amelie 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚
is on page 52 of 335 of Practice Makes Perfect: this book is so cringey but in the cutest way ever 😭💗
"I definitely appreciated this backstory about President Snow. I do feel like it lacked emotion as opposed to the OG hunger games trilogy, but I think that’s kinda the point bc Snow is obviously the antagonist and this is his story. I totally understand now why he hates mockingjays, district 12, poverty, rebellion, etc 😅 Lucy Gray ruineddd him.
I think some of the writing felt confusing to me at certain parts and I wasn’t always sure I was grasping what was happening. But In the book’s defense, i did see the movie before reading (and I also listened on audiobook), so I’m not sure if any of that changed the experience for me. I feel like I actually enjoyed the movie more, and usually that’s not the case. Regardless, this was a 3/5 stars for me. Snow’s inner monologue was worth the read because we didn’t get to experience that in the movie! I look forward to reading about Haymitch’s games soon! "
I think some of the writing felt confusing to me at certain parts and I wasn’t always sure I was grasping what was happening. But In the book’s defense, i did see the movie before reading (and I also listened on audiobook), so I’m not sure if any of that changed the experience for me. I feel like I actually enjoyed the movie more, and usually that’s not the case. Regardless, this was a 3/5 stars for me. Snow’s inner monologue was worth the read because we didn’t get to experience that in the movie! I look forward to reading about Haymitch’s games soon! "
vicky
liked
Dana �'s status update
Dana �
is 57% done with The Dream Thieves: please protect matthew at all costs �
Emma Skapetis
is on page 79 of 466 of Golden Son: I forgot how political this series is.
vicky gave 1 star to It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)
by
Colleen Hoover
bookshelves: romance
”I want you so, so bad, and I swear, once you have sex with me, you'll never hear from me again. I promise."
I'm convinced anyone who gives this five stars is not sane. It contains the typical ~I don't do marriage~ love interest, but somehow, he magically wants a committed relationship and kids with our lucky lady after a few interactions. We love being the only exception. It ends with us contains a lot of dark elements such as abuse, toxic relationships, and attempted rape with no trigger warnings. I guess Colleen Hoover thinks that trigger warnings are spoilers. I understand this novel is based on the author's experience, but that doesn't mean it's good, nor am I obligated to like it. There's absolutely no justification for abuse, and why Lily continues to stay is beyond my comprehension. Her first meeting with the love interest, Ryle, has him being aggressive and kicking chairs on the rooftop at night. While any normal woman would instinctively feel fear and leave, she's too distracted by how hot he is and how his biceps are rippling through his extra-small shirt. Like, girl, get a grip. Throwing away your morals just because someone is hot has got to be the stupidest thing ever.
The author added numerous poor book decisions; I'll list some of them here:
1) The main character’s full name is Lily Blossom Bloom, and she runs a florist shop. Do I even need to say more? She’s the reigning champion of cringey book character names.
2) Lily is obsessed with Ellen Degeneres to the point where Ellen becomes the 4th main character of the story. She writes to Ellen in her diary, which is a way for Hoover to dump Lily's background story on us.
3) Ryle knocked on 29 apartment doors simply to find Lily and proceeded to beg on his knees for her to fuck him. That is so embarrasing, especially since he's only met Lily two times at this point.
4) Lily's bedroom light turned on at the exact perfect moment, just as Atlas was about to commit suicide. Wow, what a coincidence. He thought she was an angel beaming in the light. He said, and I quote, "I ~felt~ something." Apparently, that was enough to stop him from wanting to end his life. That's not exactly how mental health works, but okay. Portraying it this way risks downplaying the seriousness of mental health struggles and the ongoing effort required to heal from them.
5) Ryle secretly took a picture of Lily the first time they met, then immediately framed it and hung it on his wall. Was this supposed to be attractive?
6) The classic "I'll bring my gay best friend as my date to make Ryle jealous," only for the gay best friend to never to show up again. I smell a plot device. It's funny how, in a book full of rich, white characters, the one minor character is the stereotypical gay best friend who only exists for few pages.
7) The quote “There's no such thing as bad people, just people who do bad things." Saying this can be damaging because it suggests that harmful actions, like abuse, are just mistakes rather than deliberate choices. It can make it harder to hold people accountable for their actions. It might excuse or downplay serious harm they’ve caused, ultimately protecting those who need to take responsibility for their behavior.
8) Atlas slept with Lily when he was 18. Interestingly, they slept together on the exact day Lily turned 16, which is typically considered the age of consent. I don't understand why she couldn't make them the same age.
9) Lily's daughter is named Emerson, and I don’t understand why she would choose to name her daughter to honor Ryle, her abuser. It’s also confusing that Ryle even has custody of their child after everything that happened.
10) Lily is overly obsessed with Finding Nemo, constantly referencing the "just keep swimming" quote, even naming her daughter's middle name after it. Repeating it so often comes off more as a gimmick than a meaningful message.
11) Hoover has the most unhinged sentences: ”When he was wiping that cow shit on me, it was quite possibly the most turned-on I have ever been." This is even worse than when the main character in Verity got turned on because the love interest touched her driver's license.
12) Worldwide, millions are struggling to find a job, yet Lily hires a wealthy woman to work for free instead of hiring a broke college student. Allysa even says she doesn’t need the money and wants to do it because she’s bored. Ugh, classic rich people problems! What a coincidence—she's also Ryle’s sister! And, of course, Lily’s only friend. Why is Lily’s only friend her abuser's sister? When Allysa finds out that her brother is abusing Lily, her first reaction isn't to tell Lily to leave him or try to comfort her, but to tell her some sob story about his childhood trauma. It feels like an attempt to excuse his behavior rather than address the real issue.
13) Ryle didn’t want Lily to leave until she asked how he would react if their daughter told him her husband had hit her and pushed her down the stairs. That’s when he finally starts to understand the seriousness of his actions. It’s so frustrating how some men only learn to respect women when they imagine their daughters, mothers, or sisters in the same situation.
Despite the many cringe scenes in the book, I understand the valuable and worthwhile message the book tries to convey. It sheds light on how difficult it is to leave someone you love in toxic situations, which are often complex and hard to navigate. It’s so challenging that you make excuses or convince yourself that the truth isn’t what it is. That being said, I still don’t understand why Lily stayed with Ryle after the first incident of assault. I couldn’t see the emotional foundation of their relationship; it mainly seemed to be based on physical attraction, which was evident from their first meeting. Lily claimed she stayed because she loved him too much, but that never felt convincing, especially since the story only told me she loved him without showing me why.
What’s even more puzzling is how Hoover introduces so many heavy topics—homelessness, guilt, infertility, abuse, suicidal thoughts, sexism, gaslighting, gun violence, death of a parent, and self-harm—without diving deeply into them. It almost feels like they were thrown in to make the book more emotional without exploring the complexities of each issue. Some readers use the excuse “mental health is different for everyone� to justify Hoover’s confusing writing choices, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of depth in these themes. The portrayal of mental health could have been much more nuanced and thoughtful rather than simply using these issues to make the plot feel more dramatic.
Furthermore, I was not too fond of the plot and didn't connect with a single character. I don't understand why Ryle didn't get help, especially when he could do things similar to their daughter or another partner. That man better stay the hell away from me, or I will seal him up in a trash bag and hit him to the moon with a baseball bat. In conclusion, I will never touch another Colleen Hoover book. ]]>
vicky gave 1 star to It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1)
by
Colleen Hoover
bookshelves: romance
”I want you so, so bad, and I swear, once you have sex with me, you'll never hear from me again. I promise."
I'm convinced anyone who gives this five stars is not sane. It contains the typical ~I don't do marriage~ love interest, but somehow, he magically wants a committed relationship and kids with our lucky lady after a few interactions. We love being the only exception. It ends with us contains a lot of dark elements such as abuse, toxic relationships, and attempted rape with no trigger warnings. I guess Colleen Hoover thinks that trigger warnings are spoilers. I understand this novel is based on the author's experience, but that doesn't mean it's good, nor am I obligated to like it. There's absolutely no justification for abuse, and why Lily continues to stay is beyond my comprehension. Her first meeting with the love interest, Ryle, has him being aggressive and kicking chairs on the rooftop at night. While any normal woman would instinctively feel fear and leave, she's too distracted by how hot he is and how his biceps are rippling through his extra-small shirt. Like, girl, get a grip. Throwing away your morals just because someone is hot has got to be the stupidest thing ever.
The author added numerous poor book decisions; I'll list some of them here:
1) The main character’s full name is Lily Blossom Bloom, and she runs a florist shop. Do I even need to say more? She’s the reigning champion of cringey book character names.
2) Lily is obsessed with Ellen Degeneres to the point where Ellen becomes the 4th main character of the story. She writes to Ellen in her diary, which is a way for Hoover to dump Lily's background story on us.
3) Ryle knocked on 29 apartment doors simply to find Lily and proceeded to beg on his knees for her to fuck him. That is so embarrasing, especially since he's only met Lily two times at this point.
4) Lily's bedroom light turned on at the exact perfect moment, just as Atlas was about to commit suicide. Wow, what a coincidence. He thought she was an angel beaming in the light. He said, and I quote, "I ~felt~ something." Apparently, that was enough to stop him from wanting to end his life. That's not exactly how mental health works, but okay. Portraying it this way risks downplaying the seriousness of mental health struggles and the ongoing effort required to heal from them.
5) Ryle secretly took a picture of Lily the first time they met, then immediately framed it and hung it on his wall. Was this supposed to be attractive?
6) The classic "I'll bring my gay best friend as my date to make Ryle jealous," only for the gay best friend to never to show up again. I smell a plot device. It's funny how, in a book full of rich, white characters, the one minor character is the stereotypical gay best friend who only exists for few pages.
7) The quote “There's no such thing as bad people, just people who do bad things." Saying this can be damaging because it suggests that harmful actions, like abuse, are just mistakes rather than deliberate choices. It can make it harder to hold people accountable for their actions. It might excuse or downplay serious harm they’ve caused, ultimately protecting those who need to take responsibility for their behavior.
8) Atlas slept with Lily when he was 18. Interestingly, they slept together on the exact day Lily turned 16, which is typically considered the age of consent. I don't understand why she couldn't make them the same age.
9) Lily's daughter is named Emerson, and I don’t understand why she would choose to name her daughter to honor Ryle, her abuser. It’s also confusing that Ryle even has custody of their child after everything that happened.
10) Lily is overly obsessed with Finding Nemo, constantly referencing the "just keep swimming" quote, even naming her daughter's middle name after it. Repeating it so often comes off more as a gimmick than a meaningful message.
11) Hoover has the most unhinged sentences: ”When he was wiping that cow shit on me, it was quite possibly the most turned-on I have ever been." This is even worse than when the main character in Verity got turned on because the love interest touched her driver's license.
12) Worldwide, millions are struggling to find a job, yet Lily hires a wealthy woman to work for free instead of hiring a broke college student. Allysa even says she doesn’t need the money and wants to do it because she’s bored. Ugh, classic rich people problems! What a coincidence—she's also Ryle’s sister! And, of course, Lily’s only friend. Why is Lily’s only friend her abuser's sister? When Allysa finds out that her brother is abusing Lily, her first reaction isn't to tell Lily to leave him or try to comfort her, but to tell her some sob story about his childhood trauma. It feels like an attempt to excuse his behavior rather than address the real issue.
13) Ryle didn’t want Lily to leave until she asked how he would react if their daughter told him her husband had hit her and pushed her down the stairs. That’s when he finally starts to understand the seriousness of his actions. It’s so frustrating how some men only learn to respect women when they imagine their daughters, mothers, or sisters in the same situation.
Despite the many cringe scenes in the book, I understand the valuable and worthwhile message the book tries to convey. It sheds light on how difficult it is to leave someone you love in toxic situations, which are often complex and hard to navigate. It’s so challenging that you make excuses or convince yourself that the truth isn’t what it is. That being said, I still don’t understand why Lily stayed with Ryle after the first incident of assault. I couldn’t see the emotional foundation of their relationship; it mainly seemed to be based on physical attraction, which was evident from their first meeting. Lily claimed she stayed because she loved him too much, but that never felt convincing, especially since the story only told me she loved him without showing me why.
What’s even more puzzling is how Hoover introduces so many heavy topics—homelessness, guilt, infertility, abuse, suicidal thoughts, sexism, gaslighting, gun violence, death of a parent, and self-harm—without diving deeply into them. It almost feels like they were thrown in to make the book more emotional without exploring the complexities of each issue. Some readers use the excuse “mental health is different for everyone� to justify Hoover’s confusing writing choices, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of depth in these themes. The portrayal of mental health could have been much more nuanced and thoughtful rather than simply using these issues to make the plot feel more dramatic.
Furthermore, I was not too fond of the plot and didn't connect with a single character. I don't understand why Ryle didn't get help, especially when he could do things similar to their daughter or another partner. That man better stay the hell away from me, or I will seal him up in a trash bag and hit him to the moon with a baseball bat. In conclusion, I will never touch another Colleen Hoover book. ]]>
vicky started reading King's Cage
by
Victoria Aveyard
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vicky gave 4 stars to Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)
by
Marissa Meyer
bookshelves: science-fiction
All the stars in the galaxy for Iko!
Stars above, this book was fantastic and a thrilling conclusion to the series. It could have been a mess with so many storylines coming together in Winter and the impending revolution. Still, Marissa Meyer managed to pull it off. She did a phenomenal job balancing out the fairy tale retelling with her original story. She strikes the perfect balance, switching up situations just enough to maintain the element of surprise while still allowing us to find parallels to the original fairy tales. I checked, and this is one of the lengthiest books I have ever read, clocking in at over 820 pages. The massive spine initially intimidated me, but I glided through it. Most of the book was action-packed, but plenty of romance and some seriously swoon-worthy moments were sprinkled throughout. My only complaint is that I want more.
�
~ The rampion crew ~
Cinder + Kai 👑 (Cinderella)
The amount of love I have for them is overwhelming. They are two of the most selfless people in this whole story. Kai willingly goes through with the marriage despite knowing Levana’s ulterior motive to harm him. He has the kindest soul and genuinely wants to help his people in the Eastern Commonwealth. He’s the kind of prince I have always dreamed of.
Conversely, Cinder has become the world's most sought-after fugitive, tarnishing her reputation and numerous times placing her life on the line for the sake of others. She’s as fierce as ever and stops at nothing to recover her kingdom and end Levana’s reign. In this book, she matures into the self-assured intellect we all know and love. As a couple, they are pure and constantly think about one another. They’re also able to communicate, which many fictional couples struggle with. Cinder and Kai’s trust, faith, and love for each other are infinite. They get bonus points for that, as well as extra points for being so adorable. I can’t wait for them to rule over together as a power couple!
"It occurred to me that if I could find the cyborg that fits this foot, it must be a sign we were meant to be together."
Scarlet + Wolf 🍅 (Red Riding Hood)
Okay, I’m definitely in the minority because I wasn't as emotionally invested in them as the other couples. I didn’t care for Scarlet in the earlier novels - her POVs were always my least favorite, but I will admit she grew on me in this one. I admire her no-nonsense demeanor and ability to go right to the point. Her anger was honestly a mood. As far as Wolf was concerned, he was just there. He was super sulky the whole time without Scarlet and couldn’t act as a functional individual without her presence. I typically love angst and pining from male characters, but his whole moping around predicament irritated me. With his dismal and hopeless demeanor, you might as well be conversing with a potato. I thought their relationship was too insta-lovey, and I believe Scarlet put too much faith in him when there was evidence he was involved in her grandmother's kidnapping. Regardless, their reunion was heartwarming because they lost loved ones, demonstrating that they now had each other. I found the alpha female scene endearing, but Scarlet feeding Wolf tomatoes quickly takes the cake for my favorite scenes with them.
"I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them than live because I betrayed you."
Cress + Thorne 🛸 (Rapunzel)
Cress is such a lovely girl, and I can't help but giggle when I see how serious Thorne is about her. Cress is terrified of many things, yet she overcame her fears to help her friends. She’s such a genius despite her young age. The revolution would not have played out the way it did if it hadn't been for her incredible hacking ability. I found it wholesome how Cress became one of those strong heroes she always dreamed about. Of course, she also got the man she always fantasized about. She’s a romantic, and having been secluded from humanity for so long on a spaceship, she is indeed taken with Thorne. My goodness, her crush is larger than the moon. It’s amusing how she misinterpreted his character for the sake of thirstiness. Captain Thorne is still as swoony as ever, determined to be the hero who rescues the day while looking good and assuring his crew's safety. His quick wit and flirty demeanor are hilarious, and he only gets better and better. If there was a mirror and he saw his reflection, he would flirt with that, too. One problem I do have is the age gap. Cress is 16, and Thorne is 20. I know this couple is most people's favorite, but I don't see why all the characters couldn't be at least 18 years old. Nonetheless, their connection was a breath of fresh air to me.
"She dreamed of deep soul connections, passionate kisses, and daring escapades. She was certain that he had to meet her just once and would feel the same way. It would be like those epic love affairs that exploded into existence and burned white hot for all eternity. The type of love that time and distance and even death couldn’t separate."
Winter + Jacin 🍎 (Snow White)
Jacin’s devotion and dedication to Winter is everything. He would do anything for his princess, even betray Levana and put himself in danger. I had mixed feelings towards Jacin at the end of Cress. I couldn’t decide if he was a hero or a villain and whether I liked his character. I am glad this final book made me open up to him. The princess and her guard scenario were too perfect for words; my heart melted every time I got to their chapters. Jacin’s loyalty knows no bounds. I love how obvious that was to the readers, especially the other characters. Childhood friends to lovers is always a fantastic trope. Winter is such an interesting character. She is whimsical and dreamy, always singing and dancing whenever she wishes. She chooses not to use her lunar power and develops ‘lunar sickness.� Her mother is also Levana, which is unfortunate; my condolences to her. Imagine dealing with Levana and all of her nonsense daily. Perhaps the biggest tragedy is that she wants her bodyguard but cannot have him because of forbidden love and shenanigans. If I were her, I would be crazy too.
"I fear tomorrow will be even more difficult for you, sir Clay. do try to think of me when you can."
"Try, princess?" he smirked, meeting her gaze again. "I can’t seem to think of much else."
Iko 💅 (a beautiful, iconic android)
A pairing isn't required for iko. This badass android has the most incredible sense of humor and the finest one-liners, all delivered with perfect comedic timing. Her sarcasm is spot on, and how easily offended she gets is funny. She always leaves you feeling lighter after every chapter. I’m overjoyed that she finally got her own body, but Iko, as the ship, was my favorite. Her confidence is blinding, and I must invest in a good pair of sunglasses to look at her. I loved how she wasn’t afraid to confess her love to Kai and even pretended to faint after he hugged her. She isn’t the dramatic type, clearly. Iko is the best friend you wish you had; she'll go out of her way to help you. Whether it's assisting you in taking out lunar special operatives, telling you there's a grease spot on your face, beating up thaumaturges, or informing you that the outfit does make you look fat. I need an Ion in my life.
"A kiss from the captain would probably melt my central processor."
Thorne winked at her. "oh, trust me. it would."
Levana 🌙 (tryant lunar queen)
She is the queen of the big ol� rock in the sky we know as the moon. Lunars can manipulate bioelectricity, forcing individuals to do, say, and see what they want. I loved the tidbit about how lunars can’t stand mirrors. It makes sense, as they can’t glamour a mirror, and when they look at themselves, they see their true selves. This was such a great concept to add to the novel. It is a topic that drives home for many teenagers, and Marissa Meyer did a lovely job showcasing it. Levana is a well-written and fleshed-out character with a tragic past and an even more tragic upbringing. I do not pity her since her actions are entirely despicable and heart-rending. She has a cruel, power-hungry, manipulative, and vain personality. Her initial intentions were to rule Luna better than her sister, Queen Channary, but her mind slowly became corrupted by power as the years passed. Her obsession with beauty and power made her a dictator.
"Maybe she truly was hideous. but so long as she could deceive everyone, what did it matter?"
�
I’m pleased with how all of the relationships worked out. The banter between them was beautiful, and the group had many exciting and dynamic moments together. 10/10 would recommend this series. ]]>
vicky gave 1 star to Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)
by
Stephanie Perkins
bookshelves: romance
"I cheated on her every day. In my mind, I thought of you in ways I shouldn’t have, again and again. She was nothing compared to you."
Etienne St. Clair is a cheater who pursues the protagonist despite already having a girlfriend. He’s an American boy with a British accent and a French name. If that still hasn’t turned you away from this book, let me continue..
Meet our idiotic main character
� Anna Oliphant is forced to attend boarding school in Paris and spends the first part of the novel complaining about it. Boo hoo. Wealthy white people and their first-world problems.
� She’s an egocentric American who doesn’t know basic French terminology.
"The only French word I know is oui, which means “yes,� and only recently did I learn it’s spelled o-u-i and not w-e-e."
We can blame that on the terrible U.S. educational system.
� Anna’s dream is to be the nation’s greatest female film critic (her email is [email protected], and her car is named after her fav director, Sofia Coppola), but this girl goes to Paris and is surprised to find there are cinemas. How do you not know Paris is the capital of film appreciation in the world? Especially for someone who claims to be obsessed with film and believes her cinematic tastes are sophisticated.
� What does she watch when she finally goes to the movies? American films. She is in home of film and watches American films. Great job, girlie! I have no doubt your cinematic tastes are anything but sophisticated.
� She avoided ordering food at the cafeteria for a week because she is afraid of ordering food in French even though she attends an English-speaking school.
� She got upset with St. Clair because he had fallen into depression as a result of his mother's illness and refused to cheer up despite her efforts. I really couldn’t believe that. If your parent is on the verge of death, why would you owe your friend anything? It was selfish of her to expect him to act happy amid a stressful ordeal.
� She dated another boy, who she has no interest in and doesn't enjoy spending time with, solely to make St. Clair envious. I wouldn't say I like Dave, but she drags this poor child along for no apparent reason.
� She’s a whiny hypocrite who has very different ideas about who she’s allowed to date/kiss and who everyone else is allowed to date/kiss. It’s simple: she can kiss and flirt with anyone, even if they have a girlfriend; no one else can do the same.
� Anna is different, unique, and special because she has a bleach strip on her hair and a gaped tooth.
She’s not like other girls
� Throughout the novel, she constantly speaks and thinks about St. Clair because he is lovely and could do no wrong. Her entire world orbits around him. She doesn’t like phone calls with Meredith cause it’s boring in comparison to calling St. Clair; she wishes Josh would leave so she could have alone time with St. Clair; she wants to be back in Paris with St. Clair, even though she hasn’t seen her family in 4 months, she wishes Ellie would leave St. Clair so he could be hers..
ST. CLAIR! ST. CLAIR! ST. CLAIR! ST. CLAIR! ST. CLAIR!
Can she shut up? This girl is so obsessed that she even tallied the evenings he spends with her versus the evenings he spends with his girlfriend.
I’m also tired of female main characters being incredibly sexist towards other women over a guy, especially a jerk like St. Clair. Readers love to override that issue since ‘he’s so hot.� The book is littered with girl hate and slut shaming messages which contradict Anna’s supposed lovely, innocent girl image. Could we put these cliche tropes to bed already? It reinforces ugly stereotypes about women and teaches us that we should fight instead of supporting each other while the bad guy gets away with everything. I’m sick of it.
Example one
We have Meredith, who has a massive crush on St. Clair and is only ever present in the book when it’s shown that she gets jealous. Her character is only there to make St. Clair even more off-limits and help turn up the teenage angst.
Meredith discovers St. Clair and Anna kissing in one scene and runs away crying. St. Clair immediately chases after her, and not surprisingly, Anna’s first thought is, ‘Oh my god. He’s choosing Meredith over me. He’s rejecting me in front of everyone.� she is more concerned that he left her than the fact she just kissed someone else’s boyfriend and has hurt her best friend. Her biggest concern is only herself.
Example two
We have Ellie, St. Clair's girlfriend, who, for Halloween, dresses up as a slutty nurse, complete with a bit of button-up dress and red crosses over the nipples. She simply cannot compete with Anna’s pure, virgin self.
"I fantasize about their breakup. How he could hurt her, and she could hurt him, and all of the ways I could hurt her back. I want to grab her Parisian-styled hair and yank it so hard it rips from her skull. I want to sink my claws into her eyeballs and scrape."
Anna, sweetie, Ellie hasn’t done anything to you. She’s getting emotionally cheated on, but that’s justified because she dresses like a hoe. Send help.
Example three
Amanda is a typical popular girl who arches her back to show maximum cleavage and periodically pops up to tell Anna to back away from St. Clair. Of course, as the mean girl, it’s her job to be a slut and an attention whore.
Example four
Cherrie is currently dating Anna’s ex-boyfriend. We know nothing about her except that she is annoying, has a lifeless laugh, and delights in Anna’s downfall. I love how Anna is always so much better than any other girl.
Example five
Next, there’s Bridgette, who is supposedly Anna’s best friend, but she has been dating Anna’s Atlanta crush for a month and never told her. The guy even announces that they’re screwing in front of everyone at the bowling alley. The girls scream at each other, with Bridgette saying, ‘Go to hell.� I agree that’s a shitty move, but Anna did the same thing to Meredith.
What a ~ h y p o c r i t e ~
Example six
We have Emily, who deliberately dropped an eraser so she could lean over to pick it up. When she realizes Dave isn't staring at her but at Anna, she glares at her. She also claims to have returned to school with a hair stripe similar to the main character's.
-
The point here is that this book has no good female characters. Half of them are just described as cleavage-showing monsters, and the other half are obstacles for Anna to stomp on to achieve St. Clair’s love. It’s like the author unconsciously says that all girls are wrong and that you need a guy to be happy. It’s not a fluke that all the other girls are skanks and like to dress provocatively. I don’t understand how Anna can dance all up on someone who has a girlfriend, and it’s okay, but god forbid someone wears a low-cut top; they are automatically the bad guys. That has been a recurring theme. What’s up with that?
Furthermore, no book with a cheating trope should be given five stars. Seriously? They slept in the same bed multiple times when one was in a relationship. Stephanie Perkins also forces the love interests to have these weird, pointless fights to create a wedge in their relationship. I don’t understand the hype surrounding this book at all. People are claiming this as a light read with the sweetest romance. By the end, I had to resist the urge to rip my hair out. ]]>
vicky gave 1 star to Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)
by
Victoria Aveyard
bookshelves: dystopian
The world-building and plot of Red Queen caught my curiosity, so I automatically wanted to read the sequel. Let's say things went downhill from there...
Mare's narrative was so tedious and dull that I had to force myself to finish reading. The prose is bland, and the plot contains a lot of meandering between places and constant repetition. Only a few chapters contain any significant action or plot development. The author fails to create thought-provoking scenarios; everything feels choreographed around the extraordinary Mare. Every character feels like a chess piece, with no feeling of individuality, and solely exists to serve Mare's mission.
Mare got me raging throughout this book; she is so immature, failing to recognize her arrogance and only seeing her power and objective without caring for the others. Mare kept wanting to slap others when she got upset; I feel the same temptation, but it's directed at her. I don't see how Kilorn is still putting up with her. He's her supposed closest friend, but Mare constantly dismisses him, even calling him useless because he lacks abilities. I mean, come on, you were unaware of your abilities just a few months ago. I like how, in the beginning, Mare kept talking about the unfair divide between Reds and Silvers because of their abilities, and now that she's "special" with her lightning powers, she thinks she's better than everyone else. Graveyard also omitted so many details, such as how the queen died. I was baffled when it simply stated she was the corpse, like, huh? The entire series had potential, but it wasn't executed properly. ]]>