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ali1311's reviews
191 reviews
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The steam was steaming in this one! It was well done and the plot was certainly raunchy but I just felt the story fell a bit flat. I can't fully put my finger on why, but i do know the ending was a bit anticlimactic. Overall the story didn't leave much of an impression other than some good jaw-dropping moments but it was still a fun read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Infamous by Lex Croucher
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book was boring! I seriously considered DNFing but I wanted to push through since I bought the physical book. Just when it started to get interesting, it went sort of off the rails. Not enough gay!! For something that marketed itself as being a combo of Bridgerton and Booksmart, it was heavy on the Bridgerton (if Bridgerton was lame) and entirely lacking in Booksmart. Idk I was really disappointed by this one, and I think it's a weird thing to read a romance novel and wish the romantic couple spent more time together... Points for the realizing-you're-gay-very-suddenly representation, but otherwise it was a bit bland.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was sweet! It was a little bit fast-paced but now that I know it's a series I'm more okay with that. I love little gay love in the most unlikely of places!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
fast-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
PERFECT BOOK
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? Yes
4.0
I should probably have read this book series in order but that's alright. I thought this was maybe my least favorite of the 3 but it was still obviously very good. Stakes were high, the drama was there, and all with a sweet undertone. Plus a very cute ending :)
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
This was such a fun read! I hadn't read a full-length Ali Hazelwood book since The Love Hypothesis, and I really enjoyed this one. There is something to be said about using so much pop culture in a book, but I actually think the Gen Z tone isn't hauntingly painful. It's just a bit cringe sometimes (minus the BTS references, I would never mean this about you, BTS references). I love a head-over-heels boy in love with a painfully-oblivious girl. I will eat it up every time, this time included! I honestly wish this could have been an adult novel (no shade to YA). But I think everything else worked in the YA format, and I appreciated how it was more of a mature young adult novel. If the characters had been aged up just a bit, I think it would've worked perfectly as an adult novel, too, which I think just shows that the integrity of the novel is there. I only found the ending a little lackluster how are you going to spend the whole book with Nolan wanting to play Mallory in chess and then end the book right as it's happening?! i wanted to know what they were feeling when it happened! Overall, it was a fun and sweet read (and the cover is so beautiful it's impossible not to pick up).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism
Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart: A Memoir by Jen Sookfong Lee
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
3.75
This was an angry and sad memoir that is beautifully written. I loved the premise of the book, and even though it wasn't what I expected, it was still very well done and effective. But wow if it wasn't brutal. The writing is taut and sharp. Overall, it was a very unique take on the memoir that still hits super hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
I think this book has changed my life! Such an interesting look into a big growing problem that's so much more layered than I could've anticipated. Hari is also just such a good researcher and writer. To make such a vast topic palatable and never boring is super impressive. Overall I think this book is going to stick with me forever and I think every person ever should read it!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual violence
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
How do these books keep getting better!!? I mean I knew they did but wow. Had me lol'ing and so sad all at once. These books are gold!!
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was very intimate and Elizabeth Acevedo has a formidable way with words. That said, this story fell a bit flat for me, which I was disappointed by. I loved all the characters and even though there were a lot of people to remember and perspectives, I liked knowing about each of them. However, the narrative felt a bit disjointed and I only figured out the narrative style about halfway through the book. I would read a full book about any of these characters, and while that’s praise for Acevedo’s ability to create background in a person’s story, it also means it felt like it wasn’t diving into anyone’s one perspective as deeply as it could’ve. The end was bittersweet but somewhat predictable and there were certain times I felt like I was just being inundated with information that wasn’t contributing to the story as much as I would’ve enjoyed. Overall, it was a worthy read and the themes and characters were handled with care and a poetic intimacy that rivals no one, but I wanted a bit more out of the story as a whole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault