First of all. how dare that ending. thank god i have my hands on the next book. i swear if the author ends that one like this one i will a★3.89 stars★
First of all. how dare that ending. thank god i have my hands on the next book. i swear if the author ends that one like this one i will actually throw a chair at someone.
although this didn't strike my heart quite like the first book did, mostly because the first caught me off guard with its poignant love, i still thoroughly enjoyed it. Bryn manages to continue beautiful and gut-wrenching themes of life with disability and neurodivergence ...more
i swallowed this book whole. a beautiful love story that speaks to the pain every disabled person's lived experience. wonderfully written,★4.61 stars★
i swallowed this book whole. a beautiful love story that speaks to the pain every disabled person's lived experience. wonderfully written, deliciously kinky, and heart-wrenchingly intimate...more
these are some great concepts and i definitely have a few insights to bring to my therapist but the author started to tilt into overly rep★3.88 stars★
these are some great concepts and i definitely have a few insights to bring to my therapist but the author started to tilt into overly repetitive and over-generalizing.
a psychologist who claims they have found the theory to answer all questions should immediately have their licensed revoked because any real psychologist knows that there isn't just one theory to rule them all... well, john bradshaw might not know that.
anyway, nice theory. really repetitive. this book is worth the read but I DNF-ed at 60% and felt like I was still able to glean what I needed from it...more
The best thing the book had going for it was the spice which was absolutely amazing. everything else was... just okay. that being said, i ★3.23 stars★
The best thing the book had going for it was the spice which was absolutely amazing. everything else was... just okay. that being said, i will be continuing with this author because holy moly... she can write a good sex scene...more
Oh, this was beautiful. I shed tears at the heartachingly poignant love on display with Frankie and Ren. As a man who's disabled and strug★3.92 stars★
Oh, this was beautiful. I shed tears at the heartachingly poignant love on display with Frankie and Ren. As a man who's disabled and struggles with several anxiety disorders, I don't often see myself represented on the page.
Chloe Liese did a beautiful job of that. It literally brought tears to my eyes seeing someone like me in a traditionally published romance novel. I am so happy that Chloe is using her talent to make stories for all sorts of readers. ...more
★4.56 Stars ★ - Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This. Was. Everything.
Th★4.56 Stars ★ - Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This. Was. Everything.
The moment I read the description, I knew I had to have this book. I absolutely love werewolves and shifter romances in general. Something happened in my childhood (god knows what) that inexorably linked shifters with my sex drive so now it's a kink of mine. Cool!
Unfortunately, a lot of the werewolf romances out there are ABO (alpha, beta, omega for the uninitiated) and tend to be set in a world of pre-existing werewolf lore. While those romances are okay to read, I really like werewolves in the real world where the exploration of the lore is filled with more mystery and humor vs. the dark fantasy angst that ABO books tend to have. I also like more cozy camp and warm intimacy which Rosie Danan did perfectly in Fan Service.
She also did such an amazing job catering to the massive group of slightly bizarre writers and readers who create fandoms and fanfic. This book was such a clear love letter to all of us and the worlds we create and it warmed my heart to read.
Finally, holy heckin hell, Rosie Danan dialed the kinky up to 11. Degradation, submission, BDSM, a dash of masochism... my lustful heart was SCREAMING.
Much like a novelty ice cream, this book wasn't perfect. It could have used a few touch ups here and there, but that couldn't matter less to me. The joy it filled me with was worth every word.
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Edit - WAIT A GODDAMN SECOND. It just occured to me that I could've (and should've) been imaging Devin as Jared Padalecki this whole time. Missed opportunity. I'll do it when the audiobook comes out
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side thoughts (not main review) - i do think that devin should've been younger. not only was the age gap a little.... odd, he also didn't act 42 at all nor did alex act 34. They should've both been in their late 20s imo.
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IT'S MINEEEE
Infinite thanks to Berkley Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review _______________
i swear to god if i am not able to get my hands on an arc i might actually die. i cannot wait until march...more
Special thanks to Tantor Audio for the audio CD (that I lost... I have no forking clue where it went) in exchange for an honest review!
[image] YES! YESSpecial thanks to Tantor Audio for the audio CD (that I lost... I have no forking clue where it went) in exchange for an honest review!
[image] YES! YES! YESS!
I went into this with very low expectations (which seems to have improved my experience...) First of all, I didn't think this was a gay romance. I requested this a longggggggggg time ago so I might have known it was gay as of requesting it but I completely forgot by the time I started reading it.
Because of this, I was already excited from page one and things only got better because.... WE FINALLY HAD A MALE LOVE INTEREST WITH A REALISTIC BODY... Now, because I hate generalizations with a fiery passion, I need to say that there are definitely adult romances out there with a physically realistic male character but they are few and far between and I don't see them very often in straight romances and even less in gay romances.
So, I was ecstatic when I was introduced to Edison who was physically realistic. Now, I will admit that Edison was a little ridiculous as far as characters go. So was Bishop. They were both pretty unrealistic and cliche with Bishop being dark and brooding and Edison being naive and nerdy. But they were both indearing so I was able to look past it.
I liked the conflict that Bishop had to face. It was definitely unrealistic and I kept thinking There is absolutely no way it would go down like that in real life but it was enjoyable to read.
The sex scenes were okay... They were decently steamy and really sweet. Tor Throm was a decent narrator, too. It was admittedly strange whenever he said "F**k". There was just something about the way he said it that sounded... off. I don't know.
Overall, this book was surprisingly enjoyable and I definitely recommend giving it a try!
Bottom Line: 4 stars Age Rating - [ R ] Content Screening (Mild Spoilers) Positive Messages (4/5) - [Honesty, Bravery, Not being ashamed of your own shortcomings, self love] Violence (2/5) - [Brief fights] Sex (4/5) - [Detailed sex scenes, Sexual themes, Kissing] Language (3/5) - [F**k, C*ck, D*ck, Sh*t] Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Alcohol] Content and Trigger Warnings - Homophobia, Body shaming, Mild violence Publication Date: September 27th, 2019 Publisher: Independent Genre: Gay/Romance
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Review to come
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Currently reading this one. Thanks Tantor Audio for the audio file!
[image] Many thanks to Orca Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Goodbye Days blended with highschool football and true crime po[image] Many thanks to Orca Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Goodbye Days blended with highschool football and true crime podcasts. A nice, emotional book with a great ending! I recommend this for fans of Jeff Zenter, Sarah Henning, or Courtney Stevens!
[image]
The romance genre has its problems which I discussed in my latest booktube video that you can click here to watch) but there are occasi
[image]
The romance genre has its problems which I discussed in my latest booktube video that you can click here to watch) but there are occasionally books like these that break down the problematic tropes.
Skip to 9:44 to here my thoughts on this specific book and what it does to push back against problems with the romance genre.
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AHHHHHHHH
IT'S STILL SO GOOD
also Liv sucks
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AND AWAY WE GOOOOOOO
aka i'm re-reading this masterpiece
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Many thanks to Berkley and Edelweiss+ for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Gavin had called this little proposition a competition. No, this wasn't a competition. This. Was. War.
This is one of those rare displays of love at first page. I was barely five minutes into the audio book when I thought to myself, Yup, this one’s a keeper. And when the final seconds played, my heart ached because the definition of bittersweet is finishing an amazing book.
So, what’s this book about? The Bromance Bookclub follows Gavin, a hot baseball player whose marriage is in trouble. After being kicked out of the house by his wife, Thea, Gavin realizes that he wants to save his marriage. And so, he reluctantly enlists the help of the Bromance Book Club, a secret group of men who read romances to better understand women’s perspectives.
You’re probably thinking that this sounds super romantic and funny but you’d be wrong because that doesn’t even begin to describe it. I think one reason I loved this so much was because it was so meta. Kind of like Waiting for Tom Hanks, this book referenced plot points of romance novels and tons of pop culture.
I haven’t had too much experience with middle aged romance so I can’t say that this is the best one out there but I can say that it is the best one I’ve ever read. I think I have discovered a new favorite romance trope. Falling In Love Again. This trope seems to only be found in middle aged romances so I’ll definitely need to read more of them.
Finally, the sex. I don’t remember the last romance I read (yes, I do. I just don’t want to name names) but it was very disappointing when it came to sex so I was going into this novel with low(ish) expectations. (Why? I don’t know. I’m weird.) But this did not disappoint. There were many sexy and steamy scenes and each one of them were perfectly sexy and steamy.
Overall, I cannot put into words how much I loved this book. GO READ IT NOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!
Bottom Line 5 Stars Age Rating: [ R ] Content Screening (Spoilers) - Educational Value (0/0) ~ Violence (1/5) - [Punches are thrown, walls are broken] ~ Sex (5/5) - [Detailed sex scenes, sex innuendos, constant sexual content] ~ Langauge (4/5) - [F**k, cl*t, d*ck, b*tch, sh*t] ~ Drinking/Drugs (4/5) - [Alcohol, main character is drunk multiple times throughout the book] Trigger and Content Warnings - Female sexual dysfunction, Divorce, Vomiting. NOTE: This is an adult novel. It contains frequent and detailed sex scenes. Please do not read if those details make you uncomfortable. Reps: [Female sexual dysfunction (?)] Cover (4/5) ~ Characters (5/5) ~ Plot (5/5) ~ Audio (4/5) Publication Date: November 5th, 2019 Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Genre: Romance/Comedy
➵ The Bromance Book Club (#1) - ★★★★★ ➵ Undercover Bromance (#2) - ★★★★☆
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F*ck...
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goddamn it, that big green DOWNLOAD NOW button is so tempting... i just couldn't resist
[image] Many thanks to William Morrow for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[image]
The romance genre has its problems which I discu[image] Many thanks to William Morrow for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[image]
The romance genre has its problems which I discussed in my latest booktube video that you can click here to watch) but there are occasionally books like these that break down the problematic tropes.
Skip to 11:29 to here my thoughts on this specific book and what it does to push back against problems with the romance genre.
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"Those times, that person, were gone, in the same way that people left when they died. There one minute, alive, noisy, vital Vivi-vacious, gone the next, leaving a sudden and shocking emptiness that no one was prepared for.
Wow wow wow. I had this ARC sitting on my shelf for about six months and I just kept staring it thinking Oh gosh... I really should read that... Finally, I decided to pick it up, expecting for it to be a generally okay thriller but it was so much more than that.
So, what's this book about? Vivi Shager is living her dream. Raised with drive and ambition by a resolutely single mother, Vivi has a thriving law career, a gorgeous apartment in London, and a full calendar that keeps her busy at work and at play. Then on the day of her twenty-seventh birthday, an undiagnosed heart condition sends Vivi’s prospects for the future into a tailspin. After escaping her roots nearly a decade ago, she’s forced to return to her childhood home to be cared for by her devoted and enigmatic mother.
Vivi has always known the woman is hiding something and now she’s determined to find out what it is. Though her condition makes her fragile and vulnerable and she’s afraid of what may happen, her spirit remains strong. Then comes an unexpected ray of light.
Josh Raynor, a local veterinarian who his sisters claim is too handsome for his own good, brings a forbidden love to Vivi’s world. Josh and Vivi are soon inseparable, unaware of the past their families share. All Vivi knows is that Josh is wrestling with a demon of his own…
Then quite suddenly the awful truth is staring Vivi in the face and it changes everything.
The first thing I want to note is that this book needs a complete re-brand. Both the cover and the title scream thriller and this book is anything but that. If it were up to me, this book would be titled "One Last Minute" or "One More Minute" and have a cover similar to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill or The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls because this book is more of a literary/contemporary fiction than a mystery/thriller.
For the first half of this book, there were two timelines - Vivian's and Shelly's. Both were equally thrilling and engrossing and the ended up converging in the most fascinating and enjoyable way.
I loved this thrilling, realistic display of family and the secrets they keep and how those secrets can affect various people in various ways.
I think the best aspect of this book was Vivian and her story of her heart condition and stories of heart conditions in general. The book talked about Jim Lynskey and his site, Save9Lives which I hadn't heard about before. In spite of the fact that it was heartbreaking, I was really glad to learn about how these heart conditions affect people and the people around them. I don't believe I'm an organ donor currently (as of writing) but I am definitely going to register to be one.
Finally, I just want to praise this book for its constant usage of emotional manipulation. Just kidding. Kind of. This book made me giggle, chuckle, but most of all cry. I don't like to read sad books that often but when I do I want them to be the good kind of sad and this book was exactly that.
Overall, this book was engrossing and heartbreaking and I cannot recommend it enough.
Bottom Line: 5 stars Age Rating - [ PG-13 ] Content Screening (Mild Spoilers) Positive Messages (4/5) - [Living in spite of illness, Finding love in spite of illness, Kindness, Perserverance] Violence (3/5) - [Injuries, Guns, Death, Broken bones] Sex (3/5) - [Off page sex-scenes, Sexual themes, Sexual abuse] Language (2/5) - [Mild language] Trigger and Content Warnings - Loss of a loved one, Death, Heart failure, Physical pain, Depression, Sexual Abuse Publication Date: June 11th, 2019 Publisher: William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins) Genre: Contemporary/Literary
[image] Many thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
"We can’t live by them. We continue
[image] Many thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
"We can’t live by them. We continue living our lives and fighting the fight. You can’t just let people control you with their hate. You keep living, Simone.
Full disclosure - I found this quote via Elise (TheBookishActress)'s review. I had other quotes bookmarked but I must have missed this one and it's too good to not use.
So, what's this book about? Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She's making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she's HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.
Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real--shy kisses escalating into much more--she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she's positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she's terrified of how he'll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.
Simone's first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on...
I'm not HIV-positive and I don't (as far as I know) know anyone with HIV so I was going into this totally blind and not knowing. I really enjoy this book. I learned a bit more than the basic knowledge I had going in.
I was also a huge fan of the storyline of Simone exploring her sexuality. That's something most teens (and adults, too) will end up going through and it's always encouraging to have stories to look to for advice or just as comforting to know that others, albeit fictional, have gone through the things you're going through and come out the other side.
Overall, this book was funny, heartfelt and so sweet. It was so much fun to read and I highly recommend it!
Bottom Line: 4 stars Age Rating - [ PG-13 ] Content Screening (Mild Spoilers) Positive Messages (4/5) - [Honesty, Kindness, Forgiveness, Fighting for your rights] Violence (0/0) Sex (5/5) - [Talk of sex, Kissing, Sexual themes] Language (4/5) - [Sh*t, F**k] Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Medicinal drugs, Alcohol] Content and Trigger Warnings - Death due to HIV, Loss of a loved one, Racism, Classism, Bullying, Questioning sexuality Publication Date: October 29th, 2019 Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Penguin Random House) Genre: Young Adult/Romance
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Even if I never read the book*, I really want to meet the author! She seems like such a genuinely happy and fun person to be around!
Holy sh*t. I completely forgot how talented at writing Karen M. McManus is. I mean… It’s bee
Come on, Bayview, you know you’ve missed this.
Holy sh*t. I completely forgot how talented at writing Karen M. McManus is. I mean… It’s been a few days since I finished this book and my mind is still reeling.
So, what’s this book about?
It’s been a year and a half since Simon died and in spite of the many copycat gossip apps, the Bayview four have moved on with their lives. Cooper is openly gay and happily in love with his boyfriend, Chris. Bronwyn and Nick are together (most of the time). And Addie is… I don’t even know. I lost track of her.
But, in One of Us Is Next, we follow Maeve, Phoebe, and Knox. Now, there is a copycat but they mean business. And their weapon of choice is truth or dare. Either you take a dare or a truth is revealed. Phoebe is the first target and when she doesn’t take the dare, her deepest, darkest secret is revealed.Next comes Maeve, who skips the dare. By the time it comes to Knox, things are starting to become dangerous.
Once things start to get serious. Maeve, along with Knox set out to find out who is behind the mysterious game while Phoebe tries to unravel the evade danger and unravel the secrets around her.
As I said earlier, holy sh*t.... I read One of Us Is Lying a month or two after it came out and every time I think about it, my heart does a little flutter. That book sends me back to such a nostalgic time in my life. It was the calm before the storm that still rages to this day.
So, even though it is mostly because of nostalgia, One of Us Is Lying is one of my favorite YA mysteries. You can imagine how excited I was when I heard it was getting a sequel.
Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what it would be about. I felt like the story had been pretty well wrapped up but I wasn’t about to NOT read it… I mean that would be crazy.
And I am so, so glad I did read this because it was amazing.
Firstly, the mystery itself was amazing! I actually dislike the fact that there are more and more psychological thrillers with no actual whodunnits or clues or red herrings. I missed the good, classic mysteries. This was just so refreshing.
Also, Karen M. McManus can really write characters! I don’t know how she managed to juggle three main characters along with at least five side characters while flushing them ALL out perfectly! Honestly, this woman is talented and I will never not be addicted to her books.
Finally, the plot twist, which I obviously won’t spoil, was amazing. It was the reason this was a 5 star read rather than a 4.5 star read. It was also the reason that this was my first favorite of 2020!! It was one of those rare plot twists that made me gasp aloud. Don’t you just love when that happens?
Overall, this book was beyond perfect! It was even better than its already amazing predecessor and I cannot recommend it enough!
Bottom Line: ➵ 5 stars ➵ Age Rating: [ PG-13 ] ➵ Content Screening (Spoilers) ➵ Educational Value (0/0) ➵ Positive Messages (3/5) - [Love yourself, Moving on from trauma, Forgiveness] ➵ Violence (4/5) - [Character falls through a roof which ends in death, Character gets concussion, Character sexually forces himself on another character, Character is crushed by a forklift (doesn’t actually happen on page but is discussed and referred to.] ➵ Sex (3.5/5) - [Character forces himself upon another character, Kissing, Jokes and teasing about genitalia] ➵ Language (2/5) - [Sh*t, f**k, d*mn] ➵ Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Character drinks to excess and ends up getting alcohol poisoning] ➵ Trigger and Content Warnings - Loss of a loved one, PTSD, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Concussion, Death, Bullying, Luekemia, Relapse, Vomiting, Addiction, Depression ➵ Reps - [Gay, Cancer, Anxiety] ➵ Publication Date - January 7th, 2020 ➵ Publisher - Penguin Teen ➵ Genre - Mystery/Young Adult
➵ One of Us Is Lying - ★★★★☆ ➵ One of Us Is Next - ★★★★★
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[1/15/2020] - HOLY MOTHER FORKING SHIRTBALLS
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[1/7/2020] - i'm so f**king excited
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[9/10/2019] - JANUARY CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH
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i honestly can't wait for more Nick Nate... I knew NIck sounded off and Bronwyn! also Cooper and his bf, whose name i don't remember
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HAVE YOU SEEN THE SYNOPSIS????????????
Come on, Bayview, you know you’ve missed this. A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one’s been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts. Until now. This time it’s not an app, though—it’s a game. Truth or Dare. Phoebe‘s the first target. If you choose not to play, it’s a truth. And hers is dark. Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare. But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it’s that they can’t count on the police for help. Or protection. Simon’s gone, but someone’s determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there’s a whole new set of rules.
[image] Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[12/10/19] - Congratulations, Leigh Bardugo, on winning th[image] Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[12/10/19] - Congratulations, Leigh Bardugo, on winning the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy!!!
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I totally forgot to tell you guys that, in an interview at the end of my audio file, Leigh stated:
"I am, alas, not a shapeshifter but if you give me a large pizza I can shift into a slightly bigger version of myself."
if that's not the biggest mood ever...
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”It is only through mystery and madness that the soul is revealed”
So, do you ever have those moments that just kind of shatter your identity and how you view yourself? Well, that’s me right now. We all know how much I hated Six of Crows. My feelings morphed from bitterness to joy. It truly is fun to hate with a passion. But we’re not talking about Six of Crows. We’re talking about Ninth House. I’d honestly like to pretend that Six of Crows never happened because this book was the exact opposite. Entertaining, scary, gripping and full of superbly written characters.
So, what’s this book about? Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicides. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
➵ Galaxy “Alex” Stern - As I mentioned earlier, this book is full of great characters but Alex, who, yes, just happens to be the main character, was the best in this whole book. Alex is, as Darlington said, stating the obvious, “not what she seems”. Alex Stern can see ghosts, or Grays as they are called in this world. Now, she’s not the only one who can see Grays but her abilities with the Grays are not at all what they seem.
Aside from her powers, which are f**king awesome, Alex is also selfish. As with most of the selfish characters, I study, she is selfish for a reason. She is defending herself. Since childhood, Alex has believed herself to be crazy because she can see the Grays while no one else around her can. I really loved Alex’s character ARC and I cannot wait to see it explored further in book two which had better be coming soon. WE’RE COUNTING ON YOU, LEIGH!
Another reason you should read this is the world-building. Something Leigh Bardugo has always been talented at, (Yes, even in Six of Crows) is world-building. In this contemporary world, ghosts exist and they are called Grays. There is also magic and all sorts of other supernatural sh*that was an absolute blast to read.
Even better than the world-building was the setting. This book was set at Yale University, which, as she stated in her interview at the end of the audiobook, Leigh actually attended! The atmosphere was very cozy yet chilling and unsettling. I honestly don’t think there could have been a better setting for this novel.
Finally, I loved the plot. Unlike Six of Crows, it actually took off and went somewhere. You should know that the first half is slow(ish) but strap in and wait because the second half is a total rollercoaster of emotional plot twists.
Overall, this novel is a stunning, atmospheric and chilling novel for fans of Riverdale and the The Hazel Wood. Both old and new fans will be amazed by this work of art.
Final Note: This book IS NOT YOUNG ADULT. I cannot stress it enough. Both Leigh and her publishers have classified this as New Adult and it should be viewed as so, because it goes to some very dark, very heavy places.
Bottom Line: 4.5 Stars Age Rating: [ R ] Content Screening (Spoilers) - Educational Value (2/5): [Mythology and history of magic, Demonology] ~ Positive Messages (2/5): [Female empowerment] ~Violence (4/5): [Body horror, gore, rape, physical assault] ~ Sex (3/5): [Rape, discussion of sex] ~ Langauge (3/5): [Sh*t, f**k, d*mn, Asshole] ~ Drinking/Drugs (4/5): [Medicinal drugs, magical drugs, overall a ton of drug usage] TW: Rape, (Magical) Rape Drugs, PTSD, Death, Murder, Suicide, Racism Reps: [Disability] Cover: 5/5 ~ Characters: 4/5 ~ Plot: 4/5 ~ Audio: 4/5 (I love Lauren Fortgang) Publication Date: October 8th, 2019 Publisher: Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan ******** I, the passionate hater of Six of Crows, loved this book. brb, while I have an identity crisis ******** And so it begins. Will I love it or will I hate it? We shall have to wait and see. ******** at this point, i'm more than intrigued. i'm excited ******** Even though I hate Six of Crows, I'm intrigued..
[image] Many thanks to Scribner for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[12/10/19] - Congratulations, Stephen King, on winning the 2019 G[image] Many thanks to Scribner for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[12/10/19] - Congratulations, Stephen King, on winning the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award for Horror!
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”Great events turn on small hinges.”
I knew it. I was right. Institutes are always evil. That said, I didn’t expect them to be this evil.
So, what’s this book about? Stephen King’s Institute follows Luke, a twelve-year-old genius who has been captured by The Institute. Luke is now being held against his will in the strange place where the staff are doing experiments and tests on him against his will. The computers are restrictive, the staff is abusive, and the whole place his creepy. It’s not all bad, though. Luke quickly makes friends with his fellow captives. Together, they start to plot their escape from the awful Institute.
I always forget how well Stephen King can write. I also didn’t realize how much I missed his writing. I haven’t read any Stephen King since... I think last winter? It’s been a while. I will forever be in awe of his talent. And the fact that he’s publishing about two six hundred page books per year… And they’re well written?! That sh*t's bananas.
The Institute took a nice dive into paranormal/supernatural in contrast to the mostly mystery/thriller The Outsider that King wrote last year. Throughout the book, the kids display psychic powers, telekinesis, and telepathy. This was super interesting partly because superpowers are interesting (duh) but also because my analytical brain was whirring and I kept wondering if the kids had the Shining (a.k.a. the psychic power that Danny from The Shining had. It is also theorized that the Losers Club from It had the psychic abilities and used them to defeat Pennywise but that’s another theory for another day.)
On the note of It, I really loved the break from adult thrillers. This book isn’t marked as Young Adult on Goodreads. It really should be. Yes, there are some adult main characters but the story mostly focuses on Luke and his friends who are young adult or more accurately, middle grade.
In fact, The Institute reminded me a lot of It because it was the same basic outline. Kids face evil. Kids are badasses. Kids defeat evil. Kids develop PTSD. Ya know? Fortunately, I didn’t feel like a copy + paste book that some authors will publish. It was still unique and a blast to read.
Unlike It, The Institute had a lot of redeemable adult characters. Except for Ms. Sigsby. F**K YOU, MS. SIGSBY. (did i spell her name right? Ah well, she doesn’t deserve to have her name spelled properly.) My favorite character was Annie. She was so funny and a bit… insane but in a good way. She just said so many weird, messed up, or crazy things in such a serious, almost deadpan, manner. Definitely one of the funniest characters in King’s books, in my opinion. I also loved Tim. He gave me Hopper (from Stranger Things) vibes so much that I literally imagined him like that for the entire book. [image] If there’s a movie and David Harbour doesn’t play Tim, I will be pissed.
That said, The Institute had the classic nail-biting suspense and potent fear that we all know and love Stephen King fear. There was one scene that was so terrifyingly graphic that I was literally covering my face and cringing. *shudders*
All in all, this greatly exceeded my expectations. I will never grow tired of reading King’s books and will always wonder how he writes so many.
Bottom Line: 4.5 Stars Age Rating: [ R ] Content Screening (Spoilers) - Educational Value (0/5) - [Computers (how to hack them)] ~ Positive Messages (3/5) - [Teamwork] ~ Violence (5/5) - [Character cuts off his ear, shooting, patients of The Institute are shocked, drowned, shot, and other awful things, Murder, Suicide] ~ Sex (2/5) - [Characters kiss, sexual references and inuendos] ~ Language (5/5) - [Frequent use of: F**k, sh*t, b*tch and mild use of d*ck, d*mn] ~ Drinking/Drugs (5/5) - [Underage alcohol consumption, smoking, medicinal and sedative drugs] ~ Trigger and Content Warnings - Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sezuires, Suicide, Murder, Suicidal Ideations, Removal of body parts, Bodily harm, Loss of loved ones, Racial slurs, Disability slurs, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression Reps: [Women of Color, Anxiety, Disability, Children (is that a rep?)] Cover: 4/5 ~ Characters: 4/5 ~ Plot: 5/5 ~ Audio: 4/5 Publication Date: September 10th, 2019 Publisher: Scribner Books Genre: Young Adult/Horror
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i f**king knew it...
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AHHH! Thank you, Scribner!!!!
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If I've learned anything in my fourteen fifteen years of life, it's that institutes are ALWAYS evil. Always.
[image] This is one of my favorite books that deals with mental illness! To see the others and to here me ramble about my brain, watch my video,[image]
[image] This is one of my favorite books that deals with mental illness! To see the others and to here me ramble about my brain, watch my video, A Brief Trip Inside My Mind!
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Interview with Lizzy: 1. What inspired the idea for The Art of Losing? I started writing the scene where Harley walks in on Mike and Audrey the night my ex-boyfriend told me...[Read More]
On one terrible night, 17-year-old Harley Langston’s life changes forever. At a party she discovers her younger sister, Audrey, hooking up with her boyfriend, Mike—and she abandons them both in a rage. When Mike drunkenly attempts to drive Audrey home, he crashes and Audrey ends up in a coma. Now Harley is left with guilt, grief, pain and the undeniable truth that her ex-boyfriend (who is relatively unscathed) has a drinking problem. So it’s a surprise that she finds herself reconnecting with Raf, a neighbor and childhood friend who’s recently out of rehab and still wrestling with his own demons. At first Harley doesn’t want to get too close to him. But as Audrey awakens and slowly recovers, Raf starts to show Harley a path forward that she never would have believed possible—one guided by honesty, forgiveness, and redemption.
I was concerned about the 'hooking up' but this was an ARC so I thought give it a try. For those concerned about the explicitly of this story, it is only mentioned and never gone into detail until towards the end. Even then, It's barely mentioned and easy to skip past.
On another note, I was actually considering dnfing this because I wasn't loving it. But something happened. You know how when you have cheap candy in the house and your eating it and not really liking it. But you keep eating and then suddenly you realize your actually loving it. That's how this book was.
This was written in a then and now style. I really loved reading the last parts. Especially ones with Audrey and Harley. Their relationship is so close. It's a perfect example of how sisters act.
So as you know from the synopsis, Audrey is in an accident and she goes into a coma. Harley has to deal with the emotion of being cheated on by herself because Mike is in rehab and Audrey is in a coma.
Let's talk about Mike. I hated him from the get go (But I think that's what the author was going for?). He honestly sounded like a horrible person and I was really hoping he would change but in the end He starts drinking again. I was literally seething
Now on to Raf. This the common cliche of child good friends becomes more than a friend. Raf and Harley's relationship was cute and I was really enjoying reading about it. Of course, I was super upset when Raf relapsed. In the end, He finally admits that's he an addict and starts getting the help he needs. So that's good.
One more thing, I really didn't like the fact that Audrey's friend's homosexuality was used as a sort of plot twist.
Many thanks to SoHo Teen for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Bottom Line: 4 Stars: A heartbreaking story of love, strength, forgiveness and redemption. Age Recommended: 14+ Trigger Warning: Injuries, Substance Abuse
*4.5 Stars Well, it's almost midnight but I did it. I finished it. Oh my gosh, you guys it was so amazing! Full review to come **************************4.5 Stars Well, it's almost midnight but I did it. I finished it. Oh my gosh, you guys it was so amazing! Full review to come ****************************** Jack doesn't have any plans for love. But then Kate steps into his life. Over the span of six months, Jack & Kate fall in love. Then Kate dies. Jack is suddenly shot back in time to the day he met Kate. Every choice he makes has a different outcome. If he saves Kate, he Will be able to escape the loop. Will he be able to? Find out March 2019!!! ☺
Bonus: My favorite quotes. "My bookshelf is sagging from too !any books. Who does this stuff belong to? Whose memories are catalogued in my head? And I feel full. And I wonder, how could I ever got anything, anyone else into all of this? Into all of me?
" And I know I'm betraying Franny all over again, revealing his deepest truths. But sometimes your wrong for the right reasons. "
"I try my hand at how a wealthy benefactor might chuckle, a cross between don't be ridiculous and I wipe my butt cheeks with fifty dollar bills just because.
*Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me a copy* *All quotes are from and uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publishing.*
I'll be ok, It's just a whole in my head is a story of a young woman's trials and journey through brain damage and what comes after. This st*3.5 Stars
I'll be ok, It's just a whole in my head is a story of a young woman's trials and journey through brain damage and what comes after. This story was touching and heartbreaking. I felt Mimi's fear, sadness and frustration as if I were there. She has such a humor that is hard to come by I times of suffering. On another note, Mimi tended to go off topic sometimes but other than that it was a great, touching memoir. *Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.*
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