ariellesbookreviews's reviews
161 reviews

I found this book relatively confusing and didn't know what was happening for most of the book, but I am intrigued enough to read the next book. I don't think I would say this book is good or recommend it; however, it did hold my attention, and I'm excited for the next book. 

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold was an excellent examination of society's prejudice towards women, the unhoused, and sex workers. Rubenhold humanizes the five victims who have been overlooked in favor of their murderer. 

I first heard of The Five while on a walking tour about women in the East End on a trip to London. Hearing the experiences of different working women throughout the history of London reminded me of forgotten stories often not seen in history books. The tour guide explained how, until recently, there was no memorial marking where Catherine Eddowes died and that while her killer has been sensationalized, Eddowes and the other four victims are often written off as prostitutes, completely dehumanizing them. 

This heartbreaking tale goes over the five lives of Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. Rubenhold spends about equal time talking about each victim, except for Kelly, whose early life is obscured. Readers learn about their families and their childhood. These women experienced both bright spots and difficulty while navigating Victorian England. They were all daughters, sisters, mothers, friends, wives, partners, and humans. Rubenhold does not write about the murders or Jack the Ripper. Their stories end with their identification and how their death impacted their family and friends. Rubenhold discusses how society has impacted them during their lives and how its perception of people who are experiencing homelessness, suffering from alcoholism, or participating in sex work has impacted the language we use to discuss these women in the modern day. Nichols, Chapman, Stride, Eddowes, and Kelly are victims of horrendous crimes, but their murderer has become a legend. 

I would highly recommend this book. Rubenhold’s extensive research and knowledge shine through the book. It was heartbreaking to learn about how these women have been treated both at the time of the murder and during the century and a half afterward. 

The Adventures of Amina Al Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty was a charming, high-seas adventure with mystical beings, complex characters, loving friendships, and motherhood. Chakraborty intended to write a story showing women's lives do not end once they start a family and that it can be the beginning of new adventures. 

The first half of the book felt relatively slow. The story is presented similarly to that of a reunion special of a popular TV show that has been off the air for 15 years. The only problem, you never watched the original show. The characters have a deep and complex history with each other that the reader must untangle as Amina gets the band back together. While the characters have established emotional ties to each other, it took time for this reader to develop those same connections. Once that connection was made and all the usual suspects had been reintroduced, the plot picked up, and I started to really enjoy the novel. 

I really like Raksh as a character. I thought he was funny and intriguing, and hope to see more of him in the next book. Overall, I rate the book 4 stars and am excited to see what Charkraborkty brings us next. 

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian was a lot different than I thought it would be. I wouldn't say the book was bad, but I don't think it lived up to its true potential. Marian and Rob weren't very intriguing characters despite having interesting backgrounds; they just fell flat. Readers should read the Queer Principles of Kitt Webb because the storyline seems very interconnected. The summary made the book seem like it was going be to very funny and have a lot of high jinks, and I did not get that from the storyline. Nothing about the book made me want to read more. 

Thank you to Penguin Teen for gifting me an ARC of Her Good Side in exchange for a review. 

I adored this book! The relationship between Bethany and Jacob was cute and brought a smile to my face. Both characters experience character growth and learn about themselves, their relationship, and each other. They weren't afraid to have difficult or uncomfortable conversations with each other and built a friendship leading up to their real dating. 

Rebekah Weatherspoon's portrayal of the Greene family was very authentic and heartwarming. Bethany's parents clearly love their daughter, but that doesn't mean they always make the best parenting decisions or know what she wants. Weatherspoon wrote a great book about body positivity and being happy and fat. She included a diverse cast of characters, including several ethnicity and queer identities. 

This book brought me so much joy, and I can't wait to read it again! I look forward to reading more books by Weatherspoon in the YA genre! 

Summer Snow by Carly M. Hannon helped me escape a six-month reading slump. I enjoyed the novel and liked the ingenuity of a Snow White/Sleeping Beauty retelling between two sisters. I originally read the story on Kindle Unlimited, but I liked it enough to purchase a physical copy. I look forward to learning more about Misha in the novel's sequel, as Summer Snow focused primarily on Nic and her storyline. Overall, I thought it met the criteria of a classic adult fantasy novel and would recommend it to others. 

Contractual Obligation by Elle Rivers helped get me out of a six-month reading slump, and I enjoyed it. I thought the storyline was compelling, and while there were silly aspects to the story, it kept me entertained.  I would definitely check out other books written by Elle Rivers. 

Tan focuses on deep family ties, loyal friendships, and complex romantic relationships in Heart of the Sun Warrior. This book focuses on Xingyin dealing with the fallout of saving her mother, her relationship with Liwei and Wenzhi, and freeing the celestial kingdom from a new threat. The Emperor and Emperess feel threatened by Xingyin's power and loyal friends, allowing an insider to threaten the balance of the Celestial Kingdom. A portion of this book does feel redundant, and Daughter of the Sun Goddes could have been a stand-alone novel, but by the end of the novel, Tan leaves the reader satisfied with the duology. 

The romance in this book is slow. Liwei and Xingyin's relationship is boring and feels immature, but Tan's acknowledgment of changing romantic feelings and the deep-seated love brings the reader to a satisfying conclusion with Xingyin's relationship. Xingyin experiences a lot of growth in this book, both emotionally and mentally, and continues to learn from past mistakes. Tan created an action-packed duology with fun characters and a world worth exploring in future books.   

Foxglove was a no for me. Personally, I didn't enjoy Belladonna by Adalyn Grace and was hesitant to read Foxglove. While Grace did improve the flow of the storyline, and it didn't feel as clunky as its precursor, the romance between Sigma and Death was still weird and predatory. Ironically, Grace acknowledges the gross aspect of young girls marrying old men; however, it goes over her head when applying the situation to her main character. There are three separate relationships in Foxglove where 19-year-olds are in relationships with old men, and by the end of the book, it feels gross and repetitive. 

Outside of the romance aspect, the storyline for Foxglove has many of the same elements as Belladonna. The books seem unoriginal when looking at them side by side: a mysterious new character in town, suspicious poisoning, hidden illnesses, sneaking around Thorn Grove, and entering society. Grace has essentially repackaged the first book but added the additional POV of Sigma's cousin, Blythe, in order to prepare for book 3. 

I definitely won't be returning to the series. I had high hopes for this series but have continually been disappointed.