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charmel's reviews
232 reviews
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
adventurous
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5
this book was just not for me :(
It was boring, I didn't find the characters fun, nothing cool was happening, and only thrilling things started happening at the end (80%) of the book.
It was boring, I didn't find the characters fun, nothing cool was happening, and only thrilling things started happening at the end (80%) of the book.
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
There are so many things I love in this book:
✧ First, the writing. It's beautiful. It's poignant. It's lyrical. It's one of the purest writing styles I've ever read.
✧ The anger and grief Rumi's experiencing hits so hard. It isn't overwritten, it's true and raw. Some people experience grief like that, some people can't move on easily. And just like Rumi's journey, they had to hold on for a while and wait until they start to accept and start to move on.
✧ The unique aro-ace representation! Self-discovery and accepting her sexuality is also an important part of Rumi's journey. Before she felt like it wasn't normal, she felt weird and strange about it. But over time, she feels valid, accepted, and normal.
✧ This book is also diverse. Rumi is a Half-Japanese and Half-Hawaiian and she has also part Filipino, Korean, and Samoan friends.
✧ Lastly, I loved the new friendship that Rumi found. No romance, just meaningful, loving friends. And I think that's important. Just like Rumi said, "someone can be beautiful and I don’t want to have a romantic relationship with them. There are other kinds of relationships I find more important. Family. Friendships. Music, " but in my case it's; family, friendships, and books. :)
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am now convinced that I should read all of Akemi Dawn Bowman's books or else I would regret life.
Once again, Akemi had made me cry. đź‘Ź
Once again, Akemi had made me cry. đź‘Ź
“You can’t rush creativity. It’s like the rain. You wait and wait and wait, and when it finally comes, it soaks the earth and revives all the plants.”
Summer Bird Blue is very close to my heart. It's about a girl, grieving her sister in Hawaii after her mom sent her away to her aunt. There she met her neighbors, an old grouchy man and a too care free teenage boy.
There are so many things I love in this book:
✧ First, the writing. It's beautiful. It's poignant. It's lyrical. It's one of the purest writing styles I've ever read.
✧ The anger and grief Rumi's experiencing hits so hard. It isn't overwritten, it's true and raw. Some people experience grief like that, some people can't move on easily. And just like Rumi's journey, they had to hold on for a while and wait until they start to accept and start to move on.
“Grief is a monster - not everyone gets out alive, and those who do might only survive in pieces. But it's a monster that can be conquered, with time.”
✧ The unique aro-ace representation! Self-discovery and accepting her sexuality is also an important part of Rumi's journey. Before she felt like it wasn't normal, she felt weird and strange about it. But over time, she feels valid, accepted, and normal.
“An’ you know what I t’ink? I’s okay fo’ be confused, an’ i’s okay fo’ not be confused. One isn’t mo’ bettah dan da uddah, yeah? Dey both normal. Dey both okay.”
I smile. It’s okay to be confused. It’s normal.
I’m normal.
✧ This book is also diverse. Rumi is a Half-Japanese and Half-Hawaiian and she has also part Filipino, Korean, and Samoan friends.
✧ Lastly, I loved the new friendship that Rumi found. No romance, just meaningful, loving friends. And I think that's important. Just like Rumi said, "someone can be beautiful and I don’t want to have a romantic relationship with them. There are other kinds of relationships I find more important. Family. Friendships. Music, " but in my case it's; family, friendships, and books. :)
“Time isn’t replaceable, and you never know how much of it you have left.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
TW: racism, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, attempted suicide.
Some parts were somewhat hard for me to read, especially the family aspect of it and the parental emotional abuse Kiko was constantly receiving. It was so painful and heartbreaking. The author did an incredible job at discussing and bringing it - and the anxiety, insecurity, and some heavy problems - in a very good way. Reading this left me so emotional and I bawled my eyes out like a baby lol.
This talks about knowing who you are and accepting who you are no matter what race, color, or face. This is a story about friendship, chasing your dreams, doing your thing, and not let people tell you what you're capable and not capable of. This book is an art. An art that stays in my mind and my heart forever.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Starfish is art. With its wonderful writing, amazing characters, and thoughtful representation – this is legitimately a beautifully crafted art.
An art that I would gaze at for hours. An art that I wouldn't want to stop thinking about before I sleep. An art that broke me and also brought me together piece by piece. An art that I love with its flaws and all.
An art that I would gaze at for hours. An art that I wouldn't want to stop thinking about before I sleep. An art that broke me and also brought me together piece by piece. An art that I love with its flaws and all.
“Beauty isn’t a single thing. Beauty is dreaming—it’s different for everyone, and there are so many versions of it that you mostly have no control over how you see it.”
TW: racism, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, attempted suicide.
Some parts were somewhat hard for me to read, especially the family aspect of it and the parental emotional abuse Kiko was constantly receiving. It was so painful and heartbreaking. The author did an incredible job at discussing and bringing it - and the anxiety, insecurity, and some heavy problems - in a very good way. Reading this left me so emotional and I bawled my eyes out like a baby lol.
“But some people are just starfish--they need everyone to fill the roles that they assign. They need the world to sit around them, pointing at them and validating their feelings. But you can't spend your life trying to make a starfish happy, because no matter what you do, it will never be enough. They will always find a way to make themselves the center of attention, because it's the only way they know how to live.”
This talks about knowing who you are and accepting who you are no matter what race, color, or face. This is a story about friendship, chasing your dreams, doing your thing, and not let people tell you what you're capable and not capable of. This book is an art. An art that stays in my mind and my heart forever.
”I draw five humans and one skeleton, and it doesn’t matter that the skeleton has all the right bones and joints—he will never be the same as the others because he doesn’t have the right skin.“
“It feels like a big step, doing things on my own. It’s scary, but it makes me feel stronger, somehow. I feel like my feet are heavier than I realized and if the wind blows I won’t be knocked over. Except it’s not my feet that feel strong; it’s my heart.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicide attempt
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
WOW. I'VE BEEN READING THIS FOR TWO MONTHS BUT WOW. THIS BOOK STILL LEFT ME SPEECHLESS.
i can't believe what had happened. oh my goodness. this is one of the best Romeo and Juliet retelling! the tension, the mystery, the romance, the ending, the characters, the plot – chef's kiss.
if i didn't have a freakin slump before, i would've rated this five stars by now. but no ones gonna stop me loving benedikt, marshall (my bois), kathleen, and especially roma and juliette.
i can't believe what had happened. oh my goodness. this is one of the best Romeo and Juliet retelling! the tension, the mystery, the romance, the ending, the characters, the plot – chef's kiss.
if i didn't have a freakin slump before, i would've rated this five stars by now. but no ones gonna stop me loving benedikt, marshall (my bois), kathleen, and especially roma and juliette.