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b0r3d_2710_'s reviews
67 reviews
Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi
I love Nazeera for this.
The ending was sweet. It was cute. But I'm getting the feeling that the happiness won't last long.
adventurous
dark
sad
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
3.25
This book basically gave the answers to every questions we had and somehow put up some more questions. And it’s funny that I'm finally finding a book in this series actually enjoyable after reading what? 7 books? I think that is quite a problem, isn't it? And I don't want to call her Ella now. Juliette was better. And I can't believe that a 10 year old was taking sense when everyone else was bailing on Warner and Juliette.
This is a dystopian series in which the world is destroyed and gone to pieces, except that it hasn't. I am disappointed that this was all an illusion. This was supposed to be dystopian, it's being marketed as dystopian. Then why on earth is the whole original storyline flipped off? Yes it was surprising but not in a good way. I am upset. It's a mess to be honest from all that memory wiping and the way that the characters don't even feel like themselves anymore. I liked Warner earlier because of his character but now, I don't give a shit about him. And in the previous book when I said that he always says things at the worst possible time, I wasn't lying. The dude proposed to Juliette on the plane when she had literally killed her mother just minutes ago and they are literally in danger of being, idk obliterated by the enemy somehow? That's just so stupid. And Adam is literally disposed off, although I'm not complaining at all. I despised that man.
I wanted to know how they managed to wipe their certain memories. And I'm disappointed that Paris survived and the 600 people too survived. Why? Just why? It feels stupid to be honest. How could this man have survived when he was shot twice in the head even though he has a bit of healing powers. That's just too convenient and yeah, stupid. And why does Castle know a lot? Can somebody just tell me? I'm honestly annoyed that whenever we get to know something new, Castle already knows that.
This is a dystopian series in which the world is destroyed and gone to pieces, except that it hasn't. I am disappointed that this was all an illusion. This was supposed to be dystopian, it's being marketed as dystopian. Then why on earth is the whole original storyline flipped off? Yes it was surprising but not in a good way. I am upset. It's a mess to be honest from all that memory wiping and the way that the characters don't even feel like themselves anymore. I liked Warner earlier because of his character but now, I don't give a shit about him. And in the previous book when I said that he always says things at the worst possible time, I wasn't lying. The dude proposed to Juliette on the plane when she had literally killed her mother just minutes ago and they are literally in danger of being, idk obliterated by the enemy somehow? That's just so stupid. And Adam is literally disposed off, although I'm not complaining at all. I despised that man.
I wanted to know how they managed to wipe their certain memories. And I'm disappointed that Paris survived and the 600 people too survived. Why? Just why? It feels stupid to be honest. How could this man have survived when he was shot twice in the head even though he has a bit of healing powers. That's just too convenient and yeah, stupid. And why does Castle know a lot? Can somebody just tell me? I'm honestly annoyed that whenever we get to know something new, Castle already knows that.
“Maybe you don’t understand,” she says. “I read all the reports. I hacked into all my father’s files. I found everything. What they did to Ella over the course of twelve years is unspeakable. So yes, I’m sure you remember a very different person. But I don’t think she became someone she wasn’t. My guess is she finally gathered the strength to remember who she’d always been. And if you don’t get that, I’m glad things didn’t work out between the two of you.”
I love Nazeera for this.
The ending was sweet. It was cute. But I'm getting the feeling that the happiness won't last long.
Shadow Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
3.25
Finally something from Kenji's Pov!
And this man is the love of my life <3
Kenji is the type of person who puts on a facade of happiness. We got to see that he was in a lot of pain, his life was crumbling down but he had to appear happy to others to be their moral support. He's a great friend, who's extremely compassionate about others and can't see others in pain and unfortunately the only one without a lover (although that seems to be changing). He's exactly like how I perceived him to be when I read about him for the first time. I knew he would be the type of person to be hopelessly in love with their significant other. I know that because I'm exactly like Kenji (minus the things he had to suffer from).
This book didn't do much for me because obviously it just repeated the things that happened in the previous book, from a different pov. But we do get to see Kenji simping over Nazeera and I think that was really adorable, the way he completely shut down in front of her. Also, the ending scene of the Symposium somehow felt better from his pov. Although I'm kinda disappointed that those 600 people weren't dead but it's for the better I guess.
Ps: I KNEW that Brendan and Winston were a thing. I'm rooting for them and hope that they have their happy ending!
And this man is the love of my life <3
Kenji is the type of person who puts on a facade of happiness. We got to see that he was in a lot of pain, his life was crumbling down but he had to appear happy to others to be their moral support. He's a great friend, who's extremely compassionate about others and can't see others in pain and unfortunately the only one without a lover (although that seems to be changing). He's exactly like how I perceived him to be when I read about him for the first time. I knew he would be the type of person to be hopelessly in love with their significant other. I know that because I'm exactly like Kenji (minus the things he had to suffer from).
This book didn't do much for me because obviously it just repeated the things that happened in the previous book, from a different pov. But we do get to see Kenji simping over Nazeera and I think that was really adorable, the way he completely shut down in front of her. Also, the ending scene of the Symposium somehow felt better from his pov. Although I'm kinda disappointed that those 600 people weren't dead but it's for the better I guess.
Ps: I KNEW that Brendan and Winston were a thing. I'm rooting for them and hope that they have their happy ending!
The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
I liked this series. A LOT!
It was action-packed. The plot was great and brutal. I was disgusted by the crimes those demons committed and I enjoyed it even more when their debts were collected by our one and only Lana Myers. I loved this series but there are still flaws to it. I didn’t care that much about the romance tbh. I didn’t feel connected to their relationship at all, even more so because they started right off the bat with sex. That just isn't my thing. I love slowburn.
Also Didn't like the fact that everything always went in their favour without any valid explanation of how they managed to do that. I mean I loved to see their plans work perfectly but for instance, in her monologue, Lana said that they were careful to not let the children get hurt by broken glasses. But how were they able to achieve that? I want to know. There are a lot more things that they did and it just happened exactly like they wanted but we were never given an accurate explanation behind their ability to perform such acts. We are just told that she's just super strong due to all those black belts and training and he's just smart af because he's a literal genius. That just seems too convenient, doesn't it?
And I'm weirded out by how Hadley and Jake are living, you know bringing random guys and girls for threesome and shit like that. Nah, not my cup of tea.
Nevertheless, it was a great story and I'm sad that it's over but glad that it happened.
It was action-packed. The plot was great and brutal. I was disgusted by the crimes those demons committed and I enjoyed it even more when their debts were collected by our one and only Lana Myers. I loved this series but there are still flaws to it. I didn’t care that much about the romance tbh. I didn’t feel connected to their relationship at all, even more so because they started right off the bat with sex. That just isn't my thing. I love slowburn.
Also Didn't like the fact that everything always went in their favour without any valid explanation of how they managed to do that. I mean I loved to see their plans work perfectly but for instance, in her monologue, Lana said that they were careful to not let the children get hurt by broken glasses. But how were they able to achieve that? I want to know. There are a lot more things that they did and it just happened exactly like they wanted but we were never given an accurate explanation behind their ability to perform such acts. We are just told that she's just super strong due to all those black belts and training and he's just smart af because he's a literal genius. That just seems too convenient, doesn't it?
And I'm weirded out by how Hadley and Jake are living, you know bringing random guys and girls for threesome and shit like that. Nah, not my cup of tea.
Nevertheless, it was a great story and I'm sad that it's over but glad that it happened.
Unite Me by Tahereh Mafi
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
Props to Kenji for that. This was needed to be said.
Girl was humbled pretty easily.
Juliette really succeded at being dumber in this book and I didn't think that it was possible to be even dumber than she was in the previous books. How could she turn off her shield while walking alone when everyone knew that she was the primary target of pretty much every other sectors and continents? And I'm sorry why the hell was she wearing a cute pink sweater while meeting the son of a Supreme Commander?
Also how did she become the supreme commander so easily after just killing the previous one? Like why weren't their anyone else next in line or people under the previous commander? How was it so easy for her? And the fact that a 17 year old with no experiences and shit became a supreme commander says a lot.
And why did she think that she could talk to sons of other supreme commanders without once discussing with Warner? And when Castle was trying to stop her she was like they didn't have faith in her and all that shit. Like girl. You're literally 17. Who would have faith in you?
But atleast before the ending, we get to see that her character is going to get a development. I really wish to see her more mature and rational instead of just being a hot mess of anger issues.
You go girl! Please don't disappoint me anymore.
The man is so hopeless in love, I swear to god.
Ever since Nazeera was introduced, I just knew that she and Kenji were going to become a thing. And I like Nazeera, she's a badass. Better than our main character.
And I really liked the dynamic between Kenji and Warner. They are practically starting to become friends now. Kenji is such a heartthrob, I swear to god. I'm loving him more and more with every installment in this series.
And let's just hope that the climax of the series as a whole is worth it. I'm honestly tired of reading the whole books with stupidity and dramas and just get the main action in the last few chapters.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Again, nothing serious happened for more than half of the book and the actual shit started going down in the last pages just like the previous books. The military aspect of the series is so poorly done and it makes me so frustrated because the series has potential and the author could've done wonders with the idea she had but unfortunately, it was bad. And I'm even more disappointed. But I still liked this book a bit, liked it enough to give it 3 stars.
“I mean, I don’t know,” he says, cringing a little as he says it. “Did you think this was going to be . . . easy?”
“No,” I say quietly. “I just thought it would be better than this.”
“Better, how?”
“I guess, I mean, I thought it would be . . . cooler?”
“Like, you thought you’d be killing a bunch of bad dudes by now? High-kicking your way through politics? Like you could just kill Anderson and all of a sudden, bam, world peace?”
Props to Kenji for that. This was needed to be said.
How did I think people ruled the world? Did I really imagine it would be so simple? That I might control the fabric of society from the comfort of my boyfriend’s bedroom?
Girl was humbled pretty easily.
Juliette really succeded at being dumber in this book and I didn't think that it was possible to be even dumber than she was in the previous books. How could she turn off her shield while walking alone when everyone knew that she was the primary target of pretty much every other sectors and continents? And I'm sorry why the hell was she wearing a cute pink sweater while meeting the son of a Supreme Commander?
Also how did she become the supreme commander so easily after just killing the previous one? Like why weren't their anyone else next in line or people under the previous commander? How was it so easy for her? And the fact that a 17 year old with no experiences and shit became a supreme commander says a lot.
And why did she think that she could talk to sons of other supreme commanders without once discussing with Warner? And when Castle was trying to stop her she was like they didn't have faith in her and all that shit. Like girl. You're literally 17. Who would have faith in you?
But atleast before the ending, we get to see that her character is going to get a development. I really wish to see her more mature and rational instead of just being a hot mess of anger issues.
“You can call me the supreme commander o? North America,” she says.
And then walks away.
You go girl! Please don't disappoint me anymore.
Warner upsetted me greatly in this book. This man really kept a lot of secrets and would wait until the worst possible moment to reveal them. And why did he think that it was a good decison not to warn Juliette in advance about what she was getting herself into? Like people are literally gonna kill her and she doesn't even know shit about the Reestablishment. Why? Because Warner is just so "secretive" and doesn't want to talk about it. No boy, she would not be fine by herself. She can't even choose appropriate clothes for a formal meeting for God's sake.
Also Warner's character too seemed a bit unnatural throughout the series. Like initially he was supposed to be an antagonist and everyone was hating him, atleast I disliked him anyways but then literally in the next book, he has excuses and reasons for everything he's done and Juliette just fell in love with him. How did Warner fell so quickly in love with her? And how can Juliette even love him? That girl knows nothing about him!
Speaking of which, Adam's character seemed so unrealistic. At first, he appeared to be such a perfect boyfriend who is obsessed in love and later, he literally became the enemy and the main target of hatred for every reader and now he's just fine with Juliette' and Warner's relationship. I don't get it what the fuck is wrong with him?
Now, of course the best part of the book was Kenji for me. I just love that guy, every reader does. He's a supportive bestfriend, a funny and witty guy who is now in love.
Also Warner's character too seemed a bit unnatural throughout the series. Like initially he was supposed to be an antagonist and everyone was hating him, atleast I disliked him anyways but then literally in the next book, he has excuses and reasons for everything he's done and Juliette just fell in love with him. How did Warner fell so quickly in love with her? And how can Juliette even love him? That girl knows nothing about him!
Speaking of which, Adam's character seemed so unrealistic. At first, he appeared to be such a perfect boyfriend who is obsessed in love and later, he literally became the enemy and the main target of hatred for every reader and now he's just fine with Juliette' and Warner's relationship. I don't get it what the fuck is wrong with him?
Now, of course the best part of the book was Kenji for me. I just love that guy, every reader does. He's a supportive bestfriend, a funny and witty guy who is now in love.
I pat his arm, try to sound sympathetic. “It’ll be okay,” I say. “Rejection is har—”
“That was amazing.”
“Uh. What?”
He turns to look at me. “I mean, I’ve always known I had a great face. But now I know, like, for sure that I’ve got a great face. And it’s just so validating.”
The man is so hopeless in love, I swear to god.
Ever since Nazeera was introduced, I just knew that she and Kenji were going to become a thing. And I like Nazeera, she's a badass. Better than our main character.
And I really liked the dynamic between Kenji and Warner. They are practically starting to become friends now. Kenji is such a heartthrob, I swear to god. I'm loving him more and more with every installment in this series.
And let's just hope that the climax of the series as a whole is worth it. I'm honestly tired of reading the whole books with stupidity and dramas and just get the main action in the last few chapters.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Oh god. These are beautiful!
After days of being deeply saddened over the ending, I think I should talk about my thoughts now. I think I am able to write about it now but the sadness still linger as I remember the words and the scenes. I was barely holding back my tears during the last 50 pages and when I was at the last page, I couldn't hold them anymore. That's when I actually cried. And I think I was a bit fine when I had just finished but as days went by and I kept remembering the scenes and read people's reviews, god it made me cry so much. This is the effect that this book had on me. I knew the myth already but I still hoped for them to survive and have a happy ending. But of course my hopes shattered and god I love that this book did that to me. It was not something that made me sob, it felt like a heavy, empty sadness. It felt like lost love and hope even though everything was doomed in the end.
It Was honestly one of the most beautifully written book. The writing style was luscious. It was gorgeous. I don't think I would give it 5 stars but 4 stars definitely didn't seem enough so yeah, 5 stars it is.
When Patroclus said that it looked like Achilles was chasing after himself because Hector was in his armour, that detail hurt because it was Achilles against the proud, arrogant version of himself that actually killed Patroclus.
Greed got the best of Achilles and he did things for his honour and fame that I can't accept but I can't believe (and I'm amazed) that Patroclus could love him despite all his flaws.
I was so in love with them and their relationship. It doesn't happen often, for me to be yearning for two characters to stay together until the end, actually even after the end. The way that they loved each other. See, the thing is we are told all the time that such and such characters are in love and would do anything for each other but in this book, we are shown. We are shown that they actually were willing to do anything for each other. Like the saying goes, Actions speak louder than words. Their wholesome scenes melted my heart and the way Achilles was determined to prioritize Patroclus before everyone (before the great war, of course), it was so endearing.
Also...
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.
What had Deidameia thought would happen, I wondered, when she had her women dance for me? Had she really thought I would not know him? I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.
Oh god. These are beautiful!
After days of being deeply saddened over the ending, I think I should talk about my thoughts now. I think I am able to write about it now but the sadness still linger as I remember the words and the scenes. I was barely holding back my tears during the last 50 pages and when I was at the last page, I couldn't hold them anymore. That's when I actually cried. And I think I was a bit fine when I had just finished but as days went by and I kept remembering the scenes and read people's reviews, god it made me cry so much. This is the effect that this book had on me. I knew the myth already but I still hoped for them to survive and have a happy ending. But of course my hopes shattered and god I love that this book did that to me. It was not something that made me sob, it felt like a heavy, empty sadness. It felt like lost love and hope even though everything was doomed in the end.
It Was honestly one of the most beautifully written book. The writing style was luscious. It was gorgeous. I don't think I would give it 5 stars but 4 stars definitely didn't seem enough so yeah, 5 stars it is.
When Patroclus said that it looked like Achilles was chasing after himself because Hector was in his armour, that detail hurt because it was Achilles against the proud, arrogant version of himself that actually killed Patroclus.
Greed got the best of Achilles and he did things for his honour and fame that I can't accept but I can't believe (and I'm amazed) that Patroclus could love him despite all his flaws.
There was silence then, and I did not care about the damp pallet or how sweaty I was. His eyes were unwavering, green flecked with gold. A surety rose in me, lodged in my throat. I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me.
I was so in love with them and their relationship. It doesn't happen often, for me to be yearning for two characters to stay together until the end, actually even after the end. The way that they loved each other. See, the thing is we are told all the time that such and such characters are in love and would do anything for each other but in this book, we are shown. We are shown that they actually were willing to do anything for each other. Like the saying goes, Actions speak louder than words. Their wholesome scenes melted my heart and the way Achilles was determined to prioritize Patroclus before everyone (before the great war, of course), it was so endearing.
“You don’t think he will be angry?”He paused now, considering. I loved this about him. No matter how many times I had asked, he answered me as if it were the first time. “I don’t know.” His eyes met mine. “Does it matter? I would not stop.”
“Father, I do not see a place for Patroclus.” My blush went even deeper.
“Achilles,” I began in a whisper. It does not matter, I wanted to say. I will sit with the men; it is all right. But he ignored me.
“Patroclus is my sworn companion. His place is beside me.”
Also...
“Who is this man, Pyrrha?”“No one!” Deidameia had seized Achilles’ arm, was tugging at it.
At the same time, Achilles answered coolly, “My husband.”
I closed my mouth quickly, so I did not gape like a fish.
This Was funnier than it should have been.
And now, one of the most heartbreaking yet heartwarming scenes that I came across in this novel.
And now, one of the most heartbreaking yet heartwarming scenes that I came across in this novel.
His eyes opened. “Name one hero who was happy.”
“You can’t.” He was sitting up now, leaning forward.
“I can’t.”
“I know. They never let you be famous and happy.” He lifted an eyebrow.
“I’ll tell you a secret.”
“Tell me.” I loved it when he was like this.
“I’m going to be the first.” He took my palm and held it to his. “Swear it.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the reason. Swear it.”
“I swear it,” I said, lost in the high color of his cheeks, the flame in his eyes.
“I swear it,” he echoed.
ಥ‿ಥ
“Ah.” A sly smile spread across his face; he had always loved defiance.
“Well, why should I kill him? He’s done nothing to me.”
God, if only he knew. Oh my freaking heart! The things that hurt me more are these scenes foreshadowing the ending which I already knew and it looked like bits by bits, everything was being woven into a single thread, leading to their deaths but it still hurt so much. It hurts because it was inevitable.
Like almost every other reader of this novel, I never liked Thetis. But in the end, when she did 'that', oh my god. Just... just kill me already.
Like almost every other reader of this novel, I never liked Thetis. But in the end, when she did 'that', oh my god. Just... just kill me already.
“I have done it,” she says. At first I do not understand. But then I see the tomb, and the marks she has made on the stone. ACHILLES, it reads. And beside it, PATROCLUS.
“Go,” she says. “He waits for you.”
IN THE DARKNESS, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun.
Yep, I bawled my eyes out.
30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics: How Manipulators Take Control In Personal Relationships by Adelyn Birch
informative
slow-paced
2.0
Repetitive and basic. A few of things mentioned here as manipulation tactics are too obvious-to-know or something that you can't even term as a tactic. There were at most 5-6 points and the rest were just those exact points with different words. A few of the advices are actually appreciative but overall, it's not such a good book.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
THE WAY I SCREAMED AT THAT ENDING!
So this book was really a surprise for me. The idea alone of a book written in verses whose majority takes place in the timespan of merely a minute was intriguing to me, hence I read the book and I'm not disappointed.
Although yes, the language was a bit weird to me, I mean I just didn't like it tbh and was hoping to find a rather traditonal poem BUT that didn't lower the suspense that this book held. It was so engaging and suspenseful that I couldn't put it down (also because it's too short).
I'm not kidding when I say that I literally screamed "What the fuck" when I read that ending. It is an open ending and I almost pulled my hair off my head to know what exactly it meant but the first thing I thought of was that Will was dead too. It made sense to me. He gets into this elevator and sees all these dead people's spirits, it just felt like they were giving him a closure, to make him accept the death of his brother and himself and move on to the afterlife. It explains why Shawn was crying on seeing him because he felt too guilty because according to this theory of mine, Will must have killed Riggs and then gotten killed by someone else. Maybe he did it at night (especially because there was the mention of "nighttime" a lot) and he died in the process so his spirit just remembers waking up like he'd been sleeping. Maybe he didn't even kill Riggs and just got killed (which explained the 15 bullets that were still in there because 1 was used by Shawn himself). And so in the end, when every spirit was getting out of the elevator, Shawn asked him if he was coming since he was dead too and now he must go on with the other spirits, to the afterlife I suppose.
Honestly I don't know if this theory is correct, I mean no one except the author knows but I want to believe this to be true. This must be true. Had to be.
Or one more theory could be interpreted from the ending, that Will is still alive and by the "you coming?" it meant that eventually after Will gets his revenge, he would soon be killed off in the cycle and would have to join the other spirits, hence Shawn was asking him if he wanted to take that step which would eventually lead him to be dead and thus, going on with them. And no one knows if Will did kill Riggs or not, but I think if this theory is correct, he won't kill him because it was evident that he was second guessing his reasoning. After all, he was just 15. And that's also why he can kill Riggs, even after all that. Because he's 15, a teen. Teens are known to make impulsive decisions without thinking.
Whatever happened, I would like to believe my first theory because him being dead would be a greater shock to me than just him choosing between killing Riggs or ending the cycle. I really liked this book. It captivated me and blew me away.
So this book was really a surprise for me. The idea alone of a book written in verses whose majority takes place in the timespan of merely a minute was intriguing to me, hence I read the book and I'm not disappointed.
Although yes, the language was a bit weird to me, I mean I just didn't like it tbh and was hoping to find a rather traditonal poem BUT that didn't lower the suspense that this book held. It was so engaging and suspenseful that I couldn't put it down (also because it's too short).
I'm not kidding when I say that I literally screamed "What the fuck" when I read that ending. It is an open ending and I almost pulled my hair off my head to know what exactly it meant but the first thing I thought of was that Will was dead too. It made sense to me. He gets into this elevator and sees all these dead people's spirits, it just felt like they were giving him a closure, to make him accept the death of his brother and himself and move on to the afterlife. It explains why Shawn was crying on seeing him because he felt too guilty because according to this theory of mine, Will must have killed Riggs and then gotten killed by someone else. Maybe he did it at night (especially because there was the mention of "nighttime" a lot) and he died in the process so his spirit just remembers waking up like he'd been sleeping. Maybe he didn't even kill Riggs and just got killed (which explained the 15 bullets that were still in there because 1 was used by Shawn himself). And so in the end, when every spirit was getting out of the elevator, Shawn asked him if he was coming since he was dead too and now he must go on with the other spirits, to the afterlife I suppose.
Honestly I don't know if this theory is correct, I mean no one except the author knows but I want to believe this to be true. This must be true. Had to be.
Or one more theory could be interpreted from the ending, that Will is still alive and by the "you coming?" it meant that eventually after Will gets his revenge, he would soon be killed off in the cycle and would have to join the other spirits, hence Shawn was asking him if he wanted to take that step which would eventually lead him to be dead and thus, going on with them. And no one knows if Will did kill Riggs or not, but I think if this theory is correct, he won't kill him because it was evident that he was second guessing his reasoning. After all, he was just 15. And that's also why he can kill Riggs, even after all that. Because he's 15, a teen. Teens are known to make impulsive decisions without thinking.
Whatever happened, I would like to believe my first theory because him being dead would be a greater shock to me than just him choosing between killing Riggs or ending the cycle. I really liked this book. It captivated me and blew me away.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was promised sweet, cutesy fluffy romance and I got it. And I liked it. A lot. It was such a feel-good read and everything was like rainbows, butterflies, sprinkles and fucking donuts, Idk it was really sweet.
But that's also one of its downfall. The book was a bit boring for me at times. I didn't like the politics aspect of this and I know that obviously I would get to see politics in a book which tells the story of the love affair of prince of england and the first son of the US but still, it was too glorified. The party was too glorified and no, I didn't like it all. The unrealistic nature of this is what makes it a let-down for me but nevertheless I liked the romance. And it's great that there wasn't actual hardcore smut in there which I hate (ofc) but still there was a lot of sex(more than I can bear). It was a fun time but took me quite sometime to finish.
But that's also one of its downfall. The book was a bit boring for me at times. I didn't like the politics aspect of this and I know that obviously I would get to see politics in a book which tells the story of the love affair of prince of england and the first son of the US but still, it was too glorified. The party was too glorified and no, I didn't like it all. The unrealistic nature of this is what makes it a let-down for me but nevertheless I liked the romance. And it's great that there wasn't actual hardcore smut in there which I hate (ofc) but still there was a lot of sex(more than I can bear). It was a fun time but took me quite sometime to finish.
My Commander by Alanea Alder
I know I'm being salty but tell me, how am I supposed to take this girl seriously? Who wears tees like that? 12 year olds?
Here, she's talking to Aiden's family and 'them' is referred to her underwears. Please, how can she be so stupid to blurt that shit out?
I'm sorry but these 'men' can literally kill her if they ever want to. Where is she getting that confidence from?
And if you still didn't understand how stupid her character was then there's this scene where Meryn found a grenade, she pulled its pin off and started laughing. What in that scenario was so funny Meryn? I'm done with this girl man. I'm so done.
But why on earth were they having sex literally a few minutes after that?! Sir, your girlfriend was about to blow up the armory, probably the whole building along with herself and you're fucking her???
But I must mention that at the ending when she started commanding the warriors in the place of Aiden, I was surprised because how did she become so smart so suddenly? And that isn't me complimenting her, instead that feels like a flaw in writing. How did she know what exactly to do and what exactly to command? It's impossible to be this perfect considering that it was her first time doing that. The girl who was crying at everything, suddenly became a "badass" leader? Nah, that doesn't sit right with me.
By the way, I hate coffee so her coffee addiction really gives me the icks but that's on me.
Aiden, the male lead and his friends too weren't fun to read. What the fuck is snarling, groaning, ROARING, GROWLING? Real people don't talk like that. Even if he technically wasn't a human, did he actually talk like that at every damn moment? That is not sexy. Aiden was the typical alpha male character and god, I rarely find such characters hot.
There's one character that I ended up liking: Ryu. He seemed sincere but also kinda shady. For instance, this statement:
I'm sorry but his parents, his bestfriend and his butler was standing next to him. What the fuck is wrong with this man?
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I read this book way back on 30th July 2023 but I've only decided to express my opinion about this book right now because why not? And seeing the 4.06 average rating on Goodreads, I must say that my opinion is quite unpopular.
But I must clarify that I don't remember most of my thoughts about the book so I don't have a record of my opinions while reading the book except a few quotes that I had saved earlier(thanks to my past self). I remember having something to rant over at every fucking page while reading this book. And I had so much to say to my friend who recommended me this atrocity. This book was so inherently stupid and ridiculous that I couldn't believe it had such a big rating on Goodreads. Anyways, let's start by the basic plot of the book.
This book is about a world where huamns coexist with shifters, vampires, faes and witches but they are hidden, or I think they are. The matriarchs of the founding families seek the witch Elder to scry to see if their sons have mates and they were shocked to discover that many of their sons' mates are humans. And to ensure their safety so that those mates don't end up dying before being "claimed", the witch Elder casts a spell to pull their sons' mates to them.
We follow Meryn Evans who's a thirty something old woman who "accidentally" stumbles upon the training area of Alpha Unit, led by Aiden McKenzie. Surprise surprise, she's his mate and now they must spend the rest of their lives together whether they want to or not.
That's it. That's what happened for the most of the book until the introduction of an eerie character who's troubling Meryn. The stakes are obviously low which is justified because it's the first book in such a long series but it's ridiculous.
The goal of the author for this book was to introduce the characters and build the world for the upcoming books and induce the excitement except the fact that the world building was shit. Pardon my rudeness but it's the truth. It was sloppy and poorly done. The story is told in simple linear structure and it's medium-paced and quite boring, atleast for me. The writing style isn't anything great or worth praising about, it's quite simple and YAish. The book conforms to it's genre quite well but I didn't find it as funny to let it fall into "Humor" category.
Coming onto the characters, I was so annoyed by Meryn. She was over thirty but tell me about one moment when she actually behaved like that. They say to let your inner child out at times and miss girl took that way too seriously. The author kept describing her as tiny, small, petite and god it annoyed me so much. You're telling me that she literally climbed a chair and her head could still barely reach Aiden's chin? What is she, a fucking child? I was so shocked when it was revealed that she's technically middle-aged because she certainly didn't seem like that. It took me quite sometime to finish this book because my body was physically cringing everytime she opened her mouth. Okay, I get that. I get that she wears graphic tees and hoodies, she uses a laptop(what an unusual trait for a woman!) and she's "not like other girls" but why the fuck does her whole personality revolves around this? And most of the shit that comes out of her mouth was not funny, it was ridiculous and immature, considering that she's over thirty.
But I must clarify that I don't remember most of my thoughts about the book so I don't have a record of my opinions while reading the book except a few quotes that I had saved earlier(thanks to my past self). I remember having something to rant over at every fucking page while reading this book. And I had so much to say to my friend who recommended me this atrocity. This book was so inherently stupid and ridiculous that I couldn't believe it had such a big rating on Goodreads. Anyways, let's start by the basic plot of the book.
This book is about a world where huamns coexist with shifters, vampires, faes and witches but they are hidden, or I think they are. The matriarchs of the founding families seek the witch Elder to scry to see if their sons have mates and they were shocked to discover that many of their sons' mates are humans. And to ensure their safety so that those mates don't end up dying before being "claimed", the witch Elder casts a spell to pull their sons' mates to them.
We follow Meryn Evans who's a thirty something old woman who "accidentally" stumbles upon the training area of Alpha Unit, led by Aiden McKenzie. Surprise surprise, she's his mate and now they must spend the rest of their lives together whether they want to or not.
That's it. That's what happened for the most of the book until the introduction of an eerie character who's troubling Meryn. The stakes are obviously low which is justified because it's the first book in such a long series but it's ridiculous.
The goal of the author for this book was to introduce the characters and build the world for the upcoming books and induce the excitement except the fact that the world building was shit. Pardon my rudeness but it's the truth. It was sloppy and poorly done. The story is told in simple linear structure and it's medium-paced and quite boring, atleast for me. The writing style isn't anything great or worth praising about, it's quite simple and YAish. The book conforms to it's genre quite well but I didn't find it as funny to let it fall into "Humor" category.
Coming onto the characters, I was so annoyed by Meryn. She was over thirty but tell me about one moment when she actually behaved like that. They say to let your inner child out at times and miss girl took that way too seriously. The author kept describing her as tiny, small, petite and god it annoyed me so much. You're telling me that she literally climbed a chair and her head could still barely reach Aiden's chin? What is she, a fucking child? I was so shocked when it was revealed that she's technically middle-aged because she certainly didn't seem like that. It took me quite sometime to finish this book because my body was physically cringing everytime she opened her mouth. Okay, I get that. I get that she wears graphic tees and hoodies, she uses a laptop(what an unusual trait for a woman!) and she's "not like other girls" but why the fuck does her whole personality revolves around this? And most of the shit that comes out of her mouth was not funny, it was ridiculous and immature, considering that she's over thirty.
Feeling belligerent she picked out one of her favorite tees that read "I Hate Everybody!" and went to the bathroom.
I know I'm being salty but tell me, how am I supposed to take this girl seriously? Who wears tees like that? 12 year olds?
"Today sucks! Aiden's laptop sucks! And showers suck! And banisters suck!" Meryn knew she sounded childish, but she pouted anyway.
Oh come on Meryn. When have you ever sounded mature?
"How did you know he ripped them off? Are paranormal's psychics?" Meryn demanded.
Here, she's talking to Aiden's family and 'them' is referred to her underwears. Please, how can she be so stupid to blurt that shit out?
They may be all powerful and could shift into large predator animals and cast spells, but at the end of the day they were just men. Men she could handle.
I'm sorry but these 'men' can literally kill her if they ever want to. Where is she getting that confidence from?
And if you still didn't understand how stupid her character was then there's this scene where Meryn found a grenade, she pulled its pin off and started laughing. What in that scenario was so funny Meryn? I'm done with this girl man. I'm so done.
But why on earth were they having sex literally a few minutes after that?! Sir, your girlfriend was about to blow up the armory, probably the whole building along with herself and you're fucking her???
But I must mention that at the ending when she started commanding the warriors in the place of Aiden, I was surprised because how did she become so smart so suddenly? And that isn't me complimenting her, instead that feels like a flaw in writing. How did she know what exactly to do and what exactly to command? It's impossible to be this perfect considering that it was her first time doing that. The girl who was crying at everything, suddenly became a "badass" leader? Nah, that doesn't sit right with me.
By the way, I hate coffee so her coffee addiction really gives me the icks but that's on me.
Aiden, the male lead and his friends too weren't fun to read. What the fuck is snarling, groaning, ROARING, GROWLING? Real people don't talk like that. Even if he technically wasn't a human, did he actually talk like that at every damn moment? That is not sexy. Aiden was the typical alpha male character and god, I rarely find such characters hot.
There's one character that I ended up liking: Ryu. He seemed sincere but also kinda shady. For instance, this statement:
"We were meant to be Meryn. Fate brought me here."
Yeah, this sounded a lot suspicious than it should have or maybe it's just me. Maybe he would actually do something fishy in the future since there are a lot of books.
Honestly, we were promised Romance and we were given that so I think I should give that to the author but guess what? I. Didn't. Care. About. The. Romance. At all. It was Insta-Love and a lot of supposedly romantic scenes were really questionable AND cringy, of course. The sexual scenes have never been my thing to read so I would not be talking about them because that's on me.
Honestly, we were promised Romance and we were given that so I think I should give that to the author but guess what? I. Didn't. Care. About. The. Romance. At all. It was Insta-Love and a lot of supposedly romantic scenes were really questionable AND cringy, of course. The sexual scenes have never been my thing to read so I would not be talking about them because that's on me.
"You want to look at naked men, start with me!" Aiden whipped off his shirt and stood in front of her his hands on his hips.
I'm sorry but his parents, his bestfriend and his butler was standing next to him. What the fuck is wrong with this man?
Groaning, he pulled her off of the table and into his arms. His lips found hers and her world changed forever.
This sounds like a pretty normal romantic scene, except for the fact that his parents were literally standing beside them. See I don't give a shit if he's a bear or whatever but why is he pulling her girlfriend on his lap or kissing her in front of his parents? Where's the modesty? The chastity? The basic decency? Actually, why are his parents so casual with that? Why are they okay with his son and his mate being horny next to them?
The weaknesses of the book are pretty much everything that I've talked about until now but if I have to talk about its strengths then there are only three small things that I liked. One is Ryu, the other is Felix, that cute little sprite and the last is that scene where Aiden and his unit were out buying tampons. That was actually funny and I ended up laughing at how idiotic these men were.
This was pretty much a trashy romance for me but since it had a paranormal world then it would have been better if the world was built properly and the main character was written well instead of her being an immature idiot who was not like other girls. Even though the characters weren't likable, I might have rooted for the romance if it was a well-crafted slow burn with yearning from both sides, instead of Insta-love. I also would have liked it more if the characters weren't one dimensional.
All in all, this book was not for me and I clearly had a lot to say. This book was not written for me to be fair since I don't even like romance in general. But I do have the right for this critic because most of what I talked about are the characters and the sloppy, unrealistic scenes. Now, if you're someone who don't really care about the world-building as much and like a romance which is just there for the spice and lovey-dovey scenes, and if you love being different from other girls (totally not being sarcastic at all), then this book is for you. You would definitely like it for the 'no plot, just vibes' aspect and I would definitely judge you for your taste in books.
Again, pardon my excessive salinity.
The weaknesses of the book are pretty much everything that I've talked about until now but if I have to talk about its strengths then there are only three small things that I liked. One is Ryu, the other is Felix, that cute little sprite and the last is that scene where Aiden and his unit were out buying tampons. That was actually funny and I ended up laughing at how idiotic these men were.
This was pretty much a trashy romance for me but since it had a paranormal world then it would have been better if the world was built properly and the main character was written well instead of her being an immature idiot who was not like other girls. Even though the characters weren't likable, I might have rooted for the romance if it was a well-crafted slow burn with yearning from both sides, instead of Insta-love. I also would have liked it more if the characters weren't one dimensional.
All in all, this book was not for me and I clearly had a lot to say. This book was not written for me to be fair since I don't even like romance in general. But I do have the right for this critic because most of what I talked about are the characters and the sloppy, unrealistic scenes. Now, if you're someone who don't really care about the world-building as much and like a romance which is just there for the spice and lovey-dovey scenes, and if you love being different from other girls (totally not being sarcastic at all), then this book is for you. You would definitely like it for the 'no plot, just vibes' aspect and I would definitely judge you for your taste in books.
Again, pardon my excessive salinity.