paperbacks_and_planners's reviews
1185 reviews

2.5 stars

I received an arc copy of this from Simon and Schuster via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary
This takes place in 1937 and follows Theordora Fox whose father is a treasure hunter and world traveller. Once again she is left behind in a hotel while her father tracks down some ancient relic. But then the boy who suddenly disappeared from her life a year ago, shows up at her hotel and tells her, her father is missing and may be in trouble.
The two them travel across Eastern Europe to find her father and in the process find a web of dangerous men and occult magic.

Overview
I think this is a case of it's me, not you. This book just didn't click with me. I'm terrible with history and all the historical references went so far over my head I had trouble keeping everything straight - where they were, what year it was, what historical things happened when.

➸ POV - This is told in 1st person from Theo's POV and in between each chapter we get a journal entry from her father, Richard's, journal.

➸ Theodora Fox - 17, Trouble-maker, Believes in magic and curses

➸ Huck Gallagher - 18, Irish, Lost family to a car accident, Taken in by the Fox's

➸ Richard Fox - Father, Widower, Treasure hunter, MIA

Content Warnings: Death of a parent, Violence

What I Liked
➸ I loved the Romanian setting and mysterious vibes of this story. I'm not a huge fantasy or historical fiction reader, so this book was definitely out of my comfort zone. But I love a good mystery and atmospheric setting so this definitely helped me connect with the story more.

What I Didn't Like
➸ There was just so much time walking... and walking... and then riding a train... and walking some more. I was 71% into the ebook and I was ready to chuck my kindle across the room if I had to read one more scene about them walking and fighting.
➸ In general things just felt very drawn out. Their travel, their fights, their discussion of their relationship. By the end I was honestly just sick of hearing about all of it.
➸ I hate the miscommunication trope and this had it in spades. Both the main plot and the love plot were built around miscommunication. Not a fan.
➸ The relationship in general I just never got on board with. I didn't feel anything about or connect with their love story in any way.
➸ And that ending... so much of this book was spent wandering that I was hoping for a big payoff in the end. But this climax lasted for all of a chapter and ended so dang conveniently. I was really disappointed.

Overall this story wasn't for me. I didn't connect to any characters, I didn't enjoy the meandering pace, and I found the climactic action scene underwhelming.

Summary
For the last year, everyone in the world has been having dreams about the world ending on April 23rd. As the day approaches, society begins to collapse. Now just days before the end of the world, violence and destruction have taken over. Rain Williams is ready - the end of the world means she no longer needs to feel anything. Until Wes shows up and convinces her that they can survive.

Overview
Overall I don't think this book was terrible, but it was most definitely not for me. I didn't connect with the relationship and the twist just didn't work for me. I can 100% see why so many people love this, it's sadly just not my kind of story. If you're into post-apocalyptic romance, I'd say disregard my review and give this a shot.

➸ POV - This is told in alternating chapters from Rain and Wes's POVs

➸ Rain Williams - 19, Addict, Dealing with grief/trauma, Waiting for the world to end.

➸ Wes Parker - 22, Foster child, Musician, Personal Motto: "Everyone Leaves", Believes he can survive the end of the world.

➸ Audiobook - I listened to this audio so I figured I would comment on the narration... because I didn't love it. The faux southern accents were definitely cringey. But the male narrator... the voice he used for female characters was borderline offensive. He made everyone sound so whiny and childish. I actually had to speed up his sections to get through them as quickly as possible.

Content Warnings: Suicide, Murder, Drug Abuse, Grief, Depression/Anxiety, Gun Violence, Death of an Infant, Child Neglect, Foster Care System

What I Liked
➸ I thought this entire story was SO unique. I've never read anything like this and I really appreciated reading something so completely different.
➸ The dreams & devolution of society created made this such an atmospheric, almost spooky, read. You really get into the heads of these characters as they deal with horrifying dreams about the end of the world and their ability (or inability) to deal with them. I love the look at how society as a whole collapsed once everyone thought they were going to die. I definitely got drawn into the world and atmosphere.

What I Didn't Like
Unfortunately quite a bit...

➸ I felt very uncomfortable with the way Wes talked about Rain. In one breath he would comment on how young, innocent, and child-like she was but in the next he would talk about wanting to undress her. It was odd and... uncomfortable.
➸ Ughhh... another book that romanticized unprotected sex. Can we please stop doing this? These 2 characters met about 2 days ago and they're already doing this? Not okay.
➸ Speaking of which - this entire romance was a giant case of insta-love. There was absolutely no build up. One second, Wes is kidnapping Rain to get food and the next he's in love with and risking his life for her. It made no sense to me and hindered me from ever connecting to the romance.
➸ This ending... About half way through the book I thought to myself "hm... I'll be really annoyed if...". And then it happened. I don't know, it just didn't work for me and I do not plan on continuing on with this series because I don't think I will like the direction it goes in.

Overall, this just wasn't the book for me. I think this is really unique story with an audience that will absolutely adore it. Sadly I'm just not that audience, so I won't be continuing on with this series.

2.5 stars

I received an arc copy from William Morrow via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review

Summary
25 years ago, Jo's beloved nanny, Hannah, suddenly disappears. Leaving her stuck with her mother whom she can't stand.
Now, Jo and her daughter, Ruby, have moved back to Lake Hall after the sudden death of their husband/father. Jo and her mother, Virginia, immediately butt heads. But their relationship is pushed to its limits when an unexpected guest shows up at their door.

Overview
This book was unfortunately just okay. I found some parts surprising and intriguing but overall this felt more like a familial drama than mystery/thriller to me.

➸ POV - This has multiple POVS in multiple timelines:
➸Present day, 1st person Jocelyn Holt
➸Present day, 1st person Virginia Holt
➸Present day, 3rd person Andy
➸Past, 3rd person Linda

➸ Jocelyn (Jo) Holt - 30, Recently widowed and moved back home from California, Daughter Ruby

➸ Virigina Holt - Mother, Widowed

➸ Hannah - Jo's nanny who disappeared mysteriously 25 years ago.

➸ Andy - Detective investigating the Holt's.

➸ Content Warnings: Death of a Spouse, Grief, Abuse, Murder, On page animal death, Cheating

What I Liked
➸ I liked that all of the characters were SO flawed. It made for such an interesting reading experience because you didn't know who to trust. Since you saw so many POVs, you saw how differently everyone interpreted situations. How they favored themselves and what they needed.
➸ These characters were intriguing and kept me turning the page (albeit quite slowly). I wanted to know how some of these things tied together and wrapped up.

What I Didn't Like
➸ The constant changing between characters and 1st/3rd person was so jarring and I never got used to it. I actually had to write down who's POV I was currently reading because I kept getting confused. It was just too many. Which is kind of how I felt overall...
➸ This book tried to do too many things, from too many POVs, and was 100 pages too long. There were quite a few things I felt like could have been left out without changing the actual plot at all. Andy's POV was unnecessary and brought nothing to the narrative, the "family business" was such a strange thing to add it, and all the history of the family & nanny dragged this out.
➸ The final twist just didn't do it for me. The twist itself wasn't exactly shocking and in the end I felt like the moral of this story was if you're rich you can get away with anything... which left me feeling kind of uncomfortable once I put this down.

Unfortunately this was a bit of a flop for me. However I definitely think I will pick up another book by this author in the future as I think her premises are really intriguing!

My favorite of the series so far ❤ RTC

2.5 stars

Summary
This follows Hannah who is an elemental witch living in Salem, Massachusetts. It's the summer before her senior year of high school and her biggest concerns are saying goodbye to friends and avoiding her ex, Veronica - who is also an elemental witch, at all costs. But at the end of the year bonfire, Hannah and Veronica stumble upon a blood ritual and they immediately suspect a blood witch is in Salem for the first time in decades.
When more dark and dangerous things start to happen, Hannah and Veronica fear they, and everyone else in their coven, is in danger.

Overview
I want to preference this by saying while this book did not work for me, I appear to be in the minority. So definitely do not let my rating deter you away from picking this up. Overall, this just wasn't the book I was expecting to read. I was expecting a lighthearted, fun, witchy standalone and instead I got one half lighthearted and one half a dark and heavy. It took me aback and really hindered my enjoyment. Also just a not this is a series, not a standalone like I originally thought.

➸ POV - 1st person from Hannah's POV

➸ Hannah Walsh: 17, High school junior, Works at Fly by Night Cauldron, Elemental witch
➸ Veronica Matthews: 18, Ex-girlfriend, Elemental witch, Recent graduate
➸ Gemma Goodwin: 17, "Reg", Hannah's best friend

➸ Content Warnings: Animal cruelty, Underage drinking, violence, blood/gore, arson, death of a parent, grief, panic attacks

What I Liked
➸ This book was filled to the brim with representation. There were queer characters, trans characters, discussions about bisexuality, etc. And I was here for it. Sprinkled throughout the book were also subtle mentions or descriptions of underrepresented demographics that really highlighted the normalcy of a diverse world.
➸ The romance in this was so sweet and well written. These characters are young and their interactions and relationships felt true to their age. I was definitely rooting for them throughout the entire story.
➸ YA books need more friendships like Gemma and Hannah's. There is a scene where Gemma defends Hannah to her parents that had me cheering. Their friendship was so strong and I'm always here for women supporting women.

What I Didn't Like
➸ This unfortunately contained one of my biggest YA pet peeves - teenage main characters who think they know more and can do better than all the adults. Hannah makes bad decision after bad decision and then complains about how no adults know what they're doing so she needs to take things into her own hands. No you don't, you're 17, sit down. It was very frustrating to read about - nonetheless 3 or 4 times.
➸ Some of the reveals were quite predictable. To the point where I became frustrated with the characters for not coming to the conclusion quicker. I don't want to go into spoilers but this applies not only to the major reveals but small ones. I thought the relationship between 2 characters had been established and when they are "discovered" the main character's reaction made no sense to me.
➸ But overall - this story was just NOTHING like what I was expecting. This cover and synopsis led me to believe I was in for a fun, witchy YA read. But this story goes quite dark. And while I have no qualms with that in theory, it was an extremely jarring change at the half way point. I know cutesy, illustrated covers are in right now, and synopses need to be vague. But I felt very misled by the last page.

Also a note! This is not a standalone and does end with minimal closure and lots of loose ends.

Unfortunately this book just didn't work for me. I didn't love the writing (which came across quite young but then again I'm not the intended audience) and the story was not at all what I was expecting. While the ending left many unanswered questions, I honestly don't care enough about the plot or characters to continue on with this series.

I honestly have no idea what I just read or how to rate this

This was the perfect spooky, October read. RTC

Summary
Esme Pearl loves being a babysitter. But she knows something strange is going on when the new girl, Cassandra Heaven, shows up practically begging to be in the babysitters club.
As Esme and Cassandra get to know each other, they learn they have a lot more than babysitting in common - they also come from a long line of women with magical powers. And now they have to use those powers to defeat a dark, terrifying evil.

Overview
➸ POV - 1st person from Esme's POV

➸ Esme Pearl - 17, High School Student, Babysitter, "Sitter"

➸ Cassandra Heaven - New Girl, "Sitter", Lives with brother, Dion, Lost parents years and grew up in foster care

➸ Content Warnings: Death of a parent, Kidnapping, Foster system, Mental Illness (and frequent use of the word "crazy")

My Thoughts
This was a fun read! I honestly don't have a ton of thoughts on this though because this book was just a fun, light read. It didn't take itself too seriously, and the plot was trope filled and basic. But if you're looking for a witchy good time, this book is exactly what you need!

While this book definitely requires the reader to suspend their disbelief in portions - the surprise powers, the strange spell ingredients and casting rituals, the portals - I felt like the quirkiness matched the with the whole "Babysitters Club" vibe. The 80's were over the top so it felt apt to write this lose retelling in a similar manner.

This does read on the younger side - there is a ton of slang and references I didn't understand (as a 30 year old). And the characters read like actual teens - they made questionable choices, talked like teenagers, and (shock!) needed adults. But it was honestly refreshing to read a YA actually geared toward the intended audience.

My actual one complaint was the frequent use of the word "crazy". Esme's mother has an unnamed mental illness but everyone refers to her as "crazy" - which I didn't really appreciate. I felt like this could have been handled in a more respectful way.

Overall I had a good time reading this book. It wasn't life changing but it had a decent plot and lots of witchy, 80's vibes that I enjoyed. The female leads are strong and independent without reading unrealistic. I'm definitely interested in continuing on with this series to see where this story goes!

Review also shared on my blog!

⭐⭐⭐.5 (rounded up)

Summary
Nova, a witch, hears reports of a white wolf wandering the town's woods. When she goes to investigate, she discovers that the wolf is actually her shapeshifting childhood friend, and crush, Tam Lang.
Tam has been wandering, haunted an unknown evil. Now, back in the one place they consider home, Tam turns to Nova and her two grandmothers for help. And old feelings between them quickly rekindle.

Overview
➸ Nova Huang - Queer, Chinese-American, Witch, Hard of hearing

➸ Tam Lang - Nonbinary, Chinese-American, Shapeshifter

➸ Content Warnings: Talk of parental abuse (off page), Death of a parent (off page)

My Thoughts
This was the cutest, most wholesome graphic novel I've read. And it gave me all the warm, fuzzy feelings I was hoping for. It is queer, magical, and a must read for the fall season.

This book is a representation dream. Not only are the main characters Chinese-American and in a relationship, but Nova lives with her 2 grandmothers, is hard of hearing, and Tam is non binary. But my favorite part was that none of it felt forced or heavy handed. The representation was so delicately and respectfully woven into the story. It was absolutely beautiful and made my heart so full.

At it's core, this story is about self-acceptance and discovering your own path. Both Nova and Tam are dealing with past traumas and trying to discover how to move forward, while also growing together. Both main characters grew up with difficult childhoods, for much different reasons, and they are trying to confront and cope with those traumas.

This was shy of a 5 star for me because I honestly wanted more backstory and connection to the characters. I enjoyed all of the characters on a surface level, but I never felt like I got to know them to the point of feeling an emotional connection. Nova and Tam become so quickly involved that I never got the chance to develop any strong feelings toward their relationship. I wish we had seen more of their friendship or backstory. I just wanted more depth and insight into the characters.

Overall I really enjoyed this queer, magical story. I will definitely read more from this duo in the future!

Review also shared on my blog!

This is a graphic novel anthology made up of 5 individual short stories, each an unconnected, horror story. Overall this was mixed bag for me. I absolutely loved 2 of these stories but hated/didn't understand the remaining three at all. Below is each of the five stories, from least to most favorite, with a short synopsis/review.

Our Neighbor's House ⭐

This follows 3 sisters who's father must leave and gives them instructions should he not return. I honestly have no idea what happened in this story it went so far over my head. It's really short and as far as I can tell literally nothing happened. I was very confused.

His Face All Red ⭐⭐

This is a story about brothers and jealousy. But this was another one I just didn't understand. 

My Friend Janna ⭐⭐

This follows two young women who pretend to speak to the dead for the villagers. Again.. this one made little sense to me. I was left confused in the end.

The Nesting Place ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is about a young woman who goes to live her brother and his wife. But his wife may not be exactly who she says she is. THIS WAS SO CREEPY!! Holy cow the art in this freaked me out in the best way. I loved this story but the ending left me a little confused (a theme with this book) which is why I docked a star. 

A Lady's Hands are Cold ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My hands down (see what I did there) favorite!! This follows a new bride who is just moving into her new husbands home. She hears a whisper song every night that she can't ignore. Eventually the song leads her to a terrifying truth. This was so creepy, so eerie, and so poignant. I loved every inch of it. In my opinion this entire book is worth it for this one short story.