katiemack's reviews
1406 reviews

After reading the first third of this book, I had set my rating at 3 stars. The characters seemed stereotypical, especially the "villains." Fortunately, I continued reading it and did a total 180. Though there were still a few small things that bugged me (e.g., the italicized Arabic goes away about halfway through the book, for some reason), Courtney provided more depth into Allie's motivations and, more impressively, the other characters as they realize and work to correct their own biases.

Overall, this is an important book; one only has to look at reviews of it here on Goodreads-- reviews by people who declare that they have not and will not read the book because they completely disagree and reject Islam--to realize this. It's rare to find a book that follows a character who is fully exploring her religious and cultural identity without it being black-and-white. Courtney does a great job of highlighting the nuances of this exploration and calling attention to the fact that religious compulsion takes on many forms--and that not everyone will be fully adherent or supportive, but they won't completely demonize what they fully understand either. (Unless they're a jerk, of course. Jerks are terrible.)

After reading a less-than-stellar YA book with fantasy elements, this one was a treat with its unique premise--a sort of "medium place" (for those that watch The Good Place) with opportunity for advancement.

I really liked Bea--she's snarky in a realistic way, and Noone is clear to give her some emotional development and depth. The alternation between past and present was constructive rather than confusing, and it added to this character development. In a different way, I also loved Caleb; it would have been tempting to make him a stereotype, but he is a gentle foil to Bea.

The ending is heartbreaking and less than satisfying, of course, so begin the book with this in mind.

Finally, I know Noone was trying to make jello food sound gross, but...I could really go for some coffee jello cubes this morning.

3.5 stars. It's a horrifying story about ignorance and racism with messy, scratchy art to further illustrate this point. The plot got a little confusing; it seems like details were sacrificed to further the horrific elements and themes.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one's a 3.5 for me. (I know, I know; I'm rating a lot of books 3.5 stars lately.)

The book feels very on-brand for Danny Lavery--chock full of humor and absurdism on topics he writes about in a way that makes me feel like I'm not smart enough to keep up with him. My favorite sections of this sort-of memoir are the more poignant chapters about his transition and how it affected him. (Plus, I learned that he ate at the very Boston Market my family and I used to go to all the time--huge fangirl moment!)

The eARC contains content about his family, which he said he cut out after his estrangement. I'd be interested to know what the book is like in its finished form.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I had no idea how much I needed a YA fantasy filled with court intrigue and romance to fill the void left by Sarah Maas and her Court of Thorns and Roses series, but this really did it for me.

When I started the book and Alessandra was plotting a way to get close to the Shadow King to later kill him, I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to relate to her and her "questionable morals" (per Tricia Levenseller). The way the Shadow King (aka Kallias) initially kept her and everyone else at a distance also made me question how well I'd be able to relate to him. Ultimately, however, both characters kept their unapologetically rebellious and devious streaks while also getting me (and likely other readers) to fall in love with them. The development of their relationship had an unexpected depth and tenderness amidst the murder plots, and I really enjoyed the other friendships (like Hestia and Rhoda) that kept Alessandra grounded throughout the story.

Also, if you're worried about waiting for the next book, this one is a standalone--binge away!

I picked this up thinking the title was a hilarious Marie Kondo spoof (and perhaps hoping--as someone who consistently gives too many f*cks--that it might even help me), but the gimmick got old quickly.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast with Jaya Rao as Belle and Grey Emerson as the Beast was...fine. It was somewhat compelling, but I was also able to walk away from it easily.

I'm glad Menon went with a dual third-person POV, as we got to learn more about Jaya and Grey that way. It was also an effective way to weave the curse throughout the narrative. Grey was oddly endearing even as a "misanthrope;" his character development was by far the strongest in the book. His pain and desire for a normal life shine through in a genuine way. Jaya was strong and a loyal friend but was a bit more grating with her stubborn sense of "doing what's right for her family" despite EVERYONE'S insistence that she doesn't need to. I also take issue with the way other characters reveal information to each other, especially one scene at the end. (I won't describe it here--because spoilers--but it takes place on a mountain and refers to "wind tunnels" carrying sound.)

If you're in dire need of a sweet fairy tale rework for a YA audience, this is a decent pick.