Review: I.D. by Emma Rios

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About the Book

A dystopian tale that analyzes the conflict between perception and identity through the struggle of three people who consider a 'body transplant' as a solution to their lives.

Review

This short graphic novel spoke to our very tumultuous time when it comes to society's understanding of identity, especially in regard to the larger amount of visibility transgender rights are getting now. It was not in any way conflated or pretentious, and really gave for a genuine reflection on how touchy overall this subject is, in relation to what is identity and what is "right." There was a moment that reflected upon the nature of humans desiring change, which really raised the question of whether or not this whole process of transmigration into new bodies would be ethical or just a choice humans should be given.

 Three strangers find themselves in a board room being told about how their consciousnesses will be transferred into another body and this story tells of how they cope with this choice. Although voluntary in nature, this procedure is risky and obviously life-altering to the extreme. It is not to be taken lightly and Rios does an incredibly good job at providing the necessary gravity of the situation through panel composition, writing, and expressive drawings. One detail I especially enjoyed was the choice to draw the comic in red, which I haven't come across too many times, but which I thought fit perfectly, as I consider red a very visceral color, one deeply connected with life and the body. 

The beginning was a little bit clunky, but once we were given the full dish of what was going on, I was enthralled. The story is vitally reverent and introspective, one that could bring up a great deal of discussion if you wanted to corral an unsuspecting reading club. Overall, I thought it was an excellent read, although short, and I would certainly love to see what Emma Rios does in the future.

Review: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

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About the Book

KINGDOMS WILL RISE AND FALL FOR HER…
“Cat” Catalia Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods—and her homicidal mother—have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever.
 
BUT NOT IF SHE CAN HELP IT
Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm—until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic. Cat fights him at every turn, but Griffin’s fairness, loyalty, and smoldering advances make him increasingly hard to resist and leave her wondering if life really does have to be short, and lived alone.

Review

Truth be told, I took as long as humanly possible to finish this book because I enjoyed it so much. This is absolutely the kind of book you could read in a day or two, it grips you and pulls you along, making it hard for you to put it down. But I managed to take awhile, dragging it out, letting me live in a wondrous, mythologically infused world for a little longer.

I'm not an avid romance novel reader. I have read my fair share, but I don't naturally gravitate toward them. This novel fortunately brings a unique medieval fantasy world to life and that's what kept me reading.

Cat has a deep dark past and a prophecy to boot. These things would be cliche if the book didn't manage to do a damn good job at making these tropes new and interesting. The world building was great and all of the characters genuinely seemed very well rounded and mostly lovable. Stubbornness tends to show up in romance novel heroines, but yet again, Cat come across as a very fleshed out character with very understandable motives and ambitions. You really just want Cat to dish out all of her secrets, because you really do root for her.

Another way in which this novel succeeded was in the author's style and tone. She made it very funny when need be and very tense and stressful at other times. She was very adept at keeping me intrigued.

Overall, I truly have very few qualms this novel and I definitely enjoyed it. In all earnestness, I will be getting my paws on the next in the series, because A Promise of Fire got me hooked!

Review: The After of Us (Judge Me Not #4) by: S.R. Grey

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I first want to say that I hadn’t read any books in the Judge Me Not series or any by S.R. Grey. However, it was possible to read this book without reading the previous ones since it was based on a supporting character in the last one. 

I’m very unsure about my rating for this book. I didn’t hate it, but I definitely didn’t love it. It just was sort of meh for me. On the scale, it either was a 2 star or 3 star. 

I think the biggest issue that I had with it was the pacing of the plot. It just felt wrong. Everything happened too fast, and because of that I didn’t really have a sense of time. Also, I was constantly waiting for something to happen, but it never did. Will had made his choice pretty earlier on, and there wasn’t much else to the plot. There wasn’t really much of his “dream” incorporated in the plot. 

The book had a very inspirational "follow your dreams " ending. I don’t have an issue with that, but in this particular book it felt out of place. The ending felt incomplete and a little cliché. I wasn’t left wanting more. 

Characters

I didn’t hate any of the characters; I just didn’t have a good enough sense of who they were. Will was a nice guy. Emma was nice, as well. I liked that she was welcoming towards Lily. 

I didn’t really believe Will and Emma’s love story. It felt very insta-love to me. I wish there was more build up and some angst. When they finally got together, it was sort of boring. 

I didn’t really witness any huge character development. Will had a few minor changes. 

I felt like Cassie’s story wasn’t finished. Early on, there was a chapter in her POV, so one would think that she would have a bigger role. The chapter felt random because that was the last we saw of her. I wish she would’ve played a bigger role in the story. If Cassie had been included more in the story, maybe there would have been more angst? 

The small amount of drama that did occur could’ve easily been avoided if Will and Emma had communicated. Also, I expected to have more moments with Will and his daughter. However, the few that were provided were cute. 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, The After of Us was a quick read, without any serious angst. The main problem I encountered was that the story developed fairly quickly which resulted in certain relationships and plots to feel rushed or out of place. All in all, the book wasn’t awful, it just was missing a little extra something and a few more pages to flesh out the story. 

Review: Some Kind of Perfect by Krista and Becca Ritchie

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About the Book

Falling in love was just the beginning

The conclusion to the epic ten-book series about the unbreakable strength of family, friendship, and love. 

Lily & Lo are back one final time. Childhood best friends and soul mates.

Ryke & Daisy are back one final time. Wild risk-takers and flirty adventurers.

Connor & Rose are back one final time. Genius rivals and intellectual teammates. 

Ten years of laughter. Of heartache. And love.

Review

“We all grow older. In a blink of an eye, our children will grow old too. And I’ll think: just yesterday they were twenty. Headed for college. Falling in love. Memories will flood behind us, the lake house no longer filled to the brim. As quiet as the moment we first walked in- and we’ll sit on this hill. Feeling the stillness that exists. And then we end-we end where we started. Just us. All six of us.” – Loren Hale

I’ve been putting off writing this review for three reasons. One, I’m not sure how to properly describe my feelings. Two, I’m still highly emotional about the book. And three, when the words hit the page there is no escaping the reality that the Addicted Series is over. I will never read in the POV of Ryke, Daisy, Lily, Loren, Connor, and Rose’s again. This was the end . It’s over, and it hurts like hell.

I’m going to try my best to make this a semi-decent review but please bear with me. I’m already crying, and I haven’t even started talking about the characters yet. Also there will be grammatical errors. Unfortunately, pretending to be a writer hasn’t made me a writer. 

I knew going in that Some Kind of Perfect was going to make me a casualty. I was prepared mentally and physically. I knew it was going to hurt, but I wasn’t sure how much. I was extremely excited for this book. I was so ready for it. In my mind I knew it was the last book but it didn’t fully register until I saw the book on my Kindle. 

In that moment, I realized that I wasn’t strong enough, and that I wanted to go back in time. I was scared, not of what would happen in the book, just of the fact that it was over and I wouldn’t know how to move on. However, I pushed my feelings aside and powered through. 

Afterwards, I felt numb, and I kept replaying scenes in my head. Scenes that made me cry and laugh. This prompted me to go back and read those scenes, and then I started crying again. It is safe to say that I was a mess. 

Some Kind of Perfect ruined me . I expected nothing less from it. In case, you can’t infer my rating of this book, I’m giving it five perfect, beautiful, loving stars . It deserves many imaginary stars as well. I regret finishing the book so fast. I wish I could go back and tell myself to slow down and appreciate every sentence, every word. 

I feel like I lost a part of me. I'm not sure what to do with my life now. I’m not sure how to explain this feeling, but after reading this book, I don’t want to do anything, but read it again. The joy and heartbreak that this book brought was massive and I don’t think another book could and will make me feel like this. 

This was a beautiful and perfect goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got it. Thank you, Krista and Becca! 

The Characters

I met these six characters when they all were still in college (high school for Daisy). I’ve seen them become better and stronger, and also finding themselves. I’ve seen marriages, deaths, and the birth of their children. I feel as if I’ve been with them for a lifetime. I spent ten books with these characters and loved every second of it. There will never be another set of characters like them. 

I’m extremely very proud of them. They have all come so far, and they deserve every bit of happiness that they have. I’m overwhelmed with happiness of where they all ended up. I’m honestly such a proud mom. I’ve seen them at their lowest, but I’ve also seen them slay those dragons and be the best that they can be. I’m just very proud of them. 

Each character has showcased an amazing amount of character development. Not one character was in the same position or mindset that they were in at the beginning of the series.  

I recently saw something on Facebook that summed up each couple at the end of the series. Lily and Loren are thriving. Ryke and Daisy are exploring. Connor and Rose are conquering. 

Thanks for Krista and Becca for creating six amazing, flawed, beautiful characters who I love so dearly. Six amazing strong and unique characters who will always live in my heart. They are unforgettable. It’s so hard to say goodbye to them. 

I wish these characters were real. I wish there was a TV series or movie because I want to see more of them. I will never grow tired of them. 

Lily

“My tears brims, and I see us fly beyond our lowest expectations for ourselves, all the hard parts where our addictions tried to weigh us down. We flew.” -Lily

Lily Martha Hale is precious, and will always be. I’m in awe of how much she has grown. Her strength is mind-blowing. She is a superhero, an incredible mom, and a great sister and wife. I’m willing to fight anyone who says otherwise.

We were introduced to Lily when she was 20 years old. She was at rock bottom. Her and Loren were pretend “dating” so that their families wouldn’t be aware of their addictions. Now 9 books later and 17 years later, Lily and Loren are married and have four adorable children. It was great to see Lily as a mother. I know she had a few doubts, but she’s doing incredible. 

It makes me emotional when I go back to the early books. I just want to hug her and tell her that everything will be okay and that she will get through this. Her addiction will not defeat her. 

I loved her media references. I am a huge fangirl so I enjoy seeing her use fandom slang and talk about pop culture. I would love to fangirl with her. Lily would be the ultimate best friend. Lily has taught me that everyone is strong, and everyone is able to overcome anything.

Loren

“I’m upright. I’m standing. I’m alive.” – Lo

I feel like Lo would probably hate me because I hate tacos and enjoy DC comics but oh well. I love him anyway. It’s crazy to think that a couple of books ago, Lo was scared of bringing children into this world, and now years later, he is a great father to four beautiful children. 

I enjoyed the callback to Addicted to You (the first book in the series) in this book, - “Cheekbones that cut like ice. Eyes like liquid scotch. He’s much more than an alcoholic beverage, and he knows it.” This quote got me because it shows how far he has come. 

He’s sober. Loren Hale is sober and he’s healthy. And he’s alive. He has had more than his share of dark days, but he came out on top. Lo has taught me that there is someone out there who will love your flaws. Like Lily, Lo has taught me that we can overcome anything. 

Rose

“I have everything I’ve desired. I have him. I have them. This dining room breathes life the way that I only imagined. What else left is to say and do? I’m already triumphant. I’m already proud of him, of them, and of me.”- Rose

It’s no secret that Rose is Queen. But in case you wasn’t aware, Rose Calloway Cobalt is queen and you should bow. If Rose were to walk over me in her 5inch heels, I would literally beam with pride because that would be an honor. I'm not kidding when I say that Rose is queen. She is so regal that I inspire to be her every day. 

Rose and Connor’s banter is very prominent in this book. Their banter is one of the many things I love about them. 

I love Rose and all her hyperboles and threats. I love the love she has for her sisters, Connor, and her children. She would do anything for them. If you were to go to war, you would want Rose on your side. Actually, if you were to go to war, you would want the entire Hot Tempered Triad on your side. 

I want to take a moment to appreciate the incredible friendships and sister bond in this book. I love the relationship between Rose's and her sisters. They are all extremely close, and no matter what they always have each other's back. The same with the friendships. The Addicted Series showcases that friendship are just as important as romantic relationships. 

Rose has taught me that having confidence isn’t something you should be afraid of. You should own it. 

Connor

“I’m in love. With so much more than just myself. This truth will never fracture.” – Connor

Richard Connor Cobalt is so sassy and a genius, but I love it. In Some Kind of Perfect, Connor got his empire. 7 Kids . 7 unique and beautiful kids. The Cobalt boys are a little mischievous, but like their parents, they have a good heart. They are a 100% here for their family. 

In Kiss the Sky, Connor stated that he simply did not love. But at the end, he realized that love was very much real. Now years later, I cry at his love for his children, his friends, and Rose. In a time of despair and chaos, Connor is the force that would keep everything calm. You look to him. 

He is water, while Rose is fire. Connor and Rose are the ultimate power couple, the king and the queen. Connor has taught me that you should be with someone who treats you as their equal. 

Daisy

“No matter what happens, no matter where we go, we’re living an awfully big adventure.”- Daisy

I have this theory that Daisy is literal sunshine. 

Out of all the sisters, I was the most emotional about Daisy being a mother. We were introduced to Daisy when she was 15 years old. She was literally a child. She was extremely lost at that age, and now when I look at Daisy I cry at how far she has come. She has found her voice. She has found love. She runs a camp. She is a great mother, and has an outstanding friendship with Willow Moore. 

In LWD, I witnessed how much she wanted to become a mother. And when she did, it was a beautiful moment. In SKoP, she has two beautiful daughters and I can’t even; I just get so emotional. It feels like yesterday that she was so young and struggling with so much and now she’s healthy and happy. 

Daisy has taught me that it is okay to not be okay, and that we all should thrive to find our voice. Also, that sometimes we have to put ourselves ahead of others. 

Ryke

“Our music exists right here. We’re alive. We’re alive.”- Ryke

Ryke Meadows is so sweet. He’s rough on the outside, but has the kindest heart. Ryke loves with all of his heart. And when it comes to the kids, he’s such a pushover. I love it! I love his relationship with his brother. He would literally do anything for Lo; same with Daisy. That’s an amazing love. 

In the earlier books, Ryke hid his feelings about Daisy because of the age difference. Now, he and Daisy are together without fear. Like Daisy, he put others’ needs ahead of his. 

Ryke had a low point in LWD, and it’s good to see him better in Some Kind of Perfect. Ryke has taught me to never give up on someone and to be respectful towards others. 

The Next Gen

The core six are incredible parents. I enjoyed how each couple raised their children a different way. They did a great job raising these kids. 

In Some Kind of Perfect, we met the next generation. And I must say that I love them already. Each kid has their own unique personality. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for them. It is worth mentioning here, that I loved the origins of all of their names.

I’m confident that I will love the Like Us series as much as I love this one. The Meadows, Hale, and Cobalt kids already own me. I wish I could go into detail about every single child, but I don’t have time. 

Also, Protect Luna Hale at all cost! Actually, protect them all! None of these children deserve any negativity or heartbreak in their lives. 

Damaged Like Us comes out at the end of the year, and I’m already excited for Jane, Sullivan, and Moffy. 

Final Thoughts

If you’re on the fence about reading this series, please read it. You won’t regret it. These characters are amazing, and you can’t help but love them. Also, Krista and Becca are so sweet. 

I know it’s long, but it is worth it. Important themes, friendships, and relationships are so prominent in this series. You will easily fall in love with these characters; and will witness so many funny, heartbreaking, loving, and OMG moments. 

One thing that I enjoyed about the series are the little moments. The moments when Rose does a hair flip. The moments when Lily says the Nerd Stars have powers; the moments when Ryke messes with Daisy’s hair. And the moments when Loren and Connor “flirt”. There are many others, and all of them just melt my heart. They’re subtle, but it feels so real. It makes me smile so big, and I find myself reading those tiny moments as much as I read the big ones. I'll miss these moments a lot. 

Some Kind of Perfect was a perfect conclusion to this series. It showcased every theme, friendship, and relationship that was present in the previous books. 

It was everything that I wanted and more. It made me cry, but it also brought me so much joy. This series is one that I will never forget about. In the future, I could see myself rereading this series over and over again. It’s going to be tough not reading in the Core Six’s POV again, but I’ll be okay. 

With this, I say see you later. I refuse to say goodbye, because like mentioned earlier, I’m going to reread the series. And also, I’ll see these characters again in Whatever It Takes and the Like Us series. 

So see you later, Lo, Lily, Ryke, Daisy, Connor, and Rose. I loved your adventures and stories. But it time to go, my loves. But I'll see you again. Always know, that I love you so.

“I’ve always loved winning, but I would lengthen the time it takes us to reach the end, just to spend one more second with you.”- Connor Cobalt

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

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About the Book

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. 

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world. 

Review

Let me start off by saying, that I’ve heard many incredible things about Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. The booktube world is practically in love with her. So it is safe to say my expectations for this book were pretty high. 

After reading less than three chapters of Throne of Glass, I stopped. It started off too slow for me but I couldn’t fault it. I hadn’t got to the heart of the book yet. I finally decided to give it another go but was disappointed. I think part of that is because my expectations were too high. In theory, this book would have been perfect for me. I mean who doesn’t want to read a book about an assassin? I do understand the hype. It has all the ingredients there, it just wasn’t for me. 

One of the main issue, I had was that it was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. Did Celaena kill anyone in this book? I don’t think she did. We were told she was this great assassin, but we were never shown. Don’t get me wrong, I completely believe she is a great assassin; we’re only reminded once every page. I just wanted some proof that she was. 

Also, a lot of the action happened off screen. We barely got much of the challenges for the competition. I would have enjoyed for there to have been more about the competition. Personally, I feel it would have made the book stronger for me. Because of this, I felt like the book skipped around a lot; it would casually mention what happened in the competition and other important details. 

There was a lot of information withheld. I know this is the first book and you wouldn’t want to give too much away, but I at least wanted something that would have gave me a little more insight and left me drooling for more. The withholding of information was sort of annoying. 

Main Character
It took me more than a few hundred pages for Celaena to grow on me. There were times where I was frustrated at her. 

I admire that she was a strong assassin who kicked butt. I really liked that about her. Celaena is smart, sarcastic, and like mentioned earlier pretty BA. Also, Celaena is great; she’ll remind you a lot. I read some reviews where some people didn’t like how often Celaena told the audience that she was great, but I didn’t mind it as much. 

I enjoyed Celaena's friendship with Nehemia. 

Romance
The love triangle wasn’t very prominent in this book. And as of right now, I don’t want Dorian or Chaol to end up with Celaena. That might change if I continue on. I personally feel like there hasn’t been much development from either sides. I’m enjoying their friendship as of right now. 

I liked Dorian. Like Celaena, Chaol took a while to grow on me. 

The Plot
Throughout, the book I was expecting something BIG to happen. When it finally happened, I was a tad bit disappointed. The plot was predictable, and because of this I felt that some parts dragged on a little too long. I must admit that while I was listening, it was easy to get distracted or zone out. 

The one part that I did really enjoy was the final competition between the two competitors. That part actually made me want to sit down and read what is going on. It was very intense and the description was great; and I feel like that if the entire book had been like that scene, my rating for it would be much higher. Also, I assumed that the glass castle would have played a somewhat bigger role in the plot.

Final Thoughts
I’ve decided to read the next book with the hope that maybe I will grow to love it like the others. I’ve read some reviews from the newest book in the series, so I’m highly aware of the issues that some people had with it. 

Review: Camp Midnight by Steven T. Seagle

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About the Book

Ben 10 and Big Hero 6 creator Steven T. Seagle returns to comics with New Yorker Magazine cartoonist Jason Adam Katzenstein for a new graphic novel! Reluctant Skye is accidentally sent to the wrong summer camp. Not wanting to please her "step monster," Skye is dead-set on not fitting in. That won't be a problem, as everyone at Camp Midnight-with the exception of fellow camper and fast-friend Mia-is a full-fledged monster! The perfect book for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile, but wish it had more bowls of gooey eyeballs.

Review

This graphic novel was an absolutely lovely read. This title in particular would be an excellent choice for teenagers wanting to start reading graphic novels or comics, as it was a funny coming-of-age tale about Skye, a girl surrounded by monstrous circumstances and how she can learn from the difficulties in her life.

Skye, somewhere around fourteen years old, is handed off from parent to parent after her folks' recent divorce, but this summer her step-mom rallies for her to be sent off to summer camp. What seems to be a nightmare, slowly turns into a wonderful experience. Skye meets Mia, a girl with a mysterious form, and the two of them learn that they aren't so different from the other kids, although they are not the same.

This graphic novel was hilariously written and drawn, having a lot of hilarious panels with big, over the top expressions. The color choices throughout were aesthetically pleasing and fit well for the tone of a camp that operates during the night time hours. The writing was funny and fast paced and made for a quick enjoyable read.

This graphic novel gives us Skye, a girl in the middle of a divorced set of parents, which will really allow for teenagers in a similar situation to be able to have a protagonist reeling from the same issue. Skye learns that you can give people a chance to have a better life and that although somethings are out of your control, you can still learn some valuable lessons. 

Overall, I thought this was a lovely, easy read and would definitely recommend it!