emilywordsandbooks's reviews
67 reviews

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

Hazelthorn must be infused with Heart Rot tea because my heart exploded by the end of this book. I genuinely couldn't predict any of the twists (there was one at 98% I kid you not), turning the page and crying at least five times, and I sobbed for Laurie and Evander. I've never fallen more in love with characters than I did with these two. The pining, the longing, the banter, and their past-- everything culminated in the ending, no loose strings to be found. The foreshadowing was at once subtle and glaring. I need to reread this book over and over. The life-wrecking tropes? The forest rot signature of CG? Hazelthorn put me through a lot, but not as much as Evander and Laurie went through. I feel like I lived a lifetime and a half just by reading their story. The mystery was insane but the love story was even better, because tell me why CG gave us a happy ending? Look at the cover and expect a happy ending-- you can't. But we got one and I am sobbing at their feet. I'm a sucker for all-consuming love, and this book took cannibalism as a metaphor for love to a whole other level.
If you loved The Secret Garden, you'll love Hazelthorn; just throw in a murder mystery, two boys in over their heads, and drawings of poisonous plants. Hazelthorn is just as good, if not better, than Don't Let the Forest In. Utterly, captivatingly, hauntingly obsessed with CG Drews' thorns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

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dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

THE CAMEOS UGH i know we've been following Rose and Fionn for forever through Fionn's brothers' books but GRAH they're actually the dream team of justice-makers. i love brynne weaver and i have been WAITING for Scythe & Sparrow for so long ever since meeting Rose and Fionn in Butcher & Blackbird and obviously brynne weaver never disappoints. like i don't even care what she ruins for me anymore because i'll follow her into a spiderweb like queen please.
The Storyteller's Tale by Judith Bouilloc

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lighthearted slow-paced

3.25

I don't typically read MG but this has such an interesting concept! A lot of people categorize this book as YA but with the way YA has evolved over the years, the writing style, relationships, and plot of this book is definitely MG, if Upper MG. The cover is to DIE for and the concept of literally bringing stories to life intrigued me so much. I really like how the concept was executed as well, and I love all of the names. The family relationships are so cute and so wholesome. I just wasn't the biggest fan of this book because of the less mature characters and writing style, but it's a cozy read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh

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inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was the cutest high school romance ever. I love the fake dating trope, I love Jamie and Axel, I LOVE revenge plots that end differently than how they started. I was immediately intrigued when it was mentioned that Axel was a TikTok star. Also, unpopular opinion, but third-act breakup is highkey not bad. It really hits you in the feels and there's character development and UGH the growth of the characters over this book, especially Jamie and her relationships with everyone else, was insane. The romance and plot were amazing, but I stayed for the characters. So cute, so fun, I loved this YA romance so much.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

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adventurous lighthearted 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

4.0

i read Elatsoe for school and i learned a lot about the Lipan Apache from this book, which i loved, but this definitely reads middle grade, low YA (i’d only categorize this as YA because of the mild language and the age of characters, but the writing style is very middle grade). the characters were interesting and i loved being pulled into the plot, how everything wrapped up nicely and had a purpose.
A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena

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adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.75

I was so blown away by Brittney's storytelling. The way she expressed Vasalie's struggles, how she incorporated the chronic conditions so many of her readers live with, was so well done. As a dancer who had been locked up for years, of course her body would suffer from the immobility. When she's forced to dance for her king's political ambitions, she needs to get creative to get accepted into the international gathering as entertainment. An illegal dancer-spy blackmailed by the man she once thought was her savior, Vasalie now sneaks through palace walls, playing with fate herself. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Literally.
While the romance wasn't a huge part in the beginning, it was literally amazing by the end. I was gasping with every page and I would love to reread the book. It had a bit of a slow start but after I finished the first few chapters, I was instantly hooked. Love love love.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC! All opinions are my own.
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

this is the quintessential holiday romance, filled with second chances, grumpy x sunshine, and holiday-movie-trivia. i don’t normally go for second chance romances but i will read anything that leni kauffman illustrated the cover for. and obviously ashley herring blake never disappoints. the scenes were really cute and i love reading musician romances. there was a lot of character development and found family, which i love, and the perfect christmas romance to read at any time of the year.
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

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hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

check & mate might actually be the cutest book i have ever read. like i despise playing chess because i suck are it and i know some people drop books if there’s too much “nerd language” but i love it. i loved everything about this book. the way nolan is just so obsessed with mallory was everything to me. like wdym you’ve been in love with her since you first met but you’re so nonchalant about it?? also the scene where she shows up at his apartment but he’s sick and he thinks he’s dreaming of her again GAHHH it’s so cute. the character development was also highkey crazy good, for mallory and her understanding of platonic, familial, and romantic relationships, respectively. these two are end game.
i also absolutely LOVED how ali hazelwood handled misogyny against women in chess and inspired readers to change the world. like yes mallory is this random chess prodigy but she also created this environment where she inspired people who weren’t white men to play and go pro.
Don't Let Me Go by Kevin Christopher Snipes

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emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

"A story of two boys, always together, one with eyes bluer than the sea and hair like polished bronze and the other with hair like midnight and eyes as sharp and green as glass."
If you're a sucker for star-crossed lovers reincarnated over and over, this is the PERFECT book for you. This book perfectly captured teenage love, made me believe in soulmates, and gave me a history lesson in one sitting. DON'T LET ME GO was insanely good. I cried, I laughed, and I swooned over and over. Every interaction between Riley and Jackson in every life was so intensely, adorably romantic and I was rooting for them in every lifetime. The scenes between Riley and his dad had me getting up to hug my parents, and Riley has the best group of friends. Riley is actually so funny. His personality is so perfectly written. I love how Snipes incorporates little elements into each "flashback" scene so we can tell which character is Riley and which is Jackson in their other lives. I love picking out the little connections. I have so many highlights and annotations in my copy because everything Snipes writes is so iconic. This book is literally the epitome of love. Like, "At the end of the world, he chose me." Hello? Now I need someone to hold me.
This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

there was so much communication in this book omg like i felt so… healed?? like obviously it’s fiction but like grrr the strong relationships between friends and family (and love interests, obviously) were so adorable and optimistic. i first read this book like three years ago and now that i know asl it’s so cool to go back and actually understand some of the signs. i wasn’t a huge fan of how much cheating was a part of the, like, theme? kinda, like how it showed up so much but it’s interesting to see how the author explored the boundaries between friendship and romance. ultimately you realize these kids are just teens. they’re living their teen lives. and it felt really realistic and the romance was just way too cute.