forevermorepages's reviews
811 reviews

this is what i needed in high school, and somehow what i still need in college

review to come, and i mean it

It's been a hot second since I read The Ship Beyond Time or its predecessor The Girl From Everywhere, but I'm going to try to make a comprehensible review. We'll see if I succeed.

I actually ended up liking TSBT more than TGFE, probably because the magic system felt more explained and I was less confused about character motives. Hence, I ended up giving this one five stars while TGFE was four stars (although still amazing). While I am sad this one focussed less on Hawaiian history, the introduction of a complex fantasy world explored what I wanted to see in the first book: more of what the maps can do! The whole concept of map time travel fascinated me because of the way Heidi Heilig designed it. The place doesn't have to exist; as long as its drawn on a map, you can go there. So essentially, you can go to made-up lands or those from fairytales. Awesome, right?

Another positive is that the dumb as heck love triangle from book one deteriorated. We also saw more of Nix's relationship with Kashmir (!!!) and their progression from friends to boyfriend-girlfriend. As well, the most lovely part was the introduction of Nix's mom and her relationship with her daughter. The focus on family, especially when tested, is strong in this duology. I feel like YA doesn't often touch upon the good parts of family and while Heilig does play with the negatives, we sure see a lot of positives—enough that it makes the family feel real.

I can't say I remember a ton about this book, just that I enjoyed it so much. The ending was absolutely epic with soooo much action. I was so sad when the book ended because I totally thought there'd be more. It was a bittersweet ending, with hope for more, but a sense of sadness, too. Just how I like 'em.

I wish I had gotten around to writing this earlier; it'd be a lot longer, but this is what we're getting right now.

-Book Hugger

Not entirely exciting, but not terrible. I felt really bad for the people whose lives A "intruded." Intruded feels like the wrong word, but I'm not sure what the right word is. Anyway, I'm not gonna write a full review, but in a nutshell, I did enjoy it, liked the diversity, appreciated the bittersweet ending (though not sure it'd necessarily work out), and strongly disliked the chapter where A was in a fat guy's body and the guy being fat ruined everything. Seriously. That's kind of disgusting. Other than that, it was a little boring at times, kind of dry, and I somewhat connected to A, but not as well as I would have liked.

-Book Hugger

http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com

That was...about as good as I expected, tbh. It was fun, but it was also all over the place, and was barely concluded. I wish we got more of an answer to Simon and Baz's relationship problems. And, of course, since I still love the two of them to pieces, I'll probably read the third book.

I do sincerely believe that some books shouldn't have sequels, though, and Carry On was one of those.

-Book Hugger

Some small quibbles, but over all, I adored this.

Review to come.

-Book Hugger

I have realized since I wrote this review that it is very easy to lose your train of thought when confronted my a shirtless male you are attracted to. I forgive Alex now. I don't forgive myself for being a hypocrite. Anywho, carry on, this book still arguably sucks, but at least I know now that the main character isn't completely dumb.

----

I was really looking forward to reading Labyrinth Lost. It has an appealing plot and an appealing, diverse cast. After finishing the book, I realize that's about all it really does have: an appealing, but poorly executed plot and an appealing, diverse cast. Most of the characters are Hispanic and some are in the LGBTQ+ community. Alex's best friend Rishi is Indian. The descriptions of food (and there were a lot) were some of my favorite parts, but that probably isn't saying much.

This book suffers from some very awful clichés and tropes. Right off the bat, Alex describes herself to be plain; she isn't as good as her pretty, but shallow, older sister, and not special like her younger sister. I can't name a book right now that carries this trope, but the overwhelming sense of deja vu I'm getting isn't saying the same.

Then, Alex meets a guy, Nova (his name throws me off because it ends in an "a" and in Spanish that would generally make it feminine), who is breathtaking and all that jazz...and of course, when she throws herself into the underworld, he's the one who follows her. Predictably. They barely know each other, but he helps her. Also, what was up with the scene where she loses all train of thought because he's shirtless? Ew? Why?

It only gets worse from there.

We come face to face with a love triangle, and unfortunately, Alex and Rishi just did not have chemistry, sorry, not sorry. I would have loved to see that play out well, but it just didn't. It felt really forced. And Alex and Nova didn't go well together, either, mostly because he they kept bumping heads. I honestly think she should have said no to either of them, but I'm a cynic, what can I say?

As well, Alex never faces failure. She is betrayed (not saying by who) and it basically seems like she forgave them. She's given the choice between two roads, one pretty one and one not-so-pretty one, and somehow the pretty one is actually the right choice? I think I screamed at all my friends the day I got to that part about how the pretty road NEVER ENDS UP WELL. I mean, A+ to Zoraida Cordova for finding one thing in this book that doesn't go as expected, but at the same time, REALLY??? THAT ROAD SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD. THE PRETTY STUFF IS NEVER GOOD. EVER. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.

Anyway, I could probably keep ranting about what I hated and all that, but let's do a quick overview of what I liked:

The focus on family was really nice. (Though...I didn't like how easily everyone forgave our idiotic heroine).

The FOOD.

The idea for the plot was very creative, definitely original, and the magic system was well-done.

The world-building was actually fairly strong.

But that's as far as it goes, so unfortunately, it's a two star read for me. I wish I could say I loved it...but alas.

-Book Hugger

http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com

At the moment, this is sitting at a 4 star, but I'm not fully sure yet. I still have some things to think about. Overall, it was a very powerful book, though, that I think could be of great importance, especially right now.

I ended up changing it to a 3 star because some things just really bugged me and I'm having trouble getting past them. I don't really feel like doing a full review either, but just know that I feel very middle-of-the-road about this book. It's not bad, but it's not good either and I can't really articulate why at this stage.

-Book Hugger

Girls of Paper and Fire is nothing like anything else I've ever read. It's incredibly diverse with a lush setting and a cast of characters (I love Lei, I love Wren, I love everyone except the men) that stand off the page, it has romance I actually cared about, and a ruthless plot that takes no prisoners. Natasha Ngan crafted a world with so much background and build it was hard to believe that I wasn't there in it as well; I honestly haven't read such fascinating world-building in a long time. 

This was like a darker, higher-staked, and more diverse The Selection by Kiera Cass, which is basically what I pitched it as to my friend. Reading it was like reading one of my old favorites except everyone was falling apart and nothing was okay anymore. And wow. There's power in that.

Natasha Ngan writes with such a powerful voice. I was enveloped in her writing. This novel screamed own-voices and just...that made it so much more real. This wasn't written by someone trying to imitate someone else's experience, but by someone who knew every bit of trauma Lei had. And that was so obvious on page, and definitely not negatively.

I listened to a podcast interview with Natasha Ngan on Females in Fantasy where she said Girls of Paper and Fire is a story about female empowerment about female friendship and those bonds against the patriarchy. These girls bond together despite the horrors of their time as Paper Girls and while they may not see eye to eye, there's a connection with the shared trauma. 

Now, I cannot speak to much of the representation here, but I have heard many people say it was wonderful. I suggest looking at their reviews for more insight on how the narrative helped them. 

I cannot recommend this book enough, but be aware of the trigger warnings. It was not as graphic as I expected, but it's definitely heavy. 

-Book Hugger

“'Love and loss,' he said, 'are like a ship and the sea. They rise together. The more we love, the more we have to lose. But the only way to avoid loss is to avoid love. And what a sad world that would be.'”

First and foremost, this book made me take back basically everything I ever thought or said about Alucard Emory. Now that I've seen his past and understand it, I'm never going back. I really like how we were introduced to his past around the same time Kell was, because it made his character feel that much more real. I don't like knowing things in books when the characters don't because it feels less real that way, but when you're introduced to things when everyone else is, it's like you're with them. And that's good writing, in my opinion.

Continuously, I loved the growth of Holland's character. He went from a villain (book one) to an anti-hero (book two) to a hero in A Conjuring of Light and I'm living for it. He's one of the most fleshed out characters and his development is one of the most cared about I've ever read. The amount of attention Schwab has given these characters is astonishing and wonderful. This series has such a place in my heart for that reason and more. 

I'm not going to go too much into the lives of my favorites because they stood out as usual, so I'm going to focus on some of the other things I liked about this book. I think at this rate you all know I love Lila, Kell, and Rhys with all of my heart. (Though, I will say I lost a little respect for Kell when he kept trashing on Alucard despite hearing his story, which wasn't fair to Alucard.) 

I can't stop thinking about Schwab's writing honestly and how expressive it is. I actually see my writing style in hers because we do the same repetition and sentence structure, which is really weird because I haven't seen my writing style out in the world too much. But seriously though, Schwab writes so wonderfully and my writing can't compare in that sense. 

“Scars are not shameful, not unless you let them be. If you do not wear them, they will wear you.”

Anyway, plot-wise A Conjuring of Light did what A Gathering of Shadows did not. It elaborated slightly on its predecessor's plot, but was mostly separate and concluded the broader plot. Not to mention, the conclusion was beautifully done and very settled, in my opinion. It left room for more, but an end as well. Which I'm glad for because of the Threads of Power series coming out later!! Yay!! Super excited for that!!

To conclude, I either can't remember finding anything wrong with this novel or there was nothing wrong with it. It's been awhile, but I think I've captured my feelings pretty well despite the time lapse. If you haven't read this series or are hesitant, I highly recommend trying it. 

“Anoshe was a word for strangers in the street, and lovers between meetings, for parents and children, friends and family. It softened the blow of leaving. Eased the strain of parting. A careful nod to the certainty of today, the mystery of tomorrow. When a friend left, with little chance of seeing home, they said anoshe. When a loved one was dying, they said anoshe. When corpses were burned, bodies given back to the earth and souls to the stream, those left grieving said anoshe.

Anoshe brought solace. And hope. And the strength to let go.”

-Book Hugger

That was a very easy five stars.

-Book Hugger