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katiemack's reviews
1288 reviews
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto
funny
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? It's complicated
4.25
This is a cute, funny, engaging read that reminds me of Jesse Q. Sutanto's books with a smattering of Jenny Han and Kelly Yang. I loved learning more about Chinese-Filipino culture as I followed Chloe along her journey to figure out her next steps in life (i.e., college in the U.S. or abroad; boyfriend or no boyfriend; animation career or business career). I also enjoyed getting to know her family and friends as fleshed-out characters. The chemistry between Chloe and her chosen "kaishao boy" is a surprisingly satisfying slow burn too, though there are a couple of minorly annoying communication issues.
The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a slower burn than I had anticipated, but I enjoyed savoring the tidbits Breanne Mc Ivor reveals about Trinidadian society, culture, and economics (mostly because I didn't know much about those aspects before starting this book). I learned a lot, and none of it felt forced or exaggerated within the tone of the novel.
I'm glad she gives Obadiah his own chapters, as he would have felt more villainous and much less sympathetic had she not, but the romance feels superfluous. I would have enjoyed the book even without the budding relationship between Obadiah and Bianca, and it serves to be more distracting than an enhancement of the book (plus Obadiah triggers body image issues in Bianca that are almost unforgivable).
This is a slower burn than I had anticipated, but I enjoyed savoring the tidbits Breanne Mc Ivor reveals about Trinidadian society, culture, and economics (mostly because I didn't know much about those aspects before starting this book). I learned a lot, and none of it felt forced or exaggerated within the tone of the novel.
I'm glad she gives Obadiah his own chapters, as he would have felt more villainous and much less sympathetic had she not, but the romance feels superfluous. I would have enjoyed the book even without the budding relationship between Obadiah and Bianca, and it serves to be more distracting than an enhancement of the book (plus Obadiah triggers body image issues in Bianca that are almost unforgivable).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary, Resilient, Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Excellent read that made me confront and rethink my own biases/ableism. It's short, so there's no excuse not to grab it and give it a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The first chapter of this book is a funny but terrifying way to hook the reader--Amber has just been kidnapped from her university's apartment complex and is now in the lair of a serial killer. Spoiler alert: she survives thanks to the help of Ski Mask, aka the sardonic Grace, who then leads her on a wild ride through Las Vegas to catch a killer. The subject matter is dark but buoyed by Amber's snark and the side characters she meets along the way. I wish more of Amber's past and cons had been explored, but I also appreciate the cuts to make this a shorter, tighter book.
This is a fun read if you have even a passing interest in true crime podcasts. (I'll end with an aside: there's a red herring moment later in the book that made me genuinely doubt our narrator and the information she'd learned, which is impressive.)
The first chapter of this book is a funny but terrifying way to hook the reader--Amber has just been kidnapped from her university's apartment complex and is now in the lair of a serial killer. Spoiler alert: she survives thanks to the help of Ski Mask, aka the sardonic Grace, who then leads her on a wild ride through Las Vegas to catch a killer. The subject matter is dark but buoyed by Amber's snark and the side characters she meets along the way. I wish more of Amber's past and cons had been explored, but I also appreciate the cuts to make this a shorter, tighter book.
This is a fun read if you have even a passing interest in true crime podcasts. (I'll end with an aside: there's a red herring moment later in the book that made me genuinely doubt our narrator and the information she'd learned, which is impressive.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm so glad Fizzy Chen got her own story and that it incorporates so much of Jess, Jude, and River from The Soulmate Equation!
Fizzy is such a strong, vibrant character, and her chemistry with Connor is solid throughout the book. Some of the dialogue and character reactions made me cringe or roll my eyes, but not enough to deter me much. I also love the use of the reality show conceit in romance novels, and I actually wish it had been stronger and/or more structured here; the show itself feels flimsy. Overall, though, this is another strong entry in the Christina Lauren canon.
I'm so glad Fizzy Chen got her own story and that it incorporates so much of Jess, Jude, and River from The Soulmate Equation!
Fizzy is such a strong, vibrant character, and her chemistry with Connor is solid throughout the book. Some of the dialogue and character reactions made me cringe or roll my eyes, but not enough to deter me much. I also love the use of the reality show conceit in romance novels, and I actually wish it had been stronger and/or more structured here; the show itself feels flimsy. Overall, though, this is another strong entry in the Christina Lauren canon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
I loved the star-crossed / class-crossed lovers trope here--it helps that Yue-ying and Bai Huang are both funny, realistically flawed characters--and even though I could've done without 50-100 pages of some of the angst and murdery events, I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. (Gotta love Bai Huang's devotion and Yue-ying's insistence on calling him out on his crap.) The ending is way too neat, though, and Bai Huang didn't have to give up enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Murder
Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Teach Us about the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans by Michaeleen Doucleff
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
I appreciate this cross between firm and gentle parenting and the fact that Dr. Doucleff doesn’t act condescending or appropriative toward the different places/folks she learns from. Will it work in practice? We’ll see!
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Once again, as in Babel, R. F. Kuang demonstrates her prowess at writing terrible-but-intriguing characters. The satire about the publishing industry and Book Twitter is clearly self-referential and is not subtle, but it doesn't need to be; I cackled at many of June's ludicrous, racist inner thoughts--which I won't quote here, since the book isn't published, but which I did highlight in my eARC--and watching her eventual self-destruction felt like observing a horrific event from which I couldn't turn away. There's a mysterious cyberbullying thread that genuinely horrified me in a way that I didn't expect.
The ending feels lazy and lackluster compared to the rest of the book, unfortunately, but I tore through this in one day because I abandoned the other books I have to finish this week...so, that should tell you something about how compelling it is, depending on your interests.
Once again, as in Babel, R. F. Kuang demonstrates her prowess at writing terrible-but-intriguing characters. The satire about the publishing industry and Book Twitter is clearly self-referential and is not subtle, but it doesn't need to be; I cackled at many of June's ludicrous, racist inner thoughts--which I won't quote here, since the book isn't published, but which I did highlight in my eARC--and watching her eventual self-destruction felt like observing a horrific event from which I couldn't turn away. There's a mysterious cyberbullying thread that genuinely horrified me in a way that I didn't expect.
The ending feels lazy and lackluster compared to the rest of the book, unfortunately, but I tore through this in one day because I abandoned the other books I have to finish this week...so, that should tell you something about how compelling it is, depending on your interests.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm happy to see another book that takes a reviled woman in Greek mythology, gives her agency, and makes her a powerful but sympathetic character. Clytemnestra is one of those figures I'd read about on the periphery of several myths but didn't know much about; reading about her (justified) rage against Agamemnon and her father and the other terrible men in her life fleshed her out more while also aptly demonstrating how revenge can eat away at one over time.
The first half of the book flows well and has strong follow-through; the second half has chunks of time missing and falls apart toward the end, but overall it's a fascinating, well-written read.
I'm happy to see another book that takes a reviled woman in Greek mythology, gives her agency, and makes her a powerful but sympathetic character. Clytemnestra is one of those figures I'd read about on the periphery of several myths but didn't know much about; reading about her (justified) rage against Agamemnon and her father and the other terrible men in her life fleshed her out more while also aptly demonstrating how revenge can eat away at one over time.
The first half of the book flows well and has strong follow-through; the second half has chunks of time missing and falls apart toward the end, but overall it's a fascinating, well-written read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Animal death
Lucky Girl by Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is an excellent coming-of-age story and debut novel. Some of the beliefs the characters state (i.e., Soila's discussions of her upbringing in Kenya and African cultures vs. other characters' experiences growing up as Black folks living in America) feel prescriptive--lots of telling rather than showing--but it's an effective technique to outline issues that should be considered more (especially by white folks). The scenes with Soila's mom are infuriating and tragic, but again, these difficult circumstances are necessary to showcase. The ending is surprisingly heartwarming (in the best possible way).
This is an excellent coming-of-age story and debut novel. Some of the beliefs the characters state (i.e., Soila's discussions of her upbringing in Kenya and African cultures vs. other characters' experiences growing up as Black folks living in America) feel prescriptive--lots of telling rather than showing--but it's an effective technique to outline issues that should be considered more (especially by white folks). The scenes with Soila's mom are infuriating and tragic, but again, these difficult circumstances are necessary to showcase. The ending is surprisingly heartwarming (in the best possible way).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Dementia, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content