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bookishandlegal's reviews
536 reviews
Gathering Frost by Kaitlyn Davis
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Ehh, this was fine but nothing great. It was short and I read it very quickly (less than a day on audio). The premise was interesting: a world where NYC had an earthquake that caused a magical world to collide with ours and the Queen’s magical power was to make people emotionless. It had dystopian feels, with rebel fighters, but also fantasy elements with magic and curses and such. It just wasn’t executed well. The writing felt very basic and young. The story was boring and predictable. The ending was wrapped up way too neatly and quickly. This is a series but I have very little desire to keep reading and likely won’t.
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
LOVED!! I was completely hooked from the very beginning and instantly loved this book! Corrick is an absolute gem of a person and I love him very much. The plot is interesting and the pace was quick throughout. The characters are amazing and well developed. There’s court intrigue, fighting the power, romance, banter…literally everything you could want from a YA fantasy. Really amazing, just go read it.
Flawless by Sara Shepard
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Still garbage. Maybe worse than the first one…but who knows?! The underage relationships are gross. The fat shaming is gross. The parents reactions to literally everything (but especially adult men having sex with their teenage daughters while dating their adult daughters) is gross.
Also, all the girls make wildly outrageous conclusions about who A is with basically no proof or reasoning. Toby is not as creepy in the books as they make him seem in the show and all 4 of them being so convinced he’s A is ridiculous. These books are so dumb and I do not recommend.
Also, all the girls make wildly outrageous conclusions about who A is with basically no proof or reasoning. Toby is not as creepy in the books as they make him seem in the show and all 4 of them being so convinced he’s A is ridiculous. These books are so dumb and I do not recommend.
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
4.0
Very cute, very sweet, very much enjoyed! So very different from Hibbert’s spicy Brown sisters books, but still have all the sweet characters, effortless lgbt rep, and great care of showing the realities of living with mental illness.
This is a super cute YA enemies (more like ex best friends to rivals) to lovers. I was smitten with Brad and Celine grew on me as the book progressed. These two were just so sweet and seeing their relationship develop was very fun to watch. There were also lots of fun friends in the wings of the story and the banter was top notch!
This one won’t be for everyone (especially fans of Hibbert’s spicy books…this is YA so no spice!) but if you like YA and you want a sweet story this is a good one!
This is a super cute YA enemies (more like ex best friends to rivals) to lovers. I was smitten with Brad and Celine grew on me as the book progressed. These two were just so sweet and seeing their relationship develop was very fun to watch. There were also lots of fun friends in the wings of the story and the banter was top notch!
This one won’t be for everyone (especially fans of Hibbert’s spicy books…this is YA so no spice!) but if you like YA and you want a sweet story this is a good one!
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Pure garbage. I’ve been bullied into rewatching the show (that’s okay tbh) and also into reading the books to ~compare~. I knew it would be bad, but oh my lord this was TERRIBLE! I mean, I guess it was short and I read it in less than a day?
The writing is bad and the plot is ridiculous (but we already knew that lol). The fat shaming is hard to read and omg, the underage relationships…it’s bad in the show, but it’s so much worse in the books when I can’t just pretend they’re older because the actresses are. Will I keep reading these? Idk, only time will tell. -A
The writing is bad and the plot is ridiculous (but we already knew that lol). The fat shaming is hard to read and omg, the underage relationships…it’s bad in the show, but it’s so much worse in the books when I can’t just pretend they’re older because the actresses are. Will I keep reading these? Idk, only time will tell. -A
Jade City by Fonda Lee
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The beginning of this was pretty slow and it took me a while to get into this one. It’s a dense book with a lot of world building and a lot of characters and new terms and stuff. Once I got into it though u was totally hooked and can’t wait to continue the series! So many twists and turns with stuff that I literally never saw coming!
So much political intrigue and family drama and clan drama. I don’t always love rival clan/gang type stories but I did enjoy this one! Very excited to see where this series goes next!
So much political intrigue and family drama and clan drama. I don’t always love rival clan/gang type stories but I did enjoy this one! Very excited to see where this series goes next!
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Was this worth the 25 hour long audio book? Absolutely not. But I’m glad I read it and it definitely added some fun perspectives to see things through Edward’s POV. I never realized how much I actually hated Mike Newton until this book. The insights into what Edward can read in Charlie and Renee’s minds was super interesting! Also, a lot of Esme and Emmet, which I greatly enjoyed!
This needed so much editing and to be be so much shorter. The chapters were SO long for literally no reason and we could have cut out so much of Edward’s angst. So many scenes of Edward detailing how good bella smells and how he could kill everyone to eat her…we geeett it, you’re a vampire! Overall, glad I read and would like more of the series from Edward’s POV but this is way way way too long.
This needed so much editing and to be be so much shorter. The chapters were SO long for literally no reason and we could have cut out so much of Edward’s angst. So many scenes of Edward detailing how good bella smells and how he could kill everyone to eat her…we geeett it, you’re a vampire! Overall, glad I read and would like more of the series from Edward’s POV but this is way way way too long.
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
Loved!!! The Bachelor vibes were immaculate and I love books that take me behind the scenes of reality tv. The mental health rep is so good! Dev has my whole heart (Charlie is also great, but I am Dev). Very low steam (which is perfect for me) but still good pacing and development of the romance. Loved loved loved, highly recommend!!
Charm by Tracy Wolff
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was WAY too long (which is saying something cause it’s one of the shorter books)! There was so much that didn’t need to be. Smokey was one of the best parts of this book and kept me sane despite the 145 chapters!
BUT I loved seeing what grace and Hudson were doing during the time they were away from Katmere. Watching them fall in love for the first time was lovely and ugh, I just love Hudson Vega. This also sets up the next book well. I’m glad this story is here but it could have been half as long and been just as good 🤷🏻♀️
BUT I loved seeing what grace and Hudson were doing during the time they were away from Katmere. Watching them fall in love for the first time was lovely and ugh, I just love Hudson Vega. This also sets up the next book well. I’m glad this story is here but it could have been half as long and been just as good 🤷🏻♀️
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This was perfectly fine, but it just wasn't for me. It was so slow and took me way longer to read than a 400 page YA book should have taken. The story was interesting enough, but it was a bit predictable and like not that much really happened. I also got confused with the timeline sometimes and had a hard time figuring out how much time was passing (but that could have been a me problem). Also, I love a murder mystery fantasy and like this was just not it. It was so slow. Signa was so boring and too obsessed with being a good lady of society and took too long to decide not to be that. Also coming realize that Regency/Victorian era stories are also just not for me.
This book is beautifully written and i'm sure some people will absolutely love it, but it's just not my kind of book. I need fast paced, action packed fantasies and this was slower and more atmospheric than I like. I'll probably still read Foxglove, but i'm not jumping to read it or anything.
This book is beautifully written and i'm sure some people will absolutely love it, but it's just not my kind of book. I need fast paced, action packed fantasies and this was slower and more atmospheric than I like. I'll probably still read Foxglove, but i'm not jumping to read it or anything.