insincere.

I went into this with pretty high expectations because I really enjoyed The Kiss Countdown when I read it last month. It was fluffy and fun, with likeable characters and just enough weight to the story to keep me interested. In my review, I even mentioned the fact I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get the ick from the story.

The Kiss Countdown didn't have the mmc

say, "10/10 would eat dehydrated pudding from your mouth again."

though, which is an obvious difference. (This line shows up in a love letter/journal entry meant for the fmc to read, it's in reference to him discovering new foods he likes, and even if it was joking, I don't want to read it <3)

My personal disgust aside, I also really disliked the romance in this book. From the very beginning, it sounds as if Brianna is much more interested in Roman than he is in her. Some of this is because he keeps his cards close to his chest, but it's also because a lot of their previous relationship was made up of silent interactions Brianna read into. I would say it takes 60% of the story for Roman to show any real interest in her, though she thinks they're already in a forbidden tryst.

The plot itself was okay, though it often felt like it was trying to heighten the very low stakes - which just made the stakes seem even lower. The dialogue was incredibly cringe-inducing, with the fmc seriously saying, "I may be delulu, but I'm delulu and happy." and "sure hope this doesn't awaken anything in me." at different points.

I will say, more than any other genre, I really do think romance comes down more to personal preference than anything else. The things that made this book really difficult for me to read, might work really well for someone else. I'm only listing my issues so that if you have the same ones, you can decide whether or not you want to give this one a try.

Overall, I appreciate what this book was trying to be, but it just let me down. While I wouldn't recommend this, I would definitely recommend you try out The Kiss Countdown if you're looking for a sweet romance book that delivers. 

“I have learned there is one thing a person never tires of, no matter how long they live. And that is being in love. All else is ash and ember.”

I'm pretending this trilogy isn't completed until further notice 😌

This was lovely. Just as cinematic as its predecessors, with the added bonus of throwing the reader headfirst into the world of fae. Being back with the characters genuinely felt like being among friends again. Emily and Wendell's individual character arcs (as well as their relationship) are top tier and genuinely raise the bar for all other series. (This is quite a bit of character development from all parties, as my review of book 1 specifies that I didn't like their relationship lol.)

I will say... this might just be a me thing, but I felt like the pacing was pretty off in this book? Like too many things were happening at once for any of them to get the proper focus, which just meant that everything felt very stationary, somehow. There were a few times I had to force myself to focus because my mind kept wandering from the story.

But overall, this was a satisfying, beautiful conclusion to the trilogy. Some of the lines in here were so beautiful I know they'll stay with me for quite awhile. If you haven't read this series yet and enjoy slow-paced, academic fantasies, I would recommend it - even though I think book 1 is incredibly flawed. It truly only gets better from there.

“It was strangely comforting— and strangely beautiful, to be known without having to speak a word.”

This was a delight!!

I'm admittedly pretty picky when it comes to Disney novelizations (and very critical about continuations/add-ons), so when this got announced, I was pretty concerned it was going to be a disaster. I've never been happier to be proven wrong.

This book made me feel like I was a child again.

Tinkerbell was always my younger sister's thing, so while I never considered it one of my interests, I can also say I've watched each of the movies more times than I can count. (The Lost Treasure is the best; fight me.) I can happily say I feel this did the movies justice, while aging the story up (just a bit) for a YA audience. While reading, I felt the author genuinely cared about the original story and it showed with how she wrote certain aspects - such as the minister of Autumn, I love him so much.

As for the plot itself, I loved getting a glimpse into Queen Clarion's backstory and seeing her before she was quite so stoic and ethereal. Her transformation throughout the book and her slowly coming to terms with her own feelings/beliefs was really lovely. She has flawed moments, but not in ways that are unbelievable for her future self to have made - if that makes any sense.

I also loved how light and innocent the romance was in here, while still being angsty. There are also sapphic fairies?? with 10+ years of pining?? they're so precious. I love them.

I think this review ended up a bit ramble-y, but hopefully I was able to convey how happy this made me. It felt like a warm hug and made me want to rewatch all of the Pixie Hollow movies, which is one of the best compliments you can give to a novelization/continuation of a Disney series. 

Brief review because I just realized I forgot to this weekend.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the ability that certain authors have to create such complex fantasy stories in the space of a novella will never cease to amaze me. This was no exception. Gripping from the first page and intriguing until the last. (Even though you might be able to guess where the plot is going, that doesn't stop the gut-punch once you actually reach it.)

This also had such a good message. I love when allegory is utilized the way it was in here and I've heard the series only goes deeper, so I can't wait to carry on.