kaadie's reviews
173 reviews

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

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

4.0

This book was heartbreaking in so many ways, but also really good. I really liked the fact that both Lily and Ryle were incredibly human.
The author didn't vilify Ryle and didn't make a martyr of Lily. This is important because making Ryle and obvious villian would just play into the trope of "why didn't she leave?". Making him a human being who was capable of gentleness and joy was important. Giving his character the depth of past traumas and hurts was important because Lily didn't fall in love with her abuser. She fell in love with a person who became her abuser. I also thought it was an interesting dynamic that Lily herself came from a home where her parents had an abusive relationship. That showcased that even if you are familiar with the dynamic and have witnessed it for years, it doesn't make it any easier to avoid or preempt.
. 

The author was really skilled at portraying the complexity of Lily's feelings. It became a little concerning at the end there when it looked like she was going to take him back but thankfully not. I really appreciated the fact that Lily confronted Ryle with how he would react if Emerson came to him about an abusive boyfriend. How she forced him to see that them staying together would risk too much and how it would jeopardize his relationship with his daughter, because how can you tell your own daughter to leave her abusive partner while you hit her mother?


I wasn't crazy about the whole, Lily was so perfect she completely changed Ryle's stance on love and relationships. It plays too much into the "I can change him" narrative,
which is particularly problematic in an abusive relationship. However I suppose that was the point, to showcase that Ryle's love for Lily verged on the obsessive and that it was unhealthy for both of them
.

I didn't give this book a five star rating because I wasn't crazy about the Ryle/Lily dynamic from the start (due to his sudden infatuation with her). The book was well written enough, the author's writing style lacked a bit of finesse (but that is simply a matter of personal taste and not necessarily a reflection of her skill). I also felt that while the key points of the book were well established they were lacking just a touch of nuance. It's not necessarily a good book (in the sense that it makes you feel good) because the characters
do all suffer quite significantly, in particular Ryle and Lily
but it ends on a hopeful note and I love the relationship that Alyssa and Lily have. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Vicious was an entertaining read. Most of the characters were relatively enjoyable. Eli and Serena were particularly unpleasant but they were the main antagonists of this story so that tracks. I found it interesting that even though the writer was trying to portray everybody with a certain level of balance: Victor the antihero and Eli the misguided savior, we still experienced everything largely from Victor's point of view. Resulting in the reader sympathizing with Victor and casting Eli as the obvious villian. We also find out very little about Eli's backstory, which personally left me wanting. Eli just felt like a typical villian archetype because of it. All of his motives and personality condensed into his insidious goals. He was definitely less fleshed out than all of the other main characters.

Part one of the story was a little tedious to read because most of the exposition revealed in this part was covered in the blurb of the book. 
The general premise of the book is an intriguing one, super-powered individuals but the story only really focused on our two main characters Eli and Victor and their relationship; friends to enemies. So the rest of the EO world and the possible ramifications of said individuals are left largely unexplored. 
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. My initial thoughts at the end is that it is just tragic.
None of the characters seem to be happy, except maybe Philipa, at the end of the novel and it really makes Oliver's sacrifice and all the pain the entire group suffered look meaningless
. 
I suppose that is the point though. This novel is a study in guilt and the ensuing misery it causes. It just makes for a really depressing read. I know that the book is also about love. Love between friends, family and lovers. Also the love between an artist and their art but everybody suffered for their love. Everyone was just so, tormented. 
Ultimately it was a rather painful read with a fairly obvious answer to
who killed Richard
. I felt that there wasn't enough evidence for why
Richard started going off the rails and becoming so violent and possessive
. It seemed to come a little out of nowhere personally. The last little tantalizing "cliff-hanger" almost feels cruel in the face of Oliver's desperation and grief and doesn't track with the manifestation of
James's guilt, which seems to overwhelm him and most likely lead to his suicide
.

Yeah, overall not my favorite. 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is definitely the best Harry Potter book. Everything is explained and the story moved along at break-neck speed. The
defeat of Voldemort
was masterfully done. I loved the winding path of the story as slowly details were revealed placing everything into focus. I liked the fact that
Harry's second survival of the Killing Curse
was well thought out and supported by the rules of the magical world Rowling had created. This final book really does feel like the culmination of everything you have read so far, since small seemingly unimportant things mentioned in previous books are revealed to have greater meaning. It's as if you've been slowly piecing things together and finally, the complete picture is revealed. It's a fantastic ending to a much loved story. 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

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adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Reviewing the Harry Potter series is hard because this is a reread and so the big reveals aren't nearly as exciting as the first time. Book 6 reveals a lot about Voldemort, his past, his powers and his vulnerabilities which is beyond fascinating the first time round. Harry's obsession with Malfoy does get a bit old and Ron and Hermione's constant bickering is tedious to say the least. Ultimately it is still an interesting read due to the insight the reader receives in regards to the larger story as whole. 
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

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adventurous challenging funny mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This book is just a bit boring in comparison to the rest. It's also much more frustrating. Harry is constantly kept in the dark and losing his temper which makes for a tedious read. It's a miserable year at Hogwarts and it definitely reads as such. 
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The book is good. I reread it this time so obviously the big reveals weren't as good as the first time. The ending is definitely bittersweet but it is still a good read with spooky deaths and a few hair-raising moments.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This book is always a fun read in the series because it marks the turn from largely episodic stories into a more complex and drawn out narrative with many moving parts. Love the reveal at the end of the book and the graveyard scene is definitely a nail-biter. 
Lacuna by Fiona Snyckers

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This novel was a challenge to read. Lucy Lurie is erratic, bitter, angry, depressed and makes for a confused narrator. However, that is the point I suppose. She has suffered massive trauma and this is a more realistic, a more human response to her pain. I never liked Disgrace and I'm glad this novel expresses the same confusion and horror I felt when I found out it was so acclaimed. Disgrace reeks of white sensationalism and victimization. It's an utterly self-indulgent novel. Lacuna, while a frustrating and challenging read, finally highlights all the ridiculous and disgusting faults present in Disgrace. It humanized Lucy and places the narrative where it should be, with the marginalized party. I wouldn't say that Lacuna is a good book, but it's a necessary one. 
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Eh, I don't understand all the fuss. It was a painful read, would not recommend. Sheer stubbornness fueled my ability to finish this book.