Book Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Frost and Starlight

〰️

A Court of Frost and Starlight 〰️

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I enjoyed it. But if it wasn't part of the ACOTAR series, I'm not sure I would have. (Or even cared to read it). It was nice to read a lighthearted story after all that happened in the first three books. But still, this fourth book read like it was a made-for-TV Christmas movie. It was clearly a filler to tie us over until the fifth book. Probably also a cash grab. This book didn't need to be written. But again, I still enjoyed it for what it was. It wasn't my favourite read of this series.

I didn't care for how random chapters weren't told by Feyre (or even Rhys) and that chapters not in their POV were in the third person. I dunno; it just felt like a weird writing/stylistic choice. Other have it all in be first person or third person. And the random chapters in between Feyre and Rhys felt like filler within the filler. Especially Mor's chapters. Cassian's made sense. But Mor's could have been taken out, and nothing would have been missed.

But for those flaws, it was still sweet and charming and a nice little break from all the darkness. A friend told me she feels like it was Maas's way of writing from Feyre (and Rhys, I guess) and telling their story one last time before completely changing POV (and perspective) in the fifth book.

If you're a die-hard fan of ACOTAR (as I now am), I think you'll still enjoy this very short read. If not, you could skip this book and probably be just fine in going straight into the fifth. A few things may be mentioned in the fifth book that was in the fourth, but I think you'd pick up what's missing from context. After all, this book was super short (and a larger font) than its chonkier mates.

Book review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Wings and Ruin

〰️

A Court of Wings and Ruin 〰️

I mentioned in my review of the second book in this series that it outshined the first one. And while I still stand by that statement, I would also now like to say the third book is even better than the first two. This book had me going through all the emotions, and I'm here for it. Loved it right from the start and was gripping the pages right until the end.

It was interesting to see Ferye back with Tamlin in the Spring Court again. Tamlin is now kinda the villain (as well as others), but he's so resentful of what Fyere did to him that I understand his motives. He made lots of bad decisions thought the series so far, but I can see he tried to redeem himself in the end. Was it enough? No, but it's a start. He was hurt and desperate, and while his choices that lead him down the path to siding with Hybern were clouded, I can see how he made those decisions. I can also see him growing from this and trying to regain his good standing with his court and with the rest of Prythian as the books go on.

Also, I never thought we'd see Feyre's sisters or family again after she turned High Fae in the first book, but they not only came back in the second book but played major roles in the third book. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy their characters, but the more I read about them, the more interesting they are. I really want to know the extent of Nesta's powers, and it's cool that Elain is a seer now. It's interesting to see what the Cauldron did to them and how they still remained the same characters as they were when they were human, yet also different from High Fae.

I loved that we got to know more about the other characters in Rhysand's court. We learned a lot last book, but it was expanded even more. And it was great learning about the other courts as well. I loved watching them all come together, in the end, to fight what seemed like a losing battle against Hybern.

I also enjoyed the military stuff in this book. It normally goes over my head, but Maas managed to write it in simpler terms and in a fun enough way that I enjoyed all the military talk. Also, Fyere learning to fly was information I never thought about before when it comes to using wings. I never thought about how someone would probably use terrain and different parts of their bodies to get to fly. I'm sure it's obvious to some people, but I felt like I was learning to fly right alongside Fyere, and that was cool.

Not sure how I feel about Rhys dying and then immediately coming back. Like, it hit me hard when he died. And I would have hated to see him gone from the story for good. But having him get revived almost immediately kind of cheapened his death. It's the one part of the story I don't think needed to be there.

There were flaws, yes, but all in all, this book captivated me from start to finish, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the series progresses.

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Mist and Fury

〰️

A Court of Mist and Fury 〰️

I loved the first book. The first book was great. But it was nothing compared to this book. This second book completely upped the stakes and expanded on world-building, characters, and spicy romance, and I am all here for it.

I was hooked from the beginning. And I love that Feyre had major PTSD and suffered for her actions in the first book. Characters who go through something as major as she did and come out fine aren't believable, and I love it when authors give consequences for their character's actions. (I mean, I hated seeing her suffer, but at least we understood why). And I love that we see her healing journey through this book. Is she ever going to be 100% truly? Probably not. But that's okay. She's learned, slowly through the book, to deal with what happened to her in the first book. And we know that the events of the first book will be long-lasting. So kudos to Maas on that part.

I also loved how we see Feyre realize she was in an abusive relationship with Tamlin and watch her slowly fall in love with (her mate!) Rhys. I will admit, though, that I don't blame Tamlin for what he did. Was it right to lock her in when he knew it triggered her? Absolutely not. But he also went through some horrible stuff Under the Mountain, and I can see his side and need to protect her. He just didn't go about it the right way.

Also, as the story went on, I fell more in love with Rhys myself. He's such a deep and complex character, and I loved learning about his past and seeing him with his friends. Everything he did was to protect and help the ones he loved, even if it hurt him.

As the second book in this series, I think it outshines the first. I cannot wait to dive into the third book. Will the rest live up to the awesomeness of A Court of Mist and Fury? Guess I'll just have to read and find out.

Book Review: The Prom by Saundra Mitchell

The Prom

〰️

The Prom 〰️

What a cute, sad, emotional, funny, and heartwarming story. This short book was packed with all the feels.

It's sad to know that homophobia exists as strongly as it does in this book. It's sad to know that Emma's story is a reality for most queer kids with parents kicking them out after they come out. Or the constant bullying that usually follows. I'm very fortunate and blessed to have not experienced any homophobia despite being openly out for years. But sadly this can't be the case for everyone. But I love how this story explores that reality that a lot of people have to go through. (With some comedy to lighten the mood).

I'm very happy to see such a cute and happy ending. Would this happen in real life? Maybe. Maybe not. All depends on the bigots and how fast they can learn. I can see how the MCs peers came around to acceptance and admiring their wrong after learning what did they about the Bible from Barry. But I don't believe the whole school (and basically town) would turn a new leaf basically overnight, especially after Emma released her song. I mean I do think it would happen, just not as fast as the book suggest. But for the sake of the story and pacing, I'll allow a bit of suspension of my believe this one time. Plus it's just really nice to see everyone come together and realize that love is love in the end.

It's a very YA book with a heavy emphasis on homophobia done with some humor along the way. And because of how the book deals with such a hard subject for it's younger audiences, I applaud it and highly recommend this read.

Now excuse me as I go watch the Netflix musical that I just learned excited.

Book review: Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa

Ander and Santi Were Here

〰️

Ander and Santi Were Here 〰️

Not to be dramatic, but I would die/kill for Anger and Santi. Their love was so pure from the start you can just tell they were meant for each other. You could feel the static between them. And as a queer artist myself, I could totally relate to Ander.

Also, that cover for the book? Absolutely stunning.

This was the first novel I've read with a non binary MC and I'm all here for it. Ander was a wonder narrator for this story and I love their personality. I also loved their passion for art. Though I will say, I don't know why they needed to go to art school. They were already doing so well for themselves, making money and getting lots of commissions. Why go into debt to learn stuff that would help you get a job when you're already basically doing what you want not? Not they they go in the end, but still.

I loved how the author shows the rich Mexican culture in this book. (And with all the talk of delicious Mexican food, I was hungry reading the book the whole time, haha). I also applaud Villa for showing the harsh reality that a lot of illegal immigrants have to go through. While the author mentioned they haven't experienced it themselves, they've done their research well enough that to me, (having not experienced it either), sounds legit.

This book gave me so many emotions. From happiness and calmness, to straight out fear and sadness. It was a whirlwind of emotions and I love that from a book. I also love how Ander's family is soooo supportive of them in literally everything. They are wonderful parents. And very kind people. I'm glad this book had such good LGBTQ+ representation, and no mentions of homophobia at all. It wasn't that kind of story. It was extremely LGBTQ+ friendly and I will always fully support that.

The only negative (and it's not even a negative, at least not for me) is that I worry that non-Spanish speaking people might not understand a lot of the Spanish phrases, and there is a lot. I thankfully speak Spanish because it was my major in uni, but I hope that people who don't speak Spanish can still enjoy reading this book even if they don't understand the random words and phrases in Spanish. (I'm still glad it was included as it helps show real life for Mexican-Americans).

I'm glad to have read this book, not only for entertainment purposes, but as a bit of a insiders life of a Mexican-American and learning about Mexican culture. (As well as what illegal immigrants have to go through). This book was an excellent read and I fully recommend it.

Book Review: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Imogen, Obviously

〰️

Imogen, Obviously 〰️

This book is near perfect, from the cover to the witty dialogue to the self-discovery story that I’m all here for, to great rep. It basically has it all, obviously. The only criticism I have, and it’s a minor nitpick, is that it may be trying a bit too hard to be super “woke,” but otherwise than that, it was awesome.

This book was such a good read. And not only that, I think this is an essential read. Imogen is straight. Or at least she thought she was until she met Tessa. And then there are people like Gretchen who basically believe that because they are part of the LGBTQ+ group, they can dictate someone’s sexuality and say they can or can’t come out later in life. (There are also non-LGBTQ+ people who think this way, but that’s beside the point). The message of this book is clear; no one can tell you when you have to come out. No one can label you. If you are a closeted bi, only liking 1% of girls, then you are still bi if that’s what you identify with, and no one can say otherwise. And if you don’t feel like it’s the right time to come out, then that is okay, too. This is your life, your body, and no one can tell you how and what you feel, even if they are part of the same community as you.

That aside, I loved how all the characters integrated with each other. I found the flirty banter between Imogen and Tesse to be well-written. I laughed a few times. Their relationship, from the start of the book to the end, made me smile. It was never toxic. It was healthy, and I love that. And I love how Lili’s friends accepted Imogen into their lives like she was there all along. I love great friendships in stories. The only toxic person was Gretchen. Gretchen’s feelings were valid but misguided. She doesn’t speak for all queer people just because she is one, even if, in her mind, she can.

This was a cute fluffy read of self-discovery, and I loved it. Reminder, at no point in your life do you have to decide, welp, I thought I was one thing so I guess I have to stay this way. People and feelings change as Imogen learns. You can grow up thinking you’re straight but later learn that maybe you’d instead identify as non-binary or that you’re ace. There is no timeline, no race.

All in all, this is a must-read.

Book review: Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Five Survive

〰️

Five Survive 〰️

I've been waiting to read this book for a while. I had it pre-ordered and everything. I ended up reading Jackson's Good Girl Guide to Murder series first while waiting (loved it so much). And then I read other books in my TBR. But I finally got around to reading it, and it was well worth the wait.

I love love, loved the writing style in this book. Jackson really made it unique and fitting for Red. You could see her past trauma and PTSD over what happened to her in the past and how it still affects her to this day. I know what happened to Red happened years ago, but trauma like this never goes away. I can maybe see how some people may be annoyed with Jackson's writing style in this book, but I personally loved every second of it. (Though now that I think of it, we never did find out what the pattern was in those darn curtains, and I, as well as Red, would love to know, haha).

Because of how this was written, as well as the story premise, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This book was a real page-turner, and I'm here for it. I never saw anything coming. (Though I'm sure other readers could have. I'm not very perceptive).

However, I will say that only one small thing bothered me. Something the characters should have done but didn't. When Red spilled her secret, and everyone was trying to decide if they should chuck her out of the van, I wondered why they didn't radio the sniper, asking if this was the correct secret and save them all the trouble. I mean, it didn't matter in the end that they didn't do this thing, but I kept screaming at the book because they did it with Oliver and Reyna's secret, and thus they didn't have to leave the van. And yes, Red was the one they were after, but like, you'd think they'd ask the sniper if it was Red who they wanted before voting whether or not to send her out to die. Again, it didn't matter in the end, as it was Red who held the answers they were looking for, but you'd think the group would want to check first before blindly sending her to her death.

Aside from that, the pacing was great, the characters worked well off each other, and I loved learning about everyone's secrets and Red's past. It was a compelling read, and I highly recommend it. I think now that I've read the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series and this book and loved them all, I think Jackson will now be a new auto-buy for me.

Book Review: Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

Ready Player Two

〰️

Ready Player Two 〰️

First off, I loved this book. Maybe even more than the first. The stakes were so much more real in this book. (I mean, they were high in the first, and we did see characters die, but this was global). And yes, there was still a lot of info dumping, just like in the first book, but it felt different this time. Handled better, maybe? Most of it was necessary for the story, and I found it to be written in a way that helped and didn't bog the story down, unlike most info dumps.

I also found the writing improved. There were many more character interactions and involvement with the environment than simply relaying backstory and worldbuilding. I think that is another reason I loved this story more than the first.

Don't get me wrong, I still highly enjoyed the first book. I just think this is a worthy sequel, and it ended in the best way possible. The first book had a nice ending and could have stopped there, but it was still able to have more story. And with this second book, it ended on a high note. Still not the perfect ending for our characters but the best we could get as readers. If Cline writes a third book, it would only be a cash grab and ruin this good ending. (I mean, this could still be a cash grab, but it works, so I'm not mad).

Would I ever log onto the OASIS if one were to come into our world? Probably. Would I log onto the OASIS with an ONI? Absolutely. Mostly because I could live with my cat and our happy memories forever. But I do worry I'd never leave, so I guess it's for the best we don't have this technology around at this current moment in time.

If you enjoyed the first book, are a true (or even a small) geek at heart, and enjoy nostalgia, then this book is for you.