Review: This Could be About Either of You

This Could be About Either of You by Anna Leslie Long
My rating: 0 of 5 stars



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Review: ハピネス 1

ハピネス 1 by Shūzō Oshimi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Sorcery of Thorns

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book.

After reading "An Enchantment of Ravens" last year, I knew that Margaret Rogerson was an auto-buy author for me. So, naturally, when this book was announced, I pre-ordered it. I even included it in my (since-deleted) 5 Star Predictions video on my abandoned youtube channel (big rip).

I finally read it, and I am happy to say that it's a new favorite book.

What do I begin with? First, I have to mention the writing. This is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. The way the setting is described in this book is unlike any other YA book I've read. You feel wholly there, alongside the characters, no matter the setting. The words used to describe the atmosphere are perfect and flowery and it's so clear that they were thought about before being used. Even better is the dialogue, and (to my immense joy) the characters.

My biggest qualm with "An Enchantment of Ravens" is that I loved the characters, but wished they had been more fleshed out. This book solves that problem for me, and has now introduced me to what may be my new favorite trio in a book series. Elizabeth is the heroine I've always craved more of, Nathaniel is the badass wizard I've always wanted to fall in love with (and he's bisexual!!!!!!!!!), and Silas is the demonic best friend I've always wanted (also I just really have a soft spot for characters named Silas, don't @ me.)

I could spend ages going on and on about this book, but I must simply just ask you to read it! You'll love the characters and you'll adore the plotline. It's a book about a girl who loves books saving books while fighting books and IT'S METAFICTION IN IT'S PUREST FORM. GO READ THIS BOOK!

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Review: Fable

Fable by Adrienne Young
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the perfect example of a 3-star book. It's also a book that mirrors my thoughts on the only other book by this author that I've read: "Sky in the Deep".

The plotline? Awesome. As someone who isn't usually a fan of sea-fairing tales, I found the plot to be really fun in this book. It reminded me of "Seafire", a book series I've really enjoyed despite my previous distaste for pirate-y books.

The idea of Fable being cast out by her father and spending her entire life trying to find him just to prove her worth... beautiful. Love it. Genuinely an interesting premise and storyline. There's a slight element of magic laced throughout the plot, too, that involves gemstones that intrigued me. It seemed like a really cool, subtle take on the "chosen one" trope.

If you know me, though, you know that I'm usually not reading a book for the plot...but instead, for the characters. This is where I was disappointed with this novel. I could not bring myself to take interest in any of these characters. Fable was by far my favorite, and even at that, I didn't have much attachment to her. There were very few scenes where readers got to learn about characters that weren't chunks of dialogue or flashbacks narrated my modern-day characters. It was a LOT of telling and virtually NO showing.

There was no time given to form a relationship between the readers and the characters, and for that reason, I couldn't bring myself to care all that much. Well-written romantic scenes where characters reveal deep dark secrets to one another? Tears???? I usually gobble that shit up. With this book, though, I felt little-to-nothing.

Overall, I feel the same way about "Fable" as I did with "Sky in the Deep": the plotline and the writing is wonderful, but the characters aren't fleshed out enough to make me care about them. I don't know if I'm going to be reading book 2 or not, but, if I do, I hope I'll find some more attachment with the crew of the Marigold than I did in book 1.

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I'm always hesitant about going into contemporary novels. My comfort zone is fantasy; anything dark and whimsical that can pull me out of real-world problems. So, naturally, going into "The Way You Make Me Feel" was entering unchartered territory for me. But, lulled in with the premise of a food truck and a prank-gone-wrong, I took myself on a journey and ended up loving it.

"Look at me, is what I wanted to say to you. Talk to me every once in a while. Find me a cure for these tears, I'd really like to exhale for the first time in my life."

"I was born royalty. All I had to do was pick up my crown."