ritsukas's reviews
337 reviews

rating:4.5 stars

reread nov 7, 2019
okay i've always said this one is more slow paced than its predecessor and i like it less, but come on. i've always said rereads do the trick when it comes to changing your mind. it totally worked, i love it now-

rating: 5 stars

sept 23, 2019 (one night before)
i did it. i caved and bought the indigo edition. it's so pretty though-
also. baz. simon. penny. please be okay thanks its for my sanity.

oct 2, 2019
um hellooo?? i loved this book? i know this isn't the sequel everyone wanted. it felt like a bridge book or a filler, which rainbow rowell subtly confirmed herself. but i thought it was brilliant.

i love love love baz so much. and simon. and everyone. but simon especially is so adorable and his character development this book? *chefs kiss.* as for what rowell did to them this book though... we don't speak of it. unacceptable. it was the only thing i didn't like about the book. in some ways i get it, but at the same time... why? the transition from [b:Carry On|32768522|Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)|Rainbow Rowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481729252l/32768522._SX50_.jpg|43346673] to this in terms of their relationship felt so off putting.

shepard was also such a great addition to the book. i ship him with a certain someone... *cough cough* and i know the fandom is torn on liking or hating him, but i love him. he adds a new dynamic to the group and while he might not fit in completely yet i really can't wait to see what his arc will be in the third book.

as for the plot, it was probably more laid back than most people wanted. carry on was this intense fantasy wizarding story and wayward son was the complete opposite: a roadtrip to america. yes it was a big 180, but i enjoyed it. i kept comparing carry on to harry potter, but wayward son felt like it's own unique book which i liked a lot more. maybe the story was ridiculous but then again, this whole world is. i can't be mad at that.

but the cliffhanger? rude. very rude indeed. seems like the plot will finally be going in the direction most people want. my only hope is that [b:Any Way the Wind Blows|52190991|Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow, #3)|Rainbow Rowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570117159l/52190991._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73610676] comes soon. maybe not 2-3 years this time would be nice? much appreciated and thanks in advance-

rating:4.75 stars

this. was. so. cute.

i absolutely loved this book. and i think the no romance aspect (as in, the main character didn't fall in love with the main boy or something) made it so much better because then we could actually focus on the real issues and problems in the plot.

let me just say straight off the bat that the representation in this book was incredible. you have a main character that is bisexual and black (with a white mom so we get to explore that aspect as well), a demi sexual boy (with mother/family issues (for once it's not the dad?)), a gay korean boy and a lesbian girl. like wow. and their sexualities actually play a part in the book. and it's not harmful representation. and... it's just great.

not to mention that all the characters were so loveable and relatable?

Spoiler

the whole plotline of aled not wanting to go to university and hating it there was so heartbreaking. and i felt it too because being someone who might be thinking the same way, it hit me. and raine? getting options from carys about not going to university because she did that and still got a job and was still financially stable? it gave me hope. and i loved it. it was nice to hear that there are more out there than doing the stereotypical going to university thing.

Spoiler

another mini rant but i also loved how frances thought she had to go to post secondary because it was required and she wanted to go into a certain field because she was good at it. and then the growth of her realizing that she didn't need to do that? incredible. the development and relatively was so good it made my heart hurt.

the plot overall was adorable. the podcasts and everything, the way i could feel the joy radiating from the characters through the pages at universe city and the world they built, it was so beautiful. everything about this book was beautiful really, and that's why i loved it so much. my only minor problem was that the climax felt like it happened halfway through the book and the rest was just resolution/falling action. the end fell a little shorter for me than the build up but i still loved the book nevertheless.

rating: 4.25 stars

before i say anything else i gotta say: bliss lai, my new girl crush. this book was beautiful. in every single aspect. i loved it so so much and alice oseman has never failed to amaze me with the immense amount of diversity.

i mean:
- angel is a bisexual muslim female
- jimmy is a gay trans male
- bliss is a bisexual asian female
- rowan is a black male
- lister is bisexual (and he wears dresses!)

like seriously? incredible.
this book explored so much.

angel, whose whole life revolves around the arc. she doesn't understand what her life is without them. they have been the center of her world for so long she even pushes away her school life to see them in concert. and when she finally realizes maybe they aren't the exact things she's been imagining in her head, her world goes to shambles.

the idea of finding yourself was huge in this book. figuring out who you are when you have nothing to lean on. testing your limits and seeing where you draw the line.

same goes for jimmy, who has dealt with severe anxiety since joining the arc. his struggles were painful to read about since they were so so real, but it made everything so much more authentic. jimmy goes through hell. you see him slowly grow more and more paranoid, grow more and more anxious and panicky until he breaks. and it's truly a wonderful journey (not that... any of his anxiety is great) to read about.

the ending gave me so much hope. and although i thought it ended a bit abruptly (probably because i didn't realize when i flipped the page there was no more), it was conclusive and realistic, which is always great.

i can't wait to read more of oseman's books, having read [b:Radio Silence|30653843|Radio Silence|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1467051579l/30653843._SY75_.jpg|45055773] and loving it. [b:Loveless|42115981|Loveless|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564142809l/42115981._SY75_.jpg|65704946] is coming out next year and i'm so excited for it. a book surrounding an aro-ace character with none of that horrific "cure" idea. stunned.

rating:4 stars

this book will always hold a special place in my heart: its the one which got me into reading. but now as i get older, i started to see flaws in this book that i didn't before. that and the fact that i'm even further from rick's demographics. but that isn't to say this book isn't still my favourite thing in the world though, because let's face it, it always will be.

rating: 5 stars

i've read this twice now and it doesn't disappoint. from the pacing, to the plot, to the characters and the world building and- well. i could go on forever.

renegades sets up wonderfully. a world with superheroes and villains, with the idea of morals playing a huge role. for the "good" side, we have the renegades. and the anarchists representing the supposed "bad" side. with two main characters from each, we get a great perspective of the different ideals from the groups.

nova and adrian are beautiful. their individual arcs throughout the course of the book are so well done.

nova, who has only ever known the anarchists for her whole life, suddenly realizing maybe the renegades aren't that bad. she wavers constantly and questions her morality, especially when she begins to make friends within people who are supposed to be her enemies. and adrian, who is so so pure and has a heart of gold but so much more. innocent as hell yes but someone who must be protected at all costs. i mean the sandwiches? hello?

their chemistry is gorgeous. they balance each other out perfectly and who isn't a sucker for a good enemies to lovers trope.

as for the rest of the characters, they are just as lovable. hugh and simon serve as adrian's dads (a powerful gay couple who literally run the world? love that for us) as well as max's, who is basically adrian's little brother. he, just like adrian, is so precious and pure. something in those everhart genes huh? and then there's oscar and ruby, who are cute as fuck. we don't talk about danna. leroy, honey again, we don't talk about ingrid are... lovable in their own way i guess. but hey, as long as they treat my girl nova well it's all good.

as for the plot, it may seem like your typical superhero story but it is so much more. it leaves you questioning, wondering, on the edge of your seat as it shifts from action scenes to romantic scenes to WHAT THE FUCK scenes. as i said before, the pacing is great. i was never really bored, even as we were doing exposition—there was always something to keep your attention. and the ending? i didn't see it coming.

all in all, this book was wonderful. and so is the rest of the trilogy. the twists are perfect and the characters are incredibly developed. truly one of my favourite books.

rating:4 stars

i really loved this. it hooked me and i was intrigued throughout the whole book, and i loved use of flashbacks to the past while simultaneously reading in the present. the connections between the dual timelines were incredible.

though it was a little slow in the beginning, when it picked up i couldn't put the book down. i sped through the end so quickly and it doesn't help that the ending is a cliffhanger because all i want is the next book.

as for the characters, i won't go into much depth into each one specifically since they're all (in my opinion) extremely underdeveloped. i felt like i didn't even know who they were at the end of the book, and whatever romances were canon felt like they popped up out of nowhere.

in general though, this book is great. like i said, the only downfall is the characters, but it's more of a minor annoyance to me.

rating:5 stars

rick's books were getting repetitive. they have a routine: go on a quest, find an enemy, defeat the enemy, move on. but thank god he finally broke that cycle, and this is the book that did it. i truly loved it, one of my favourite books from him for sure.

consensus rating:4.5 stars

individual stories:
welcome to the shadowhunter academy // 4 stars
the lost herondale // 4 stars
the whitechapel fiend // 5 stars
nothing but shadows // 5 stars
the evil we love // 3 stars.
pale kings and princes // 4 stars
bitter of tongue // 5 stars
the fiery trial // 5 stars
born to endless night // 5 stars
angels twice descending // 5 stars

rating:2 stars

apparently in this world, you need to get with a man by the end, even if there is no real suitor for the main character. when i tell you there is no chemistry between her and the man she picks... yikes. if anything, hale had more chemistry with her and he's gay. like honestly-