bayleereads's reviews
150 reviews

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh my poor heart 😭😍 This was easily one of my all-time favorite YA novels! Charlie & I relate so much, that it often felt like I could have written certain lines myself. Her relationships with Amelia & her mom were so close to mine with my BFF & mom— I bawled at some parts because I felt so *seen.* Love love love this one and I can’t wait to reread it in the future!

→ Things I Liked: diverse cast of characters, family drama, short chapters, real-life situations

→ Things I Disliked: sometimes it was a bit too dramatic but I’m pushing that to the side because it’s just so good!!
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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I honestly don’t know how to review this one. The following words come to mind: phenomenal, amazing, heart wrenching, challenging, beautiful. I will recommend this til the day I die. If you haven’t read it yet: do so now. Please.

→ Things I Liked: diverse cast of characters, multi-generational, multiple perspectives

→ Things I Disliked: literally nothing it’s so good
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Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

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funny inspiring lighthearted medium-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? N/A

4.0

The third & final Brown sisters novel comes to a close and it couldn’t have ended more perfectly.

This was such a cute (& steamy oml đŸ„”) romance. The story/plot is very different— one I’ve never read about before. I loved Eve and how she stood up for herself while being sensitive at the same time. She reminded me of myself in some ways.

I removed a star because of two reasons: 

1) the conflict felt forced? Everything was going seemingly well & then BAM the conflict arises. It seemed avoidable and unnatural.

2) I wasn’t keen on the self-diagnosing. I get wanting to have answers and being curious about yourself— possibly having a medical “issue.” However, people with disabilities & medical concerns fight so hard to get proper diagnoses and are so often dismissed, so it can be discouraging and frustrating when others self-diagnose without seeking medical intervention.

Other than that— I’m a fan! I liked this one very much & I recommend đŸ€—
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Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I had high expectations going into this one, and I wouldn't say I was let down... but I wasn't blown away either. I had a hard time connecting to the main character, and it wasn't because her race is different than mine, thus having different experiences, but I think it was more her personality that I had a hard time with. I just couldn't connect with her most of the time, and found her to be needy and annoying. I also very much disliked her cousin Imani-- she was just a brat.

I also thought the story was quite predictable and I was so over the lying trope. It's a subject found in many YA novels, but I thought this one was a bit overdone? The lying and keeping secrets got old after a while.

Overall, it was a cute high school romance. It was very predictable, but still a fun storyline. Tye was super sweet, and Nala's grandma was great too. I think the main reason I stuck it out was because of these two characters. The ending was sweet and brought the book together for me. This book was based on Black JOY which I thought was amazing!
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

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dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Ahhh this was such an interesting book! So suspenseful and captivating. The story is so mysterious and heart-wrenching, and the characters are fascinating. I really didn’t know if I was going to like this one since it’s out of my comfort zone— but it was amazing! The only “complaint” I have is that sometimes details were over explained, and I think the book could’ve been 20 pages less just by taking out over-descriptiveness.
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A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

This was a cute read! It's lighthearted like most YA romances, but it also has a deeper family story that deals with trauma and grief. I think it also has some life lessons that can be learned, like the consequences that can happen when you hide things from your family. I removed a star because it seemed a bit too long, like some pieces were drawn out or unneeded. I loved all the characters, but it seemed like Linh was a bit *too* dramatic sometimes!

I think one of my favorite things about this book was that I learned some Vietnamese!!! There are a lot of dialogue that happens between Linh and Bao and their families. I found myself using Google translate sometimes so I could better understand the conversations!

Overall this was a fun read and I recommend!
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The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

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adventurous challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. Kristin Hannah needs all the awards. I LOVED this book. So much. It’s absolutely heart-wrenching (I cried multiple times, especially during the last 100 pages), and HEAVY— definitely NOT a lighthearted book. But the story was just... so good. Leni and Cora remind me so much of me and my mom, so it made it even more emotional for me. I also loved all of the side characters— especially Matthew, Large Marge, & Tom. *Almost* everyone was SO lovable.

Go read this. Now.
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Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Lyssa Kay Adams never disappoints. This book was laugh out loud funny, is light-hearted in a heavy way, and has a good amount of steam. I really enjoyed the plot & how different it was. The storyline isn’t one typically seen in romance novels. The characters were so lovable and raw. 5/5 ⭐ from me! Can’t wait to read the Russian’s story this summer!
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The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I liked this one but it could have been better for me! The steam was great and the characters were loveable, but I just didn’t care for the storyline. The middle 2/3 of the book dragged for me, but the first third and the last third were more enjoyable. I also loved the diverse representation throughout this entire book. Something about the book just didn’t click with me though!

Would I recommend? Maybe... I think it depends on what content you’re looking for. It would probably be most enjoyable to womxn in the technology business field who enjoy a good steamy romance!
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My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This one was interesting... in a good way? It’s just a bit over 200 pages so it didn’t take long to read— very fast paced. Such a quirky book. I really don’t know how to describe it other than “weird.” I’m almost wondering if there’s some hidden lesson or message because I just... it’s so peculiar. I mean it was good— I really liked it! But... man, was this ever different!
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