Love in Focus was an enjoyable read. I liked how this book was a second chance romance, however I do wish we got more of what Gemma and Celeste were lLove in Focus was an enjoyable read. I liked how this book was a second chance romance, however I do wish we got more of what Gemma and Celeste were like 8 years ago. I felt a lot of the book relied on their backstory, and yet we didn't get much of it, just slow pieces slowly dripped in throughout the book. So, a lot of the yearning and tension that should have been felt just wasn’t there � we never saw any of this with them, these are characters new to us. Therefore, while Gemma and Celeste did have some chemistry, the sparks never really seemed to fly off of the page for me.
I really liked how this book put a focus on the queer community, particularly looking in to queer elders. There was some really great exploration here, and why that can be so important to many youths in the community.
I loved Gemma’s friends, Kiara and Val!
The plot had decent pacing and I liked seeing the characters grow, in particular Gemma. I felt there was a weird dissonance between Gemma and Celeste, with the former being told in first and the latter being told in third. I don’t think it quite worked and I feel it may have been more beneficial to have both characters written in the same perspective.
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK | Piatkus for this e-arc...more
I, unfortunately, can’t quite decide whether I liked this book or not. I spent the majority of the time while I was reading it, hoping that the endingI, unfortunately, can’t quite decide whether I liked this book or not. I spent the majority of the time while I was reading it, hoping that the ending would be near � and I think that says a lot?
While the plot was intriguing, I think the pacing and the writing never really gripped me. I enjoyed the dual POVs of Shakti and Ashoka and I thought they offered a good contrast to each other. Both are essentially on the same “side� but have remarkable differences in their standing in society.
I liked how the magic system focused on nature spirits. Unfortunately, because Shakti � and the world at large because of the burning of a library, texts, and the mayakari, themselves � was ignorant to a lot of what she could do, we as readers did not get to see much. However, it was intriguing to learn beside her and I suspect this is all part of a larger plot and this is just one part in a trilogy.
I liked that the characters were messy and dysfunctional and unlikeable, I think it added a lot of intrigue to the story. In particular, Ashoka was a very interesting character to follow as he goes through the book and how he begins to question letting go of his own morals for the greater good � because he thinks he is good. This will be interesting to see where it goes. This is the same with Shakti, how far will her vengeance take her down a dark path and away from her people?
Anyways, I rate this a 3/5 stars and will say, in the politest way, that it’s “mediocre�. There’s a lot going on that’s intriguing, and yet I found myself moving through it slowly, never truly hooked. I’ll probably stick around for the sequel as I do think there’s potential.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for this e-arc...more
I’ve been struggling to review this one as I’ve been swinging between “I didn’t really like this book� to “I liked it�.
I liked a lot of the elements I’ve been struggling to review this one as I’ve been swinging between “I didn’t really like this book� to “I liked it�.
I liked a lot of the elements in this book, particularly the mystery of the sisters and their family � why did their mum disappear? How did their family become cursed? What’s the secret behind protecting the tree? I also really liked the magic system and how it was different for Lightcrafters and Shadowcrafters. I thought it was interesting how they both essentially pulled from the essence of themselves, just in different ways with different consequences.
I think the romance is where I become stuck. While Calliope and Lucien did have some nice moments, it was way too insta-lovey for me and I couldn’t buy it. Also, at times it felt really icky with how much Lucien was keeping from her. And while the book clears up that a lot of serious consequences (like death of characters) weren’t directly because of him, I still struggled to see how Calliope could so easily forgive someone she’s only known a few days, after all the deceit. I think because of this, me not really buying in to the romance which was a very large part of the book, I didn’t enjoy it as much.
I thought there was some interesting open ending questions, so I probably would pick up another book, if there were to be one, out of curiosity � although I can’t say I’d be rushing to grab it.
Thank you to Aria & Aries | Aria for an e-arc....more
Vanya and the Wild Hunt is so creative! From the talking books to waterfalls in libraries, Mandanna builds a magical world full of magiI loved this!!
Vanya and the Wild Hunt is so creative! From the talking books to waterfalls in libraries, Mandanna builds a magical world full of magical creatures and exciting storylines.
I really liked how this book had high stakes, thrilling and shocking plot twists with devastating reasons behind them, and a great wholesome cast of characters. I loved seeing Vanya meet all these new people in her life, such as her parents best friends who are like Uncles to her. It was really beautiful seeing all that love and support, especially for Vanya who often felt like by being herself she would be unloved.
The ADHD representation was really brilliant in this and very important. I think a lot of young people will find solace and comfort in reading Vanya’s struggles but also her perseverance and the unconditional love being shown from her family. The ADHD representation was definitely my favourite part of the book, especially seeing Vanya come to better terms with her diagnosis.
I’m really excited for the next instalment. This left of with lots of unanswered questions and open storylines and I’m excited to see where it goes, I think it’s only onward and upward from here!
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for this e-arc! ...more
I think this is my favourite so far of the Tomes & Tea series. I really enjoyed how this one was a bit quieter, without so many big adLoved this one!
I think this is my favourite so far of the Tomes & Tea series. I really enjoyed how this one was a bit quieter, without so many big adventures, and just focused back on Reyna and Kianthe back in Tawney. Of course there’s still conflict…what are they going to do about Tilaine? And so a plan is hatched to dethrone the Queen and replace her with a hidden heir…all at Reyna and Kianthes wedding.
The book was a little slower and I often felt at times they were just talking about the same things over and over before it led up to the big climax, however I wasn’t too bothered. I liked just seeing the characters interact and grow in their relationships.
My favourite part � seeing more of the dragons!
This book ended in a shocker and I am excited to see where it’s going to go and how the story is going to conclude.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan | Tor for this e-arc. ...more
I was really excited for this, as I enjoyed She Is a Haunting, particularly for the horror and gothic elements. I loved how in She Is A Haunting Tran I was really excited for this, as I enjoyed She Is a Haunting, particularly for the horror and gothic elements. I loved how in She Is A Haunting Tran wrote about and explored the impact colonialism had and is still having on the Vietnamese people, while looking in to the Vietnamese diaspora and how that can effect how Vietnamese people identify themselves and move through the world.
Tran continued with these themes of diaspora in this, with the added addition of Vietnamese folklore. I thought this was really interesting, showing how these stories can follow you and the impact they can have on your life. For Noon and her mum this is transformative, in ways I will not spoil.
I really enjoyed the plotting and storytelling in this one, and I thought it was fascinating. However, I did find the world building somewhat lacking and confusing. I understood that this was happening in Mercy, but I found myself confused on the rest of the world. There was some mention of how the rest of the world was running and their reactions, but it didn’t feel clear enough to me. I was all around just a tad confused the entire time.
This was a criticism I had for She Is A Haunting too, but some of the sentences in this just didn’t make sense to me. I found myself having to reread entire paragraphs at a time because the sentences did not feel like proper sentences nor did they make sense.
Additionally, while I enjoyed the cast of characters I never really found myself enamoured or caring too much about them. There wasn’t a great amount of chemistry! By far the best character was Noon, and the most interesting relationship was the one she had with her mum.
Overall, I did find this to be a good book and I would recommend it. However, at times I felt like the writing was difficult and the world building lacklustre.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) | Bloomsbury YA for this e-arc...more
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