cozyhosie's reviews
365 reviews

 

In the follow-up to her bestselling Her Majesty's Royal Coven, Juno Dawson brings back the world she created with both returning and new characters. Ciara, having come out of her coma dn taken over her twin’s body, struggles to remember why she was in the coma and has to try to fool all of Niamh’s adopted family and friends. Leonie is on a hunt for Dabney Hale, hoping that when she finds him, she’ll find her brother. 

Dawson has a grasp of pop culture and language that makes her writing a joy to read. She is able to weave pop culture references so seamlessly into the story that you might blink and miss it, but when you do notice them, they elicit a smile. Niamh, who was my favorite character, is replaced by her twin sister Ciara. I really disliked this element of the story and genuinely missed Niamh’s POV chapters. For me, Niamh was the character I related to the most and I did not enjoy being in Ciara’s head during her POV chapters. Ciara was difficult for me to relate to and the way she thought made me uncomfortable. The only characters I still cared about were the teens, Theo and Holly, and unfortunately, there wasn’t enough about them for me to want to finish the book. I read about 35% of the book and had to DNF it. However, even though this book was not a hit for me, that doesn’t mean that Dawson did not write an incredible story that is worth reading. Juno Dawson crafts her stories masterfully and I look forward to reading other works by her.

 

I haven't read a book I loved this much in such a long time. I couldn't put it down, and when I had to, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Lucy Score wrote the relationship between Knox and Naomi so beautifully that I felt like I was falling in love right alongside them. The words she wrote for them were captivating and heartfelt. You can feel how much thought she put into these characters. I can't wait to read the next books in the series. I wouldn't be satisfied even if there were a hundred more.

 In A Lady’s Guide to Scandal, we meet our heroine waiting for her late husband’s will to be read. Eliza is also waiting for his nephew and heir, with whom she has been in love for the past ten years. After finding out she has inherited much more than what was promised, Eliza now finds herself a wealthy widow with the freedom to do what she pleases. Heading to Bath with her cousin Margaret, Eliza finds herself, rediscovers her passions, and meets a host of interesting new friends, including the dashing Lord Melville.

Going into reading this book, I found myself struggling to get invested in the characters until I was around 30% of my way through the book. I thought Eliza was lacking in strength and had a difficult time trying to root for her. However, by the end of the book, I was fully invested in the story that Sophie Irwin was telling and was cheering Eliza on as she fought for what she wanted. There was a point in time that I thought I’d actually get whiplash from the quick changes in emotion that I was experiencing as the reader. There is romance in the book, but it’s much more of a story of self-discovery and standing up for what you want rather than complying with what others believe you should do. The story ended exactly how I wanted it to and I couldn’t be happier than to have read this book.

 

 When I heard there was a reimagining of Stephen King’s Carrie, I knew I had to pick it up. Carrie is one of my all-time favorite books. I actually recently reread it as a comfort read. Tiffany D. Jackson’s The Weight of Blood is the perfect reimagining of the source material. The characters have more depth, their motivations are clearer, and the growth they experience is more realistic. Jackson includes small homages to King’s original work, such as giving Maddy’s father Ralph as his middle name, Maddy’s ignorance of menstrual cycles, and researchers of TK (an acronym for telekinesis King used in Carrie). She displays a masterful manipulation of her characters that causes you to feel what they feel. You will feel their pain and cringe at the microaggressions that Black people experience daily. I was so invested in the story that around 25% through, I stopped using tabs to mark things I wanted to remember and just let Jackson tell her story. I would recommend this book for fans of Carrie, people who enjoy mixed media stories (part of the story is told through interviews on a podcast), or anyone who is just looking for a good read. I finished this book over the course of an afternoon and evening and, considering I have a busy toddler at home, I attribute that to Jackson’s mastery of language and her excellent writing skills. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work in the future. 

 “The shriek of agony in our souls, which could only be soothed by one thing. Revenge.”

In Elektra, Jennifer Saint tells the parallel stories of Clytemnestra, her daughter Elektra, and Cassandra of Troy. Each of the women is tied together by the curse of the house of Atreus, and their stories are intertwined with each other while they themselves are at the mercy of the men in their lives.

Jennifer Saint’s writing breathes life to these characters that have been mostly footnotes in the stories of men. Clytemnestra becomes a sympathetic character, choosing to rebuild what was shattered by her husband, where in previous literature she has been painted as an adultress and murderer. Her relationship with Aegisthus and murder of Agamemnon are justified by motherly rage and heartbreak. Cassandra, previously portrayed as the tragic madwoman cursed by Apollo, becomes resolute. She understands that her visions will come true, regardless of her desperate attempts to save her city and her family. Her death is a mercy given by Clytemnestra, a release from her torment. Elektra is haunted by her mother’s betrayals, a small child when Clytemnestra returned from Aulis. She is desperate to do right by her father and honor her family’s legacy. What connects these women, these mythical characters, is their passion for what they believe. Jennifer Saint took these women and gave them back their voices. Elektra is a wonderful addition to the growing genre of mythical retellings. I recommend it for fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Vaishnavi Patel’s Kaikeyi, and anyone wanting to learn more about these characters and perhaps to see them in a different light. 

 

Indigo Maxwell-Castañada is the mysterious, alluring subject of fairy tales. She extracts a promise from her bridegroom not to delve into her past. But when they must return to her childhood home, he finds himself unable to resist the mystery of her lost childhood friend Azure and struggles to keep his promise. Ultimately, he must choose whether to keep his promise and save his marriage or find the answers he seeks, no matter the cost.

Roshani Chokshi’s first foray into adult storytelling is a masterpiece of modern Gothic literature. Her research into different fairy tales and folklore is put on display through her excellent foreshadowing and lyrical prose. Chokshi’s characters are engaging and her descriptions of the setting inspire thoughts of a lush, beautiful landscape. The House of Dreams is, quite literally, a dream house for every lover of Gothic literature. It’s full of mysterious rooms and seems to be alive itself. Indigo is the perfect mysterious main character, while Azure and the bridegroom’s narration makes you wonder if she really is human. I did predict the ending when I was about 60% through the story, but that did not diminish my enjoyment of the story that Chokshi told. On the contrary, it is another example of her writing skill that a reader familiar with her source materials could predict the ending and still find themselves fully engaged with the story and characters. I would recommend this book to fans of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, and any other fans of Gothic stories.

 

This story was adorable. Emily's lack of interest in interpersonal skills causes some interesting mishaps for her.

She eventually learns the value of caring for others, which ends up being her salvation.

Her interactions with Wendell are funny and charming, and Wendell's amused reactions to her candor are fantastic. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.