Tag Archives: 4 stars

Heartstopper, Volumes 1-4 — Alice Oseman

“There’s this idea that if you’re not straight, you HAVE to tell all your family and friends immediately, like you owe it to them. But you don’t. You don’t have to do anything until you’re ready.”

Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQIA+, Graphic Novel
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Deals with topics like homophobia, biphobia, outing someone, anorexia, eating disorders, anxiety, etc.

The “Heartstopper” graphic novels, volumes 1 through 4, follow two characters, Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, and their group of friends. Charlie and Nick both attend an all-boys high school, but have had radically different high school experiences. While Charlie was outed as gay and bullied, Nick was a semi-popular rugby player with a bunch of superficial friends. After they’re assigned seats beside each other for one of their classes, they become friends. Well, Charlie develops a huge crush on Nick, but Nick’s straight, so that shouldn’t be a problem… right?

I started reading this graphic novel series because I saw a Netflix series was being produced about it and I just really wanted to get my hands on the novels before seeing the series. And so I did. And I must say I did not love it as much as I thought I would, at the start. The first two volumes are somewhat childish and superficial. Honestly, my rating for this series was very markedly bumped up to 4 stars thanks to the third and fourth volumes, where the interactions between characters started to become deeper and more realistic.

I loved the characters and I loved loved loved the art. The drawings are doodly and flowy. These books were a very fun read that was only enhanced by its Netflix series. I can’t even begin to explain how much more I appreciated that series thanks to the graphic novels. The real motion series almost goes scene by scene as compared to the graphic novel. It was truly a religious experience.

I would recommend this series to anyone trying to get into graphic novels, since these are easy, quick reads. Also, if you like queer romances, close proximity tropes, and books that face difficult topics like mental illness, bullying, and eating disorders, then grab these graphic novels. I can’t wait for Volume 5.

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“Love can’t cure a mental illness.”

Payback’s a Witch — Lana Harper — The Witches of Thistle Grove #1

“It’s just like chess; there’s cheating, and then there’s outwitting your opponent. (…) One is dishonorable and vile. The other? Just good strategy.”

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA+
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Has explicit sexual content, curse language, and mentions infidelity.

“Payback’s a Witch” is the first book in the The Witches of Thistle Grove series. Thistle Grove is a magical town, founded by 4 families (the Blackmoores, the Avramovs, the Thorns, and the Harlows), and set up as a whimsical and magic attraction for tourists—who won’t ever know the magic they see is 100% true. This book follows Emmy Harlow, a witch from the weakest founding family and who has actually even lost her magic due to staying away from Thistle Grove. But in a turn of events, she decided to go back and serve as Arbiter—a judge—, in the competition that will decide who the ruling (and strongest) magic founding family will be. The Blackmoores have almost exclusively ruled over Thistle Grove since it was founded… but what if this was bound to change? Gareth Blackmoore has inflicted heartbreak through every single over founding family, so what if the competitor and the Arbiter were to form a sort of alliance? What if the Blackmoores weren’t the center of Thistle Grove anymore? Oh, how wonderful that would be.

In total honestly, I only read this book because I was approved in Netgalley to get the advanced readers copy (ARC) of the second installment in this series, but I am so happy I grabbed this book. It is SO good. It definitely has a YA feel to it and it’s so entertaining. Is Thistle Grove a real place? Because I really want to go there.

This book is lighthearted, adventurous, and very very witchy-spooky. I was surprised most of my Goodreads friends didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did, but I stand by it: this first installment in the The Witches of Thistle Grove series is amazingly entertaining, charming, and captivating. I was essentially in a reading slump and this book is entirely responsible for me getting out of it. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book, which will be released next week.

I would recommend this book to any readers who enjoy LGBTQIA+ romances, witchy books, and who like series like Riverdale and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This book is fast-paced and dynamic, you’ll definitely finish it in one sitting if you have the time.

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ARC — I Kissed Shara Wheeler — Casey McQuiston

“How can that be possible, to feel estranged from a place where everyone loves you? To owe your life to a place and still want to run?”

Genre: YA, LGBTQIA
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Homophobia, religious bigotry, and bullying.

“I Kissed Shara Wheeler” follows Chloe Green as she tries to solve her archnemesis’, Shara Wheeler’s, disappearance. Joined by Rory, Shara’s neighbor, and Smith, Shara’s long-term boyfriend, Chloe is set to find Shara and beat her to Valedictorian fair and square—if only her feelings of burning hatred won’t get in the way.

If you’re only reading this because you liked “Red, White, and Royal Blue”, don’t. Yes, there is queerness in this book too, but the plot is nothing like Casey McQuiston’s debut novel, and I say that as a fact, not as a good or bad thing… just a thing.

I gave this book 4 stars because I liked the writing and the ending, but the getting there was a bit boring and I was never able to empathize with Chloe Green, the main character of sorts. I was tired of the whole Shara-scavenger-hunt when I was 20% into the book but they don’t find her until well past 60%. So I guess you can see how this book was a bit boring for me. I had read the summary of the book but still, I was not expecting Casey McQuiston to write a mystery YA book.

I would recommend this book to actual YA readers, not new adults who read YA. “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” is a bit childish, but it’s entertaining and engaging, so don’t hesitate to grab it off the shelves as its release date is today!!!

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 03, 2022

“Love God first, love Shara Wheeler second.”

“Because this is what Shara does (…) It’s like… little hints. She can’t just let you in. You have to figure out your way there.”

ARC — The Murder of Mr. Wickham — Claudia Gray

“Anywhere in the world will be home, as long as you are with me.”

Genre: Historical Fiction
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses death, sexual assault, and mental illness.

“The Murder of Mr. Wickham” brings together the characters we loved (and hated) from Jane Austen’s novels and brings them into a summer they won’t forget. As they’re all gather in a summer house, Mr. Wickham mysteriously gets murdered. With the party-goers as the only suspects, Jonathan Darcy—son of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy (nee Bennet)—and Juliet Tilney—daughter of Mr. Henry Tilney and Mrs. Catherine Tilney (nee Morland)—set out to unmask the murderer, let someone else be wrongfully accused for the… misfortune?

This book had me sold by the end of the Prologue. When I was younger I was the biggest fan of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie novels. The two styles couldn’t be any more different, yet Claudia Gray has found a way to mesh them and I’m here for it. In an expertly told story, Gray has given us more to love about the characters Jane Austen so carefully crafted. But you don’t have to have read all of the Jane Austen books to understand this novel, as Gray has taken the time to insert the Austen characters’ stories here and there, subtly building her story up with those pre-existing back stories that some may or may not know. For instance, I have not read “Mansfield Park” and so was not familiar with the Bertrams, yet I did not feel like I understood Gray’s story any less because of this.

Told through regal language, I would recommend this book to readers who’ve enjoyed Jane Austen and other classical novels, and who are up for some murder mystery vibes. I would love love love to see this book made into a movie, to the likes of the “Murder on the Orient Express” 2017 movie.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 03, 2022

To Have and to Hoax — Martha Waters — The Regency Vows #1

“(…) If you are going to insist on losing faith in someone the moment you see the slightest possibility that they have wronged you, you are going to have a very frustrating life.”

Genre: Romance, Royalty
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Toxic relationships and friendships, sexual content and sexism.

Set in what seems to be the 1800s, “To Have and to Hoax” follows Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley, a couple who got married out of love, which was extremely back in the day. After one year of blissful marriage, they get in a fight so great that they barely speak for the following 4 years. Then, Lady Violet gets a letter, telling her her husband has been in a grave accident. As she rushes to where he is only to find he is actually fine and well, she sets to get her revenge, because it isn’t fair that they barely talk and she still cares for him. In a comedic telling, this romance book will transport you to times similar to books like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility”.

I pretty much grabbed this book because I was reminiscing how much I enjoy the “Pride and Prejudice” 2005 movie and to start setting the mood for season 2 of Bridgerton. And I must say, “To Have and to Hoax” did a perfect job at that. I loved the tension and scheming and the period language. The first installment in The Regency Vows series is lighthearted, funny, and very heavily focused on character development. For its length, it was a very fast read, even if it wasn’t that fastly paced.

I would recommend this book to lovers of period dramas and to readers who enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope.

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The Party Crasher — Sophie Kinsella

“A relationship isn’t a snapshot. (…) It’s a journey.”

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Actual rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses divorce and deals with abandonment issues, but there aren’t really any other content warnings that I can think of.

“The Party Crasher” follows Effie, a (currently unemployed) event planner, as she crashes her family home’s “house cooling” party. Effie’s father and stepmother Mimi were the ones who raised her but now, after Effie and her siblings grow up and move away from home, they get a divorce. This has left Effie to question if everything she lived in her childhood was real because she really could’ve sworn they were a happy couple. A few years later, in comes Krista, Effie’s father’s gold-digging girlfriend. As Effie’s family’s quirky home is finally sold, Krista organizes a house cooling party and “forgets” to invite Effie. Hurt, but on a mission to rescue one of her childhood toys, Effie sets out to attend the party anyway, without anyone seeing her there. In a series of unfortunate (and comedic) events, Effie ends up not going unnoticed and has to resort to the help of her siblings and even an ex-boyfriend. In this heartwarming novel, Sophie Kinsella gives us the quirkiest of quirky families.

This has been the funniest romantic novel for me. I see so many books cataloged under romantic comedy when they’re really just romances without a huge tragedy, but wow, that was not the case with “The Party Crasher”. This book made me cringe and feel secondhand embarrassment and giggle and downright laugh at times. Effie, the main character, was going through a rollercoaster of emotions, and so was I.

I would say this was a relatively PG romance, but it was still cute and heartwarming in all the moments that mattered. I liked the characters, even the hatable ones, and I liked how fast-paced this book was, there were no dull moments.

I would recommend this book to young adults looking for a funny, light, romantic story to get out of their heads. This book is enthralling and entertaining, it’ll help you forget everything in the real world for a few hours.

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It’s Not Summer Without You — Jenny Han — Summer #2

Genre: Young Adult, Coming-of-age
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses cancer and death.

“It’s Not Summer Without You” follows Belly and the Fisher brothers into the aftermath of sickness and heartache. It’s summer, they’re not at Cousins Beach, and Jeremiah calls in to let Belly know Conrad is gone and no one knows where he is. Nothing is how it’s supposed to be, but there’s still time for this summer to be turned around.

In the second book of this series we can finally get a closer look at Jeremiah and Belly’s friendship. We get to see how they bicker and care for each other. I know they implied at that the first time around, but we didn’t get to see it as much. Belly is still a child but at the same time we can see how she’s grown, and how her thinking has evolved. Maybe it was heartbreak, maybe it was grief, but she’s grown.

I felt like the ending was a bit rushed and slightly unrealistic, and that’s why I gave this book 4 stars, not because I didn’t love the writing and the characters and all the feelings they made me feel this time around. Well, that’s one key difference I can point out about this book: there was less fluff and much more true feelings in this one.

I would recommend this series without any hesitations, keeping in mind it’s directed to pre-teens and teens (and young adults like myself that just want to relive these things one more time around).

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ARC — Pangaea: Prose and Poetry — Hinnah Mian

“No matter how much I wear to cover my skin, I can never seem to hide it enough.”

Genre: Poetry, Essays and Collections
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses racism, discrimination, death, and depression.

“Pangaea” is a collection of poetry and prose where the author, Hinnah Mian, looked to express how a body can be destroyed and reborn through many means and for many reasons. Looking at the color of skin, the significance of cultural bias, the power of love—lost and gained, from family and from lovers—, and the impact society has on us, Mian has composed a beautiful oath for our bodies and our selves.

I saw being watered down as a theme. It was mentioned various times and it was something that resonated a lot with me through this book. Hinnah Mian made a wonderful job at highlighting how you can feel like you’re not appropriate in your own ‘home’, how at times you’ll have to dilute yourself to be accepted. The only reason why this book didn’t get a perfect rating from me is because some poems were repetitive and a bit monotone.

I would recommend this poetry book to anyone who’s ever felt invisible in their own skin or—even worse—targeted because of it. I also feel like this could be a powerful gift for a friend or loved one who loves poetry.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 8, 2022

“some nights i am less star
and more the darkness that shrouds them”

The Selection — Kiera Cass — The Selection #1

“No, I’m not choosing him or you. I’m choosing me.”

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

Actual Rating: 4 stars

Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

Are you a fan of The Hunger Games and/or tv shows like The Bachelor/The Bachelorette? Well, this book is for you. The Selection follows a girl named America Singer, in a dystopian reality where the United States has a monarchy and people are divided into castes that define their job prospects and future. In a much anticipated tradition, America is selected, along with 34 others girls, to participate in a competition of sorts where the price to win is the prince’s heart (and crown).

The thing about this book is that it’s greatly predictable and there is some character development, but not as much as I expected. None the less, I love this series already. By the time you’ll be reading this, I might’ve even finished The Elite (The Selection #2). It’s that good. I loved how fast-paced this book was, there were no dull moments.

Would it be wrong if I said I fell in love with America? Like, I understand that the main focus is supposed to be loving Prince Maxon versus loving Aspen, but I was just completely blown away my America as a character. Her compassion, her originality, her dreams. I was moved by her greatly.

I guess I already set up the parameters for my recommendation in the introduction, but yeah. If you’ve liked series like The Hunger Games or Divergent, and if you enjoy dating shows like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, then it seems like this series might be for you. This is a fun, young adult read, I would certainly recommend it as a gift for young, teenaged readers.

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ARC-ish — The Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged): Adventures in Math and Science — Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry, narrated by the authors

“Science has got an awful lot wrong over the years. One could argue that it is, in fact, science’s job to get things wrong, as that is the place for which you can start to be less wrong and after a few rounds get things right.”

Genre: Nonfiction, Science
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

Explained mostly in a language that can be understood by the general public, “The Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged): Adventures in Math and Science” does its best at trying to make science accessible for all. With anecdotes and examples spread around here and there, this book is anything but monotone—something that is hard to achieve when tackling scientific writing.

Touching on subjects ranging from the concept of time (solar, atomic, circadian—measured by clocks or corals or humans) to the relativity of colors (how certain are you that the green I see is the same green you see?), this book really does try to give you countless bits and pieces of information of important science-related topics.

I personally loved the audiobook. This book is written like a conversation, and having the authors of the book read it felt more like a fun podcast rather than a heavy university textbook. Being a scientist myself, there were few things in this book that I hadn’t heard before, but I am absolutely certain that this will not be the case for everyone. And even knowing these things, I found this book incredibly entertaining.

I would highly recommend this book if you’re a science enthusiast and enjoy fun science. This book reminds me of educational videos made by ASAPScience or Crash Course in its cleverness and humor. I feel like this would be an awesome gift for senior high school students who have an interest in STEM or even adults who are generally interested in science and would like to learn more.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 25, 2022

“To us, the passing of time is not fixed. No matter how accurate a clock we can build, our experience of time is subjective and depends on our psychological state from moment to moment. (…) Experience is what colors our existence.”