Tag: Book Review

ARC Book Review: All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary + Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary YA novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents.

Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.

When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

MUST READ.

I’ve sat here in a struggle to put words together enough to explain how I think this should be a required reading type of book. Filled with some things I understand, but many more I never will. This is one of those stories that we need to hear, need to acknowledge and need to learn from.

The nuanced level at which the title, All My Rage, played out on page was impeccable. I saw the rage, I felt the rage. A complex emotion that stems from many different avenues was written out again and again in raw and deep ways. This isn’t a light-hearted read by any means. Yet with the discussion of religion and love for those around us and far from us, hope still stands like a pillar in dark times.

It was visceral and full of broken-hearted people trying to rise from the ashes. I loved the main characters, Noor, Salahudin, and Misbah. Each told their own story as they wove around each other. The strength of this story is immense. The writing was captivating and the pacing made the pages fly by. I loved the ending and these characters are going to stay with me for a long time.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary + Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: drug and alcohol addiction, mentions of repressed sexual assault, physical domestic abuse, Islamophobia, racism, death, tense exchanges with law enforcement

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 710 pages
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Release Date: October 19th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Flesh and Fire series is set in the beloved Blood and Ash world.

Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.

However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.

Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.

WHY SO LONG.

After not loving the third book in the FBAA series, I decided to give this one a chance hoping it would reignite my love, but alas, that hope was dashed.

Why are these books so long?????? Take away 300 pages and then I would say we have a really great fantasy on our hands. Instead we get a lot of fluff + some info dumping chapters to round out a 700 page monster.

I did like Nyktos. He’s the saving grace. I liked his personality and how sweet he was on Sera. There quiet moments together when they got to talking were tender and I love how both of them began opening up to each other. Sera was a copycat of Poppy. Apparently that was on purpose? At least she asked a lot less questions. I definitely liked her more than Poppy. There was too much steam for me personally. Some scenes furthered the connection and plot, others just seemed there to add in another few pages.

The info dumping did add more to this world and I got a better understanding of the things I learned from TCoGB. I’m still on the fence about continuing this story. We’ll see.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Violence: war and battle themes, weapons violence, magic violence
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, torture (whipping), loss of loved ones

Instagram || Goodreads

ARC Book Review: A Hunt of Shadows (A Trial of Sorcerers #2) by Elise Kova

GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 382 pages
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The second book in A Trial of Sorcerers is filled with forbidden magic, shadowy intrigue, heart-pounding action, and slow-burn romance.

Eira is now a champion of the Solaris Empire. She’s off to a land she’s only dreamed about. But a nightmare awaits her.

Her sworn enemy has escaped. His allies are powerful and deadly. And Eira finds herself tangled in the dangerous web of the undercity of Risen where the mysterious Court of Shadows and lethal Pillars battle for the fate of the kingdom.

But vengeance has a price. When Eira is captured by her enemies, it’s not only her life, but the lives of her friends, and the man she loves most, at stake. The woman she was won’t be enough to turn the tides churning against her from long before she was born. She’ll have to become something more. She’ll have to love deeper and fight fiercer than ever before.

The only way to kill a legendary champion, will be to become one herself.

Experience Eira’s adventure in the A Trial of Sorcerers series by USA Today bestselling author Elise Kova today, for readers who enjoy young adult, epic fantasy, filled with sorcery, deep friendships, forbidden romance, and tales of faraway lands.

A Hunt of Shadows takes place after the events of A Trial of Sorcerers. Readers should begin with A Trial of Sorcerers before reading A Hunt of Shadows.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

A JOURNEY.

Kova really likes to hit you with the punches in the end ya know? My heart is hurting after that ending. I knew something was coming and now I have to contend with waiting until next year for more answers for my love birds! THE AUDACITY.

I loved the journey Eira went on as a character. Heck bent on revenge at the beginning she learns over time to open up and rely on others. I liked her acknowledgement of her faults and the way she unfurled as a force to content with. I adored all of her friendships. I love a strong friend group and even the more salty characters are charming and perfectly placed.

The plot slowed in the middle with all of the Court of Shadows talk. It took up a lot of space and dragged for a bit. That was my only major complaint. I think a little more build up in the romance before things got heated would have been nice too. But that made more sense with the ending and subsequent plot lines so I’ll let that one slide.

I absolutely hate all of these villains. Yet I love that I hate them. The writing here is amazing at really building up that awfulness and dread every time The Pillars come into play. They’re terrific antagonists and I can’t wait for the ultimate takedown.

This series is full of action and heart. Romance and friendships. Twists and turns and the cliffhangers I have come to expect. I love this universe and can’t wait for the next book!!

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: one vague open door
  • Violence: mild gore/blood
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual harassment, torture, fire explosions resulting in loss of life, kidnapping

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Wait for It by Mariana Zapata

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 670 pages
Author: Mariana Zapata
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: December 7th, 2016
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn’t been one long enough. Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing half the time. How she’s made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn’t supposed to be so hard. With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for. Except for a boyfriend. Or a husband. But who needs either one of those?

ANOTHER FAV.

Reading my third Zapata book it really hit that I might have liked The Wall of Winnipeg and Me more if I had fully grasped the way that these stories are constructed. I am reallllly loving the way the plot moves and gives a longer timeline that by the end has you satisfied that every end is finished.

I love the neighbor trope!! Another trope I didn’t know I enjoyed so much. Many casual run-ins and helping each other out leads to love y’all. And I ain’t mad about that. This book was the epitome of it’s title with the way Dallas and Diana moved in each other’s orbits. I appreciated the way Dallas handled his own situations while reaching out a hand to Diana. And wow did I love Diana!! She was incredibly strong and brave, facing an uncertain future and trying to do the best by her nephews. And of course I’m going to mention Josh and Lou too, BECAUSE THEY WERE ADORABLE. I found myself laughing at the intricacies of life and the stellar comebacks that came out of those kids mouths. I loved it. I loved them. I love this mashed up family unit that made my heart burst.

I found myself intensely invested in the emotions of this story. This is my current second favorite and I am now finding myself want to deep-dive into all of these books. I crave the beautiful slow burn romance that’s full of life and love.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: very strong
  • Romance: kisses to one open door scene
  • Violence: physical altercations, house fire
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: Divorce, loss of loved ones difficult parents, remembrance of a physically abusive relationship, suicide (recounting of a character off page), bullying

Instagram || Goodreads