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natreadthat's reviews
389 reviews
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
All the stars for Nesta’s book!
I, like many others who read the #ACOTAR series, was not a big fan of Nesta for many reasons. She was stubborn, quick to anger, and straight up didn’t give a shit about anyone. This book showcased that side of her front and center, but it also put the soft sides of Nesta, Cassian, and many others on display. SJM was able to take a character that many of us disliked and turned them into one that I was 100% rooting for.
Plus the spice ramped way the hell up. 🥵
By the end of this book, I was and still am so sad that the series is over (for now?! 🤞🏻). This series had me in a chokehold. I devoured the last four books in a span of fifteen days and I’m already itching to reread the full series. But perhaps that can wait until I buy the boxset… we’ll see!
TW: depression, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, death, sexual content
I, like many others who read the #ACOTAR series, was not a big fan of Nesta for many reasons. She was stubborn, quick to anger, and straight up didn’t give a shit about anyone. This book showcased that side of her front and center, but it also put the soft sides of Nesta, Cassian, and many others on display. SJM was able to take a character that many of us disliked and turned them into one that I was 100% rooting for.
Plus the spice ramped way the hell up. 🥵
By the end of this book, I was and still am so sad that the series is over (for now?! 🤞🏻). This series had me in a chokehold. I devoured the last four books in a span of fifteen days and I’m already itching to reread the full series. But perhaps that can wait until I buy the boxset… we’ll see!
TW: depression, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, death, sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual assault
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows.”
This is a book about a lot of things: A bank robbery gone wrong. An absurd hostage situation. A parent trying to do what’s best for their children. A few idiots. A bridge.
It is quirky, humane, wholesome. And a great reminder that being human is not easy and sometimes it’s best not to take ourselves, and others, serious all the time.
This is a book about a lot of things: A bank robbery gone wrong. An absurd hostage situation. A parent trying to do what’s best for their children. A few idiots. A bridge.
It is quirky, humane, wholesome. And a great reminder that being human is not easy and sometimes it’s best not to take ourselves, and others, serious all the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Yes, I’m reading another SJM series. 🥵
Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan’s greatest assassin, has been locked away in a prison camp for a year. When she’s brought to the King’s castle by the handsome Crown Prince, she’s told that she’ll be competing to win the spot as the King’s Champion. If she can defeat the other deadly contenders, then she will be one step closer to her freedom.
Celaena is the strong, sassy female character that you can’t help but cheer on as the story is woven with secrets, court politics, action, and (of course) a love triangle.
Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan’s greatest assassin, has been locked away in a prison camp for a year. When she’s brought to the King’s castle by the handsome Crown Prince, she’s told that she’ll be competing to win the spot as the King’s Champion. If she can defeat the other deadly contenders, then she will be one step closer to her freedom.
Celaena is the strong, sassy female character that you can’t help but cheer on as the story is woven with secrets, court politics, action, and (of course) a love triangle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Torture
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Hannah’s whole world flips upside down when a neighbor knocks on her door with a note from her husband: protect her. Who is her? Hannah’s teenage step-daughter who absolutely can’t stand her, Bailey. And after receiving that note, her husband Owen is gone without a trace.
Hannah is left questioning where her husband is, what happened to make him leave… and who he actually is. And as Hannah and Bailey are forced to tolerate each other, they follow the few hints they have to find Owen.
The Last Thing He Told Me is a suspense thriller with a slow, slow burn. It felt more about the characters and their relationships than the actual hunt for Owen. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the latter, but the ending was sweet enough to leave me pleased.
Hannah is left questioning where her husband is, what happened to make him leave… and who he actually is. And as Hannah and Bailey are forced to tolerate each other, they follow the few hints they have to find Owen.
The Last Thing He Told Me is a suspense thriller with a slow, slow burn. It felt more about the characters and their relationships than the actual hunt for Owen. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the latter, but the ending was sweet enough to leave me pleased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Murder and Abandonment
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
4.0
Alice has swapped England for Kentucky. But she quickly realizes the claustrophobia of life in England with her parents isn’t much different than life in Kentucky with her new husband and his overbearing father.
So when she signs up to join the all-women packhorse library delivering books to the remote mountainside families by horseback, she surprises everyone, including herself. But for the first time, she feels free.
The Giver of Stars is loosely based on the real Kentucky packhorse librarians in Depression-era America. It was entertaining and full of strong female leads, friendship, love, heartbreak, and adventure. Plus, the latter half of the book reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing, which was fun to reminisce about.
So when she signs up to join the all-women packhorse library delivering books to the remote mountainside families by horseback, she surprises everyone, including herself. But for the first time, she feels free.
The Giver of Stars is loosely based on the real Kentucky packhorse librarians in Depression-era America. It was entertaining and full of strong female leads, friendship, love, heartbreak, and adventure. Plus, the latter half of the book reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing, which was fun to reminisce about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse and Racism
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Americanah is a tale of two lands—Nigeria and America—and two people.
Ifemelu and Obinze are in love but are forced to move away from one another. Ifemelu moves to America with hopes that Obinze will follow by way of London. Soon fifteen years have passed without seeing one another. And so goes the tale of the journeys that will eventually lead them back to Nigeria and to each other.
I’m not sure how I felt about this one. The book description is of a love story, but it seemed the love story was more of a plot device. To me, the spotlight focused on the experiences surrounding immigration, race, and identity that Ifemelu and Obinze each faced during their respective immigration into the US and the UK. That element of the story was done well and it opened my eyes to experiences I would otherwise never experience firsthand.
That being said, I couldn’t connect to or even root for Ifemelu and Obinze’s relationship. It fell flat to me and I was left wanting more out of their individual journeys. Ultimately, not my favorite read.
Ifemelu and Obinze are in love but are forced to move away from one another. Ifemelu moves to America with hopes that Obinze will follow by way of London. Soon fifteen years have passed without seeing one another. And so goes the tale of the journeys that will eventually lead them back to Nigeria and to each other.
I’m not sure how I felt about this one. The book description is of a love story, but it seemed the love story was more of a plot device. To me, the spotlight focused on the experiences surrounding immigration, race, and identity that Ifemelu and Obinze each faced during their respective immigration into the US and the UK. That element of the story was done well and it opened my eyes to experiences I would otherwise never experience firsthand.
That being said, I couldn’t connect to or even root for Ifemelu and Obinze’s relationship. It fell flat to me and I was left wanting more out of their individual journeys. Ultimately, not my favorite read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Infidelity and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
When I realized that Tower of Dawn was about Chaol instead of Aelin and crew, I was not excited. I put it down in favor of a few other books and ignored it for days at a time. Honestly it wasn’t until around page ~200 when I really got into it. Luckily I pushed through and actually enjoyed it!
As a last ditch effort, Chaol and Nesryn hope to find an alliance with the powerful Khagan kingdom in Antica—and heal Chaol’s broken body at the Torre Cesme too.
We meet a whole host of new, fierce characters that allow for a total change of pace compared to the other books in the series. Slower paced, yes, but in a good way. And even though this was a side story, a lot of its big reveals will most definitely return with a vengeance in the last book of the series. Can’t wait to see how SJM wraps all of this up.
As a last ditch effort, Chaol and Nesryn hope to find an alliance with the powerful Khagan kingdom in Antica—and heal Chaol’s broken body at the Torre Cesme too.
We meet a whole host of new, fierce characters that allow for a total change of pace compared to the other books in the series. Slower paced, yes, but in a good way. And even though this was a side story, a lot of its big reveals will most definitely return with a vengeance in the last book of the series. Can’t wait to see how SJM wraps all of this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
The Golden Season by Madeline Kay Sneed
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Emmy lives in a small town where football and church are everything. Her dad, a devout Baptist and beloved football coach, is her best friend. So when she comes out as lesbian…it doesn’t go well. Emmy starts her senior year of college struggling to find out who she is and if her family and faith can still be a part of her life.
As a straight, cis woman who has unsurprisingly never dealt with discrimination over who I love, this was a small glimpse into what LGBT+ folks quite often face. I initially didn’t enjoy how faith-heavy it was, but soon recognized it as an important layer to Emmy’s relationships with herself, her parents, and her community.
The West Texas setting, intersection of faith and sexuality, complexities of a first love, and Emmy’s coming of age were all very well done. This novel took me on an emotional rollercoaster—anger, heartbreak, happiness—as Emmy grappled with becoming who she truly is despite everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Outing, and Abandonment
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Amelia and Adam both know their marriage is on the rocks. In a last ditch effort to rekindle their love, Amelia drags them on a secluded weekend vacation.
Soon enough, things start to go wrong—lost power, whispers in the dark, their usually quiet dog growling at shadows. Will they make it out of the weekend together again? What about alive?
While this novel did indeed have twists, turns, and surprises, they felt a bit like overkill to me. Some were down right unbelievable. It was entertaining enough to discover Amelia and Adam’s fate, but I probably won’t remember much of it a few months from now. It just didn’t live up to the hype it got.
Soon enough, things start to go wrong—lost power, whispers in the dark, their usually quiet dog growling at shadows. Will they make it out of the weekend together again? What about alive?
While this novel did indeed have twists, turns, and surprises, they felt a bit like overkill to me. Some were down right unbelievable. It was entertaining enough to discover Amelia and Adam’s fate, but I probably won’t remember much of it a few months from now. It just didn’t live up to the hype it got.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse
The Second Husband by Kate White
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.5
When the police knock on Emma’s door late one night with the news of her husband’s mysterious murder, she doesn’t feel grief. She feels relief.
Twenty-seven months later, Emma is happily married to Tom, who is everything her first husband was not—kind, compassionate, loving. They’re building a lovely life together until a detective shows up to discuss the case of Emma’s first husband’s murder. With twists and turns along the way, White has you second-guessing each character until the very end.
As a psychological thriller, this one felt a bit watered down. With more dialogue about small, seemingly unimportant details than expected and a few loose ends left at the end of the book, this one wasn’t my favorite.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR for the paperback and eARC. The Second Husband is available on June 28th, 2022!
Twenty-seven months later, Emma is happily married to Tom, who is everything her first husband was not—kind, compassionate, loving. They’re building a lovely life together until a detective shows up to discuss the case of Emma’s first husband’s murder. With twists and turns along the way, White has you second-guessing each character until the very end.
As a psychological thriller, this one felt a bit watered down. With more dialogue about small, seemingly unimportant details than expected and a few loose ends left at the end of the book, this one wasn’t my favorite.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR for the paperback and eARC. The Second Husband is available on June 28th, 2022!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Murder