bekahzabel's reviews
321 reviews

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective tense 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? No

5.0

UM WHAT? I picked this book up around 5PM….entered a portal into caraval… and came back out of my reading hyper-fixated coma around 1:30 AM.

A masterpiece. 6 stars. Can’t believe I let this precious book sit on my shelf for months unread. I feel high after finishing this book. So many unpredictable twists and turns, romantic tension so thick you can cut it like a cake, intricate and s consuming descriptive imagery. 

The fairytale I wish I could’ve read for bedtime. That was a freaking ride, they hype is real and it’s more than worth it. Officially one of my new favorites. 
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense 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? No

4.0

3.85 ⭐️ rounded up.

Some seriously epic world building here. Took awhile for me to fully immerse myself, but once I was in, I got invested. Made me forget I was reading, left me needing more.

Think Divergent but add psychics.

Epic Fantasy,
Futuristic setting,
Clairvoyance,
Found family, 
Badass FMC
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

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

2.0

& easy read but this had too many real current world references for me so it made the setting and storyline feel off to me. 

I’ve been a fan of Alix E. Harrow’s other works but this one fell short for me:/ 
A Soul to Guide by Opal Reyne

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious tense 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? No

4.75

i love it, picasso

monster romance
grumpy // sunshine
lore & smut
bone daddy

i’m deep in this rabbit hole, unabashedly 

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

sometimes the second book of the series disappoints…. not this one though. this one turned it up 5 notches and said “tally ho!”

seriously though this series is one that will go down on my list of some of my favorites of all time. epic, heart wrenching, pure intensity, so beautifully written. it saddens me to know i won’t get to read it again for my first time. this was a masterpiece 
Others Were Emeralds by Lang Leav

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emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? No

4.5

Love, loss, grief, and friendship. I’m a big Lang Leav fan so I couldn’t wait to dive into this. This book almost reads like a non fiction memoir, her storytelling has the same powerful cadence as her poetry.  

This had me bawling from 50-80%, I listened to the audiobook and it was highly captivating from the first chapter. 

This might be for you if you enjoy:
New Adult/Coming of Age 
Asian Literature
Emotional and Inspiring Reads
Character Driven Stories
The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I listened to the audio first & foremost so that may have had me less engaged than a physical copy would’ve. 

Getting a rounded 3 stars for all the mythical creatures because i’m bout it. But this felt a bit scattered for me at points. Lot of talk on her family history vs. lore for the creatures. Read almost like a higher middle grade novel to me. 

I also couldn’t stand the way people wouldn’t believe her when she was talking about the whisperer.
 

Unfortunately I didn’t connect with this one the way I wanted to but I think the ideas here have a lot of potential. Wasn’t keen on the execution. 
What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods

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

3.75

3.85 ⭐️ 
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

alright a lot to unpack here phew. 
little bit of a scattered plot line, writing was chaotic at points BUT….. did the man have a filthy possessive mouth? yes. was i screaming at the end? yes. am i going to continue with the next one? yes.

might not be for everyone but it’s definitely for me (if you know what i’m sayin) 

slow burn,
fae realm,
possessive dark mmc,
touch her and ☠️, 
forced proximity 

it got hot in there man idk 
A Soul to Touch by Opal Reyne

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dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

Wow. What a ride. I laughed, I cried, & I smiled like a buffoon into my kindle. The asian representation was so special to me, + we have a 29 year old badass FMC. I feel so seen 🥹 

Monster Romance
Touch Her & ☠️
Overprotective MMC 
Badass Demon Slaying FMC
Hotter than Hot Smutty Scenes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This series checks all my boxes + some, i’ll accept no criticism ‼️
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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

3.25

This is a perfect spooky season read! Although this wasn’t my favorite Alix E Harrow book, I did enjoy this once it got rolling and about 40% of the way into the story. The narrator for the audiobook is perfect and engaging. Beauty and the beast ft. haunted house vibe. Alix really has a way with descriptive imagery, and I enjoyed the gothic setting. 

3.25/5⭐️

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much macmillan for sending this my way.