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lit_vibrations's reviews
318 reviews
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family this was historical fiction at its finest‼️ I think I enjoyed it so much because it didn’t really read like YA to me. Not only that but all of the characters were lovable and memorable. We even get a little family/relationship drama. Imagine being pressured into an arranged marriage yet the person of interest isn’t the person you’ve fallen for and even he happens to be in love with someone else. Or being forced to hide your true passion because getting married should be your only focus.
Olivia and Helen would never be allowed to live the lives they hoped for if their parents had anything to do with it. And let’s just say their brother John had the women swooning. But because the Davenports had a certain reputation to uphold marrying just anyone would never be allowed for any of them. Especially if they didn’t meet their parents standards.
Overall, I enjoyed the book from the multiple POVs, romance, the exploration of pressured family obligations, societal standards, self-discovery, and seeking independence. My only downside was the pacing but I’m still looking forward to finishing up book 2.
Olivia and Helen would never be allowed to live the lives they hoped for if their parents had anything to do with it. And let’s just say their brother John had the women swooning. But because the Davenports had a certain reputation to uphold marrying just anyone would never be allowed for any of them. Especially if they didn’t meet their parents standards.
Overall, I enjoyed the book from the multiple POVs, romance, the exploration of pressured family obligations, societal standards, self-discovery, and seeking independence. My only downside was the pacing but I’m still looking forward to finishing up book 2.
Wished by Sarah Ready
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Special thanks to the author & #WWCrown publishing for my gifted copy‼️
I picked this book because I thought it was a Christmas romance lol. I didn’t read the synopsis because the cover gave Christmas vibes. Well I was wrong cause nothing in the book gave Christmas but I did end up enjoying it anyway.
Wished is book four in the Ghosted series where our FMC Anna messed around and finds out you gotta be careful what you wish for because it just might happen. Anna is secretly in love with Max Barone the guy whose house she cleans. One day when she should be cleaning and minding her business she goes through his things and stumbles across a magical necklace. Only she didn’t know the type of power this jewelry really possessed until after she wished Max was in love with her and they were married.
This was a cool read only because the wish didn’t go as Anna planned in the beginning. It was almost as though the wish made everyone around them think they were married but Anna and Max weren’t affected by it and knew they weren’t. It gave fake dating vibes where the MC’s eventually fall in love in the end. The Paris trip and the buried letter was so cute and when they unwished everything and still remembered what happened. This was the only highlight moment for me.
Overall, it was an okay read there was a good buildup of tension between the characters but the pacing was a little up and down. The author also over did it with the descriptions but aside from that I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and how well developed they were. If you’re looking for a twisted fate romance with a hint of spice and magic you found it.
Rating: 3.5/5⭐️
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Special thanks to @libro.fm & @hachetteaudio for my ALC‼️
I started this one as a buddy read and just so happened to be one of the buddies that didn’t finish reading it with the group. It took me a month but I finished and was happy I did because the ending was action-packed and made reading it worth while in the END. Yup it took until the end for things to get good because it was up and down all throughout.
It wasn’t a bad book just moved too slow for me to stay engaged. Not to mention I don’t remember much but it explores themes of survival, trust, self-sacrifice, and the desperate measures one will take to find a loved one.
Kidan’s character annoyed me a lot because she made irrational decisions out of anger. Her sister was missing I get it but the girl was drawing to much unnecessary attention and I was so over her hatred and aggression towards Susenyos. But the truth surrounding June’s disappearance has me curious about book 2 just to see what’s going to unfold between her and Kidan.
Overall, the book was okay it was the ending that piqued my interest the most. But the plot was unpredictable and the magical atmosphere, diversity, tension between characters, and world building was great. If you love dark academia fantasy, vampires, or enemies to lovers you’ll enjoy reading this book.
Rating: 3.5/5⭐️
Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Special thanks to the author, @hearourvoicestours & @harpermuse for my gifted copy‼️
𝚄𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍- 𝟷. 𝚃𝚘 𝚞𝚗𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚊 𝚝𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝟸. 𝚃𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝: 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢. 𝟹. 𝚃𝚘 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚜.
This book was amazing I promise the author never misses with the historical fiction. There is so much power and authenticity in her writing you will not put this down. Literally every book I’ve read by her I’ve loved but I think this one is by far my favorite.
Exploring the consequences of a failed foster care system, irrational decisions, living in a group home, codependency, heartbreak, trauma and how children are placed into situations where they have to protect themselves from those who should be protecting them. We follow Katia Daniels a woman torn between doing what’s right against a system that continues to do so much wrong.
Unable to bear children of her own Katia became the mother those boys needed at the Pike County Group Home for Negro Boys. With her personal life already being a struggle she was not only a caretaker for the group home but also her family. Not to mention one brother returned home from war, the other was missing in action, and she also lost her father in the midst of it all.
You’d think things couldn’t get any worse until they do. With the weight of the world on her shoulders Katia eventually spread herself to thin and a mishap with one of the group home boys makes her realize she has more to lose than she thought.
Overall, this book was so worth the read and I highly recommend it. All of the characters were lovable, memorable, and richly developed. Chad and PeeWee will definitely tug at your heartstrings. It was a little unsettling to see some of the things the boys had to endure especially Chad. But if you love historical fiction you won’t be disappointed with this book.
Growing Up Urkel by Jaleel White
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Special thanks to the author and @simonbooks #SimonBooksBuddy for my gifted copy‼️
This was the only book I read for non-fiction November and I had really high hopes for it. Not to mention I loved watching Family Matters growing up so I just knew this was gonna be a top tier read for me. I even bought the audio although I had a copy because I was that excited.
Now Growing Up Urkel wasn’t boring but it wasn’t what I was expecting either. I know many say they don’t rate or judge memoirs but let’s be real if the memoir is MEH it’s just that. Nothing Jaleel mentioned in his memoir was unexpected to me. From his childhood experiences, the way he was raised by his parents, being the only child, his experiences with dating, and of course his role on Family Matters. None of it was surprising lol I know that sounds crazy be it all seemed so Jaleel 😂.
One thing I did find interesting was how the show ended up incorporating his character as Stefan. I used to be head over hills for him and Laura really played with Steve until she saw he was a snack without them glasses.
Overall, this was an okay memoir definitely learned a lot about his personal life but mostly his experience in Hollywood and being in the industry. It’s crazy how his role as Steve Urkel overpowered his career and potential for better lead roles after that. I feel like he played his part so well that nobody could see past that and sometimes that can be a good and bad thing.
Rating: 3.5/5⭐️
This was the only book I read for non-fiction November and I had really high hopes for it. Not to mention I loved watching Family Matters growing up so I just knew this was gonna be a top tier read for me. I even bought the audio although I had a copy because I was that excited.
Now Growing Up Urkel wasn’t boring but it wasn’t what I was expecting either. I know many say they don’t rate or judge memoirs but let’s be real if the memoir is MEH it’s just that. Nothing Jaleel mentioned in his memoir was unexpected to me. From his childhood experiences, the way he was raised by his parents, being the only child, his experiences with dating, and of course his role on Family Matters. None of it was surprising lol I know that sounds crazy be it all seemed so Jaleel 😂.
One thing I did find interesting was how the show ended up incorporating his character as Stefan. I used to be head over hills for him and Laura really played with Steve until she saw he was a snack without them glasses.
Overall, this was an okay memoir definitely learned a lot about his personal life but mostly his experience in Hollywood and being in the industry. It’s crazy how his role as Steve Urkel overpowered his career and potential for better lead roles after that. I feel like he played his part so well that nobody could see past that and sometimes that can be a good and bad thing.
Rating: 3.5/5⭐️
Blood on the Brain: A Novel by Esinam Bediako
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Special thanks to the author and @redhenpress for my gifted copy‼️
I read this a few weeks ago and enjoyed it way more than I expected. I’m actually surprised I haven’t seen more people mentioning this book. Akosua was a special kind of character and her taste in men was blah. The way she was pining over Daniel annoyed me so bad. It’s almost like she was blind to rejection and everyone around her could see the red flags. But of course she ignored them until something happened that she wasn’t comfortable with. Only then were her eyes opened to the scum he really was.
I also felt her poor choice in men might’ve had something to do with the broken relationship she had with her father. Although Akosua was 24 years old she was a little naive for her age. She had no clue how to process her feelings and instead of dealing with problems in her life head on she filled her time with distractions. I couldn’t even take her getting back with her ex Wisdom seriously because she let him back in to easy. The guy literally said in so many words sis wasn’t Ghanaian enough for him. In the process of everything she ends up with a concussion that might’ve knocked a little sense back into that brain of hers.
Overall, this was a decent read filled with drama, culture, finding yourself, forgiveness, and learning to accept things as they are. The book title was also clever to me as it could pertain to her head injury or the fact her family specifically her father was always on her mind and a common topic of discussion. If you enjoyed Maame or Queenie I think you’ll enjoy reading this book.
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? N/A
5.0
This was soooooo good like can we get an adaptation for this‼️ I literally own all of Tiffany’s books yet this was the first one I picked up and now I’m a fan a REAL fan because sis did not disappoint. I wanna drop everything and just binge read all of her books now.
When I found out this was basically a re-telling of Carrie but with its own twist I was immediately intrigued. That physical and audio pairing never lets me down. I was so immersed in the story it was like watching a movie unfold. Maddy’s father will definitely remind you of Carrie’s mother but he was his own type of demon. He abused and tried to punish Maddy for who she truly was and force her to be everything she would never be.
Then the way she was treated in school was no surprise. Maddy was an outcast who was often taunted and bullied by her classmates. What they didn’t know was she was biracial and had been passing as white thanks to her father. But one rainy afternoon during gym class Maddy’s secret would be revealed opening the door for a different kind of trouble. . . . Supernatural trouble‼️
One thing I loved was the relationship the author created between Maddy and Kendrick. Unlike the movie he actually liked her although he probably wouldn’t have asked her to prom if it weren’t for Wendy. It’s just once they got a chance to actually connect he saw her differently. We all know how things end with this one yet nothing about the book was predictable to me.
Overall, this was an amazing read. I don’t know what else to say but if you haven’t read it please read the book it’s so worth it‼️
White Lines by Tracy Brown
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can’t say this enough I have yet to read a book by Tracy that I didn’t love‼️ I thought Brooklyn was a nerve racking character but Jada officially got her beat. Her drug addiction was so bad and she was so young she had me stressed. Then Mr.Charlie I HATED him. Idk who was worse him or her babydaddy.
Her mama wasn’t a real mother to her or her sister Ava. She was a major part of why Jada turned out the way she did and Ava ended up in a group home. Then just when I thought Jada got her life together after meeting Born everything was up in shambles again. Having access to the finer things in life and a man that would give her the world wasn’t enough to keep her from relapsing. Jada really had to lose everything and hit rock bottom before she finally got her life back on track.
Overall, I enjoyed the book Tracy always delivers with the complex characters, authenticity, and street ish. She’s one of the few authors that can make me love, hate, and sympathize with a character all at the same time. My only downside with this one was I felt it dragged a bit. Definitely could’ve been 100 pages shorter but the drama kept me invested so I still recommend. Can’t wait to see what more this series has in store for Jada.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
This was a pretty decent fast-paced whodunnit mystery thriller. There were so many juicy secrets and unnecessary lies to cover them up. Cooper’s secret blew me away lol but the biggest secret was who killed Simon and if someone in the detention room was involved. Many of the characters had a motive to harm/kill Simon for their reputations sake. I think the author did well framing them all as potential suspects. But what got me was actually finding out who was behind everything because I didn’t see it coming kinda left me like WTF lol.
Overall, this was a solid YA thriller/mystery I’d recommend. It had an even flow and the character development was great. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and how you literally had to pay attention to the way things unfolded to figure out the killer. It wasn’t predictable and had a lot of juicy twists and turns that kept me engaged. Idk if I’ll read the other books in the series but definitely plan to watch the tv show.
Rating: 3.75/5⭐️
Overall, this was a solid YA thriller/mystery I’d recommend. It had an even flow and the character development was great. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and how you literally had to pay attention to the way things unfolded to figure out the killer. It wasn’t predictable and had a lot of juicy twists and turns that kept me engaged. Idk if I’ll read the other books in the series but definitely plan to watch the tv show.
Rating: 3.75/5⭐️
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Special thanks to the author & @readforeverpub for my gifted copy‼️
What’s a romance without a little fake dating, friends-with-benefits, and no strings attached? Let’s take it a step further what’s a good romance without a ruined engagement, a lot of drama and some miscommunication?
Gamez took fake dating to the next level because not only was our MC fake dating an ex-football player she was secretly in love with his brother Ben who just so happened to be her best-friend. Here’s where it gets good the brothers were in love with the same woman but it wasn’t Marcela. I wanna say this had a little love triangle going on but the fact four parties were involved this was a messy ass love square.
Marcela prevented Theo from ruining his brother’s engagement party when she should’ve just let him do it. When the two are seen leaving the engagement party together it sparked rumors that they might be involved. Instead of clearing the air they run with it. Now I’m all for going after who or what you want. Buuuuuuut Marcela two brothers boo and she was kinda a rebound for both of them. This whole situation was a recipe for disaster.
Overall, this was a decent book I live for the drama so you know I was engaged. The pacing was up and down but it was so well-written and detailed I didn’t care. Not to mention all the secrets and constant conflict between the characters made it worth reading. If you’re looking for a messy romance or like the fake dating/ friends-to-lovers trope you’ll enjoy this book.