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discarded_dust_jacket's reviews
305 reviews
Next Of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I was intrigued by the plot—true originality is something that, at times, feels missing in contemporary romance—and I really wanted to like this book, but in the end it just didn’t work for me.
The big thing was just that I found the pacing of the romantic relationship to be too abrupt. It felt like they were declaring their love for one another unbelievably fast, especially given how prickly they were at the beginning. I anticipated a slower burn.
It also felt lacking in the side characters department. Chloe’s friends are incorporated here and there, and even as their relationship definitely grows throughout the length of the book, it still felt very surface-level throughout.
The dialogue, especially Warren’s sometimes made me cringe, especially in the more intimate scenes. They just struck me as a bit juvenile, but that’s entirely personal preference.
And the whole thing with him having been in a band felt shoehorned in for no particular reason. Like that plot thread never really went anywhere.
It’s not that I thought this book was bad, by any means! Like I said, I was really intrigued by the story. That’s the big thing that kept me wanting to keep reading, I loved the story. The characters, though maybe a little underdeveloped, were still endearing. I still wanted to root for them. Overall, ok. Just a tad disappointing in my opinion.
The big thing was just that I found the pacing of the romantic relationship to be too abrupt. It felt like they were declaring their love for one another unbelievably fast, especially given how prickly they were at the beginning. I anticipated a slower burn.
It also felt lacking in the side characters department. Chloe’s friends are incorporated here and there, and even as their relationship definitely grows throughout the length of the book, it still felt very surface-level throughout.
The dialogue, especially Warren’s sometimes made me cringe, especially in the more intimate scenes. They just struck me as a bit juvenile, but that’s entirely personal preference.
And the whole thing with him having been in a band felt shoehorned in for no particular reason. Like that plot thread never really went anywhere.
It’s not that I thought this book was bad, by any means! Like I said, I was really intrigued by the story. That’s the big thing that kept me wanting to keep reading, I loved the story. The characters, though maybe a little underdeveloped, were still endearing. I still wanted to root for them. Overall, ok. Just a tad disappointing in my opinion.
Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
There are so many moments in this collection of essays/poetry that I loved enough to highlight, circle, star, underline three times.
I loved “to the deathwalkers” for its emphatic “I can’t and won’t force you to stay, but I’ll never stop begging you to” (paraphrase).
I loved “to the church of social justice” for “i have questions about heaven. i have questions about the Revolution. those questions are the same: upon whose bones do you intend to build your paradise?”
I loved “to J.K. Rowling” for “a monster is a part of ourselves that we don’t want to find in the mirror. a part of ourselves we try to cut out and split off and put inside other people so that they can carry it for us: our fear. our shame.”
I loved “to the exiled” for “i want to sing the stories that tell not of the cleansing power of blood, but the transformative power of tears.”
And I loved “to the ones this world was never made for” for “choosing love is a practice. every day it takes all my strength. still, i believe in this body, this soul, this fallible flesh that still burns with wanting.”
I loved “to the deathwalkers” for its emphatic “I can’t and won’t force you to stay, but I’ll never stop begging you to” (paraphrase).
I loved “to the church of social justice” for “i have questions about heaven. i have questions about the Revolution. those questions are the same: upon whose bones do you intend to build your paradise?”
I loved “to J.K. Rowling” for “a monster is a part of ourselves that we don’t want to find in the mirror. a part of ourselves we try to cut out and split off and put inside other people so that they can carry it for us: our fear. our shame.”
I loved “to the exiled” for “i want to sing the stories that tell not of the cleansing power of blood, but the transformative power of tears.”
And I loved “to the ones this world was never made for” for “choosing love is a practice. every day it takes all my strength. still, i believe in this body, this soul, this fallible flesh that still burns with wanting.”
Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I wanted to like this, I really really did. It has so many of the elements I typically like in a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers vampire romance.
But I think the story was so focused on being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, that it forgot to properly explain any of the context necessary to understand the plot.
There are a few paragraphs in the opening chapters that attempt to hastily explain what “the Claiming” actually is and why it’s necessary, but even after having finished the book, I find I have more questions than answers.
Like: Why is it called that? Why does it happen once a year and what does the blood moon have to do with it? Why does the “Claim” have to spend a month at the castle before the curse takes over? What is Marius’s motivation for allowing it? Does he just think “oh look, the town’s folk are offering me a free meal again, how lovely!” And for that matter, what is the coven’s motivation for sacrificing people they know won’t be able to kill the beast for the 99 years before Jak is born? The significance of Katharine and why her family is special is also just, never explained. Are we to assume that might be answered in future books? Idk.
But I think the story was so focused on being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, that it forgot to properly explain any of the context necessary to understand the plot.
There are a few paragraphs in the opening chapters that attempt to hastily explain what “the Claiming” actually is and why it’s necessary, but even after having finished the book, I find I have more questions than answers.
Prince of Endless Tides by Ben Alderson
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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? No
4.0
I’ve heard mixed reviews but I really enjoyed this! I liked the changes the author made to the plot in order to incorporate Oliver’s transness. I really liked Oliver’s relationship with his father. It wasn’t perfect by any means but I definitely had fun reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Beauty of Your Face: A Novel by Sahar Mustafah
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Islamophobia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Pregnancy