Reviews
I cannot claim to be a writer without also being a reader. Here is a collection of reader reviews of the books I’ve binged. To stay even more up-to-date with what I’m currently reading, add me on Goodreads.
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“Raybearer” by Jordan Ifueko • Book Review
“Your heart is not your friend unless you know who you truly are.”
★★★★★ (5 / 5 stars) Raybearer is a masterpiece of young adult fantasy. Not an inch of story is wasted, as Ifueko weaves elegant foreshadowing and thematic symbolism in every beat of the griot's drums, every whisper of the ehru's commands, every memory gifted or stolen, shared or abandoned.
With a delightfully disastrous Catch-22 premise and a richly developed magical world, Raybearer is a booming drum of a story that demands to be devoured.
“The Ship We Built” by Lexie Bean • Book Review
“I hope someone celebrates me when I change.”
★★★★ (4 / 5 stars) The Ship We Built is a beautiful story told beautifully. I would strongly recommend this read for any young person who chooses silence over speech, who buries their nose in a book to avoid conversation, who seems to drift miles away while only inches from you. It is equal parts powerful and hopeful and the book I wish a 10-year-old me had had to read when I felt alone and lost and misunderstood.
“Aurora Rising” by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff • Book Review
“But they have not seen their sun die. Their people burn. Their world end. And they do not know, yet, that there are some breaks that cannot be fixed.”
★★★★ (4 / 5 stars) What a journey! This book is like the YA version of “Star Trek”/”Guardians of the Galaxy” with a motley crew of teens who were clearly fated to be on this path together.
I loved so much about this novel. The squad is fantastic, their personalities are on point, and the narrator cast is amazing. The storyline is mysterious, action-packed, and intriguing.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard with a sci-fi read, and I can’t wait for more.
“My Favorite Half-Night Stand” by Christina Lauren • Book Review
“I thought about getting a cat today. That’s a solid step into the commitment zone.”
★★★★★ (5 / 5 stars) When I first read this book, it was an automatic five-star read. I was instantly obsessed with Millie and Reid and the way the story focused on more than just their relationship. Millie had a lot to deal with, and the authors dive headfirst into those issues and capture them so authentically.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's "You've Got Mail" with a nerdy twist, and I loved everything about it.
“Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell • Book Review
“Sometimes writing is running downhill, your fingers jerking behind you on the keyboard the way your legs do when they can’t quite keep up with gravity.”
★★★★ (3.5 / 5 stars) For me, Rainbow Rowell’s books and I have a slow-burn relationship. In the beginning, I’m curious and not instantly in love with the writing style. But by the end, my heart has grown three sizes and I’m just keeping myself from collapsing into a puddle of tears.
Overall, I would recommend this book! Not as lighthearted as I’d hoped, but love the literature integration. It’s a rich story and extremely enjoyable.
“The Fill-in Boyfriend” by Kasie West • Book Review
“I like it when you're not perfect.”
★★★ (3.5 / 5) Gotta love those read-in-a-day books, am I right? This was a fun, easy read with a lot more happening than I expected.
Some of the shallow behavior made me roll my eyes, but hey—that’s high school, I guess. Meanwhile, the fake relationship trope was well done (and I’m a sucker, anyway), and Beck was by far my favorite character. I was surprised how much I could relate to the perfect-family-image issues Gia was dealing with and felt like this was a much, much nicer spin on “Mean Girls.”
Overall, The Fill-In Boyfriend is nothing too special but an enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it.
“Attachments” by Rainbow Rowell • Book Review
“I didn't know love could leave the lights on all the time.”
★★★★★ (5 / 5 stars) The email cuteness of “You’ve Got Mail” meets the rooting-for-the-underdog romance of Jim and Pam in “The Office” to craft a supremely funny and real book that is a must-read for any rom-com fan out there.
I cannot wait to dive more into Rowell’s books and see what the rest of the hype is about. This will be a re-read for me, for sure, when I need a feel-good romance story. 10/10 would recommend.
“Love & Luck” by Jenna Evans Welch • Book Review
“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover. Hard to find and lucky to have.”
★★★ (3.4 / 5 stars) The entire first half of this one felt really drawn out, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the switching timelines. It felt jarring in some cases because the tense didn’t change—we were just suddenly talking about the past and then jumping back to the present.
Overall, I enjoyed this even though it didn’t have quite the level of charm I felt with Love & Gelato. But I’m eager to read the next one from Welch when it releases!