chaptersofmads's reviews
828 reviews

TW: abandonment, alcoholism, cancer, death, death of a loved one, fatphobia, grief.

Such a sweet story! I don't always connect well with graphic novels, but I think the length of this one really helped as well as the incorporations of complex topics (such as grief and generational curses) amidst the romance/humor. I also really loved how the magical realism was handled.

On top of that, the art itself was stunning.

Absolutely hated her friend though, holy crap. I get it. I do. But damn.

Overall, I recommend this if you're looking for a quick and cute, but still meaningful read.

"It’s hard to remember sometimes all that goes into a life, all the different versions of a person, throughout the years, all the ways in which people are capable of changing."

A well-intentioned book that I didn't feel accomplished what it wanted to.

There's a clear message and hope for this story and I appreciate that, however; the message was rushed and lost to the convoluted, dull character plotlines. There were so many long paragraphs about mundane things and instead of connecting me with the characters or showing their humanity, it just made the entire book a bit tedious.

As for the plot itself, I couldn't bring myself to care for any of the characters beyond the barest hint of sympathy. Even the attempts at redeeming a specific character felt rushed, performative, and too sudden to have any meaning.

The narration - in an attempt to be accessible - felt extremely stilted and cringy. There are parts where the characters discuss having the entire mall put on a flash mob in hopes it will go viral, thus ensuring a character gets into college. There's another entire paragraph about the mucus of a dog. It's... a mess.

Overall, I see what the author wanted to do and I think - based off of the reviews - a lot of other people really connected with that. Unfortunately, I didn't feel anything aside from boredom and irritation.

While I don't necessarily recommend it, it's worked for so many other people that I know I'm in the minority. If it sounds interesting to you and the subject matter doesn't seem triggering, then I'd suggest checking it out.

"There are no happy endings in your story. The god and the gumiho ends with tragedy."

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A fun and creative read that's sure to delight romantasy fans!

It's a testament to Sophie Kim's writing abilities that I enjoyed this story as much as I did. I started with anticipations high - due to the author's Talons series being one of my favorite trilogies - but quickly realized there were a lot of things about this story that clashed with my personal tastes. Particularly the fact the LI read like a Snape and Loki crossover, which is not my cup of tea.

However! Even with these personal issues and some technical ones, this was still a fun time. I had to look past certain things (such as how icky the fmc is. why was she consistently sticky and chewing weirdly?) but I was invested in the plot and ultimately, did care about their relationship.

This is sure to be a win with trope-driven readers, as this book is filled with many beloved tropes (sunshine x grumpy, forced proximity, etc.) without them feeling out of place. Due to the nature of the story and the fact it never took itself too seriously, these things felt like fun inclusions rather than eye-roll inducing fan-service.

I don't know if contemporary fantasy is one of my favorite things, but I will say that I appreciated how the author incorporated real world elements with her fantastical beings. It was reminiscent of how mystical creatures exist in the Shadowhunters world, while very much remaining its own story.

Overall, while this was not to my personal taste and it was a bit flawed, I still emphatically recommend this. If you're someone that wants a quick romantasy where the plot isn't lost to the romance and the characters have their own driving forces beyond their hormones, I do think you will love this.

Beyond anything else, looking past the stickiness, it is a fun time.

“Just because you don’t remember hearing them doesn’t mean they’ve stopped talking. It means you’ve stopped listening.”

A super fun, imaginative MG with a focus on self-identity and a celebration of mythology/culture.

This would work so well as an animated TV show! I could visualize everything so vividly while reading and my brain kept translating it to a show. I loved the focus on Lei finding herself, feeling caught between worlds, as well as the fun of reconnecting with nature.

This is a very... solitary book, meaning that for most of the journey it is just the main character and a talking animal companion. That did lead to some parts of it feeling a bit sluggish, as the pacing was a bit off, which could be a struggle for certain younger readers but! I also appreciated that it gave us time for the main character to rediscover the world around her (mostly) on her own.

Overall, a fun time that would be good for fans of PJO or Aru Shah. 

“The name Rachel Price is almost synonymous with mystery. Because her disappearance was like a puzzle, and it’s human nature to want to solve a puzzle, don’t you think?”

A bit of a let-down after AGGGTM, but still entertaining.

It was a struggle to get into, due to the slowness of the plot and the unkindness of the main character (I understand why she was the way she was, I don't even blame her, but it was still annoying to read her bullying people who had done nothing wrong even if I completely understood her motive/trauma.)

Eventually, though, it picked up and while I had started piecing things together, I hadn't figured it all out by the end which was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, not my favorite but it was okay.

Bit conflicted on how to review this one.

Firstly, this is such an improvement from Star Daughter!

This was incredibly creative, with an interesting plot and well-developed world/magic system. The characters read young (even for YA) which lead to a lot of their interactions feeling both petulant and rushed. It reminded me of a DCOM in book form (particularly a Descendants-esque movie) which I think will be perfect for some people.

I also think that's why this book doesn't exactly work for everyone. And why it didn't work for me. I'm rounding my rating up to a 4 star because I really do think this was successful in being the type of story it wanted to be, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the story it wanted to be lol.
The pacing and the immature way everything was handled, as well as a struggle with characterization are among the top of my issues with the book. At the end of the day, these are also really subjective things and I know that they wouldn't bother everyone the way they bothered me.

Overall, I loved the rep. I loved the magic system and the mythology. I loved how unique the plot was. I think this book has a lot going for it and I do recommend it, as long as you're not expecting this to be the most developed YA book you've ever read.

“You are in all of my happiest places.”

Once again, Emily Henry has saved me from a reading slump. There's witchcraft in these books, I swear.

There's a part in here where the main character jokingly describes herself as 'slow-release hot' and strangely, that's a good way to explain my feelings about this book.

For someone that's been struggling to read anything lately, this gripped me immediately. It was so easy to fall back into the familiar writing style.

However, it probably wasn't until the last 30% that I realized how much I loved it. The romance, the individual characters, Harriet's journey to finding herself; every piece of it had somehow grown on me without me even fully realizing it.
I still had a few qualms, particularly the fact it felt a bit more... formulaic in comparison to the rest of her books, but even that faded as I carried on.

One of my favorite things about Emily Henry's books is that they're actually therapist appointments under the guise of a cheerful romance. Happy Place was no different. Somehow, no matter how much I do or don't relate to her characters, there are always lines that feel like someone took a look into some part of me and made it coherent. Made it something lovable. It's a really special feeling and it shocks me every time.

Overall, I hope she keeps writing these beautiful, sappy, vulnerable books for the rest of time and I hope each of them makes me feel as happy and understood as they have thus far.


Current Ranking:

1. Book Lovers
2. Beach Read
3. Happy Place
4. People We Meet on Vacation 

“It felt like the world had divided into two different types of people, those who had felt pain and those who had yet to.”

Despite having been recommended this book a million times, I admittedly knew very little about it before picking it up. I knew nothing beyond the barest elevator pitch: it was a memoir about grief and culture and identity.

I recently lost an extended family member to cancer, so this might have been the perfect time to read this or the worst. I'm still not entirely sure. I know that it made me feel a lot. My experience with my family member is entirely different and I didn't witness any of his struggles (we live across the country from each other), but the way she put her grief into words was so meaningful.

I can struggle with memoirs because (sometimes) I feel like the authors have a tendency to paint themselves in rose colored lighting, which is understandable. We all experience our lives and the events that shape us in our own ways, but when the authors seem incapable of admitting they're flawed human beings that make mistakes... I struggle to care about their story.
Which is why I was so impressed with the way the author was so candid in here. She speaks of the rough experiences she's endured, but she also never attempts to hide her own mistakes or shortcomings. It was such a simple aspect that made this so much stronger.

Overall, I don't read many memoirs so I'm still not very confident in reviewing them. I know this is easily my favorite I've read. It's heartfelt and raw, with one of the best insights into culture and grief and family that I have ever read.

I completely get the love for this book and I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you're someone trying to branch out from only reading fiction. It's a heavy read, but super comprehensible and perfect for someone trying to get into nonfiction. 

“The things that scare us can also give us joy. We just have to learn how to see them in a different light.”

Yet another really fun addition to what is such a sweet, adventurous series.

In this one, Aru is fourteen and I loved the way her getting older is handled. She's still young and naive, but there's beginning to be moments of realizations throughout the story as she's becoming aware that the world isn't quite as easily divided as she'd once believed.

Amidst that, there's also plenty of silly humor and fun hijinks. It was nice to be back with these characters and I appreciated Mini getting some more attention. She's such a sweet character and it was cool to see her strengths represented more in this one.

I did feel like a lot of the book felt pretty repetitive, but that can happen really easily with quest books where they're going from place to place.

There's also quite a few Harry Potter references in here which... is understandable, but always a bit jarring lol.

Overall, I stand by the fact this really is such an underrated middle grade series and I will continue to recommend it to everyone looking for a series for their kids (or anyone that loves middle grade.)

 

“They had both knew from the beginning that they would not save each other.”

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

From the moment I read what this book was about, I was certain I was going to love it. A dark, diverse Peter Pan retelling with themes of trauma, grief, lost childhood, addiction, etc. was right up my alley. I love the light, fairytale, whimsical versions of Peter Pan but I also know how well the story can lend itself to darker themes and I was excited for what the author was going to do with this.

Before I carry on with the review, I want to say that I'm aware that this was this author's debut and the act of writing a book is an impressive feat. Not every book will be for every reader. That doesn't mean I am not aware of the work put into this or that I mean any ill will to the author themself. Even just the act of including all of the rep in here (disability, specifically) was incredible and something we need more in fantasy.

That being said, I cannot remember the last time I struggled this much to read a book. My issues were with every aspect of the story made it difficult to even pick up. I struggled with the pacing, the worldbuilding, the characters, the writing style, and even the way the themes were handled (specifically ones I had experience with.)

There's so much that could have been fantastic about this book, but I don't feel like it was capable of reaching its full potential.

The world-building was a mess that was barely described and when it was described, I ended up more confused than I was before. I understand the world beyond the Island is supposed to be like ours, but not - though even this is never really explained, other than a difference in currency and the Peter Pan book having been written by a different author.

The Island itself was a geographical disaster. While I understand the intention of this may have been to replicate the dream-like confusion and nonsensical view of the world that exists in childhood, no one ever questions it or brings such a thing up - leaving the reader to wonder if they're just immensely stupid or if nothing is truly being explained.

The characters were impossible to connect with/care for/sympathize with, any of it. We're supposed to believe that they're this way due to the trauma they've experienced from the island and the Dust addiction, but then we have flashbacks to one of them (at age 7) beating the shit out of their 4 year old sister because their family loved her ballet moves. Sibling rivalry is a thing and I'm not lessening that, but you can't have me believe a character is only terrible because of what Peter Pan made them and then show me they were always terrible.

Another thing, Peter wasn't even a character. He was a cardboard cut-out villain that murders mercilessly and giggles. That's literally all he does. He goes from acting like a drunk child to calling Tink a bitch. The story of Neverland always includes the fighting and stopping of pirates. That's a plot that can get dark and I appreciate that, however; the violence felt sadistic for the sake of being sadistic. This Peter and his Lost Boys don't imagine themselves as the Island's valiant protectors or glorious heroes stopping the villains, they're just creepy and torture any adult they come across.

One final point before I end this review, as it is already long and negative enough. I usually try to stay objective and keep my personal opinions out, but in case you're like me, I wanted to mention: this book was very descriptively written and could be particularly graphic or disturbing, especially when it comes to the gore or the vomiting. I'm not usually bothered by what I read, but there were moments this actually turned my stomach.
If you're someone with sensitivities, triggers, or even just sensory issues I would recommend being aware of that before heading into the book.

Overall, I'm absolutely devastated that I disliked this as much as I did, but I can't honestly rate it any higher. As always with ARCs, I'm grateful to have read it and I truly do wish the author the best.