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allyareads's reviews
382 reviews
Mean Spirits by Jenny Carroll, Meg Cabot
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Waysider by K.J. Sutton
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It started raining so I abandoned my entire tbr to read a spooky book at random and I have no regrets.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🎃୧ ⋆ ˚｡⋆'Tis the season ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🎃୧ ⋆ ˚｡⋆
Did you ever read the Meg Cabot's Mediator series (circa 2000)? Niche I know, but I couldn't help but feel nostalgic for it as I was reading Waysider. The more I think about it the more similarities there* are but I digress.
If I had a dollar for every time I read a book about a ‘Hot Loner Girl Who Can See Ghost Goes to a School and Is Haunted by Attractive Men/Ghost and Has to Solve a Mystery™;
I’d have two dollars** which isn’t a lot but still.
If there's a 'Reformed partier, socially awkward, unconventionally attractive punky girl who can see ghosts' scale, 1 being Mediator’s Suze and 10 being Ninth House’s Alex; our main character Cass is an 8.
I had a really good time with this and finished it in a day. The pacing was fast, the characters were interesting, and the story was engaging BUT I will say this asked more questions than it answered, specifically the ending (!!!!!!)
I don’t want to be misconstrued so I’llspeak type plainly:
More mystery is fine and cliffhanger endings are encouraged but if you only answered one major plot point and left the readers with more questions in the plethora you already had?
Well I’m taking it personally. I need book 2 stat.
4.25 ★
*Including the hot, brooding Latino ghost roommate!
**I eat this up, someone please give me more recommendations.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🎃୧ ⋆ ˚｡⋆'Tis the season ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🎃୧ ⋆ ˚｡⋆
Did you ever read the Meg Cabot's Mediator series (circa 2000)? Niche I know, but I couldn't help but feel nostalgic for it as I was reading Waysider. The more I think about it the more similarities there* are but I digress.
If I had a dollar for every time I read a book about a ‘Hot Loner Girl Who Can See Ghost Goes to a School and Is Haunted by Attractive Men/Ghost and Has to Solve a Mystery™;
I’d have two dollars** which isn’t a lot but still.
If there's a 'Reformed partier, socially awkward, unconventionally attractive punky girl who can see ghosts' scale, 1 being Mediator’s Suze and 10 being Ninth House’s Alex; our main character Cass is an 8.
I had a really good time with this and finished it in a day. The pacing was fast, the characters were interesting, and the story was engaging BUT I will say this asked more questions than it answered, specifically the ending (!!!!!!)
I don’t want to be misconstrued so I’ll
More mystery is fine and cliffhanger endings are encouraged but if you only answered one major plot point and left the readers with more questions in the plethora you already had?
Well I’m taking it personally. I need book 2 stat.
4.25 ★
*
**I eat this up, someone please give me more recommendations.
Covenant, Vol. 2 by LySandra Vuong, explodikid
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for the readers' copy.
I know hot, queer, fighter priests sounds niche but I love this for everyone ♥
The characters, art style, pacing, dialogue are perfect. Literally no notes.
Such a fun continuation from book 1 and again leaves you wanting more.
I know hot, queer, fighter priests sounds niche but I love this for everyone ♥
The characters, art style, pacing, dialogue are perfect. Literally no notes.
Such a fun continuation from book 1 and again leaves you wanting more.
Bring on book 3 *makes grabby hands*
4 ★
Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Why isn't this book at the top of every romantasy recommendation video, listicle and influencer aesthetic post?!?!
Booktok, Booktwitter, Bookstagram recommendations have their bias/problems sure but me having to find this book through an algorithm on AMAZON (!!) is unforgivable.
What are we even doing as a reading community really?*
Anyway that's my review. I loved it.
4.9 ★
*I'm being facetious.......... mostly
Booktok, Booktwitter, Bookstagram recommendations have their bias/problems sure but me having to find this book through an algorithm on AMAZON (!!) is unforgivable.
What are we even doing as a reading community really?*
Anyway that's my review. I loved it.
4.9 ★
*I'm being facetious.......... mostly
A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Think of Sailor Moon with depression, mounting credit card debt, anxiety over global warming, capitalism and the realities of being a woman in Korea that reads like a manhwa but also in a way a cautionary tale.
The more time that goes by after finishing this I’m more AND less confused.
While it was funny, short and sweet I was left with a considerable amount of questions and hankering for more. Reading the translator's note at the end helped sort some of my feelings (not much).
The classic conundrum of keeping a novella short, cursory, and fun or fill it out and explore the deeper content and risk losing its whimsy and jollification? Hmmmmm.
I might be overthinking it.
Regardless I love a book that can be fanciful while also being grounded in hard truths. I had a good time and my only real gripe is it could have been three million percent gayer (please). I’m excited to see what Park Seolyeon does next.
Thank you HarperCollins for the readers' copy.
The more time that goes by after finishing this I’m more AND less confused.
While it was funny, short and sweet I was left with a considerable amount of questions and hankering for more. Reading the translator's note at the end helped sort some of my feelings (not much).
The classic conundrum of keeping a novella short, cursory, and fun or fill it out and explore the deeper content and risk losing its whimsy and jollification? Hmmmmm.
I might be overthinking it.
Regardless I love a book that can be fanciful while also being grounded in hard truths. I had a good time and my only real gripe is it could have been three million percent gayer (please). I’m excited to see what Park Seolyeon does next.
Thank you HarperCollins for the readers' copy.
Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The head was empty, the thoughts were none, the vibes were chaos and I was into it!
I think I blacked out while reading this. All I remember was laughing and then it was over.
Anyone going into this thinking you're getting a badass, violent FMC with female rage;
slow your roll✋🏽
Our girl is a passive, scrappy, classical music loving, math nerd (love that!) but you only get a taste of her personality potential toward the end. It was a drop in the ocean really. I need 110% more in the next one please.
The men were being men *shrug* also not brimming with personality but they were there *shrug*
3.5 ⭐
I think I blacked out while reading this. All I remember was laughing and then it was over.
Anyone going into this thinking you're getting a badass, violent FMC with female rage;
slow your roll✋🏽
Our girl is a passive, scrappy, classical music loving, math nerd (love that!) but you only get a taste of her personality potential toward the end. It was a drop in the ocean really. I need 110% more in the next one please.
The men were being men *shrug* also not brimming with personality but they were there *shrug*
3.5 ⭐
Adulthood Is a Myth by Sarah Andersen
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
Sarah Andersen speaks the truth and as far as I'm concerned she drew me and I am one of her characters.
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you Netgalley and Tor for the readers copy of this book and sorry (mostly to myself) for taking so long to read it.
I didn't have any specific expectations for this book, honestly the incredible cover art is what prompted me (yes sometimes I'm that vain) but even so this wasn't at all what I thought the story would be.
Fonda Lee has made a story, which is for the majority about falconry (but make the birds behemoth) and spun a beautiful meditation on grief, obsession, devotion and possessive nonreciprocal love.
I've never read a story about loving an animal to the point of devotion and it was contagious. I felt the myriad of anxiety, elation and nurturing for this fictional bird that's big enough to kill a person in one fell swoop (hehe).
It's not the fast pace, action-packed fantasy you'd expect from the author of the Green Bone saga but more a slow, reflective tale of a young woman trying to live her dream.
I loved it.
I didn't have any specific expectations for this book, honestly the incredible cover art is what prompted me (yes sometimes I'm that vain) but even so this wasn't at all what I thought the story would be.
Fonda Lee has made a story, which is for the majority about falconry (but make the birds behemoth) and spun a beautiful meditation on grief, obsession, devotion and possessive nonreciprocal love.
I've never read a story about loving an animal to the point of devotion and it was contagious. I felt the myriad of anxiety, elation and nurturing for this fictional bird that's big enough to kill a person in one fell swoop (hehe).
It's not the fast pace, action-packed fantasy you'd expect from the author of the Green Bone saga but more a slow, reflective tale of a young woman trying to live her dream.
I loved it.
Psycho Academy: Aran's Story by Jasmine Mas
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Petition to remove the word Romance and underline the word Bully several times in the tags for this book. You can't even call it Enemies to Lovers, it's just Enemies.
Imagine the most absurd, loosely based interpretation of Twelfth Night but set at the most miserable boot camp, surrounded by misogynists. Fun right?
Aran is still my favourite character in this series. Her brand has now escalated to traumatised, stoner and misandrist and I'm here for it.
Her humor, depression, apathy, and distrust of the men around her was deeply relatable at times but the enjoyment of long distance running lost me. I laughed a lot, it was a fun time.
Imagine the most absurd, loosely based interpretation of Twelfth Night but set at the most miserable boot camp, surrounded by misogynists. Fun right?
Aran is still my favourite character in this series. Her brand has now escalated to traumatised, stoner and misandrist and I'm here for it.
Her humor, depression, apathy, and distrust of the men around her was deeply relatable at times but the enjoyment of long distance running lost me. I laughed a lot, it was a fun time.
Psycho Beasts by Jasmine Mas
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Fight Club but make it more farfetched, unhinged, and violent (yes it's possible).
I'm unwell 👍🏽
Made me want to bang my head against a hard surface for the description of virginity and basic anatomy but that's just me.
I'm unwell 👍🏽
Made me want to bang my head against a hard surface for the description of virginity and basic anatomy but that's just me.