**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
I have Feelings™ about Why I Loathe Sterling Lane okay, it's been 5 days and I'm still not over it tbh.
Harper Campbell and her twin brother, Cole, attend a boarding school where Harper is the top of their class (thanks to 537 Rules that she lives by) and Cole is the star lacrosse player. Harper's life is running pretty perfectly until she finds out that Cole is short for the money he promised to raise for a new weight room. And. Legendary Sterling Lane has transferred to their school and seems hellbent on ruining Harper's life; first, he's Cole's new roommate and might be "corrupting" him. Then he insists on Harper writing his notes and his work because of his "illnesses." Sterling is generally the antithesis of Harper's Rules. On top of all this, Harper gets a new roommate, Kendall, after living without one all year.
At first, Harper and Sterling's relationship of pranking and generally irritating each other somewhat unnerved me because it seemed a bit too antagonistic without having a good reason. And Harper was pretty against all girls, especially Kendall, who is the prettiest, most popular girl in their grade. So yeah, I wasn't that into this book at first.
And then the second half happened.
Harper and Sterling's hostile relationship pretty much petered out so that the pranks were more in fun, and Harper starts to realize that Kendall is more than she seems, so there goes the female animosity. She befriends her later and they end up working together on some of the pranks. And!!! Harper defends Kendall's outer appearance of a "bubblehead" to her boyfriend when he makes a flippant comment.
More good things about this book: all throughout it, Harper recognizes a lot of the sexism around her, such as when Sterling is excused from his behavior because "boys will be boys," and when her dad dismisses Harper's worrying about Cole because "girls overreact all the time." She also isn't typically "feminine," which Sterling points out sometimes and she defends her own decisions (although Sterling's comments bother me at times but more on that later).
But the best thing about this book? Four words: Hate. To. Love. Relationship.
Hands down, the romance was my favorite part of this book. Again, it's been 5 days, and I cannot stop thinking about Harper and Sterling. This book was probably one of the best with this trope in it to be honest. I don't want to spoil anything, but trust me. This book is worth it for the ship.
The only thing I didn't quite like was Sterling's sexist comments. Whenever Harper would point them out, he would apologize, but then he would make another one later? I don't know, I just feel like sometimes he didn't really feel remorse about them, leading to not a lot of character development with him.
I really loved this book despite some of its flaws. I really want to reread it, honestly, but I should probably wait till it officially releases . . . but who cares? Anyway, if you like private school books (which I do) or hate-to-love relationships (which I LOVE), you should definitely pick this book up on June 6!...more
“I’m not making any agreement with mermaids,” Luke said. “I’m tired of mermaids.” “He who is tired of mermaids,” Elliot said, “is tired of life.” “He
“I’m not making any agreement with mermaids,” Luke said. “I’m tired of mermaids.” “He who is tired of mermaids,” Elliot said, “is tired of life.” “He who is tired of mermaids has been hearing about them every day for almost four years,” said Luke.. “No arrangement with mermaids. Forget it, mermaids.”
It’s been two years since I first read this book, and despite many, many rereads, I still don’t think I can verbalize just how much I love this book. There’s so many feelings here! Now, almost two years after first reading it, I’ll try to explain why In Other Lands just inherently speaks to me.
This book made me laugh and cry, literally; I actually teared up and laughed out loud, and that rarely happens when I read. Sarah Rees Brennan writes the best sass, I swear. Just try not to smile when you read this scene:
“Did I tell her about the ill-fated attempts at sorcery?” “No,” said Luke. “Please don’t. I remember those. We would all get expelled.” It had been a great sadness to Elliot, that even in a magic land, humans could not do magic: that in no world could you solve any of your problems by lifting your hands and wishing. Apparently, it was always harder than that. “Oh no,” said Elliot, genuinely stricken.”Did I tell her about the food processor? . . . I’d have to be drunk. I swore to myself I would never tell anyone. I didn’t know what was going to happen to it when I brought it over the Border. There are some things the commander should never know. There are some things nobody should ever know.”
HELLO I JUST NEED YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT I LITERALLY CRIED AT LEAST THREE TIMES WHILE I READ THIS BOOK!! like. i know i say that a lot, but i literally cried. seriously. that's how good it was....more
rep: lesbian East Asian side character, side character with epilepsy, wlw side character
If you've read some of my other posts (especially if you follow me on Tumblr), you probably know that I am desperately and wholeheartedly in love with Emma Mills's books. I know I talk about her a lot but it's because I love her and her books, and honestly her books are sooo underrated. She's definitely a must-read/buy author, something I say a lot probably, but I actually mean it this time.
What appeals to me the most about Mills's books are that they always always always make me cry because they are all so reminiscent of me personally. They're all full of heart and love and warmth. Her characters all have some trait that you'll so closely identify with, something that would be negative in someone else's hands but Mills turns into a positive. She just really understands me on a fundamental level honestly, and I'm so thankful for her works.
If you loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before (and who doesn't tbh), I would recommend Foolish Hearts and Mills's other books to you. I do hesitate to do so purely because her books feature primarily white characters, so here's a disclaimer that I am comparing them to TATBILB because they share the same essence to me: lighthearted and heartwarming and overall just a feeling of being known. TATBILB is a book that will reach into your heart and just hold you, making you feel safe and secure and loved, and Foolish Hearts, as well as her other books, evokes that same feeling to me.
BUT let's just ignore how emotional I just got and get to the review part! So much of Foolish Hearts is so good but I'll try and touch only a few aspects.
One thing that Mills does so well is including the protagonist's interests and hobbies without those being the entirety of their character. Here, Claudia likes to game and eventually gets into an obsession with a boy band (but more on that later). Neither of these are treated as her entire character, but rather, they help you to understand her entire personality; she mentions that she likes to game with her siblings and best friend because it makes her feel more connected to them.
Claudia gets into the boy band This Is Our Now because of another friend, again because she feels more closer to her friend. The fact that she is so...I don't even know how to explain it fully. Encompassing of her friends? Yeah, we'll go with that. The fact that she loves her family and friends with her whole heart, that even though she's constantly around them anyways yet still wants to be closer to them all, makes my heart want to combust with love honestly. I love her!! I love all the characters in this book!!
And I love that Iris (the aforementioned friend) and Claudia's love for TION is never trivialized or made to be the whole "teenage girls obsessing over a boy band are so basic and they're shallow" thing. As Harry Styles said, "Who's to say that young girls who like pop music -- short for popular, right? -- have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy? That's not up to you to say. Music is something that's always changing. There's no goal posts...How can you say young girls don't get it? They're our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going."
(Sorry, I just had to work him in here because I myself am in a bit of a One Direction chapter of my life, YES I KNOW 4 years too late, but I'm fine, it's fine.) Anyways, I love that they're just allowed to like the band and it's never just a throwaway thing. Also the fact that Iris "Resting Would-Probably-Murder-You Face" Huang, also a lesbian, is in love with them? Valid.
[EDIT 12/20/21]: Three years ago, I first read this book as a teenage girl and focused on the above point. Now that I’m older, coming back to this book led me to appreciate a different aspect of the boy band plot. It’s been a year and some months since I’ve become an ARMY, and I wanted to touch on how this book emphasizes a fan’s bond with a band and/or band member. At first, Claudia doesn’t understand Iris’s obsession with TION and Kenji; Iris’s response: “I want him to be happy, and healthy, and to be with people he cares about, and do things that he loves. I want him to know how much he’s appreciated and how much he’s changed people’s lives by…just being who he is. And by helping us be who we are.”
I feel like this really sums up having an emotional attachment with a boy band figure beyond the idea that fans of boy bands are fans solely out of some superficial attraction. It’s a means of making you feel seen without someone literally seeing you, and it’s not always one-sided desire to want the best for the other either. I used a Harry Styles quote above (at the time, I was a fan), so now I’ll expand this point with a BTS quote. In an interview with Rolling Stone India, the interviewer asked RM how he feels when people tell him that BTS’s songs saved their lives (a question that references his ending mention at the Wings Tour Final concert); he responded, “I’m doubtful if I’m worthy of receiving such comments. On the contrary, it’s those very people who have pulled me back from the edge of the cliff down to 98, 97, so you can say we are saving each other’s lives.”
There are other instances of him and other members discussing their bond and appreciation of ARMYs, their fanbase—this is very well documented—but this quote specifically has stayed with me over the past year and came to mind when reading the passage from Foolish Hearts above. If I had to put into words my deep love and appreciation for the BTS members, it would be something like Iris’s words, and later Claudia’s attitude too as she slowly gets into TION, which has made me love this book even more. I’ve changed in the 4 years since I’ve read it, but returning to this book always mirrors some new part of myself, including this aspect, and I just really love that I can come back to it and relate to it in a different way.
Claudia's family dynamic is fairly different than what we usually see in YA. She has two older siblings, with her sister ten years older and her brother only two. That's part of the reason she likes playing the game because she gets to talk to and bond with her sister more often. Also her brother isn't doing a "traditional" college route (i.e. going away to university), but rather he's attending community college in order to save up to go to a bigger university. I liked that touch; it's a reminder that not everyone can afford college, even with loans and aid, and that community college shouldn't be looked down on.
The female friendships in here are amazing!! Claudia and her best friend keep in touch despite going to different schools, private and public respectively. I've been in the same boat, but unfortunately I never really kept in touch with anyone that I didn't see regularly. I honestly regret that, so it was nice to read about them two. Throughout the book, we get to see Claudia and Iris become better friends in spite of, you know, Claudia accidentally witnessing Iris's heart-wrenching break-up, Iris hating her, them being forced to be partners for a class essay, and then subsequently bombing that essay because she refused to actually work with Claudia (see: Iris hating her). It's a hate to friends situation that I loved, especially because they bring the best out in each other.
Which brings me to the characters. I love every single character in this novel: Claudia with her awkwardness, Iris with her warm heart under a cold exterior, Gideon with his entire personality, and I could go on, but I'll leave it to you to read this book and figure the rest out for yourself. I especially love Iris because she is a small, angry girl, which I very much relate to. And she's half of a super sweet f/f relationship; they're so cute...more
**I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
okay I am going to try to fully express how I feel about this book...sorry thi**I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
okay I am going to try to fully express how I feel about this book...sorry this will probably be such a scattered review because I am so shook by this book tbh....
First off, I am honestly so surprised that this book has such a low average rating. 3.38 stars is pretty much unheard of to me (I usually don't even read anything under 3.80). Please know how inaccurate that average rating is and ignore it. This was such a good book, easily one of my fave books of the year and we're only two and a half months in!
A basic summary of this book is that Tea, the protagonist, is revealed to be a dark asha (essentially a witch), or a bone witch (although this term is considered offensive), when she accidentally raises her brother, Fox, from the dead. Luckily, another dark asha, Lady Mykaela, is in the area, so she takes Tea under her wing and brings her and Fox to the Willows to train to be an asha. However, this book is told in alternating POVS: one is Tea's while she is training, and the other is another person who is with Tea in the future. In this way, we see a Tea who is coming into her powers and a Tea who is now much changed from that of the past.
In The Bone Witch, we get so many diversity aspects that we usually don't get in a fantasy. The world building is exquisite, and each of the eight kingdoms is vastly different. There's the kimono-like huas that the asha wear. The women who wear covers that are reminiscent of hijabs. A caring prince but with him, his cousin who hates Tea for some reason. Many women who mentor Tea through her journey to become an asha. A strong sibling relationship between Fox and Tea. A boy who desperately wants to be an asha despite the fact that only women can be ashas because some of the things they do are considered too "feminine," such as dancing and singing.
Admittedly, this book did drag a bit for the first third, but it does pick up rapidly. And yes, there were some cliches, but I think they were well done? I got so caught in the plot I didn't even notice any of this much though.
Although a little confusing at first, I loved this book so, so much. I'm very excited for book two, especially after that ending! We know the beginning and ending of Tea's story, but we don't know how she gets to where she is in the future, and I'm already planning to reread when this book officially releases....more
When I first read this book, I liked it but didn’t LOVE it. However, I predicted that I would actually love it if I reread it, and that predi4.5 stars
When I first read this book, I liked it but didn’t LOVE it. However, I predicted that I would actually love it if I reread it, and that prediction has come true.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (JUNE 22, 2017): I really liked this book but tbh I feel like I won't LOVE LOVE this book till I reread it, so no review till then...more
rep: Korean-American protagonist and side characters, lesbian Mexican-American side character; (Korean-American author) cw: mentions of death of a parent (mother)
I've been waiting to read I Believe in a Thing Called Love since I first heard about it, and after (finally) reading it, I was not disappointed. This book was so cute and fun to read! It's definitely one of my favorites this year.
Desi Lee is a high school senior awaiting her acceptance from Stanford, the university where her deceased mother went to. Her dad is addicted to Korean dramas, but Desi finds them cliche and annoying. Desi is the girl who does everything: student body president, soccer team president, etc. However, she's never had a boyfriend, a fact that she decides to change when she meets Luca, a new (hot!) student who's a well-known artist. Desi enlists the formulaic plotlines of her dad's favorite, K-dramas, to help her win Luca over.
First off, I LOVE DESI, okay. She's hardworking and doesn't let anything get in her way, truly a girl after my own heart. Usually I'm not really about those Asian characters who are super smart overachievers, blah blah blah, because of the stereotypes surrounding Asians, but I think Maurene Goo writes Desi as a real person, not just a two dimensional, flat character. Goo also writes Luca as a real teenage boy too; he's not some perfect love interest who has no flaws. His actions are actually things a teenage boy would do. I loved Desi's friends, Fiona and Wes, and their willingness to help her with her K-drama plan. Also, Fiona is a latina lesbian and is never treated like, OH MY GOD A LESBIAN.
The book is so well written too; Desi writes a list of steps to follow for her plan, and the chapters follow these. In fact, even after Desi and Luca start dating, the chapters still follow the steps, which is a clear example of the well-thought-out structure of the whole book. I loved all the direct references to the K-dramas too. I always smiled whenever I saw one that I recognized (although I've only watched a couple; my ability to watch is pretty much limited to whatever's on Netflix :/). Another part that I really related to was when Desi sees Violet's (another Korean character) parents and thinks, now I have to act all Korean now. This is honestly me whenever I see Vietnamese parents, especially because I don't speak Vietnamese and don't really know how to greet people properly without my parents.
I was a little put off by some of Desi's drastic measures; some of them seemed to go way too far, but she recognized this at least. I was a little upset by her and Violet's relationship and the lack of actually really making up. So yeah, the book had a couple of :/ things, but I still love it so much.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love is one of the cutest books that I've read this year! I got to attend a panel earlier this year where Maurene Goo talked about the importance of writing books with people of color and not focusing the whole story on them being of color. She definitely wrote this book with that in mind, and I am so happy she did! If you're a fan of Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, you should definitely check this book out....more
rep: lesbian side character, mlm side character cw: mentions of death of a side character's parent
Finally writing my review after two months bc I went back and reread to make sure I felt the same way about this book as the first time, and man, if anything, I feel even better about this book. Not to mention how beautiful the cover is.
I read this author's other book, First and Then, which I liked but didn't LOVE, mostly because the protagonist had too much of a self-deprecating attitude to me. But. This book I loved. This book is a lot of things I never knew I wanted in one book. This Adventure Ends is definitely one of my favorite books this year.
The gist of this book is that Sloane Finch moves to Florida because her dad is a famous romance novelist who is suffering from writer's block. She quickly becomes friends with this group of people who are honestly such friend goals. The group includes Vera, a famous social media star; Gabe, her twin brother; Aubrey, Vera's best friend who doesn't quite like Sloane; Remy, who enlists Sloane's help to find out why Aubrey broke up with him; and Frank, a charismatic, "can't be chained down to one friend group" kind of guy. Vera and Gabe's recently deceased mother was an artist who painted these breathtaking paintings, one of which is "The Dream," which their stepmom accidentally sold. Sloane then decides to track down with Remy's help, which begins THE ADVENTURE. Meanwhile, her dad is having a bit of a midlife crisis and becomes obsessed with this teenage werewolf show, which is honestly a good part of the plot (both in length and quality).
One of my favorite things is that things about the characters are revealed (not said outright, more like we find out by context), such as Vera being a lesbian, Frank being bi (or maybe pan?), and the twins being half Dominican. Unfortunately though, there isn't much racial diversity other than this :(.
Another one of the aspects that I liked was how the characters talk about these things, or rather, how they don't talk about them. For example, Sloane finds out Vera is dating a girl, and doesn't freak out! And never acts weird around Vera, even when they're touching! She never acts differently just because Vera isn't straight! It's sad that this makes me so happy, but frankly, in the world we live in today, this happens far too often. I also like how Vera being a social media star is just a thing? They don't talk about it too much? It's just a part of her characterization. I think, to sum this up, basically I liked how the book doesn't focus on every single little aspect and doesn't play everything up to be a bigger deal than it is.
This Adventure Ends was definitely one of the best books I've read this year. I honestly want to be in this friend group. They have so many inside jokes, and they're all so supportive. Definitely on my list of favorite friend groups! Fans of Morgan Matson will definitely enjoy this book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it....more
Oh god, I'm not entirely sure I can capture in words how I feel about this book, but I'll try.
First off, WHERE IS MY PETER K???????????
Okay, moving onOh god, I'm not entirely sure I can capture in words how I feel about this book, but I'll try.
First off, WHERE IS MY PETER K???????????
Okay, moving on, I will go out on a limb and say that Always and Forever, Lara Jean is my favorite book of this series. It's the best one, okay? We don't deal with the love triangles anymore, and we get so many cute, domestic scenes. Throughout most of the book, Lara Jean is completely happy with Peter, but she is also worrying about their future when they leave for college. On top of this, she's planning her dad's wedding and trying to decide on a college.
I'm at that point of my life where I am also dealing with all the college stuff, though not quite yet. However, I really related to the events of this book; prom, graduation, etc. Jenny Han did a really good job at capturing all these scenes without being cheesy or completely unrealistic. (Although one thing Lara Jean never thinks about is her major, which is??? kind of unrealistic because what teenager isn't obsessed with what they're going to do?)
I've read some reviews that some of the scenes felt unnecessary, but I think completely opposite. What I've always enjoyed about this series, and what I believe makes it so good, is that the plot is Lara Jean's daily life, and this includes all the little moments. Most YA romance/contemporary has the protagonist facing some issue, but Lara Jean's is just her life. And I love this series for that; it makes it all the more relatable. However, I will say that this book did what P.S. I Still Love You did (although it did it better imo), in that it resolved almost immediately without any real buildup. I loved the ending though. It was sweet but with just the right amount of bittersweet, although not really bittersweet? More of a contemplative tone that doesn't trivialize the ending.
I would honestly say this is Jenny Han's best book. I think the writing got a lot better in this one, and the pacing was quick enough so that nothing dragged, but not so that everything flew by too fast, especially because there was a bit of a time jump between P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean. All the relationships are developed throughout the series to culminate in this perfect, sweet novel that I will treasure and hold close to my heart forever.
ahhhh!!! I loved this book so much, the ship is sooo good!! I came into this book not particularly excited bc I didn't like tstq that much but I was pahhhh!!! I loved this book so much, the ship is sooo good!! I came into this book not particularly excited bc I didn't like tstq that much but I was pleasantly surprised
I think it's more bc I don't care for the whole romance trope in tstq but I love the hate-to-love trope in this book but anyway, read this book!!!...more
I've been meaning to write this review for ages, but every time I sit down to do it, I just. Forget how to write. It's mostly because I don't know how to verbalize my love for this book. I just really love it, okay! The Secret of a Heart Note is a book that you can read over and over again, and fall more and more in love with it every time.
It's honestly so difficult to describe why I love this book so much, but I'll try.
The Secret of a Heart Note is the fresh scent of spring, the caress of a cool breeze on your face, the feeling of sunlight on your skin. It's love and warmth and beauty.
To put it in less abstract terms, this book is all-around amazing. A diverse contemporary novel, it has one of the most original plots I've read with the aromateur aspect. Stacey Lee writes this so well, and you'll feel as if it's a real thing. The descriptions of the different scents are so, so vivid; it's like you're smelling the emotions yourself.
The characters are so great as well! I adore Mim; she's headstrong and doesn't care about what other people think. Her best friend, Kali, is the same, and together, they have such a great friendship. Court, the love interest, is the epitome of the popular jock, but he's also written as a three-dimensional character.
I did have an issue with the antagonist, Vicky. She's the stereotypical mean girl character, which would be fine in theory, but there's nothing else to her character. This was a bit of a disappointment, especially because I thought we were past two-dimensional female characters.
The Secret of a Heart Note is evocative and lovely; you'll be left wanting more. I adore Stacey Lee's writing, and I can't wait to read her next release. Pick this book up if you want a delightful, diverse contemporary!
original review(s):
I'm very emotional rn so I'll just say this is definitely on my top books of 2017 already.
EDIT: I still haven't written a review yet rip and this is the third time I read this just this year so I will get to it👈🏼😎👉🏼...more
I've been looking forward to The Ends of the World for more than a year, especially because it was pushed back 6 months. It totally lived up 4.5 stars
I've been looking forward to The Ends of the World for more than a year, especially because it was pushed back 6 months. It totally lived up to my expectations! I stayed up late last night to read it, and here I am the next day, still crying because the series is over. I might review the first two books later, and I don't want to spoil any previous events, so you can just read the summary of this one (and read the whole series while you're at it? It deserves some more love).
I am honestly still in shock from this book. It was the best one in the series, hands down, and I completely loved Map of Fates. There's more of the same intrigue, mystery-solving, traipsing around important landmarks, etc., but there are wayyyy more plot twists in this one. I did not see any of them coming at all, and I spent the entire book on edge.
The found-family trope is so strong in this book :'). It started to appear in the second one, but it came to full strength in this one. And I'm so in love with the ship!!! I really don't want to spoil something, so I think I should just stop there, but ahhhhhhh my heart is so full.
The Ends of the World was an amazing end to a great trilogy. I'm sad for it to end, but I am completely happy with the way it did. Pick up this series if you like thrillers, found family, or kissing scenes....more
michelle (magical reads)
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Books:
2017-again
(17)
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