jess_read's reviews
396 reviews

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian

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adventurous challenging funny hopeful 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

This was a surprisingly cozy read. I really enjoyed the atmosphere the author created, combined with the academic rivals trope. The writing style reminded me a lot of Divine Rivals, which I loved. Definitely recommend this to those who enjoyed reading that duology and love a nice slow burn. The story is definitely more character-driven and not as high-stakes as I thought, but I have a feeling that we will get much more action in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar

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emotional lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Loved the first two-thirds of the book, and I absolutely hated the rest. After reading some reviews, I realized this was basically a Wuthering Heights retelling, and everything made a lot more sense. I have now learned my lesson: to read the blurb before starting a book and to not touch Wuthering Heights with a ten-foot pole because I know I'll hate it.

I just couldn't get past the whole Bella and Heath situation. I felt like Katarina became such a weak character by the end and was basically forced to settle for a dull, sloppy character like Heath's, just for the sake of a "happy ending." I was hoping the author would pull one more plot twist and have Kat ditch Heath for good, open a training center, produce future Olympic gold medalists, and then rub it in Heath and Bella's faces. Happy, single, and independent. I'd rather there be no happy ending than the one we had. But that's just my two cents.

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced