popthebutterfly's reviews
2487 reviews

 

Disclaimer: I received this book from my local library. Go check out a book today! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: The Beauty of Your Face 

 

Author: Sahar Mustafah 

 

Book Series: Standalone 

 

Rating: 4/5 

 

Diversity: Palestinian American MC and characters, Palestinian characters, 

 

Recommended For...: Contemporary readers, fiction, religion 

 

Publication Date: April 7, 2020 

 

Genre: Contemporary 

 

Age Relevance: 16+ (abuse (emotional and physical), attempted suicide, racism, islamaphobia, gun violence, violence, alcoholism mentioned, school shooting, anxiety attacks, religion (Islam), alt-right propaganda) 

 

Explanation of Above: There are showings and mentions of emotional and physical abuse, gun violence, and violence in general. A school shooting is involved in the prominent plot of the book. There is an attempted suicide detailed. Racism and especially islamaphobia is mentioned and shown. There are anxiety attacks on page. The Islamic religion is proudly shown throughout the book and the book does focus some on the wrestling faith of the MC’s religion. There are mentions of alt-right propaganda that leads to the school shooting in the book as well. 

 

Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company 

 

Pages: 312 

 

Synopsis: A Palestinian American woman wrestles with faith, loss, and identity before coming face-to-face with a school shooter in this searing debut. A uniquely American story told in powerful, evocative prose, The Beauty of Your Face navigates a country growing ever more divided. Afaf Rahman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is the principal of Nurrideen School for Girls, a Muslim school in the Chicago suburbs. One morning, a shooter—radicalized by the online alt-right—attacks the school. As Afaf listens to his terrifying progress, we are swept back through her memories: the bigotry she faced as a child, her mother’s dreams of returning to Palestine, and the devastating disappearance of her older sister that tore her family apart. Still, there is the sweetness of the music from her father’s oud, and the hope and community Afaf finally finds in Islam. The Beauty of Your Face is a profound and poignant exploration of one woman’s life in a nation at odds with its ideals. 

 

Review: I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was a very powerful story about the resilience of the MC (and in turn many people in the MC’s shoes) in the face of very hard things a child and person in general shouldn’t have to go through, such as a school shooting and bigotry. The book did well to bring in discussion about immigration and xenophobia, as well as general racism and Islamaphobia. The book also discussed mental-health struggles, grief, and addiction that are all intermingled in the pain of moving to America from their old home. The book kind of had a back and forth manner, going between the MC’s life of when her family were fresh in America and when she’s at the school shooting. It did kind of feel like two different stories in one book, but I liked how the author blended them into this tale. I really thought this book was very well written and well done in general. 

 

The only thing I would say that I didn’t like about the book is the way the book was wrote. I’m not a big prose person, so it was a bit of a challenge for me to overcome, but I did like the book regardless. 

 

Verdict: I highly recommend it. 

 

Disclaimer: I received this e-book and early audiobook copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
 
 Book: Fractal Noise
 
 Author: Christopher Paolini
 
 Book Series: Fractalverse Book 0
 
 Rating: 3/5
 
 Recommended For...: Adult readers, sci-fi, space
 
 Publication Date: May 16, 2023
 
 Genre: Sci-Fi
 
 Age Relevance: 18+ (grief, child death, death, colonization, Christianity, violence, animal attack, slight romance)
 
 Explanation of Above: There are scenes and discussions about grief, child death, and death in general. An animal attack is mentioned. There are discussions about colonization in the name of religion and Christianity is vaguely mentioned. There are also scenes of violence and slight romance.
 
 Publisher: Tor Books
 
 Pages: 286
 
 Synopsis: July 25th, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the Anomaly. On the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII:a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide. Its curve not of nature, but design. Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why. But they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space. For some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe. Each step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last. And the ghosts of their past follow.
 
Review: Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. I thought the book did ok in setting the stage for To Sleep in a Sea of Stars and I was intrigued throughout the journey about how the two books would connect. I liked the world building and the character development. I also liked all of the discussions about the harms of colonization and if the crew should even be doing this in the first place. It was an interesting read that kept me coming back time and time again. 

 

However, I would honestly say that the book was much slower and not as interesting as the main book in this series. The pacing was painfully slow and by the end of the book I was questioning myself on why this book was entirely necessary. 

 Verdict: It was intriguing, but I think it could have been better. 

 

Disclaimer: I received this as an arc from the publisher and then got my own finished copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Fourth Wing 

 

Author: Rebecca Yarros 

 

Book Series: The Empyrean 

 

Rating: 4/5 

 

Spice Rating: 3/5 

 

Diversity: Main Character with Ehlers Danlos, Sapphic Side Character, Bisexual Side Character, POC Characters, Deaf Side Character 

 

Recommended For...: Adult books, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Dragons, Academy, New Adult, High Fantasy 

 

Publication Date: May 2, 2023 

 

Genre: Adult Romantasy 

 

Age Relevance: 18+ (language, death, gore, violence, sexual content, sibling death, romance, drug reference) 

 

Explanation of Above: There is cursing in this book. There is death and blood gore throughout the book. There are mentions of a sibling death. There is at least one drug reference. There is sexual content, including detailed sex scenes, and romance. 

 

Publisher: Red Tower Books 

 

Pages: 517 

 

Synopsis: Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. 

 

Review: I thought that this was such a fun book to read. I really liked that the main focus of the book at the beginning was getting to know the world and deep diving into this academy. I really liked all of the world building and how it seemed kind of straightforward, but a little weird, like this was maybe a writer's plot point that was lost. But then at the end of the book it becomes something more and you're like “Oh okay maybe my suspicions were correct”. I also liked the romance aspect of the book. I thought it was a really good enemies to lovers, she fell first he fell harder kind of twist on the trope. And for the most part I thought that it was just really fun. It didn't feel like I was reading a heavy romance book, but it felt more like I was reading a really good adventure with a lot of romance that was in it coincidentally. 

 However, I did think that there were some issues with the book. I thought the pacing was a bit off in places and I would have liked to see issues that are found in the real world be brought into the book. I think that it would have done good to analyze those within the context of this world, but that's just me. 

 

Verdict: Overall I think if you're looking for something that's fun with some romance then this might be your book, but I wouldn't ignore those who have a lot of issues with where the world building comes from. 

 

Disclaimer: I picked this one up at my local library. Support your libraries! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: How to Survive Your Murder 

 

Author: Danielle Valentine 

 

Book Series: Standalone 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Diversity: Biracial character 

 

Recommended For...: YA readers, Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Murder Mystery, Flash Sideways, Time Travel 

 

Publication Date: August 30, 2022 

 

Genre: YA Horror 

 

Age Relevance: 16+ (gore, body horror, underage alcohol consumption, alcoholism, affair, language, romance, underage/potentially illegal relationship) 

 

Explanation of Above: The book focuses on a lot of murders, so there is a lot of blood gore and some body horror. Underage alcohol consumption is mentioned and alcoholism in an adult is also mentioned. An affair is mentioned. There is some cursing. There is a slight romance. There is a point where an underage and possibly illegal relationship between an older adult male and at least one younger female in high school is mentioned and that becomes a plot point. This is not shown in a good context, but I’m not sure of the legality of this relationship and the book doesn’t mention it as well. 

 

Publisher: Razorbill 

 

Pages: 299 

 

Synopsis: Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial. And in the year since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister’s killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior. Claire was an all-American girl, beautiful and bubbly, and a theater star. Alice was a nerd who dreamed of becoming a forensic pathologist and would rather stay at home to watch her favorite horror movies than party. Despite their differences, they were bonded by sisterhood and were each other’s best friends. Until Claire was taken away from her. On the first day of the murder trial, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween night a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim. 

 

Review: I saw a review on this book that basically said "wtf was that ending?" and I have to agree cause WHAT THE F??? And in a good way! This book was such a good rollercoaster ride. It has the markings of any good horror film and I loved the Flash Sideways premise. The book kept me on the edge of my seat and while I had already clocked the murderer early on in the read, thanks ADHD pattern recognition, I was still so shocked when it was revealed. I absolutely love this book, the world building, the characters, and just everything about it. I want a sequel where Alice goes toe to toe to be Final Girl-ing it against the two baddies of this story again.
 
 My only complaint is that the beginning does drag a little bit but I loved it regardless. 

 

Verdict: Such an underrated Halloween book! Definitely pick this one up for your spooky reads! 

 

Disclaimer: I picked this book up from my local library! Support your libraries! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Don’t Read the Comments 

 

Author: Eric Smith 

 

Book Series: Standalone 

 

Rating: 4/5 

 

Diversity: POC main characters, Queer characters 

 

Recommended For...: YA readers, Contemporary, Romance, Gaming, Streaming, Realistic Fiction 

 

Publication Date: January 28, 2020 

 

Genre: YA Contemporary 

 

Age Relevance: 14+ (poverty, language, doxxing, sexual content, micro aggressive comments, assault, sexual assault, affair, WoW) 

 

Explanation of Above: There are mentions and showings of poverty. There is some cursing in the book. The book focuses on a main character who is doxxed. Along with the doxxing, there are micro aggressive comments made to both main characters and assault is mentioned. There is slight sexual content in what a man says unwarranted to female main and side characters. Sexual assault is briefly mentioned less than a handful of times, nothing is explicit said or mentioned in both instances. Cheating/affair is mentioned, nothing is shown. World of Warcraft (WoW), which has been, since the publication of this book, outted as having a hostile work environment that fostered toxic behavior towards female employees, was mentioned in a positive light once in the book. 

 

Publisher: Inkyard Press 

 

Pages: 368 

 

Synopsis: Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she’s playing Reclaim the Sun, the year’s hottest online game. Divya—better known as popular streaming gamer D1V—regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game’s vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she’s trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent. Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho’s entire life. Much to his mother’s frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun—and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V. At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds…and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line… And she isn’t going down without a fight. 

 

Review: I really liked this book overall. I thought that the book did really good to convey the issues that a lot of female gamers, especially those who have their own platforms in the game of community, experience online and offline. There is a history in the gaming community of targeting female, BIPOC, and/or queer members in the community. Even those who just play games and don't have any content online relating to gaming are often targets of harassment by majority white men (but some women, BIPOC, and/or queer persons as well) who believe that they are superior to those they target. In that respect, I thought that the world building and the character development was really well done in this book. The romance was also super cute and I was really rooting for them at the end. And while I don't think that the book showed a good way to get over online and offline harassment, because in the real world police are not that forthcoming with their help especially to those who have been sexually assaulted or hate-crimed against, I did like that there was at least some solution to this issue in the book.
 
 However, I would have liked to see a more realistic solution to this for those younger people who are reading the book and might be experiencing the same thing in real life. I thought that it was just tied up a little bit too neatly at the end and that the reference to WoW was a bit out of left field given what they have had occur at their company. The book came out before the walk-off due to sexual harassment within the company; however, I would like to see future editions of this book cut that reference out completely and replace it with something else. In short, I did like this book quite a lot but I would like to see another version maybe with these same characters but in dealing with the issues that they face in this book without the help of police. 

 

Verdict: It was good, I just wish that the solutions in this book were something that real persons could rely upon to help them with any similar predicaments they face online, especially in the gaming community. 

 

Disclaimer: I got this copy from the library. Support your local libraries! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Practice Makes Perfect 

 

Author: Sarah Adams 

 

Book Series: When in Rome 2 

 

Rating: 4.5/5 

 

Spice Rating: 1/5 

 

Diversity: MC with Social Anxiety, gay couple background characters 

 

Recommended For...: Adult Readers, Contemporary, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Closed Door Romance, Fade to Black Romance, New Adult 

 

Publication Date: May 2, 2023 

 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

 

Age Relevance: 17+ (alcohol consumption, sexual content, romance, language, grief, sickness, parental death, emotional abuse) 

 

Explanation of Above: There are scenes showing alcohol consumption. Romance and very slight sexual content is shown. The book is fade to black romance. There is some slight cursing. There are scenes showing grief and discussing parental death that happened offscreen. There are scenes showing sickness and mentioning vomit. Emotional abuse by parents is detailed in a scene. 

 

Publisher: Dell 

 

Pages: 335 

 

Synopsis: Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match—someone who complements her happy, quiet life running the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. But finding her dream man may be harder than Annie imagined. Everyone knows everyone in her hometown, and the dating prospects are getting fewer by the day. After she overhears her latest date say she is “so unbelievably boring,” Annie starts to think the problem might be her. Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice . . . and Annie has the perfect person in mind to be her tutor: Will Griffin. 

 

Will—the sexy, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard—is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement builds for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker, Annie’s brother. He has one personal objective while on the job: stay away from Annie Walker and any other possible attachments to this sleepy town. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will finds himself tasked with helping Annie find the love of her life by becoming the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky. Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie. He knows for a fact that some stuffy, straitlaced guy won’t make her happy, but he doesn’t have the heart to say no. 

 

Amid steamy practice dates and strictly “educational” tutoring lessons, Annie discovers there are more layers to Will’s usual stoic attitude. As the lines of their friendship become dangerously blurred, Annie reconsiders her dream guy. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be real. 

 

Review: I thought overall that this was a very cute book, especially if you were looking for a romance book that doesn't have a lot of heavy sex scenes or really any sex scenes in it. This book focuses on Annie who is the sister of Noah from the previous book When in Rome. And it also focuses on her love interest, Will, who works with Amelia, also from the last book. The book is a fade-to-black romance book which means that you won't get any graphic detail about sexual content and anything that is in the book potentially is very slightly mentioned. I thought the book was really engaging and I really liked it, moreso over When in Rome. I really connected with Annie as I also have social anxiety and I just thought that their love was super cute and romantic. I thought that the writing style had dramatically improved since the previous book and the world building was so much more in depth in this book. 
 
 The only thing I can really fault the book on was that I thought that it could use a little more at the end. It just kind of went that they got together (spoiler alert, but this is the romance book lol). And then it was over. I just wanted like a little bit more at the end and I wanted maybe some of the middle fluff cut out. 

 

Verdict: Overall I really liked it. 

 

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Melanie’s Super Secret Dream Date 

 

Author:  Tian En

 

Book Series: The Super Secret Book Series Short Story 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Diversity: Singaporean MC and characters 

 

Recommended For...: Middle Grade Readers, Fantasy, Superheros 

 

Publication Date: February 11, 2024 

 

Genre: MG Fantasy 

 

Age Relevance: 12+ (romance, fatphobia) 

 

Explanation of Above: The book revolves around dating, but it’s kept in a light hearted manner. There is some fatphobia mentioned in the book that’s quickly admonished. 

 

Publisher: Indie Published 

 

Pages: 33 

 

Synopsis: Rejecting boys can be very tiring, especially for Melanie Mitchell, the prettiest girl in Emerald Secondary School. But when she finally goes out with a super handsome dream date, will he live up to her dreams or will she be met by a shocking surprise? Melanie's Super Secret Dream Date is a short story co-written with Calista Chua, featuring characters from Tian En's The Super Secret Book middle grade superhero series. 

 

Review: I thought this was another cute addition to this little series. The book had some great lighthearted dating moments that would be perfect for middle grade readers. The book was quick, fun, and easy to read. It had some good character development and was a good little side story to the overarching series plotline. 

 

The only issue I had was that the story felt a little too fast paced, but for a young child it would be perfect. 

 

Verdict: It was such fun! Love it! 

 

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Unstuck 

 

Author: Barbara Dee 

 

Book Series: Standalone 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Diversity: Possible character with autism, Black side character, possible main character with ADHD 

 

Recommended For...:  Middle Grade Readers, Contemporary, Mental Health, Family, Writing 

 

Publication Date: February 27, 2024 

 

Genre: MG Contemporary 

 

Age Relevance: 10+ (bullying) 

 

Explanation of Above: There are scenes of bullying shown in this book. 

 

Publisher: Aladdin 

 

Pages:286 

 

Synopsis: Lyla is thrilled when her seventh-grade English language arts class begins a daily creative writing project. For the past year, she’s been writing a brilliant fantasy novel in her head, and here’s her chance to get it on paper! The plot to Lyla’s novel is super complicated, with battle scenes and witches and a mysterious one-toed-beast, but at its core, it’s about an overlooked girl who has to rescue her beautiful, highly accomplished older sister. But writing a fantasy novel turns out to be harder than simply imagining one, and pretty soon Lyla finds herself stuck, experiencing a panic she realizes is writer’s block. Part of the problem is that she’s trying to impress certain people—like Rania, her best friend who’s pulling away, and Ms. Bowman, the coolest teacher at school. Plus, there’s the pressure of meeting the deadline for the town writing contest. A few years ago, Lyla’s superstar teen sister Dahlia came in second, and this time, Lyla is determined to win first prize. Finally, Lyla confides about her writing problems to Dahlia, who is dealing with her own academic stress as she applies to college. That’s when she learns Dahlia’s secret, which is causing a very different type of writer’s block. Can Lyla rescue a surprisingly vulnerable big sister, both on the page and in real life? 

 

Review: I really liked this book overall. I thought the book did well to show a realistic view of the writing process and I loved all of the different techniques shown and discussed in the book. I thought that the book would be really good for anyone who needs to write… well… anything. The book also really pulled at my heart strings as it showed a main character who was just trying to do so much in a short amount of time and the disappointment she felt really rang true to me. I loved the character development, I loved the world building, and the book that the MC is trying to write sounds really good. I hope that the author goes back one day and develops that. 

 

The only thing I can think of that I wished was different was that I wished that the book was a bit slower paced, but for a middle grade novel I think it’s perfect. 

 

Verdict: I loved it so much. 

 

Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from my local library. Support your libraries! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Mis(H)adra 

 

Author:Iasmin Omar Ata 

 

Book Series: Standalone 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Diversity: Epileptic Palestinian American MC, character with Steven-Johnson Syndrome and PTSD 

 

Recommended For...: Graphic Novel readers, disability, epilepsy, mental health, contemporary 

 

Publication Date: October 13, 2017 

 

Genre: Graphic Novel 

 

Age Relevance: 15+ (language, medical harassment, body gore, drugs, alcohol, depression) 

 

Explanation of Above: There is some cussing in this book. There are scenes of medical harassment and body gore, like blood and scenes of violence against one’s own body. Drugs are mentioned and alcohol consumption is shown. There are discussions of depression. 

 

Publisher: Gallery 13 

 

Pages: 288 

 

Synopsis: Isaac wants nothing more than to be a functional college student—but managing his epilepsy is an exhausting battle to survive. He attempts to maintain a balancing act between his seizure triggers and his day-to-day schedule, but he finds that nothing—not even his medication—seems to work. The doctors won’t listen, the schoolwork keeps piling up, his family is in denial about his condition, and his social life falls apart as he feels more and more isolated by his illness. Even with an unexpected new friend by his side, so much is up against him that Isaac is starting to think his epilepsy might be unbeatable. Based on the author’s own experiences as an epileptic, Mis(h)adra is a boldly visual depiction of the daily struggles of living with a misunderstood condition in today’s hectic and uninformed world. 

 

Review: I thought this was such a WELL DONE graphic novel. The illustrations in this thing are absolutely amazing and so impactful to the story. This is textbook to what a graphic novel can do for a book. The book did well to go into what a seizure for epilepsy is and what causes it. The book had amazing visual descriptions of the seizures and it really did wonders for my own personal understanding of epilepsy. The book also did well to briefly touch on issues disabled persons encounter when services do not fully cover all disabilities, like what the author of this story might have also encountered or others in our families. The book is an amazing own voice story and I highly recommend it for everyone. 

 

My only little issue with the book is that it felt like it just kinda ended and I’d love to see more about this story and character. 

 

Verdict: I highly recommend this one! 

 

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Silk 

 

Author: E.B. Roshan 

 

Book Series: Standalone 

 

Rating: 4/5 

 

Diversity: BIPOC MC and characters 

 

Recommended For...: Graphic Novel readers, Animal Conservation 

 

Publication Date: June 7, 2024 

 

Genre: Graphic Novel 

 

Age Relevance: 15+ (animal extinction, animal death, racism, death) 

 

Explanation of Above: The book revolves around discussion and showings of animal extinction and death. Slight racism is shown in how they treat some people who protect animals who are going extinct. There is also death shown. 

 

Publisher:  Indie Published 

 

Pages: 104 

 

Synopsis: Farz and his family are Silki-charmers; they follow the giant, spiderlike creatures known as "Silkis" through their jungle home, harvesting their precious silk. It's been their family's tradition for generations. But Silkis can be dangerous and not everyone wants them around. Farz may be ready to try a different life, but he doesn't want the Silkis to disappear forever. 

 

Review: I liked this little graphic novel overall. I thought it was a sweet little story about the harm and impact of animal extinction, especially that which is caused by humans. The book was really powerful in how it handled all of that. The book also was really impactful in how it showed the impact preconceived notions about people, especially in their line of work, effect others. The book was short and sweet and to the point, but it had great world building and character development. 

 

My only complaint is that I would like to see this book be a bit longer and better developed, but other than that it was good! 

 

Verdict: A short and sweet story.