Maybe if I had read this series from the beginning I would have been more invested,but I didn't and this book was not for me.

I tried reading it several times, but could not do so. Unfortunately it is a pass for me

The characters were very flat and boring. The world-building felt clunky and distorted at times. I couldn't continue after a few chapters.

DNF. It was very boring. The characters weren't compelling enough to carry the story, and the world-building was very bare and dry. The premise was more interesting than the story itself, unfortunately.

I couldn't get past the book's first few pages because they were confusing. I am not the target audience, and I didn't really enjoy it as much as I would have if I had been. Unfortunately, it was a DNF for me.

The epic battle between Eli(lawful evil) vs Victor (neutral evil) continues with even bigger threats (Marcella and the emergence of EON) and even more of the same plot points from the last novel.

*Light Spoilers Below* *Light Spoilers Below*

An organization/mercenary type person is hunting Extra Ordinary people (mutants)

Victor, Sydney and Mitch are on the run.

A unforeseeable problem makes it incredibly complicated for the trio to stay hidden.

Victor must stop blank in order to stop Eli to save Sydney.

Cool shit happens in between.

*End of Light Spoilers*

Despite knowing all this I still had fun reading it and I instead to continue reading anything written by V.E. Schwab. I like having fun when I'm reading. I'll probably not continue with this series though, it is getting kind of stale unfortunately. If you like the first one though you will most likely enjoy this one as well.

POSSIBLE TRIGGER: GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF A FAILED SUICIDE ATTEMPT

Pocero was a simple man, a rich man, a beloved man who owned his city until he didn't. After a failed suicide attempt he stumbles unto the fable village of Marinaleda in Andalusia. A village where "without unemployment, laws or police and no one makes a cent more than anyone else ". Unfortunately for Pocero, this turns out to be a lie, Marinaleda is just a poor village, a poor village with very a charismatic but ineffectual Marxist mayor, Jesús who rarely gets anything meaningful done. The story mainly focuses on two converging interpretations of Jesús views for the future. The vehicle for the first interpretation is Pocero, the ardent crusader for not only Jesús but for the cause. On the other hand we have Magdalena, the skeptic, not necessarily a capitalist, but not entirely against it either. I wish I could say there was a more nuanced discussion on the merits of both ideals, but alas there was not. Much of the writing heavily favors the vilification of capitalism and the over glorification of socialism while flirting with the ideals of communism. There isn't a council, opposing views are often met with violent resistance, Jesús has complete control of the village and no one questions that. But HUZZAH! SOCIALISM! Even in these contradictory moments I can't help but love this series even more because it challenged me to be more critical of my own thinking rather than my neighbors'. It felt personal. What show more happened between Magdalena and Pocero at the end, i felt that. I truly emphasized with the impoverished village of Marinaleda. I was saddened by what happened with Jesús. And I hope the citizens of Marinaleda find their paradise. This is super political and it starts off with a suicide attempt. So please reconsider if you find either one upsetting. show less

I really tried, I was really rooting for Jane but she became so insufferable and I can't get behind that trope of characters pretending to heed warnings and then proceed to do the exact thing they were warned about. Why is Augustine a catch exactly?! Why is he her Achilles heel? Like why? Why is she more invested in Elodie and Augustine than her own safety? ......

This book had everything I wanted ,except the payoff; a female lead that actually rebelled or provided some sort of resistance to the toxic/problematic male lead. Now I understand that the Dark Romance genre has a simple formula; these two enigmatic people have "reasons" they just have to be in this f$%*ed relationship, at least one of them as to be truly awful, but really charming and the female lead has to "resist" their courtship throughout the entirety of the book, except the female does not resist and that's what I find so frustrating. Why can't any of these female leads follow through on their threats, why can't they do what they say they're gonna do? Everything other chapter in this damn book was about Jule's vague threats or her plans on revenge, getting me hyped up. I was waiting and I was ready! Nothing, absolutely nothing happens. Is like his eggplant gives her amnesia. I want females in Dark Romances to have some agency, please! I'm gonna still read for the sex, of course, but I'm going to be a little bit more selective, because you can't have me sifting through chapters of the female lead basically listing off reasons why he should not be trusted in any capacity and yet never puts her needs above his and has to consisently remind us that he does in fact do good things for other people. Why can't the female lead get hers? Why 't the ending be like I set up him pretty good.

This book has me feeling very conflicted. Despite all this, I still enjoyed this book and will probably continue the series. Ignoring problematic themes and overused tropes in this retelling of Beauty of the Beast was difficult. I'm tired of abusive people getting a free pass because of "reasons". If I have to hear another character say "he or she is a softie underneath" or "Give them some time". I'm going to lose it! Let us do away with the headstrong heroine archetype (especially if it is not executed well) and accept that they are not brave and resilient, but naive, stupid, and most likely a victim of abuse. Having the character not only recognize their lack of critical thinking skills and having them continue blundering forward is exhausting. A pimp is a pimp regardless if he is a nice pimp. These are just some of the things that annoyed me with this book, but I did love the atmosphere, the world-building, the political conflict, the hard choices, and ultimately that pep talk at the end changed the overall trajectory for me. I also enjoyed the slower pacing of the romantic subplot and the daily interactions between the mythical creatures and the leads. Just a fair warning though, Sorcha has a good heart, so be warned that there is the continued theme of her being trapped or willingly (or subconsciously) choosing unequal power dynamics in almost all of her relationships. There is also trauma bonding. The spice was very bland, but ok. This is usually not my cup of tea, show more but this was a fun quick read. show less

Even though I loved most iterations of Scooby-Doo, Zombie Island is by far the best reimagining of Scooby and the gang. I loved the fact that Daphne kept her feminity but wasn't defined by it. She was ambitious, strong-willed, independent, and could define herself without detracting from her feminity. Velma on the other was the only one that always got short-changed in almost every adaptation. I was always hoping they would go in a much needed different direction for her character. The guys were always pretty much the same. I was really hoping that they would bring that same energy to this endeavor. Don't get me wrong, the ride was still fun overall, it was just lacking in building something interesting between the two female leads. Daphne is ridiculously arrogant for no reason. They tried various ways to justify her arrogant and superiority complex by devling into some half-baked backstory but that immediately falls apart when her friends blossoms into an attractive young lady. Would you blow up your friendship over some petty shit like that? I mean, really? Anyways, then we have Daphne who has anger issues, interesting at first, but after seeing her abuse Velma for the upteenth time I was over it. I was really hoping Velma would have socked her,real talk. The adventures between Fred and Shaggy is by far the best part. I was all about that. The stupid shit Fred says is sometimes funny and breaks up the sometimes monotonous beats of the overall plot/story. Shaggy and show more Scooby-Doo's relationship is sooo cute. I LOVE THEM. I'm hoping it gets better next volume, still fun though. show less

*Spoilers*

This volume is making me think that this series will inevitably to jump the shark. At first I thought nothing could ever be too "hammy". I was wrong. Lottie was being extra in these last issues. Like really bratty, desperate and over clingy over Caroline (IT WAS ONE KISS, CALM THE F@CK DOWN!). Then Virgil is suddenly a member of Seal team six going on missions with his brother(?), who literally shows up out of nowhere. That detective is a shell of a character he needs to be scrapped. What, exactly is his purpose? Sunny cares more about what is going on than he does. Whatever. Ashley is suddenly "way into" his best friend. That wedding fiasco and that nonchalant reveal at the end was everything. I can't say I am totally committed to finishing the series at the point. The novelty is kind of wearing off. I still love the outfits though.

Quick side-note:

Roscoe/Reggie and Cute-girl's camp outfits

This seems to depart from Lemming's usual formula for the Mead Mishap series. Unlike like the previous books in the series the pacing is inconsistent. At least 60-70% of the book is at a very leisurely, exploratory pace. Which is confusing, quite frankly a lot of the narrative devices used were very dubious or just misplaced. Like damsel saving herself was so confusing to me. Why is Cherry (one of the mains) so causal about being imprisoned on an island with only a dragon and these humanoid-looking frogs to keep her "company"? She can't talk to anyone, is isolated, seems depressed, and hasn't seen her family in 5 years. IN FIVE YEARS! And her whole demeanor is oh well.
OH WELL!?
I would be losing my mind after a month, but I digress. Then Dante walks in and I'm conflicted about him being drugged by Cherry. Cherry is kind of sorry she drugged him. He was under the influence when he "kidnapped" her, but she also asked him to take her home....Then we find out later on that the dragon who held her hostage was trying to take her back to her village but she reminded her of his dead wife, so he had to keep her..... oopsie!..

I still enjoyed this book (mostly the last 150 pages) but please let me vent.

So after we established that Dante is no longer the baddie, he wants to help her do whatever she wants, like maybe reuniting with her family? No, let's go exploring

Ok, we've done that big finale epic rescue, the declaration of love, and that questionable interlude, I think it is show more time to see we look for your family...right? ......RIGHT?

This book was just ok....oh btw she does reunite with her sister on the very last page :) show less

I made It halfway through before i started skimming the rest of the book. I don't care how this story ends.

Thank You NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

I had to rework this review so many times because this poetry collection had and still evokes so many conflicting emotions that it is hard to articulate properly. There is this strange marriage of brutality and vitality that continues throughout that is hard to encapsulate any emotion let alone one so immensely prominent as the sense of a neverending absence/loss of a culture and its people. You feel capsized by the endless deluge of despair, abject terror, destruction, and even hope. It is disarmingly gentle and melodic in its description of war, begging the question "Are you ok, truly ok?" And what would the proper response be anyway? All this is to say that it touched me deeply. The narrative thread feels like it was written in an ancient text describing a part of a time, a part of a country that no longer exists, like Mesopotamia or something, almost like a living artifact. But Palestine exists and so do its people.

Highly Recommend.

The world was very enchanting and very well-paced. Ophelia is a worthy main character. Her vitality, grit, stubbornness, and mostly heart kept me reading. This world is akin to magical realism and steampunk than anything else. I don't say too much about prose and such, but this one was rather unique. Just a few things, however, the mechanics of the world is rather confusing. The magic used is not explained well. There is a blurb at the beginning of the book and characters explain the limitations of their magic, but how and why it functions the way it does is left open-ended. The passage of time is not explained either. It is day and now it is night. It was spring and now it's fall. A great detail was particularly focused on "pale nobles" with breathtaking features and unblemished skin. It was interesting, to say the least, and I thought nothing of it until the only person of color appeared and her description was as follows "As soon as Ophelia spotted an old woman sitting in the back row of benches, she knew without any hesitation, that this was Mother Hildegarde. She was a perfectly hideous relic. With her thick, salt and pepper hair, swarthy complexion, tacky spotted dress, and cigar planted in a smirk, she stuck out among the pale nobles surrounding her." If that wasn't questionable enough there is almost a whole page of her just being loud and awful. Now at this point, I have to say to myself did Ophelia have this same energy for Madam Berenilde who was giving her show more debilitating headaches no "Bernilde considered her thoughtfully. The little blond curls, which danced like flames with every movement of her head were stilled." It did leave a sour impression in my mind, but at last, it was just an impression, and for me to form a thorough understanding of Miss Hildegarde I must continue reading. show less

The world was magnificent, but all the supporting characters were somewhat flat and very boring. The characters were fleshed out to support the main characters journey which was very muddled at best and at worst very predictable. The two love interests barely have any motivation other than pinning for the main character. The villains were just meh. I really wanted to like this book but the choices the main character would make didn't really give any urgency to resolving her mothers plight. These romantic entanglements seemed more of a priority than her mother. I loved the fact that she was a bad ass warrior but I didn't think it necessary to make her damn near invincible. My girl never gets a definitive L, somehow no matter what she does,she always comes out on top. I also wasn't a fan of the doomed romance or the quick rebound. There was nothing to really invest in. It was like the love interests would just show to create tension and disappear just as quickly. It just wasn't for me.

The world building is adequate, it's fleshed out enough to keep propelling the story forward. The tension between Gabe and Lore was wonderful, however I'm tired i of trauma bonding in the dark romance genre. And this should be considered dark romance despite the love triangle or the sexual tension throughout the book. Lore is a being constantly and sometimes willingly abused by EVERYONE! Yes there is some fantasy, high stakes involved, but at the end of the day...(spoilers ahead). Even though Gabe was shocked and disgusted with himself it didn't stop him from following Anton orders. One of those orders was to do fall back and kill Lore and he almost let them do it. Let's not talk about Bastian the same person that threatens execution or a trip to a mining prison if she didn't help her. Oh how i swoon. Despite all this the writing was good. Stop marketing dark romances to me, like in not the target audience!

It wasn't for me, but well written nonetheless.

This story would be great as a bedtime story leading up to Halloween. The details of the creatures were spectacular, warm, and friendly. The scenery was breathtaking, it reminded me of the Hundred Acre Woods of Winnie the Pooh. I would change the white background and not have the text block the image because I think it would be too distracting for kids, otherwise I adored this story. Highly recommend.

Overall, the book seems simple yet engaging enough for children between the ages of 7 and 12. I love the inclusivity and the different activities each child participated in. The material is still very dense and I wouldn't recommend finishing this book in one sitting. Some terms like 401K, Opportunity Cost, Yield, X-change, and Zero Coupon Bond, might not be so easily understood the first or second time. This book would be a great tool to add to a teacher's curriculum.

It was very hard for me to tolerate Lilah. She was insufferable, arrogant, dramatic and just irritating. I only managed to complete at 15% of the book and I couldn't continue. I did not care to see Lilah grow as a person nor did I care for anything else. It is not poorly written. The world building and characters were interesting and quaint. I just hated the main character.

I adored this book on the first reading, but that may change on the second reading so stay tuned. I will let this breathe a little before I attempt a second read-through, review will be up in a few days. I suspect I will still love it though.

*Second Read through*

Mae and Levi are now on my list for 2024's best couple. Their interactions are always entertaining and engaging. The lust is there, but it doesn't override their critical thinking skills which I love. There are plenty of contentions between the two that propel the story forward, however, it is at the cost of the pacing and narrative flow of the story. The story has to kick into high gear to justify the time spent between the two leads. Also, important details like Mae's past and Levi's role in this world are glossed over to focus on two things; the looming threat in the distance and spicy interludes between. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed much of the book, but I couldn't help but think this book should have been split into two books instead of one. Wraith, The Twins, and especially Mae and Levi would have greatly benefitted from more development especially more time spent at sea. 4.5 stars, can't wait to continue the rest of the series.

Thank you Early Reviewers, Anacostia Miller, and Hot Tree Publishing for the advance copy.

The writing was impeccable. The creatures, scenery and the overall atmosphere of the world was quite bland though. It felt like a second hand abridged version of Farscape. Everything felt rushed and and at times sterile. I wanted to care about the Galactic Commons, the political landscape of the various planets and everything in between,but I couldn't. The pacing was ridiculously fast. So fast in fact that I could not keep up with the constant dumps of information/exposition and the ever-changing viewpoints for each chapter. It was hard establishing any sort of connection with any of the characters because everyone had a story to tell and not enough time to fully flesh them out into something meaningful. The entire story felt like a collection of false starts that were haphazardly glued together to explain why this crew existed. Unfortunately I did not care that much for the crew in the end after all.

I was swept into this generational saga by the first page. I felt the waves sprayed across my skin from Yeongdo. I tasted the bitterness of inconsolable grief and regret time and time again. I was constantly worried about Noa, Mozasu and all the other miscellaneous characters in this epic tale of what it means to truly find a home. This book had me shook. NAH! I WAS SHOOKTH! Every character is portrayed in with such nuisances and distinction that it was impossible not to feel anything including someone like Hansu. If that wasn't enough there are also layers upon layers like socioeconomics, gender and politics,spirituality,and the dynamics of group think in a society. It really is a fascinating read, but please take small breaks between chapters to recuperate mentally. Please take that under advisement before any extensive reading. Happy Holidays!

A skillful writer, but a boring story teller. The pacing is agonizingly slow. The characters are one dimensional and formulaic. Marion a housewife who constantly spends outside her means gets the house of her dreams. Ben a stick in the mud pragmatist has to pretend he is OK with everything. And their only precocious child David likes endangering himself. Their only "character traits" are just vehicles to move the plot along. Marion, the housewife is obsessed with making this obviously evil,decrepit house feel like her own. Ben, the pragmatist tries to dissuade her from the allusion. David is kindling waiting to be tossed into the fire. Technically they all are. The sense of ominous, foreboding supernatural dread lurking behind every corner I was expecting was non-existent. The ending was uneventful. I'm really glad word runner was available otherwise it would have been a even more difficult to finish without it.

The best description for this book would "a psychological thriller or a very mild murder mystery that closely resembles a lifetime movie, with the exception of not having a sympathetic lead character." It's really really really obvious who did it and why they did it, despite the never-ending red herrings or distractions. The ending is bleh. I really didn't care for any of the characters,with the exception of Anna. She may be the token, overly obsequious ethnic character who is always understanding, but at least she is interesting even if it is for the wrong reasons. It was ok.

This book is highly problematic. The first being that Alicia, the actual silent patient is gas-lighted throughout the entire book by almost every male character including her husband. It would be less egregious if she had some agency in the book other than being a faux symbol for feminism. I'm also disappointed about the care given to mental illness in regards to Theo and Alicia. It kind of paints a very narrow and shallow perspective of psychology and the lack of mental care facilities around the world. Elif in particular was troubling most of all, because it felt like she "deserved" what happened to her, even though she was mentally ill. The pacing was erratic at times. Sometimes it slowly builds and abruptly stops, switches direction and then suddenly free falls until it refocuses on Alicia. The characters are only fleshed out enough to give Theo something "to do". Which wasn't much of anything, because all that investigating was just another red herring that really didn't change anything.

I couldn't help but think as i was reading this "This is what men think femininity looks like". A single lens focused on the physical and reproductive aspects of the feminine mystique. It's really feminine to suffocate a spouse under your own weight while their having sex.

I really wanted to like this collection of short stories based on Florida life because of the writing alone,but it was really dull and dry. Only a hand full of stories stood out, for instance,the story about the woman with her two boys in the cabin and other about a family in France. Nothing in particular was really memorable about any of the stories and that's the problem. Nothing was distinct or unique every story had the same southern melancholy vibe that quickly became tedious overtime. The narration wasn't terrible it just lacked color or vibrancy,it was kind of monotone. Overall it wss just meh