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yas_sezer's reviews
205 reviews
Beach Read by Emily Henry
3.0
3 stars
this isn’t a bad romance book by any means, but it didn’t have me kicking my feet and giggling like i expected and hoped for (also why did this take me almost a whole month to finish??!?)
this is my first emily henry read, and her romances aren’t as light and fluffy as i thought and there are some topics that are deeper and more meaningful than your typical romcom. january with her fathers infidelity and mothers illness, and gus with his abusive father were interesting back stories for the characters and the root of their problems butttttt…
personally, it was just too much parental trauma for me that i lost interest. this book made me realise that i like parental trauma as a plot line to a very certain extent, and this was essentially the main cause of conflict, with each character continuously referring back to their trauma. i really just lost any bit of sympathy i had, which is awful of me probably. i am also aware that january’s one was recent so it makes sense for her to have it at the forefront of her mind particularly with getting to know gus, but for me it’s just not a romance plot line i find too fascinating or impactful when it’s so in your face. towards the end when they started working through it somewhat together and she was actively trying to resolve it, i gained somewhat more interest, but not much. i don’t ever enjoy characters comparing the love interest to a parental figure, and although it didn’t happen everytime in this book, it happened frequently enough that i just disconnected emotionally and got less invested than i expected
besides this, i did enjoy the book for what it was. once i realised it wasn’t going to be pure fluff, i took that into consideration and reprepared myself for what to expect. their banter was okay? nothing too crazy. i was not laughing out loud as promised. their dynamic was also just okay? i wasn’t really rooting for them to be together, and maybe some more development of their actual relationship would have helped. it felt very “parental trauma - lust - trauma dump - lust - miscommunication - lust”, and not enough relationship development for me to love them. i might be being picky but also it’s a romance, let me feel the love. their spicy scenes also did nothing for me, was bored and skimming over those parts, which is unlike me. was not gushing blushing and giggling like normal
little side note for gus appreciation though. i did like him as a male mc and love interest. for the most part he was open with her and communicated decently well, particularly towards the end of the book where he completely strips himself bare and leaves himself vulnerable telling her how he does not know how to make her happy or how to do the things she needs. i liked him, but i did not love him. i couldn’t fall in love with gus, but love him for her. also, i did love that they’re both writers, i seem to love this trope.
shadi i wish we saw more of. she was a bundle of fresh air and i actually looked forward to january interacting with her. shame there wasn’t much of her and her lover boy. pete and maggie were a cute little lesbian aunty couple, they just felt safe. the environment was actually quite cute and i wish it was delved into and explored some more. i feel like we got a lot of lake, some beach, the houses, and a sprinkle of random places they had to travel for research and dates. but the town itself, the little secret spots, special monuments, personally that’s what brings the magic into it and makes it feel real. this book didn’t have that magic ):
overall, would i recommend this? sure. is it the best romance i’ve read? no. will i give emily henry another shot? of course. her writing is nice, she has some nice quotes, and towards the end of this book she did have me smiling. was just a shame it took so long to get my heart feeling ANYTHING.
this isn’t a bad romance book by any means, but it didn’t have me kicking my feet and giggling like i expected and hoped for (also why did this take me almost a whole month to finish??!?)
this is my first emily henry read, and her romances aren’t as light and fluffy as i thought and there are some topics that are deeper and more meaningful than your typical romcom. january with her fathers infidelity and mothers illness, and gus with his abusive father were interesting back stories for the characters and the root of their problems butttttt…
personally, it was just too much parental trauma for me that i lost interest. this book made me realise that i like parental trauma as a plot line to a very certain extent, and this was essentially the main cause of conflict, with each character continuously referring back to their trauma. i really just lost any bit of sympathy i had, which is awful of me probably. i am also aware that january’s one was recent so it makes sense for her to have it at the forefront of her mind particularly with getting to know gus, but for me it’s just not a romance plot line i find too fascinating or impactful when it’s so in your face. towards the end when they started working through it somewhat together and she was actively trying to resolve it, i gained somewhat more interest, but not much. i don’t ever enjoy characters comparing the love interest to a parental figure, and although it didn’t happen everytime in this book, it happened frequently enough that i just disconnected emotionally and got less invested than i expected
besides this, i did enjoy the book for what it was. once i realised it wasn’t going to be pure fluff, i took that into consideration and reprepared myself for what to expect. their banter was okay? nothing too crazy. i was not laughing out loud as promised. their dynamic was also just okay? i wasn’t really rooting for them to be together, and maybe some more development of their actual relationship would have helped. it felt very “parental trauma - lust - trauma dump - lust - miscommunication - lust”, and not enough relationship development for me to love them. i might be being picky but also it’s a romance, let me feel the love. their spicy scenes also did nothing for me, was bored and skimming over those parts, which is unlike me. was not gushing blushing and giggling like normal
little side note for gus appreciation though. i did like him as a male mc and love interest. for the most part he was open with her and communicated decently well, particularly towards the end of the book where he completely strips himself bare and leaves himself vulnerable telling her how he does not know how to make her happy or how to do the things she needs. i liked him, but i did not love him. i couldn’t fall in love with gus, but love him for her. also, i did love that they’re both writers, i seem to love this trope.
shadi i wish we saw more of. she was a bundle of fresh air and i actually looked forward to january interacting with her. shame there wasn’t much of her and her lover boy. pete and maggie were a cute little lesbian aunty couple, they just felt safe. the environment was actually quite cute and i wish it was delved into and explored some more. i feel like we got a lot of lake, some beach, the houses, and a sprinkle of random places they had to travel for research and dates. but the town itself, the little secret spots, special monuments, personally that’s what brings the magic into it and makes it feel real. this book didn’t have that magic ):
overall, would i recommend this? sure. is it the best romance i’ve read? no. will i give emily henry another shot? of course. her writing is nice, she has some nice quotes, and towards the end of this book she did have me smiling. was just a shame it took so long to get my heart feeling ANYTHING.
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
4.0
this was my favourite book in the series. ate it up so quickly. could not put it down.
i have some thoughts and comments
first, eve i guessed right from her introduction. i wasn’t disappointed since it made the most sense. i had to literally draw a family tree in my book journal to keep track of everybody though, it just kept growing
i’m so sad that toby has been taken as a blake. it broke my heart, he was so precious. he went through it, from tobias, from his father being bUried in a tomb because he was murdered BY HIS OWN MUM, to finding out who his dad actually was and the history behind vincent. i felt for him. poor toby. also, the chess game with avery at the end… it came full circle and my heart ached.
i guess i was happy that she ended up with jameson, but i really have a special spot in my heart for grayson, i don’t know why!! i love him, he made me feel butterflies, my heart ached for him. i did get annoyed with him when he was all cozy with eve just because she looked like emily though. he lost points for me there, idc ab his excuses
every other character i just grew to love even more. nash and libby, alisa, oren
i have some thoughts and comments
first, eve i guessed right from her introduction. i wasn’t disappointed since it made the most sense. i had to literally draw a family tree in my book journal to keep track of everybody though, it just kept growing
i’m so sad that toby has been taken as a blake. it broke my heart, he was so precious. he went through it, from tobias, from his father being bUried in a tomb because he was murdered BY HIS OWN MUM, to finding out who his dad actually was and the history behind vincent. i felt for him. poor toby. also, the chess game with avery at the end… it came full circle and my heart ached.
i guess i was happy that she ended up with jameson, but i really have a special spot in my heart for grayson, i don’t know why!! i love him, he made me feel butterflies, my heart ached for him. i did get annoyed with him when he was all cozy with eve just because she looked like emily though. he lost points for me there, idc ab his excuses
every other character i just grew to love even more. nash and libby, alisa, oren
The Swifts by Beth Lincoln
3.0
3 stars
as we can tell, i am not the target audience for this book, but it is the january kids BOTM at my bookstore and i wanted to read at least one of the options, and i was thoroughly entertained
it’s your classic whodunnit, but for a younger audience, with shenanigan as your mc. she’s completely annoying and unbearable but you love her all the same. her inner dialogue reminded me of me when i was younger, and it was refreshing to be exposed to such a young mentality again and think the way they think
the side characters were a joy and gave me roald dahl vibes. the descriptions of them - flora, fauna, uncle maelstrom, aunt schadelfreude (to name a few), felt very roald dahl coded. i liked that aspect. i don’t really feel the need to go into detail about each character because i didn’t LOVE anybody or really connect too deeply with the characters. but they were fun to be around within this world
side note: the descriptions of specific words and their different definitions was very lemony snicketesque. i liked that
the plot is easy to follow with cute little misdirects and reveals. the sisters felicity and phenomena were distinct from one another but still had relatively complex stories within themselves which i appreciated. i do think the whole parent plot line got a bit forgotten about and thrown to the side and i hoped it would come full circle at the end but alas it did not.
there is representation within this book for the lgbtq community, which seemed respectful to me (erf, flora, pique, maybe fauna?) and easy for younger readers to understand
the reveal was not very revealing for me, but again i’m not the target audience. it felt obvious (cmon candor really?) and didn’t give me the GASP reaction i normally get from YA or adult mysteries BUT i wasn’t expecting that so it’s fine.
it was fun going along the ride with the twists in the house and the little “ghost” shakespeare easter egg was fun at the end with aunt shadenfreude (i will not be spelling this right i’m aware).
overall, this will not be a memorable book for me, and the simplest word i can use to describe it is fun. it’s not mind blowing, it’s not something i connected to or will ever think about unless asked - but it was fun while i was in that world, and an easy start to 2024’s reading journey
as we can tell, i am not the target audience for this book, but it is the january kids BOTM at my bookstore and i wanted to read at least one of the options, and i was thoroughly entertained
it’s your classic whodunnit, but for a younger audience, with shenanigan as your mc. she’s completely annoying and unbearable but you love her all the same. her inner dialogue reminded me of me when i was younger, and it was refreshing to be exposed to such a young mentality again and think the way they think
the side characters were a joy and gave me roald dahl vibes. the descriptions of them - flora, fauna, uncle maelstrom, aunt schadelfreude (to name a few), felt very roald dahl coded. i liked that aspect. i don’t really feel the need to go into detail about each character because i didn’t LOVE anybody or really connect too deeply with the characters. but they were fun to be around within this world
side note: the descriptions of specific words and their different definitions was very lemony snicketesque. i liked that
the plot is easy to follow with cute little misdirects and reveals. the sisters felicity and phenomena were distinct from one another but still had relatively complex stories within themselves which i appreciated. i do think the whole parent plot line got a bit forgotten about and thrown to the side and i hoped it would come full circle at the end but alas it did not.
there is representation within this book for the lgbtq community, which seemed respectful to me (erf, flora, pique, maybe fauna?) and easy for younger readers to understand
the reveal was not very revealing for me, but again i’m not the target audience. it felt obvious (cmon candor really?) and didn’t give me the GASP reaction i normally get from YA or adult mysteries BUT i wasn’t expecting that so it’s fine.
it was fun going along the ride with the twists in the house and the little “ghost” shakespeare easter egg was fun at the end with aunt shadenfreude (i will not be spelling this right i’m aware).
overall, this will not be a memorable book for me, and the simplest word i can use to describe it is fun. it’s not mind blowing, it’s not something i connected to or will ever think about unless asked - but it was fun while i was in that world, and an easy start to 2024’s reading journey
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
4.0
i needed to let this book sink in for a little bit before writing a little review. overall i am happy i read it, and it feels like something that’s going to stick with me especially with the movie coming out buttttt 3 stars.
i know it’s nitpicky and i can understand the reasoning behind it, but books written in third person usually leave me feeling disconnected from the characters and story entirely - more of a history book feeling. that’s how i felt with this. even though i knew i was supposed to feel connected to sejanus and lucy gray, i found myself not really caring when things happened to them. of course i cared for the plot and i can recognise the significance of the things that happened (ie sejanus’ hanging and lucy grays disappearance), but it just didn’t hit.
at the beginning snow reminded me a lot of peeta with his charisma, charm, and GOOD intentions especially in front of the cameras. his ‘love’ for lucy gray, all very peeta-esque. but of course this descended into him becoming a capitol pawn, manipulative and sociopathic. felt sad to see him go down that way when there were so many opportunities for him to be good.
his obsession with birds - hatred i should say - because he couldn’t control them was an interesting concept. mockingjays being evidence of a loss of control and order in nature, capitols creations unhinged, and the way it made him feel in regards to lucy gray. she was like a bird, a mockingjay he couldn’t control (katnissssss i see you)
snow essentially becoming adopted by sejanus’ family even though he was the one who indirectly killed him was so messed up. they had no idea too. damn
i felt bad for grandmaam, she had no clue her grandson would become the man he did. poor tigris too. they were such good people
as much as i appreciated the events in this book, part of me was always wanting more. finnicks storytelling of snows history was a little more intriguing at some points. give me more action, more poison - there was a sprinkling of this, but again at the same time i can understand why. maybe i’m just greedy
the musical elements (DEEP IN THE MEADDOWWW + the hanging tree i NEED to know how katniss knew these songs. there are so many theories).
the games themselves were a little underwhelming BUT it was the 10th games. of course it wasn’t going to be anything like the games we know. but i think the tributes being mostly killed off before the games even started kinda just made it feel a little more dull
since this is becoming a movie i don’t think i need to write a summary for myself; hopefully i don’t regret that decision in the future. overall happy i read it, will remember it, but it felt more like a history book i had to read because i needed to know about snow. not as thrilling, not as captivating, not as emotional
i know it’s nitpicky and i can understand the reasoning behind it, but books written in third person usually leave me feeling disconnected from the characters and story entirely - more of a history book feeling. that’s how i felt with this. even though i knew i was supposed to feel connected to sejanus and lucy gray, i found myself not really caring when things happened to them. of course i cared for the plot and i can recognise the significance of the things that happened (ie sejanus’ hanging and lucy grays disappearance), but it just didn’t hit.
at the beginning snow reminded me a lot of peeta with his charisma, charm, and GOOD intentions especially in front of the cameras. his ‘love’ for lucy gray, all very peeta-esque. but of course this descended into him becoming a capitol pawn, manipulative and sociopathic. felt sad to see him go down that way when there were so many opportunities for him to be good.
his obsession with birds - hatred i should say - because he couldn’t control them was an interesting concept. mockingjays being evidence of a loss of control and order in nature, capitols creations unhinged, and the way it made him feel in regards to lucy gray. she was like a bird, a mockingjay he couldn’t control (katnissssss i see you)
snow essentially becoming adopted by sejanus’ family even though he was the one who indirectly killed him was so messed up. they had no idea too. damn
i felt bad for grandmaam, she had no clue her grandson would become the man he did. poor tigris too. they were such good people
as much as i appreciated the events in this book, part of me was always wanting more. finnicks storytelling of snows history was a little more intriguing at some points. give me more action, more poison - there was a sprinkling of this, but again at the same time i can understand why. maybe i’m just greedy
the musical elements (DEEP IN THE MEADDOWWW + the hanging tree i NEED to know how katniss knew these songs. there are so many theories).
the games themselves were a little underwhelming BUT it was the 10th games. of course it wasn’t going to be anything like the games we know. but i think the tributes being mostly killed off before the games even started kinda just made it feel a little more dull
since this is becoming a movie i don’t think i need to write a summary for myself; hopefully i don’t regret that decision in the future. overall happy i read it, will remember it, but it felt more like a history book i had to read because i needed to know about snow. not as thrilling, not as captivating, not as emotional
Verity by Colleen Hoover
2.75
2.75/5 i don’t think i was the target audience for this book, however it isn’t BAD, just not impactful for me.
for people new to thriller, i’d definitely recommend this book since the writing is very easy and the storyline is easy to get into and understand. there’s a small cast of characters with few locations, so there’s nothing too crazy to pay attention to. the plot twist and plot line itself are relatively simple, and not too crazy, which isn’t necessarily bad, just not for me.
the characters are all unlikeable, but this was honestly a good thing. verity carried the story with her completely manipulative, gaslighting, absurd, over the top behaviour, where i really just sat there trying to understand how on earth a woman - a PERSON- could feel that way. i have always been very understanding when it comes to mothers and fears of birth and not wanting children because i find it relatable. but honey… that is not verity at all. the extent she went to (attempted unaliving in the womb after her husband said he LOVED his kids, attempted suffocation, and outright DROWNING are to name the main actions. but this isn’t including her lack of love and care for them in general - remember her unplugging the baby monitors and blocking her ears deliberately). absolutely chaotic, but she kept it interesting.
jeremy, meh. i read the bonus chapter and to be honest, oh well. it didn’t do much for me, i still don’t hate him. i absolutely do not respect him, nor do i LIKE him, he just happens to be there. i cannot stand for cheating whatsoever in any way (magnolia parks is an exception, those characters broke my heart), so jeremy and lowen were not a couple i could support at all. he cheated the second he thought of lowen in a romantic/lustful manner. i am sorry, but you are a married man, “in sickness and in health” and according to his knowledge, his WIFE is sick at home. and he has the audacity to invite a woman he is clearly interested in, ask her to stay longer, and sleep with her under verity’s roof while she is home… i honestly can’t understand that. he was a good dad, and he was sweet, but he is a cheat and a little psychotic in his own way.
lowen, gosh i was so sick of the book being from her pov. realistically, are you seriously going to drag out this extremely dramatic and terrifying manuscript across weeks or are you going to devour it in a day? she was so insufferable with her insecurities, her constant comparisons, her justifications for frothing over jeremy and accepting him frothing over her. absolutely not. nothing about this character is able to redeem her. don’t even want to waste my time writing too long about this lady because i didn’t enjoy her point of view at all. homewrecker.
the plot twist wasn’t a twist for me. verity being alive and well was something i hoped for to begin with. i expected jeremy to have a ‘bad’ role although now think that would’ve been a little too predictable. if anything, this ending is fine, the execution is just not for me. it isn’t complex or as dramatic as i would’ve hoped and it fell flat. also, manuscript vs letter isn’t even a competition for me. team manuscript all the way. that letter is just another desperate attempt at redemption from an obsessed psychopathic lady who has dug herself a deep grave, trying to reach for any olive branch possible. i don’t see how anyone can believe a word from that letter. it was written after jeremy was clearly infatuated by lowen, slept with her, losing care for verity, lowen has the manuscript and has most likely read the entire thing and it’s only a matter of time before jeremy knows, and lowen caught her staring at her multiple times. of course she’s going to try and twist it around to save her ass. pls, it’s not even a question.
overall, felt like a typical colleen read. not bad, not good. just meh. i had a fun experience while reading but am probably going to forget about this book and never think about it unless others want to discuss it. onto the next!
for people new to thriller, i’d definitely recommend this book since the writing is very easy and the storyline is easy to get into and understand. there’s a small cast of characters with few locations, so there’s nothing too crazy to pay attention to. the plot twist and plot line itself are relatively simple, and not too crazy, which isn’t necessarily bad, just not for me.
the characters are all unlikeable, but this was honestly a good thing. verity carried the story with her completely manipulative, gaslighting, absurd, over the top behaviour, where i really just sat there trying to understand how on earth a woman - a PERSON- could feel that way. i have always been very understanding when it comes to mothers and fears of birth and not wanting children because i find it relatable. but honey… that is not verity at all. the extent she went to (attempted unaliving in the womb after her husband said he LOVED his kids, attempted suffocation, and outright DROWNING are to name the main actions. but this isn’t including her lack of love and care for them in general - remember her unplugging the baby monitors and blocking her ears deliberately). absolutely chaotic, but she kept it interesting.
jeremy, meh. i read the bonus chapter and to be honest, oh well. it didn’t do much for me, i still don’t hate him. i absolutely do not respect him, nor do i LIKE him, he just happens to be there. i cannot stand for cheating whatsoever in any way (magnolia parks is an exception, those characters broke my heart), so jeremy and lowen were not a couple i could support at all. he cheated the second he thought of lowen in a romantic/lustful manner. i am sorry, but you are a married man, “in sickness and in health” and according to his knowledge, his WIFE is sick at home. and he has the audacity to invite a woman he is clearly interested in, ask her to stay longer, and sleep with her under verity’s roof while she is home… i honestly can’t understand that. he was a good dad, and he was sweet, but he is a cheat and a little psychotic in his own way.
lowen, gosh i was so sick of the book being from her pov. realistically, are you seriously going to drag out this extremely dramatic and terrifying manuscript across weeks or are you going to devour it in a day? she was so insufferable with her insecurities, her constant comparisons, her justifications for frothing over jeremy and accepting him frothing over her. absolutely not. nothing about this character is able to redeem her. don’t even want to waste my time writing too long about this lady because i didn’t enjoy her point of view at all. homewrecker.
the plot twist wasn’t a twist for me. verity being alive and well was something i hoped for to begin with. i expected jeremy to have a ‘bad’ role although now think that would’ve been a little too predictable. if anything, this ending is fine, the execution is just not for me. it isn’t complex or as dramatic as i would’ve hoped and it fell flat. also, manuscript vs letter isn’t even a competition for me. team manuscript all the way. that letter is just another desperate attempt at redemption from an obsessed psychopathic lady who has dug herself a deep grave, trying to reach for any olive branch possible. i don’t see how anyone can believe a word from that letter. it was written after jeremy was clearly infatuated by lowen, slept with her, losing care for verity, lowen has the manuscript and has most likely read the entire thing and it’s only a matter of time before jeremy knows, and lowen caught her staring at her multiple times. of course she’s going to try and twist it around to save her ass. pls, it’s not even a question.
overall, felt like a typical colleen read. not bad, not good. just meh. i had a fun experience while reading but am probably going to forget about this book and never think about it unless others want to discuss it. onto the next!
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
3.0
this book confused the hell out of me almost the entire time i was reading it. half of the time i was sitting there questioning how tom was linked to everything, what this immortal game was, what happened with brandt and fox, and whether or not death was a good character.
i did take a little longer than usual to finish this because i found the writing to be hard to get into at the start, especially switching from young adult books or genres like mystery or romance that are usually easier to read. however, as i kept going i found that it was easier to comprehend and the bigger words and flowery sentences started feeling normal.
in terms of the plot and characters, i found it interesting and was just going along for the ride. like i mentioned, for most of it i was feeling confused, so didn’t sit there trying to predict anything at all and just took it as it came.
as the story developed, the characters started growing on me, each with distinct stories and personalities, and things that haunted them. i found it fun the way everyone ended up linking with each other, and the outcome was satisfying.
putting aside the bland part of this review, i really loved fox and brandts relationship. it’s complexity, the qUOTES (‘: it broke my heart. there’s a few relationships in this book that tugged at my heartstrings, but these two just took the cake (i will note vi and tom though)
i liked the non-linear way this story was told, and it played out like a movie in my brain. the writing felt almost script like at points, and i was envisioning the cut scenes particularly with the interludes. that reading experience was fun and not something i’ve seen very much before.
in terms of whether i’d recommend this or not, that’s a harder question to answer. it doesn’t feel like something everyone would enjoy, as it makes you sit down and actually think about the concepts of mortality, love, feelings, and sacrifice. it’s complex and chaotic, and not something you can just read mindlessly. if you’re willing to go along for that ride, then honestly it was really good. i’ll update this review in the future to see if the story has stuck with me the way i assume it will.
overall, this is not something i normally would reach for, it’s my first olivie blake book, but i was pleasantly surprised. made me feel a lot of emotions and got me mushing particularly towards the end. shoutout to death <3
i did take a little longer than usual to finish this because i found the writing to be hard to get into at the start, especially switching from young adult books or genres like mystery or romance that are usually easier to read. however, as i kept going i found that it was easier to comprehend and the bigger words and flowery sentences started feeling normal.
in terms of the plot and characters, i found it interesting and was just going along for the ride. like i mentioned, for most of it i was feeling confused, so didn’t sit there trying to predict anything at all and just took it as it came.
as the story developed, the characters started growing on me, each with distinct stories and personalities, and things that haunted them. i found it fun the way everyone ended up linking with each other, and the outcome was satisfying.
putting aside the bland part of this review, i really loved fox and brandts relationship. it’s complexity, the qUOTES (‘: it broke my heart. there’s a few relationships in this book that tugged at my heartstrings, but these two just took the cake (i will note vi and tom though)
i liked the non-linear way this story was told, and it played out like a movie in my brain. the writing felt almost script like at points, and i was envisioning the cut scenes particularly with the interludes. that reading experience was fun and not something i’ve seen very much before.
in terms of whether i’d recommend this or not, that’s a harder question to answer. it doesn’t feel like something everyone would enjoy, as it makes you sit down and actually think about the concepts of mortality, love, feelings, and sacrifice. it’s complex and chaotic, and not something you can just read mindlessly. if you’re willing to go along for that ride, then honestly it was really good. i’ll update this review in the future to see if the story has stuck with me the way i assume it will.
overall, this is not something i normally would reach for, it’s my first olivie blake book, but i was pleasantly surprised. made me feel a lot of emotions and got me mushing particularly towards the end. shoutout to death <3
These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
4.0
4 stars only because i’m hoping the sequel is a 5.
i thoroughly enjoyed this book. i was a bit hesitant to start it because i haven’t read a book nearly 450 pages in a very long time and i have big book fear, but this was such a fun ride.
i love the characters and they evoke so much emotion out of me. i have the softest spot in my heart for sebastian even after the ending where i suppose i was supposed to feel angry with him.. but i just didn’t. i still feel like he is a good soul, and has the best intentions and truly cares for his kingdom and brie. i can’t even be mad.
finn i love as well, although he has a different place in my heart. his darkness and mysterious support is something i hope to see a lot more of in the sequel because i feel like there just wasn’t enough for me.
the side characters i would like to see developed some more later - pretha, kane, jalek, tynan, even jas - i want to see more of them.
the actual plot was not too hard to follow which i liked because fantasy can be a little intimidating sometimes, but having to find 3 artifacts to give to the king to get jas back was simple enough that all the little twists and extra details didn’t feel overwhelming.
i like brie and feel for her, although seeing her so conflicted between finn and bash breaks my heart because i have such a loyal heart. pls pick one..
side note on the cute moments in the book - sebastian saying that even though she doesn’t trust him, he trusts her .. my heart melted. even though now i’m sad that he may have only done it to manipulate her … no i refuse to believe he has a bad bone in his body.
i really had a fun time reading this for the politics, the romance, the betrayals, and the magic. i can’t wait to see more.
p.s. it was definitely predictable at certain parts, but i was happy that those predictions were right (the crown being hers, her mum being the woman in the stories and being in love with king oberon, finn having an alterior motive to get the crown)
UPDATE ON REREAD
i don’t have many thoughts that have changed, if anything i loved it even more the second time. i definitely loved finn sooner the second time round, since i got to pay more attention to the little things. sebastian i still love, but he is too much of a golden retriever for me to hate him or be mad for too long.
annotating this for my best friend was a lot of fun and i can’t wait for her to read it and update me
i thoroughly enjoyed this book. i was a bit hesitant to start it because i haven’t read a book nearly 450 pages in a very long time and i have big book fear, but this was such a fun ride.
i love the characters and they evoke so much emotion out of me. i have the softest spot in my heart for sebastian even after the ending where i suppose i was supposed to feel angry with him.. but i just didn’t. i still feel like he is a good soul, and has the best intentions and truly cares for his kingdom and brie. i can’t even be mad.
finn i love as well, although he has a different place in my heart. his darkness and mysterious support is something i hope to see a lot more of in the sequel because i feel like there just wasn’t enough for me.
the side characters i would like to see developed some more later - pretha, kane, jalek, tynan, even jas - i want to see more of them.
the actual plot was not too hard to follow which i liked because fantasy can be a little intimidating sometimes, but having to find 3 artifacts to give to the king to get jas back was simple enough that all the little twists and extra details didn’t feel overwhelming.
i like brie and feel for her, although seeing her so conflicted between finn and bash breaks my heart because i have such a loyal heart. pls pick one..
side note on the cute moments in the book - sebastian saying that even though she doesn’t trust him, he trusts her .. my heart melted. even though now i’m sad that he may have only done it to manipulate her … no i refuse to believe he has a bad bone in his body.
i really had a fun time reading this for the politics, the romance, the betrayals, and the magic. i can’t wait to see more.
p.s. it was definitely predictable at certain parts, but i was happy that those predictions were right (the crown being hers, her mum being the woman in the stories and being in love with king oberon, finn having an alterior motive to get the crown)
UPDATE ON REREAD
i don’t have many thoughts that have changed, if anything i loved it even more the second time. i definitely loved finn sooner the second time round, since i got to pay more attention to the little things. sebastian i still love, but he is too much of a golden retriever for me to hate him or be mad for too long.
annotating this for my best friend was a lot of fun and i can’t wait for her to read it and update me
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
4.0
4 stars - this is so cozy and nostalgic, thank you c s lewis
i haven’t ever read the narnia series but grew up watching the movies and played jadis in a school play, so diving into the original world as an adult feels amazing. the writing is beautiful, lewis is definitely one of the few authors who knew how to write for children and adults simultaneously. there haven’t been many other kids books that have this magic in them (this, doctor dolittle, and alice in wonderland are the few that come to mind).
this is the prequel to the world of narnia, where we get to see how it originated and we meet digory as a child which is so sweet. i got giddy when it clicked that it’s the professor we knew in the films, and it only went uphill from there. this world to me is a cozy fantasy, and despite the high stakes that will follow in the upcoming books, it will always feel like a hug.
the magic with the rings, the wood between the worlds with the pool portals, the dead land of charn, jadis, and of course aslan were some of the highlights from this story. the magic system and aslan in particular has similarities to religious beliefs which i find fascinating to see. for eg. aslan selecting a male and female from each species of animal as a “talking beast” reminded me of the story of noah. digory going to get an apple from the tree and being tainted by jadis, very adam and eve vibes. i assume that’s the point, and i enjoyed that aspect.
i’m hoping to finish the series in the month of february, and expect that it will only get better as it continues. i have faith in lewis’ writing, and look forward to going along for the ride.
i haven’t ever read the narnia series but grew up watching the movies and played jadis in a school play, so diving into the original world as an adult feels amazing. the writing is beautiful, lewis is definitely one of the few authors who knew how to write for children and adults simultaneously. there haven’t been many other kids books that have this magic in them (this, doctor dolittle, and alice in wonderland are the few that come to mind).
this is the prequel to the world of narnia, where we get to see how it originated and we meet digory as a child which is so sweet. i got giddy when it clicked that it’s the professor we knew in the films, and it only went uphill from there. this world to me is a cozy fantasy, and despite the high stakes that will follow in the upcoming books, it will always feel like a hug.
the magic with the rings, the wood between the worlds with the pool portals, the dead land of charn, jadis, and of course aslan were some of the highlights from this story. the magic system and aslan in particular has similarities to religious beliefs which i find fascinating to see. for eg. aslan selecting a male and female from each species of animal as a “talking beast” reminded me of the story of noah. digory going to get an apple from the tree and being tainted by jadis, very adam and eve vibes. i assume that’s the point, and i enjoyed that aspect.
i’m hoping to finish the series in the month of february, and expect that it will only get better as it continues. i have faith in lewis’ writing, and look forward to going along for the ride.