chaptersofmads's reviews
837 reviews

Before I start the actual review, I'd like to place a warning that this isn't going to be a professional review, nor is it going to be without spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

With that out of the way: this was fucking horrendous.

I didn't go into this expecting it to be spectacular (this pun is the only levity that shall exist in this review; cherish it), but Stephanie Garber's books mean a lot to me (Caraval is the book I credit with getting me back into reading) and I was looking forward to a fun, campy, cash-grab, Christmassy time.

What I got was a TellaLegend low-calorie dark romance kidnapping spectacle, complete with her mentally repeating phrases such as "the possessive touch that shouldn't feel good, but does" as he slips her hand up her skirt whilst she is blindfolded, gagged, and bound and you (the reader) don't know she's aware who her captor is. You aren't even supposed to know who her captor is. For all intents and purposes, you're meant to read it as though she's being assaulted. All for it to wrap up with the happy realization that she'd actually asked to be kidnapped by Legend and that she was "pretty sure" it was him for most of it.

What the actual fuck?

It's at this point of the review that I'd like to clarify: I'm not kink-shaming nor am I insinuating that roleplay is inherently harmful. But there's a very big difference between fiction depicting consenting adults' sexual exploration and a book being sold as a YA Christmas novella romanticizing SA/completely ignoring consent (Tella actually tells Legend ((referred to as 'her captor' in this scene because the reader isn't supposed to know it's been Legend all along)) to stop and he keeps going.)

This isn't about whether or not sex belongs in YA. This is about a novella with a really harmful message being poorly marketed and published for 12-18 year olds.

My indignation aside: this also just really sucked. We get barely any Scarlett (or Julian), most of the book (pre-kidnapping) revolves around the same Tella/Legend crap that ruined the original trilogy, and the plot is just... abhorrently dumb.

Honestly, the only good thing I have to say about it is that the art was very pretty and Christmassy.

Though it may not sound like it, I really was incredibly excited for this. Caraval is a book that meant so much to me when I first read it and I also really enjoyed the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. When this was announced, I was really looking forward to returning to the world with a holiday twist - a sad mistake on my part.

I'd like to think that Stephanie Garber didn't think about the implications of this book, but I find it hard to believe that no one brought up these concerns before it made it to publication.

Overall, I'm just really sad/disappointed that this was the direction they decided to go in. This could have been such a fun, cheery (while still maintaining Stephanie Garber's love of the dark/twisted) time if we'd thought for literally 2.5 seconds about the implications of the story and how it could come off the wrong way.

Also, if Tella and Legend just fell off the face of the earth but that's another point entirely :)

I don't recommend this, unless you really want 0.2 seconds of Scarlett and Julian and some festive Caraval art.

“The magic she believed in was of a different sort. The sort that cheered a pall of melancholy, that fed a hungry belly, that warmed a cold heart. She believed in kindness, in compassion, and in sharing what fortune she had---with those who needed it.”

Once again, Elizabeth Lim proves she is incapable of writing a bad book and I love her for that.

I was incredibly hesitant to pick this particular story up due to a lifelong distaste of the movie, but Elizabeth Lim wrote it and that fact was enough to make my decision.
To my relief (and probably the disappointment of others), this book has very little to do with Pinocchio/the events of the movie itself.

This book is about the Blue Fairy, her past and what led her to grant Geppetto's wish. It's really about sisterhood, family, compassion, and the complicated morality behind our choices (with any of the actual Pinocchio story happening in the last 20-ish% or so.)

So, I would recommend this but with the caveat that this is not Pinocchio's story. If you go in expecting/wanting that, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you want a sweet family story with magic and the vibe of Pinocchio captured rather well, I would definitely suggest giving it a try.

Overall, I'm honestly surprised at how much I liked it. I can't see myself ever rereading it or thinking of it much in the future, but it was a good time and I'm glad I read it. 

After checking some reviews, I've determined that there isn't a single reason for me to keep reading this, except to feel even more justified in my hatred of it. 

“She now understood that the world wasn’t kind to young women, especially when they behaved in ways men didn’t like, and spoke truths that men weren’t ready to hear.”

People have been recommending this to me for years and they were all right. It's a complete failure on my part that it took me 5 entire years to actually pick this book up, but I'm so glad I finally gave it a chance.

This was a masterclass in how to create a great YA fantasy standalone. Somehow, finding a perfectly steady pace, this book weaves together humor and magic with a host of grim, sometimes almost creepy subject matter and balances them perfectly. It has lovable, vivid characters, an incredibly fun book-based magic system, and some of my favorite pieces of writing I've read all year.

I would recommend this to almost anyone, but particularly fans of the Infernal Devices series. They aren't incredibly similar, but if you loved one, I feel you would really enjoy the other.

Overall, I had such a good time with this. Everyone that recommended it was correct and I love them for it. 

“He knew that she was the only one he wanted to find in the darkness. The only one he wanted to hold the shape of his soul, even with his thorns and dreams and wounds.”

Another beautiful book from Rebecca Ross, proving that I need to read everything she's ever written.

As with the first book, A Fire Endless transported me to Cadence from the first page. I read quite a bit (admittedly, not as much lately lol) and it's incredibly rare to find books I feel are this immersive and magical, with characters that stay with me long after I've read the last page. Both books of the Elements of Cadence duology accomplish this flawlessly.

With that being said, I did enjoy this one slightly less than A River Enchanted. Mostly due to an increase in predictability & melodrama, particularly in scenes that were meant to be solving a political dilemma. These moments often felt like the fantasy equivalent of "and then everyone clapped." Which may not make sense to anyone other than myself, but the comparison remains.

Don't get me wrong! I still adored this book. I love the poetically romantic way it was written, the focus on the spirits, and the journeys the characters went on. Truthfully, my complaints are only noticeable when contrasted with how perfect book 1 was. I just wanted to explain why this didn't quite reach a 5 star rating.

Overall? This has cemented its place as one of my all-time favorite series/duologies. These are the kinds of books you leave feeling forever changed, willing everyone in your life to read it so they can partake in the story you love so dearly.

If you've made it this far into my exhausted rambling and are still wondering: yes, I highly recommend this duology. It's atmospheric, magical, romantic, and a bunch of other beautiful words I could probably think of if I wasn't so tired right now.

Just read it. It's fantastic. 

Wholesome and beautifully illustrated. 

There are still some (mostly personal) things I don't connect with in this series, but I still enjoyed my time reading it. I also loved the casual rep (especially sign language!) and the message of this installment. 

Overall, very cute and made me hungry lol. 

"You're only a monster if you choose to be."

Maintaining most of what I liked about the first book and improving on some aspects I didn't, Celestial Monsters was a pretty good sequel.

I still think this duology kind of reads like a children's show where they're allowed to swear, complete with incredibly cheesy dialogue and melodramatic emotions. Legitmately, so many scenes felt like something lifted from children's media (up until the point where someone said "fuck"). While this vibe doesn't work for me personally, I do actually think it's a selling point of the series. Giving nostalgia along with aging up the characters experiencing the events.

All in all, this duology is a fun time. Not without its flaws, but I'm still happy I read it. I do recommend it to readers that are looking for a fast-paced, entertaining series with fascinating mythology and characters that grapple with the morality of how their world is set up.

Overall, I had a nice time with this and I'd like to read more from Aiden Thomas in the future.

This was the kind of book I should have read in one sitting.

Alas, I have lacked all motivation to read lately and therefore, did not.

I keep finding cozy books that succeed in the cozy, atmospheric vibes but seem to fall short in all other departments and this was one of them. Most of this book wasn't bad; a bit derivative, Hallmark-y, rife with every surviving petty HS drama available, but the vibes and family relationships could have made up for it.

If I had read this in one sitting, I think I might not have noticed the shortcomings of the book as much as I did - because I would have consumed it the same way I would have a quick Hallmark movie.

Unfortunately, as the book kept going on, the flaws just became really unavoidable. Already, the characterization was similar to playing MySims on the Wii, even with the types of tasks given to Emma as she prepared events. (I understand this might be niche, but imagine Violet ((from MySims)) was an eccentric author and you basically have the vibes) The plot was... a mess. The mystery was laughably absurd and the reveal was not only stupid, but also the most misogynistic way to go about anything.

(I want to clarify: I know a lot of people go into cozy books looking for vibes only and I'm not lessening that. For me though, I think a book should be able to have cozy vibes and a coherent plot, as well as not pitting nearly every female character against each other over extremely petty shit. <3)

Overall, while I didn't hate this, I do kind of feel like it was a waste of my time. 

An inspirational, heartfelt read for fans of and strangers to Gilmore Girls alike.


(Not rating this as I don't rate non-fiction.) 

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

I tried really, really hard to get into this but I just can't do it anymore. This was an extremely anticipated read for me, from the moment I heard the synopsis. It's a really intriguing premise with a fantastic cover.

And I want to be clear: this was not bad.

However, I was struggling with everything from the characters to the plot direction. It was one of those experiences where I didn't even realize I wasn't enjoying it, until I noticed that picking it up felt like a dreaded chore. My delayed realization is partially because I really do like the concept and I also liked the author's writing style.

I think Alexis Henderson is really talented and wrote the book exactly as it was meant to be written.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to keep me engaged. Despite being an adult novel, the characters read very young and the budding romance (teacher x student, though they're both adults) was... not for me. This, along with the extremely slow pacing and a few other personal critiques, made reading this a difficult task.

I ended up realizing that I could stop reading and would never again wonder where the story was going - a sign that I should probably dnf.

With that being said, I think that's highly personal. I'll repeat: this is not a bad book. I think it's a good book with a super interesting idea, even if I didn't connect with the execution. If this sounds interesting, I do recommend picking it up.

I wish this had worked for me but I'm still incredibly grateful for the chance to read it.