Scan barcode
phidelia's reviews
446 reviews
Powerful by Lauren Roberts
Although, this book reads a bit like a typical YA romance novel at the start, it really got better towards the end. While practically I find a lot of things unsettling and wrong in this, I don't care much about it.
What's up with authors killing the most important characters in the book!?
Adena did not deserve to die. (Of course, we knew Adena would die....but this book...ugghhh😭...it had to sprinkle salt on the already existing wound). Mak deserved atleast a single ray of happiness. This is not fair. But, alas, is anything in life fair at all? 😞
I'm guessing Mak will play an important role in the sequel?
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm sad. Devastated. Angry as well.
In the end, it was all light and dark, loud and soft. I knew nothing but the memory of those I loved. One, a friend. The other, unfinished. And that alone is what I took with me into the next life. But I watched, warm and bright and high above. Just as he promised.
Although, this book reads a bit like a typical YA romance novel at the start, it really got better towards the end. While practically I find a lot of things unsettling and wrong in this, I don't care much about it.
What's up with authors killing the most important characters in the book!?
Adena did not deserve to die. (Of course, we knew Adena would die....but this book...ugghhh😭...it had to sprinkle salt on the already existing wound). Mak deserved atleast a single ray of happiness. This is not fair. But, alas, is anything in life fair at all? 😞
I'm guessing Mak will play an important role in the sequel?
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Post-Read
1. Characters:
✅ Ordinary (Stereotypical: Yes)
✅ Cute (Compelling: Yes)
✅ Flat (Skim: Yes)
✅ Annoying (Skim: Yes) - Ever had characters that were just amazing and good? Well, this one had them - but almost all of them were overpouring with these "niceties" (I'm not sure that's a word-)
2. Plot
✅ Easy to read (Fast) - like in other Kasie West's novels
✅ Predictable (Same old, same old YA)
Things I liked in this book- was definitely the music aspect.
Things I don't like much in Kasie West's novels: They ARE FLAT, SHALLOW, FAKE- if you know what I mean.
Updates while reading:
46% in...
General thoughts:
It seems like a fun, easy and light-hearted book with relatable sometimes: 2-dimensional characters. Maybe, it was a teensy-bit boring— (or this is not the right genre for me now, or maybe it's just me?). I hope it gets better although....
Some parts were messed-up:
There were several parts of that story that didn't match with the near future. I've found a few examples of that happening. And, let me tell you—it was a bit cringeworthy! These inconsistencies were constantly off-putting, however, it was ignorable.
61% in...
It does get better somewhat. Not very memorable although!
100% done...
ALSO WHAT'S UP WITH GR- I've read this only once!? If I edit this review thrice- does it mean I've read it thrice!??
Pre-read:
It was recommended by a friend. It seems it has similar vibes of Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter. (view spoiler) So, why not try it out? (Plus, looks it's a short book as well)
1. Characters:
✅ Ordinary (Stereotypical: Yes)
✅ Cute (Compelling: Yes)
✅ Flat (Skim: Yes)
✅ Annoying (Skim: Yes) - Ever had characters that were just amazing and good? Well, this one had them - but almost all of them were overpouring with these "niceties" (I'm not sure that's a word-)
2. Plot
✅ Easy to read (Fast) - like in other Kasie West's novels
✅ Predictable (Same old, same old YA)
Things I liked in this book- was definitely the music aspect.
Things I don't like much in Kasie West's novels: They ARE FLAT, SHALLOW, FAKE- if you know what I mean.
Updates while reading:
46% in...
General thoughts:
It seems like a fun, easy and light-hearted book with relatable sometimes: 2-dimensional characters. Maybe, it was a teensy-bit boring— (or this is not the right genre for me now, or maybe it's just me?). I hope it gets better although....
Some parts were messed-up:
There were several parts of that story that didn't match with the near future. I've found a few examples of that happening. And, let me tell you—it was a bit cringeworthy! These inconsistencies were constantly off-putting, however, it was ignorable.
61% in...
It does get better somewhat. Not very memorable although!
100% done...
ALSO WHAT'S UP WITH GR- I've read this only once!? If I edit this review thrice- does it mean I've read it thrice!??
Pre-read:
It was recommended by a friend. It seems it has similar vibes of Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter. (view spoiler) So, why not try it out? (Plus, looks it's a short book as well)
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Updates:
May 17, 2024 –page 12 3.0% "Um, no- instant attraction ❌ - I don't want to continue-Ew..."
Conclusion:
Sometimes it was fine, sometimes it was unrealistic, sometimes it was annoying, sometimes it was just plain boring, somethings put me off, and sometimes it was cheesy.
Five Survive by Holly Jackson
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My first BR ever!! (With Bryana)
***
I really struggled to get into this book. The pacing wasn't the best initially, and, I had considerably high hopes for this after reading AGGGTM series, and it was taking a bit of getting used to Red after seeing an ambitious Pip earlier. Overall, it was a cozy-fun-thriller book. Nothing is much of a "mystery" here. There were few limited cues given to the reader, and nothing goes beyond this realm at all.
Initially, it's a bit way too slow- and it mainly revolves around the character building and their back-stories. I liked how the author builds the tension of being stuck in the RV (although it's not an entirely new concept)- and how extremely fast-paced throughout that part of the book. However, towards the end, all of it goes poof and cue the death (it isn't obvious from the title?); and the author pulls-some-random-strings-together (which was incredibly disappointing -putting it mildly- this is why I'm not much into pure thriller- ). I was a bit worried on who would die, as I liked seeing through Red's perspective (the unreliable narrator), despite it being a bit difficult at the start, like I earlier mentioned.
That's all about it.
***
I really struggled to get into this book. The pacing wasn't the best initially, and, I had considerably high hopes for this after reading AGGGTM series, and it was taking a bit of getting used to Red after seeing an ambitious Pip earlier. Overall, it was a cozy-fun-thriller book. Nothing is much of a "mystery" here. There were few limited cues given to the reader, and nothing goes beyond this realm at all.
Initially, it's a bit way too slow- and it mainly revolves around the character building and their back-stories. I liked how the author builds the tension of being stuck in the RV (although it's not an entirely new concept)- and how extremely fast-paced throughout that part of the book. However, towards the end, all of it goes poof and cue the death (it isn't obvious from the title?); and the author pulls-some-random-strings-together (which was incredibly disappointing -putting it mildly- this is why I'm not much into pure thriller- ). I was a bit worried on who would die, as I liked seeing through Red's perspective (the unreliable narrator), despite it being a bit difficult at the start, like I earlier mentioned.
That's all about it.
Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Themes
slow paced, light-hearted, emotional, opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers relationships, prom, and senior year drama, with a dash of humour and heart
Story
The premise of this book seemed to lure me in. (The idea of the book and the title seemed quite interesting.) But-nope-this book was...boring and predictable. There was nothing much happening literally until nearly 75% of the book. Some parts were very slightly-funny and entertaining- here and there.
Characters
The characters were flat, some were typical (it became sort of annoying - atleast initially...and I hoped there would be some character development-more gradually-and not just randomly towards the end!?), some were just there, some were supposedly cool...The romance was okay - again rushed with some teen angst at the end, although.
Thoughts:
This story-scratch that- the idea of this story-had potential. It's just that-I'm not really into these kind of stories.
slow paced, light-hearted, emotional, opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers relationships, prom, and senior year drama, with a dash of humour and heart
Story
The premise of this book seemed to lure me in. (The idea of the book and the title seemed quite interesting.) But-nope-this book was...boring and predictable. There was nothing much happening literally until nearly 75% of the book. Some parts were very slightly-funny and entertaining- here and there.
Characters
The characters were flat, some were typical (it became sort of annoying - atleast initially...and I hoped there would be some character development-more gradually-and not just randomly towards the end!?), some were just there, some were supposedly cool...The romance was okay - again rushed with some teen angst at the end, although.
Thoughts:
This story-scratch that- the idea of this story-had potential. It's just that-I'm not really into these kind of stories.
Ugly by Margaret McHeyzer
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Reading this book was torture.
Whatever, the main character went through-oh, gods...
It deals with dark, heavy, and sad themes like abuse, toxic relationships, and gives a look into the mind of the victim. The lack of self-esteem, lack of control over your own life and unable to feel like you could be your own person was incredibly painful to read.
The MC seemed not to grow further, or move in terms of life, and the age of the character was a bit unbelievable- the vocabulary was bit off and she seemed mentally underdeveloped despite being shown as more smarter than Travis. Though, all that being said, she had gone through plenty of emotional trauma already, so it's acceptable to some extent.
Max, kind of helped her, really helped her, which was good; though there wasn't much to his backstory.
However, a few of the situations were avoidable, and unrealistic. It was dragged on for too damn long - there was a lot of back and forth (in both events & sentences)- made me consider DNF-ing this book.
But, it was incredibly sad, and I needed closure and clear my conscience.
So, I had to finish this.
The ending gave me the peace and closure. So, thank you.
Whatever, the main character went through-oh, gods...
It deals with dark, heavy, and sad themes like abuse, toxic relationships, and gives a look into the mind of the victim. The lack of self-esteem, lack of control over your own life and unable to feel like you could be your own person was incredibly painful to read.
The MC seemed not to grow further, or move in terms of life, and the age of the character was a bit unbelievable- the vocabulary was bit off and she seemed mentally underdeveloped despite being shown as more smarter than Travis. Though, all that being said, she had gone through plenty of emotional trauma already, so it's acceptable to some extent.
Max, kind of helped her, really helped her, which was good; though there wasn't much to his backstory.
However, a few of the situations were avoidable, and unrealistic. It was dragged on for too damn long - there was a lot of back and forth (in both events & sentences)- made me consider DNF-ing this book.
But, it was incredibly sad, and I needed closure and clear my conscience.
So, I had to finish this.
The ending gave me the peace and closure. So, thank you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Betting On You by Lynn Painter
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was such a sweet, cute, light, lil' romance. It was such an easy, entertaining and a quick read (finished it in 2 hours, tops).
Overall, the book was okay, but it felt sooo-might I say-cringey and hilarious ('cause of the dialogues) at the same time and I felt I like I read this one before as it had some cool tropes: basically, in short, this was the sequence: enemies /grumpy sunshine—some time→ friends → fake dating → lovers
I don't think I liked this one as much as Better than the Movies (however, this was better than The Do-Over)- maybe because one of her adult romance books was one of the least favourite books of mine. But, I felt like there was basically no plot development-just a plain story, or any sort of great character development. Sorry...maybe I'm dead inside?
However, saying all that, if you want to unwind-this one's pretty cool.
⤿Bottom line: Its cheesy, but that’s literally the point!? So I’m not going to delve into much of the issues I have with this book, and I do sincerely like this book somewhat.
Random observation: Charlie & Bailey rhyme with each other.
Overall, the book was okay, but it felt sooo-might I say-cringey and hilarious ('cause of the dialogues) at the same time and I felt I like I read this one before as it had some cool tropes: basically, in short, this was the sequence: enemies /grumpy sunshine—some time→ friends → fake dating → lovers
I don't think I liked this one as much as Better than the Movies (however, this was better than The Do-Over)- maybe because one of her adult romance books was one of the least favourite books of mine. But, I felt like there was basically no plot development-just a plain story, or any sort of great character development. Sorry...maybe I'm dead inside?
However, saying all that, if you want to unwind-this one's pretty cool.
⤿Bottom line: Its cheesy, but that’s literally the point!? So I’m not going to delve into much of the issues I have with this book, and I do sincerely like this book somewhat.
Random observation: Charlie & Bailey rhyme with each other.