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katiemack's reviews
1393 reviews
Afar by Leila del Duca, Kit Seaton
3.0
I'm going to echo other reviewers in saying that the story was rather disjointed and the ending felt incomplete; however, the art is gorgeous. I really appreciate the distinct styles and color palettes for each planet.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
4.0
As other reviewers have said, I could NOT put this one down! While convoluted, forcing the reader's mind to work a bit, the intricate layers all come together at the end to resolve the tension Turton masterfully upholds throughout the book.
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up. There are some big things to dislike about this book--the fabricated conflict in Penny and Sam's relationship, the disjointed timeline, the way Choi portrays parental relationships--but I read it extremely quickly. And I identified with the unlikeable characters and unsettling dialogue in a very real, upsetting way.
Many reviewers have called this book "unrealistic," but there were aspects of Penny's thoughts and character that hit me like a punch to the gut. I was a smart-ass teenager who loved maintaining text- or IM-based relationships (friendship or romantic) in a way that was no doubt problematic, and I hadn't really seen that played out in a YA book before. (I'm sure there have been some; don't @ me.) Plus, Sam was EXACTLY the kind of dude I would have been attracted to at that age.
Ugh. Like I said, upsetting.
Many reviewers have called this book "unrealistic," but there were aspects of Penny's thoughts and character that hit me like a punch to the gut. I was a smart-ass teenager who loved maintaining text- or IM-based relationships (friendship or romantic) in a way that was no doubt problematic, and I hadn't really seen that played out in a YA book before. (I'm sure there have been some; don't @ me.) Plus, Sam was EXACTLY the kind of dude I would have been attracted to at that age.
Ugh. Like I said, upsetting.
American Royals by Katharine McGee
3.0
I received an eARC of this book from GoodReads in exchange for an honest review.
I was intrigued by the question "What if Washington had established a monarchy instead of a democracy during the founding of America?" and hoped the book would spend a lot of time on world-building to answer this question and firmly establish the alternative history. That aspect was lacking a bit, unfortunately, and the pacing and narrative were reminiscent of Gossip Girl, but I don't think McGee was trying to make it anything beyond that.
It was a fun, soapy YA read, but OOF, that cliffhanger...I almost don't want to read the next one out of spite.
I was intrigued by the question "What if Washington had established a monarchy instead of a democracy during the founding of America?" and hoped the book would spend a lot of time on world-building to answer this question and firmly establish the alternative history. That aspect was lacking a bit, unfortunately, and the pacing and narrative were reminiscent of Gossip Girl, but I don't think McGee was trying to make it anything beyond that.
It was a fun, soapy YA read, but OOF, that cliffhanger...I almost don't want to read the next one out of spite.
Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
3.0
When I finished this book, I really struggled with what rating to give it. In the beginning, the dialogue felt incredibly dated, and the set-up was laughable. ("I'm too SMART to have a baby with the BRILLIANT men I've dated because then our GENIUS BABY will be a FREAK, so I need to seduce a BIG DUMMY.") There were plenty of cringe-worthy lines (including a joke about a "cereal killer" and the hero being a "yeller") that almost made me abandon the book. However, Phillips actually did a nice job developing both her plot and her characters once Jane and Cal left Chicago for the South, so by the time I was done, I felt more affection than annoyance for them.