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cottageivy's reviews
51 reviews
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
for such a long book, not a lot actually happened lmao. is this how this series is supposed to be 7 books?
xayden also felt different in a way that I didn't like :/
xayden also felt different in a way that I didn't like :/
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
had a good time! there are some flaws with storytelling in there, it wasn't that distracting and rhe overall worldbuilding felt good, but again could be better. the first part of rhe book reminded me a lot of divergent lol but I was pretty invested. dain is a very gale character and therefore I did not like him. I liked xayden a lot actually! esp for the characters archetype he is.
however. the "Violence" nickname is so fucking distracting. at first it's like okay this is kinda cringe. but then you have him crying it out in a battle scene that's supposed to be tense and shit. you have him moaning it during sex scene. it's so insanely distracting and major cringe. at some point I tried to ignore it and pretend he was just saying violet, but then they kept talking about the nickname at some points and im like ughhhhh. genuinely my biggest critique of this book like it's not even funny.
I also read this in like. 5 hours for crunch time cause I'm working my stores midnight release of onyx storm and i was going delirious by the end lol
will be reading Iron flame this week tho so
clocked the Brennan reveal from the BEGINNING tho bro. and I usually try not to guess twists, and yet.
however. the "Violence" nickname is so fucking distracting. at first it's like okay this is kinda cringe. but then you have him crying it out in a battle scene that's supposed to be tense and shit. you have him moaning it during sex scene. it's so insanely distracting and major cringe. at some point I tried to ignore it and pretend he was just saying violet, but then they kept talking about the nickname at some points and im like ughhhhh. genuinely my biggest critique of this book like it's not even funny.
I also read this in like. 5 hours for crunch time cause I'm working my stores midnight release of onyx storm and i was going delirious by the end lol
will be reading Iron flame this week tho so
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
cute! nolan's writing/characterization felt a little inconsistent at times, especially in the third act, but I loved bee! and I did like Nolan a lot. also bi4bi which is automatic points tbh!! I was so excited when that came up bc I didn't know that was gonna happen! a cute fast read for the holidays, I'll def be reading the other books by them bc I loved all of the side characters.
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
cute fall romance book! the town is very gilmore girls-y and Logan and Jeanie were cute!
(didn't like the norman/dot side plot at all tho, fuck norman)
(didn't like the norman/dot side plot at all tho, fuck norman)
She Gets the Girl by Alyson Derrick, Rachael Lippincott
- 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
Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
another slay from casey!! I love being bisexual
Last Seen Online by Lauren James
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
super cute book! I've never actually read any of her books before, but I do quite like her writing in this! it was nerdy in the perfect way, and it was def a perfect work book.
I have a couple of gripes. I don't think Antonia is a good friend at all! I don't get why vi apologized, except for maybe the mean things in the argument but like. I wanted them to make up, but not because Antonia saw first hand that what's-his-name was a dickhead. (which she should've believed vi but whatever) it just felt weak idk. also some of vi's takes, mostly in the beginning of the book should've been challenged a bit but eh not every book is gonna align perfectly with my exact feminism takes.
also. I'm choosing to believe vi is bi, but it was not clear whwre she landed on liking girls, which is perfectly fine, she 17, etc. but. bi nerdy girl rep <3
I have a couple of gripes. I don't think Antonia is a good friend at all! I don't get why vi apologized, except for maybe the mean things in the argument but like. I wanted them to make up, but not because Antonia saw first hand that what's-his-name was a dickhead. (which she should've believed vi but whatever) it just felt weak idk. also some of vi's takes, mostly in the beginning of the book should've been challenged a bit but eh not every book is gonna align perfectly with my exact feminism takes.
also. I'm choosing to believe vi is bi, but it was not clear whwre she landed on liking girls, which is perfectly fine, she 17, etc. but. bi nerdy girl rep <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Racism
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
After I finished this book, I went to heat up the dinner I forgot to eat in my eagerness to finish this, and just. Processed what I had just read because, for lack of a better phrase, holy shit.
I finished this two days ago, and it took me until now to be able to write this review because, again, I just couldn't stop thinking about this book long enough to piece this together.
First of all. The writing style of this book was absolutely gorgeous, I felt myself dog earring every page for the gorgeous prose and quotes (i had forgotten my annotating supplies in my room, and I was too invested to move from my place on my balcony). It also didn't suffer what I sometimes see with books too focused on this aspect, which is the characters. It struck such a good balance of gorgeous words and making Thomas, Andrew and the other characters feel like real people.
speaking of Thomas and Andrew...
"He drew like this because Andrew wrote like this. They fed off each other relentlessly, their fever dreams bleeding through their eyes long after they woke"
"'When I cut you open,' Andrew finally said, 'all I'll find is that we match.'"
"He could cut me to bloody pieces if he wanted.
Andrew hated how he loved those words."
And a million more quotes like that. While they're definitely codependent, and individually unhinged and even more so when they're together, the way you can feel how deeply they love and care for each other is amazing. they have these intense feelings about each other, but at the same time have simple moments where they joke, or do little actions to help the other feel better.
The twists!! The twists were so well done! I feel like I figured it out at a perfect part, (and even then they did make me doubt it for the briefest second) which was before Andrew figured it out, but not too far in advance where it got tedious, but in a way where after I figured it out, I watched on in horror as Andrew unravels and gets closer to the truth, until he's right on top of it. The plot is so well woven that even upon a quick skim/reread to pull those quotes and look at plots again, it still holds up. I'm so excited to be able to buy the gorgeous b&n edition of this and reread it, and fill it with my annotations bc goddd its so good.
And the ending. Fuckkkkk.
um so safe to say i loved this book lol. I might add more to this review as I think of it, but! Thank you to the publisher for sending this arc to my store! (barnes and noble)
I finished this two days ago, and it took me until now to be able to write this review because, again, I just couldn't stop thinking about this book long enough to piece this together.
First of all. The writing style of this book was absolutely gorgeous, I felt myself dog earring every page for the gorgeous prose and quotes (i had forgotten my annotating supplies in my room, and I was too invested to move from my place on my balcony). It also didn't suffer what I sometimes see with books too focused on this aspect, which is the characters. It struck such a good balance of gorgeous words and making Thomas, Andrew and the other characters feel like real people.
speaking of Thomas and Andrew...
"He drew like this because Andrew wrote like this. They fed off each other relentlessly, their fever dreams bleeding through their eyes long after they woke"
"'When I cut you open,' Andrew finally said, 'all I'll find is that we match.'"
"He could cut me to bloody pieces if he wanted.
Andrew hated how he loved those words."
And a million more quotes like that. While they're definitely codependent, and individually unhinged and even more so when they're together, the way you can feel how deeply they love and care for each other is amazing. they have these intense feelings about each other, but at the same time have simple moments where they joke, or do little actions to help the other feel better.
The twists!! The twists were so well done! I feel like I figured it out at a perfect part, (and even then they did make me doubt it for the briefest second) which was before Andrew figured it out, but not too far in advance where it got tedious, but in a way where after I figured it out, I watched on in horror as Andrew unravels and gets closer to the truth, until he's right on top of it. The plot is so well woven that even upon a quick skim/reread to pull those quotes and look at plots again, it still holds up. I'm so excited to be able to buy the gorgeous b&n edition of this and reread it, and fill it with my annotations bc goddd its so good.
And the ending. Fuckkkkk.
um so safe to say i loved this book lol. I might add more to this review as I think of it, but! Thank you to the publisher for sending this arc to my store! (barnes and noble)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse