paperbacks_and_planners's reviews
1165 reviews

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. This is a multimedia story told from August's point of view. I definitely recommend picking up a print copy of this - there are illustrations throughout the story and the pages darken as the mental illness progresses. Which really adds to the story in my opinion!

What I Liked

1. This was a really intense but wonderful representation of mental illness. K Ancrum clearly did lots of research. And the pacing and writing style just added to the intensity. I felt anxious and on the edge of my seat the entire time. Definitely make sure you are in a headspace to handle these topics, they could be very triggering.
2. I became very attached to August. I want to step into the story and hug and protect him. It was so hard to read about him taking on everything on his own.
3. The relationship between Rina, August, and Jack was handled beautifully. This is a type of relationship I personally can't relate to but fell in love with anyways.

What I Didn't Like

1. I found the story mildly confusing for the first half. The story is written in third person from August's pov and I didn't realize until over half way through that he was an unreliable narrator. So some of the scenes made little sense and I didn't know why.
2. August and Jack have a very intense, codependent relationship that I had a hard time connecting with it at first. And at times their relationship felt mildly abusive and unhealthy.

I think I'm officially settling on a 3.5 but I rounded up here.

Blog Review

Summary
Sunny St. James is finally getting a new heart. And once she has her new heart, she's ready to become the New Sunny. Step 1 do amazing things. Step 2 find a new best friend. Step 3 kiss a boy. But when Sunny finds a new best friend, Quinn, she starts questioning step 3.

Overview
This book is sweet and heartwarming. It is told from 12 year old Sunny's perspective and follows her through and after a heart transplant when her predictable, boring life is suddenly overturned.

Content Warnings: Surgery/illness, abandonment, alcoholism

What I Liked
1. Sunny's character was so precious but strong. She took everything life handed her and confronted it face on. Her best friend betrayed her secret, her mother abandoned her, her heart broke. But she never let any of it slow her down. She was an amazing Middle Grade main character.
2. I really appreciated the heartwarming message of this book. I love seeing difficult topics being discussed in younger books and Ashley Herring Blake handled everything delicately and respectfully.
3. This is a bit of a spoiler so I'll try and keep it vague. I really appreciated how Sunny's relationship with her previous best friend played out. It was refreshing to see such a young character stand her ground and respect herself enough to make such a tough decision.
4. The parents and side characters were developed, present, and engaging. And each of the important side characters had their own story arcs. I would 100% read a spin off about Kate & Dave, they were everything.

What I Didn't Like
1. I don't know if it was the age range (most likely) but I just never strongly connected or felt anything while reading this. I aw'd a lot but never felt emotionally invested. However, I think this is more a personal preference (this is only the 2nd middle grade book I've ever read) than a knock against this story.

Jordan and her boyfriend move in with his father, Pike, when they get evicted from their apartment. As Jordan's relationships becomes more strained, her relationship and attraction to Pike becomes more confusing.

I read this for the Forbidden Romance challenge for the Smutathon and I was expecting something super taboo and kinky. That isn't exactly what I got though. This was surprisingly slow burn.

Things I Liked
1. The romance in this was really well done. The chemistry between Jordan and Pike was palpable and the sex scenes were top notch.
2. I liked how Jordan stood up for herself. She felt like a strong female lead who didn't let me control or walk all over her.

Things I Didn't Like
1. Cole was so unlikeable that it was hard for this to feel like a believable love triangle.
2. The commentary on the sex industry was kind of uncomfortable. Jordan's sister is a stripper and she and everyone else is trying to pressure Jordan into joining. It was just awkward.. half the time this felt like it was shaming Cam for her job and half the time it felt like it was encouraging it because she made so much money.
3. This happens in every romance but there is always an additional fabricated scenario right at the end that pushes the main characters together. But listening to Pike bitch and moan about "what people would think" started to get annoying.

Overall this was enjoyable, smutty romance. But it wasn't my favorite sadly.

I'm giving this 2.5 stars.

There were definitely things I liked about this book - the mildly magical parts were cute and I liked Blix. But damn... the main relationships and love... square(?) drove me crazy. And Marnie was one of the most frustrating main characters I've ever read.

This follows Marnie who is nearly left at the alter by her selfish fiancé. But she convinces him to marry her so they begrudgingly follow through with the wedding. Then end up divorcing just after their honeymoon. Marnie has a breakdown and moves back home with her parents. She quickly rebounds with her (undeserving of any of this damn drama) ex boyfriend. After a hot minute, they decided to get married but then she receives a letter from her ex's Aunt, who has passed away and left Marnie her home in Brooklyn. From here crappy decisions ensue.

Some of the writing in here was so obnoxious. For example here is a complete sentence from the book: "I hate that so much that I can’t even." That might actually be the single most annoying sentence I've ever read in a published story.
But beyond that, the way Marnie treated everyone around her was kind of terrible.

Spoiler

When she cheats on her sudo-fiancé with her ex-husband and then blames the whole shit storm scenario on him for trying to surprise her, I nearly threw my kindle.
"'Oh,' I say. 'Well. This may sound beside the point, but I’ve always said that I hate surprises. Now I know why.'"
Like what the actual fuck is that? Jeremy gets so shafted in this book and everyone just keeps supporting Marnie's crappy behavior.

Overall I just didn't particularly care for this.

This blew me away. It is only 112 pages long but it packs so much in.

"I did not give up. You can change the world with one smile."

Synopsis
This takes place in near future England, and follows a man taking the citizenship test. The test is 25 questions long. If he passes, his family can stay. But a few questions in, the test takes a dark turn.

Overview
I still can't figure out how this book covered so much in so few pages. This is one of the best novellas I've ever read. Sylvain Neuvel does not disappoint.

This books is really dark. It looks at humanity and what it means to be a good person. It also comments on racism, sexism, and the role of government.

Content warnings for murder and PTSD

What I Liked

"I am on my knees. I have been here before. I have been thrown to the ground and I have felt the tip of their guns on the back of my neck. I have been through this and I have survived. We will survive. All of us."

1. Idir was an amazing protagonist. I connected with his character so quickly - he's witty, intelligent, and caring. And they way Neuvel wove small glimpses of the family's past throughout the test was so subtle yet effective.
2. This story was just so damn gripping. I read the first couple chapters and thought wow, this book is dark. The test room has been taken over by terrorists, and now they are killing the people inside to get what they want. Then the twist came... and got even darker. This book really makes you think - what makes a good person? Who makes that decision? And how much say should they have?

What I Didn't Like
1. I didn't totally love the "after" chapter. It definitely showed the lasting effects of the test, but it felt.. rushed? I appreciated the depiction of PTSD. How the test may have determined the type of person they were, it also changed that person. But it also felt it took away for the impact the final twist had.

Overall this is one of the best novellas I've read. The impact this story had in so few pages blew me away. If you're looking for a hard-hitting speculative story about human nature, definitely pick this one up. It does not disappoint.

ARC provided by Simon and Schuster via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary
Elisabeth grew up in the Great Library among grimoires - magical books who whisper to her from behind their iron chains. But when the Great Library is attacked, Elisabeth has to work with the only people that don't think she's the attacker - an evil sorcerer and his demonic servant. Now they're trying to stop a centuries long plan to destroy the world.

Overview
This is a fantasy novel told in third person from Elisabeth's POV. It's a high fantasy (it does not take place in the known world) with a low magic system (magic exists but does not have many explicit rules). This does have (very briefly) mentioned queer rep as well as a light romance.

Content Warnings: Death, PTSD

What I Liked
1. Silas is one of my new favorite side characters of all time. I absolutely loved him. His character had so much depth and heart. I loved watching his warring sides - he is a demon who has somehow grown to truly love humans but can't survive without consuming part of their life. It was such a unique character concept and I adored it.
2. I loved the concept of the sentient books, or grimoires. I have never read anything like this and found it completely captivating. The grimoires had personalities and character arcs. I can't explain how much I loved this concept.
3. I thought the romance in this was really well written and sweet. I appreciated the slow(ish) burn - this had insta-attraction, but definitely no insta-love. You could tell immediately that they wanted each other, but it took quite awhile for them to act on it. And by the time they did, I 100% shipped it.
4. This book was overall really well paced. There was lots of action without it feeling to rushed or easy and I never wanted to put this down. I absolutely flew through the last half of this.
5. This ending made my

Spoiler

Silas loving

heart so happy.

What I Didn't Like
1. I wish the sorcerer's magic was explained a little better. Overall it was pretty vague as to what the limitations and rules were. But this is definitely a personal preference thing! If you aren't big into high magic systems, this is won't be an issue for you at all!

Overall I loved this novel! It had the perfect balance of action-packed fantasy with a hint of romance. I loved all the political sabotage and twists with intense, well written battle scenes. And the unique take on a library setting was amazingly executed.

ARC provided by Simon Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary
This follows a group of young woman at a prestigious boarding school designed to teach them how to be the "best of society" - beautiful, proper, and obedient. But the school has dark secrets and Mena and her friends are determined to discover them, and in turn, who they really are.

Overview
This is a little hard to describe without getting mildly spoiler-y. And I recommend going into this with as little information as possible! There aren't any blatant spoilers below, but some of my thoughts may give you ideas about the reveals.

It feels like the YA love child between Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Handmaids Tale by Margret Atwood. It's definitely not going to be for everyone - especially considering those are both polarizing books. But I loved the themes in here.

HUGE trigger warnings for abuse and sexism. And this gets pretty graphic so if blood makes you queasy, you may want to avoid this one.

What I Loved
1. The friendship between these girls was so well done. At no point was there any cattiness or competition. These girls supported each other through thick and thin. It was such a beautiful representation of strong, supportive friendships.
2. This did a really good job of building suspense. This book isn't a thriller by any means but the setting and lack of information give so much suspense to the story. For a lot of the book you're questioning everything.
3. The themes in here were fantastic. Not only was this a feminist story but it also brings to question what makes us human. It's one of my personal favorite themes, so I may be slightly biased, but I thought it was really well done.

What I Didn't Love
1. The reveal became pretty obvious around the half way point (and I had guessed it even earlier). So the big reveal wasn't as shocking as it could have been.
2. The ending did feel a little heaving handed. And it is extremely open ended! I have no idea if there is a sequel coming but there are a lot of loose ends left.

Overall I flew through this story. I was so captivated by the world and trying to figure out all the threads. And it covers some of my all-time favorite themes. I definitely recommend checking this out!

Damn. Full RTC

I received an arc of this from Simon and Schuster via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is wonderful and important and I drank up every word ❤❤❤

Summary
After a terrible year, and coming out as transgender Chris needs an escape. So he goes to stay with his aunt in a small town. His first day there, he almost runs over his new neighbor, Maia. Maia is battling her own demons after the recent and sudden death of her older sister. The two of them form and bond and slowly heal the wounds of the last year.

Overview
This is told in alternating chapters from dual POVs - Chris and Maia

This book is soft and precious but it definitely hits on some tough topics. Chris has just come out transgender and his parents are struggling with the revelation. Chris was beaten to the point of hospitalization by members of his track team. Maia's parents are divorced but still living together and the tension has created a uncomfortable and hostile living environment. And Maia's sister died suddenly of an undiscovered heart defect leaving her reeling about their strained relationship.

But while all of this could have been overwhelming, Amber Smith managed to make this book feel hopeful and inspiring.

Content Warnings: Bullying, Death, Homophobia

What I Liked
1. Everything. Honestly.
2. Chris and Maia's relationship made my heart burst. The handled each other with such care and respect. They helped each other through some insanely difficult things
3. The representation in this book was wonderful. While I personally don't identify with the representation, Amber Smith herself is queer. The author note at the end (which I highly recommend reading! It made me cry.) talks about her own experiences and her inspiration for the story.
4. That ending. I can't say too much because spoilers. But it was perfection.
5. This whole story felt so raw and real. Chris's parent's struggling, Maia lashing out and lying, Maia's parents shutting down. I loved how messy and imperfect things were. This story felt like it could belong to many people.
6. This book really focused on the importance of consent. Chris and Maia were always checking in with each other. While I love and sexy, domineering story as much as the next person, this was the real deal. This is what real love and respect is.

What I Didn't Like
There is literally nothing I didn't adore about this book. I was completely consumed by this story from start to finish and never wanted it to end.

Pick. Up. This. Book. ❤❤

The first 2/3 of this was a solid 5 star for me. But the last few pages brought it down a little. I enjoy a good open ended story but this one was a little to open for my taste.

Synopsis
This takes place in secluded college town in California. A college student falls asleep and no one can wake her. Now the sickness and panic are spreading as more and more people fall asleep.

Overview
This is a speculative fiction that definitely won't be for everyone. This story does not give reasoning or closure so if this is something you need, I'd suggest skipping this one. However if you love beautiful, dream like writing, mystery, and slow paced world building I can't recommend this enough!

What I Liked
1. The writing in this was absolutely beautiful. The entire book actually felt like a dream. Every time I picked this up I was immediately pulled in and absorbed into the world.
2. I read a lot of reviews that said they felt nothing for the characters but I didn't feel that way. Some of them I liked more than others (just like in real life) but I loved all the small snippets into so many lives. It was so interesting to get small moments throughout the experience from so many different points of view.
3. Mei was my favorite character. My heart broke for her. And her death hit me a lot harder than I anticipated

What I Didn't Like
1. My main complaint about the ending what HOW open ended it was. I can't really talk about this without getting spoiler-y so only continue if you've read the book.

Spoiler

I strongly disliked how Mei's story played out. She felt like the heart of the story and it was over and brushed aside SO quickly. I understand it was meant to hit hard, this was a tragic event. But I was still disappointed. On top of that, the couple that was put back to sleep (it was a little confusing) was a really strange choice...

Overall this is a story that will stick with me. I find myself thinking about this book a lot since I've finished it. If you're into open-ended, speculative fiction, please check this one out!