aprilyang1's reviews
92 reviews

I wanted to love this book—so much. I went into it with high hopes, but honestly, it didn’t work for me the way I wanted it to. The overall vibe was my biggest struggle. Fantasy can be heavy and intense, or it can be cozy and lighthearted—and both are great! But The Last Dragon of the East tried to do both at the same time, and it didn’t quite work. One minute there’s sarcasm and light banter, and then—BOOM—someone’s head gets chopped off and blood is flying everywhere. The characters also felt all over the place. One was supposed to be this supreme, all-powerful evil, and for a minute, it seemed like that was true… until he felt like just a regular dude. Another character was described as completely useless in combat, but somehow kept diving headfirst into fights and surviving against trained warriors. I just didn’t understand what the book wanted me to believe about them. And then there’s the language. I know this is a personal gripe, but when a story feels ancient or set in another era, I really don’t love it when the characters use modern curse words. It takes me right out of the world.

That being said, there were things I loved. Sai’s ability to see the strings of fate was such a cool concept, and I loved how it tied into his journey. The dragon legends and how they connected to the story were beautiful and emotional. I think what it comes down to is that I wanted something more consistent. There were areas that were strong, but the uneven tone, characters, and worldbuilding made it hard for me to stay engaged. I wish I could say I loved it, but this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an e-arc & and physical copy! All opinions shared are mine and mine alone.

Content Warnings

Hungry Bones by Louise Hung

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If the cover doesn’t immediately grab all your attention, then the first couple pages will! I admit I am not much of a horror girly… the smallest things can scare me for days(even kid like horror lol)—but Louise Hung crafted this story in a way that kept pulling me in for the mystery despite my brain wanting to stop because the haunting/ghost. The lighthearted and funny moments Hung weaved throughout really balanced the ghostly parts. I especially loved the different perspectives on the “haunting”—the pizza crust and coughing scene was seriously too good! 😂

What I love about this book is that it's more than meets the eye. When they say, 'don't judge a book by its cover,' I really think they're referring to books like this—books that may seem unassuming, 'just short middle-grade stories,' but are genuinely eye-opening. While reading, I came to the realization that I am ignorant to a lot of the topics discussed throughout this story. The way Hung incorporated the Chinese Exclusion Act and the history of Chinese immigrants in Texas was pretty powerful, in my opinion. I found myself asking, "Why doesn’t Molly just look up records?" early on in the story, only to realize how many Chinese immigrants were deliberately erased—given fake names, denied identity, and treated like no one. It was eye-opening, especially as a teacher, and a huge reminder of how much history is left untold.

Hungry Bones comes out October 1, 2024, and is the perfect fall and spooky read! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an e-arc! All opinions shared are mine and mine alone.

Content Warnings