*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
After finishing this book I literally took a moment to cry out of happiness and adora*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
After finishing this book I literally took a moment to cry out of happiness and adoration to this book.
SPOILER FREE
It’s fate. We’re supposed to meet tonight.
P L O T
It’s crazy! Their situation is crazy! Up until the last few chapters I didn’t know if they were going to work out and get past the barriers to their relationship. It’s romantic, tragic, stressful sometimes, even thrilling. You just don’t know what’s gonna happen next or what’s going on with the other minor characters, like what’s their deal?
Fast paced and a quick read, no questions left unanswered and beautifully written. One Small Thing should really be in your TBR, hell, pick it up when it releases!
Everywhere I look, I see a closed door. A dark passage. Locked windows. If there’s a way out, I can’t visualize it.
C H A R A C T E R S
Elizabeth
She’s a crier; she cries when she’s angry, and she cries when she’s sad. High five Beth! It’s pretty annoying when you’re angry and trying to stand up for yourself or make a point but your tears start to fall from your eyes and person you’re facing won’t take you seriously anymore. I can even more relate from how she has no direction in her life; she doesn’t know what to do for college. Her journey was a tough one and it took quite some time and had a lot of bumps in the road. But who doesn’t? To be taken seriously by our parents, we must act seriously too.
Him. That’s what I need. A very bad boy to take me down a very bad path.
Chase
If you’re looking for a guy best friend, or a boyfriend, Chase is your man! He gives the best advice! Like damn! He’s good. He could be the big brother I never had but he could also be my bae. He’s been through jail, and back at school he’s getting bullied and does nothing about it because he believes he deserves it. He’s been punishing himself in many ways ever since. People cope with deaths and accidents in different ways and his was one common way. I’ve never been at fault in any serious way before but the way the author wrote about him has opened my eyes and mind to stop and think how others at fault are coping with their sins.
I love how strong these two characters are, waiting isn’t my strong suit. They have both been through a lot and somehow, they managed to walk out of the tunnel and into the light.
He looks like a fallen angel, glowing from the night’s light.
W R I T I N G
Erin Watt never fails to deliver amazing YA stories than not only depicts the lives of teenagers these days, both the good and the bad, but manages to deliver a message. Not all good people are good deep inside, bad people can redeem themselves, and others just need a little help and a little nudge to the right path.
If people glowed, I would be as bright as the moon on a cloudless night right now.
O V E R A L L
The message of this book is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I’m so glad I picked this up and thank you so much for the publisher for choosing me as one of the lucky people to be given the ARCs. I will definitely suggest this to all my friends and strangers I’ll meet in my journey in life. It’s a book that EVERYONE should read. Regardless if you’re a bookworm, or not, it’s a quick read, it’s light, won’t take much of your time, and it’ll be worth it in the end. Never lose hope guys! Life is a wonderful gift.
I focus on what I can control, and what I have to live for. Because there’s always something to live for. Something to be thankful for. Something to look forward to....more
*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Greek mythology at it’s finest!
SPOILER FREE
People aren’t pure light or total dark*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Greek mythology at it’s finest!
SPOILER FREE
People aren’t pure light or total darkness, but flames flickering in the shadows, trying to shine beyond the obscurity.
P L O T
I love how the intro didn’t drag too long and it got straight to the point by bringing the teens to Olympus and starting with the competition. This book really focuses on the challenges that the demigods will face, the competition, all set in Arditi’s version of Olympus.
It may seem kind of slow sometimes but every scene was necessary because they play a part in later events. The only other Greek Mythology YA Fantasy books I’ve read are by Rick Riordan and Astrid Arditi’s Olympian Challenger is a breath of fresh air. It’s light, we have a female lead, just enough action because too much isn’t really my thing.
The world is easier in the water, reduced to the bare necessities - keep moving, and keep breathing.
C H A R A C T E R S
Hope
She’s the perfect candidate, she didn’t want to take part in the competition but she has no choice now. She’s always putting the happiness of others first and it sometimes annoys me but maybe that’s just my selfish self talking.
When he’s near, I’m a moth circling a flame - trapped and forgetful of the danger ahead.
I don’t entirely feel the romance, I think it was kind of forced but I’m a sucker for love so I’m going along with it. The curious boy and the humble girl, what an unusual match. But I do love the feminism in this book where the girl advances on the guy even though he constantly avoids her every chance he gets. The future is female!
If I’m to return home with a broken heart, I might as well fill it with love before it shatters.
W R I T I N G
I love how the author chose minor gods and goddesses who aren’t very known by the people. I myself just know the basics - the twelve major gods and some minor ones. It is kind of confusing in the world of the gods where they have children and sleep with each other. Who’s who, and who’s child is who?
“Forever is a long time to love someone.”
I must say, I like the author’s version of Olympus. It makes sense, the level godliness is obvious, and that little tidbit about minor gods not being entirely immortal was great too.
“Humans all have one thing that they hold dearer than anything else. The one thing that tethers them to life, the thing they can’t live without.”
O V E R A L L
It was beautiful, exciting, and heart-breaking!
This books is obviously not a stand alone, and I’m super excited for the next installment. I have no idea what to expect next but I hope it’ll be a thrilling ride!
We as humans are the sum of our love, our fears, and our memories. These strong emotions make us special, they make life worth living....more
*I would like to thank the author for reaching out and generously providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*
SPOILER FR*I would like to thank the author for reaching out and generously providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*
SPOILER FREE
“Are you going to be so afraid of death that you forget to live?”
P L O T This gave me major Shatter Me (by Tahereh Mafi) feels but it’s still its own world. Romeo and Juliet destined for each other but forbidden to be together, they get hitched anyway. No, they don’t get hitched in this book.
To work for the Bureau is to leave your humanity behind the entrance of the building. That’s a tough way to live. I probably won’t survive that long if I work there because I’m such an emotional person.
The plot is pretty good, it has one direction and that is forward. Fast-paced, a bit thrilling, there are times when I wait for something bad to happen because lot of things go bad in books and when nothing happens I release that breath I was holding.
“When you have nothing left, you have nothing left to lose.”
C H A R A C T E R S
April A modern Juliet, born in a family tree of politicians. Wants to change the world but not the same way her ancestors did. Her character is full of fight and drive to do better and inspire those who need a little push to speak up and fight for their right to live. April is strong and admirable, she has her faults but who doesn’t? She’s human, (even though she’s fictional) she’s vulnerable and she gets scared which is what I love most about her. I half expected her to be one of those bad-ass female leads who face their fears and enemies head on but she knows when to fight and when to wait for an attack. Brilliant!
Roman Under-appreciated by his superior and underpaid! He’s got one of the most important jobs in the building yet he’s living paycheck to paycheck. Their rescue mission was super cool and it totally showcased his skills as and IT guy. I always look up to IT guys by the way, I feel like they know so much and they have great power with all the hacking and blocking and creating softwares that majority of the people can’t live without these days. Never underestimate the IT guy.
At that moment, I realize that I can trust him. There’s no safer place for me than right here.
W R I T I N G
The author included her story at the end of the book on how the Bureau came to life, how the characters appeared on the page and her own journey to reach where she is now. Such an inspiring story to never give up and always choose life. Choose to be better and try to leave a print in the world by leaving it a little better than how it was when we came in.
For the first time in my life, I can change someone’s life for the better.
O V E R A L L
This was really a fun ride, the characters are a joy to be with though sometimes it gets gloomy but what can you expect when your life is unpredictable? You could be relieved for a week but then you’d worry for the rest of the quarter wondering if your life will be chosen to end next. Changing the world doesn’t mean you have to change a big part of it or change a huge chunk of the population’s lives. It could mean changing one person’s life and that will create a chain reaction all on its own....more
*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Witches, magic, sword fights, bad-ass ladies, a plot twist, and a leading lady you ca*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Witches, magic, sword fights, bad-ass ladies, a plot twist, and a leading lady you can’t dislike!
SPOILER FREE
I am no flower to be ravaged at your whim, angry wolf -- I am your hunter, bow cocked and ready. I am a Heartless, one of the creatures your people fled from in terror thirty years ago.
P L O T
Infiltrate the castle, pretend to offer yourself to be the Prince’s bride, take his heart and turn him into a Heartless like the monster that you are. Easy enough right? But this is a YA fiction and nothing is ever easy for our dear characters! Fast paced, action-packed, heart-pounding scenes. It was simple, and easy to follow which I liked very much.
I told him the honest truth. I told him I wanted his heart. He said he warned me about the court. But I warned him, too.
C H A R A C T E R S
Lots of character development took place in this book and not just from our main character but also to the secondary characters.
Monsters can’t be choosers.
Zera
Such a witty character created by Sara Wolf and her thoughts are even more hilarious. I instantly fell in love with her. She comments on everything and she just makes me LOL. I love how she hides behind sarcasm because I sometimes do that too. Though in the later part of the book where her character begins to change, I also felt sorrowful.
(More talk about the characters in the spoiler section below.)
“Fight by the moonlight, the starlight, whatever faded hope you can find at any moment -- cling to it. Embrace the smallest of lights, and never stop fighting.”
W R I T I N G
Utterly amazing! Sara Wolf has created a world I’ve never been to before but wouldn’t like to live in. (hahaha!) But the creatures and social customs, they’re astonishing. The book has a little bit of everything, especially the emotions the reader will go through and these types of writing are what makes me love reading so much. I did not want to put my phone down!
Silk gloves do a perfect job of making my hands look clean, instead of the bloodstained sinner I know them to be.
O V E R A L L
Though it never said that this would be a series or a standalone but by the end of the book the author said the story will continue and that’s when my suspicions became correct. Cannot wait for the next book, I’m super excited! Hate is dangerous.
SPOILER ALERT! Read at your own risk.
“A blade is a blade -- no matter who wields it, it can still cut.”
Let me just talk about my thoughts, comments, and a little theory about the characters. I won’t bother guessing the events that will take place in the second book because I want to be surprised and not have expectations that may or may not be a disappointment.
I am a monster, and he’s human. I want his heart, and I want his other heart. His affection, his blood. I want it all. But if I take one, I can’t have the other.
Zera A lot of times I thought and wished that she were Varia, the dead Princess. (Who we soon found out wasn’t dead after all and I kinda half expected that.) Yes, I ship her with Princes Lucien but the bittersweet revelation of them being siblings would have been so good. But anyway, back to Zera. She always believed herself to be a monster, she was willing to be an even greater monster to get her heart back and along with her comrades’ hearts because the life or a Heartless is s shitty one. The irony where a Heartless suddenly seems like he has a heart. Zera has never known what it’s like to love someone beyond the family tree (if she did, those memories are probably locked up too) so she didn’t know what to do when she started to gain feelings for Lucien. And when the time came for her to finally make a decision, that moment was a ‘will-she-do-it-or-will-she-not?’ moment right there. She did let the monster out and it left me heartbroken that the Prince fears of her now.
Challenge. An equal. A friend. He’s starving for it all. Starving for me.
Prince Lucien Drevenis d’Malvane/Whisper
I always knew Whisper was Prince Lucien or Prince Lucien was Whisper because this is still a YA novel, there’s only so many characters to go around. (But I also like guessing events and character roles.) However, as Zera would put it, the Prince seems like a different person from the thief Whisper. Where the Prince shows no emotion and his presence oozes command and respect, while Whisper exude concern for the commoners and a rebel to the crown.
There are two things men will always believe about a woman: that she’s stupid, and that she’s weak. Today, as every day, I am neither of these things.
Lady Y’shennria
Her back story is very sad where she had to give up her dreams of ever dressing up her own daughter to take part in the Spring Brides event. The part where she finally cares for Zera like her own daughter and slowly overcoming the fact that Zera’s kind scares the shit out of her and also admitting to herself that she has grown to care for Zera despite being a Heartless. They have found a family in each other and I think this is the most beautiful part of the story.
“It’s not a question of whether or not the apple falls far from the tree, because of course it doesn’t. It’s whether or not the apple can grow taller than the tree.”
Malachite
I wish to know more about how he and Prince came to be so close, he addresses the Prince as ‘Luc’ that’s the level of their relationship. He also represents the friend/s in our group where he’s stuck watching two of his friends make googlely eyes at each other and never admitting their feelings for each other, or one party is just super dense or in denial.
“That’s the cruel thing about family, isn’t it? No matter how we feel about them, we will always look like them, act like them. We were raised by them, after all.”
Lady Fione Himintell
I’m still very cautious around her, I don’t believe her uncle Gavik is truly behind every evil thing that they think he did. I believe her to be one of the bad people and she knows much more than she lets on. And now that we know Princess Varia is alive, I think Fione knew all along, if not, then I still stick to my belief that she’s part of a bigger plot and she’s standing at the wrong side of the battle.
“If you fear the past, it becomes your future.”...more
*I would like to thank the publicist for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This book beats all the retellings I’ve read so far!
SP*I would like to thank the publicist for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This book beats all the retellings I’ve read so far!
SPOILER FREE
He is man no more. He is Beast.
From the moment I saw the cover I was curious, then I read the blurb and I knew right then and there that I need to read this book, I want to read this book.
He is breathtaking in his hideousness.
P L O T A revenge plot, but then it isn’t. It’s so much more. I don’t know where to begin with this book.
I was drunk on my own hatred, more powerful than anything I had ever felt before.
A young maid seeking justice for what’s been done to her, but then she discovers the secrets that lay within the family of Chateau Baeumont. So many plot twists, the story is clearly its own fairytale.
I despair no more. I am elegant and strong, with no clumsy human body to be abused, no heart to be shamed. I feel no pain, no weariness, no anxiety of any kind. I do not thirst or hunger. I am sustained by his misery, and I feast upon it.
A Tale of Love and Revenge; it’s not just love between the two main characters but also the love of a mother to a child.
“Virtue is yours to make of what you will, by your actions, by your character. No one else can ever take it from you.”
I must say, the history and secrets kept hidden in the chateau is very sad. Our purpose for our actions may be made purely out of love but we sometimes fail to foresee the consequences and we may end up paying it for the rest of our lives or sometimes be haunted by it even in death.
For all his apparent menace, he is the lamb who’s been tricked.
C H A R A C T E R S
So many wonderful characters all created with much thought and care. One is driven by revenge, one beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside, one was hidden in the dark for many years and knows not of the world outside, one seems to be thinking only about paying off a debt of gratitude and bargain (I really have mixed feelings with this one because sometimes I think the person’s goal is wrong but there are also times where this person is selfless.) and two are crazy for money and would hope for their sibling to die so there will be one less person to divide the family’s money with.
I am river born, of river blood.
Until the very end I wondered if Lucie will be the one to break the curse. She put the curse on the chevalier in the first place, and the irony if she’d be the one to break it in the end.
His touch is tender in a way it never was when his hands were human.
W R I T I N G
Lisa Jensen is a wonderful storyteller. It’s like after she saw or read Beauty and the Beast, she took a step back and analyzed the entire story in a different angle with a different light. She explains how this wonderful story came to be in her author’s note by the end of the book.
“But you must follow your heart. There lies a power greater than any enchantment.”
O V E R A L L
It was beautiful, magical and touching. I cried a couple times while reading this, my little heart aching for the characters. I love the way this book ended and of course there are no open doors left.
The heart revels in its mysteries. Defy them at your peril. Embrace them if you dare. That is where magic begins.
If you love retellings and Beauty and the Beast with lots of plot twists, magic and emotion, then this book is for you. Though I’d recommend this to anyone because the message is clear and it needs to be delivered.
The heart is a dark wood -- dangerous, compelling, and profound. Its pathways can be frightening, but only by plunging into its depths are we fully alive....more
In his stare, I could have sworn galaxies swirled. In the shadows between his wings, the glorious depths of the night dwelled.
P L OSPOILER FREE
In his stare, I could have sworn galaxies swirled. In the shadows between his wings, the glorious depths of the night dwelled.
P L O T
I didn’t set any expectations when I started reading this book. Some of my friends told me that they aren’t as impressed or they were a bit disappointed, but I love this novella/novelette. It is different from the previous trilogy, the aura, the mood. The war may have ended but there’s so much to mend, citizens of Velaris lost their home, many lives were taken in the war, it’s gloomy and sad but Solstice was coming and people are preparing to celebrate and have fun.
“I have to create, or it was all for nothing. I have to create, or I will crumple up with despair and never leave my bed. I have to create because I have no other way of voicing this.” Her hand rested on her heart.
C H A R A C T E R S
It was so nice to see everyone together again, but they weren’t in the mood where I thought they’d be. Everyone’s walking on eggshells and I keep waiting for that one person to show up. Everyone’s got their own shit to deal with and they’re finding that place in between where they could be happy in their new situation.
Everyone from the Inner Circle is present, basically everyone we first fell in love with from A Court of Thorns and Roses. Other than Feyre and Rhys’s POV, the rest of the characters who get POVs in here showed us more about their past, their challenging present and unsure future.
Sadly my guesses for ‘who will the next installments be about?’ are wrong. I was so far from the basket! Maybe I was imagining too big? But there are a lot of characters to go around in the ACOTAR world, in Prythian. We’ll never run out of stories and I’m pretty sure SJM won’t tire just yet of creating stories for them.
She smiled broadly. Bright as the full moon, lovelier than any star.
W R I T I N G
Written in more than two point of views I was beginning to think everyone’s getting a POV and thought of Oprah saying “You get a point of view, you get a point of view, everyone get’s a point of view!” So used to having action-packed reads from Sarah J Mass, this time she gave us an emotional story.
“I like her because so few do. I like her because she is not easy to be around, or to understand.”
O V E R A L L
This was such a bittersweet read. There’s a lot of pain, but there’s also a lot of love. It really is a bridge to the upcoming books. It’s more of a back door plot and a treat to our hangover from A Court of Wings and Ruin. Though it’s clear who the main characters of the next books will be, but I think the coming books will be written in multiple points of view between three characters but I hope Rhysand’s POV will still show up once in a while. There was a scene in the book that left a door open and oh how that scene crumpled my heart.
“You look like an angry snowball,” Cassian said.”...more
“A great ending to a drama-filled series. I’ll always love Erin Watt’s works and The Royal Series will*Book was made free on release day.*
SPOILER FREE
“A great ending to a drama-filled series. I’ll always love Erin Watt’s works and The Royal Series will always have its place in my heart.”
P L O T
As always, when the Royals are involved you can expect a lot of drama. However, this time it was less drama from the Royals but more from the Wrights. The house though seems kind of quiet without Reed and Gideon in it. But that ending really caught me off guard. My eyes went wide and I was trying to wrap my head around what, who, how, when, why and for real?!
He’s the vision that you conjure up in your dreams at night.
C H A R A C T E R S
Easton Royal
Baby Easton has finally grown up to be a man his father raised him to be. Hartley coming to his life was the wake up call he needed to get his shit together and act more maturely.
Fvck,man. Adulting is hard.
Hartley Wright
As crazy as the Royal family comes, Hartley fits right in. I can’t pick a side with her memory loss. I hate it because she can’t remember anything about Easton and her family for the past 3 years. I do like it because I don’t think she was ever going to move on and let herself be free from her worries if she never lost her memories.
How he’s my sun, my warmth, my guiding star. My East. How I’m his soul, his purpose, his love. His Hart.
W R I T I N G
As always, Erin Watt has a way with words and letting characters redeem themselves no matter how bad they had done, even after they left the world of the living Erin Watt can still make us feel remorse and make us forgive that character for his ways.
Our heads are so fragile, but our hearts are even more delicate.
O V E R A L L
I didn’t know what to expect on how this whole series will end. This was originally a trilogy but we (the fans) got more than we bargained for. A duology for Easton, a novella for Gideon. Here’s to hoping we get a book for the twins, if not, all the characters in college, or maybe even their descendants in high school. Who’ll rule Astor Park Prep when the twins graduate?
Still not over than ending by the way!
We take each other’s breath and give it back until we’re one unit, one heart, one body....more
Ana (thestarslisten)
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