Read this again but as an audiobook. Still as good as the first time. Still emotional over every single character.

I was not expecting all these emotions about horses, Maggie Stiefvater. How dare you. How dare you make me cry.

DNF at page 77. This was a book I got from my subscription box (OwlCrate) and I really wanted to like, but I was bored to tears and Hook's POV chapters were so kitschy with garbage villainy, I just could not. I don't have time for stuff like this. I'm moving on. I am just mad that I didn't move on sooner.

This book was phenomenal. I felt a lot of things, and thought a lot of things, and overall was consumed by this book. You go, Brenna Yovanoff, you go.

BIG OLD SPOILER:

I had a hard time believing in Kestral's drug-induced amnesia, especially since it was right from the beginning and permeated throughout the entire book. It felt like a plot device that didn't work at all. Anytime a problem arose where the only issue was the fact that she didn't remember, the convenience of not having a resolution, in order to go do (insert bad decision/dangerous thing here) really irked me. It took me out of the book so much at times that I just eye-rolled into no man's land.

But I really love Arin and his god of death, I really love Roshar. I needed more Sarsine, and Risha, and Verex ALWAYS. This series surprised me in many ways, for a book with girls in froo-froo dresses on the cover.

This book just took me too long to read. Not sure why. Sometimes I was bored, sometimes the writing was uninspired, and generally I was tired every time I picked it up. Maybe it was unfair to read like that, but overall... pretty okay. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Happy this was a one shot though, don't find many of those lately in these fairy tale retellings/fantasy adventure YA books.

I really liked the idea of this (which is why it's getting 2 stars instead of 1), but gosh did these really potentially dynamic characters fall so flat. It was so plot heavy and convoluted that I didn't really care what happened to any of them. There was a part toward the end that also saved me (and this book) from eye-rolling all the way to Tijuana.

Wow. Gosh. Abernathy Commandment #69 - Nothing makes sense but somehow it all works out. PLOTHOLES AND CHARACTERIZATION DON'T MATTER~!

This book made me angry. I'm going to borrow something from a review, which is a pretty freakin' apt description of this sensationalized, one-dimensional novel: "I think this might be a classic case of an author who tries to write a story that's bigger than their ability to tell and trying to incorporate too much without any rhyme or reason to it." This book uses diversity for 'the sake of', without thoughtful, meaningful consideration for the characters as well as uses the events of a school shooting in the most caricature-type way. It feels insulting, and dare I say it? Offensive.

Please read the review below, since the reviewer explains every one of the issues with great detail in a far better way than I could at this current moment. It's completely worth a minute of your time on how a New York Times best-selling book fails on what it should have done and was meant to do.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1290726605?book_show_action=false&from...

This one was pretty good, but I felt it lacked the urgency and suspense that the first book had. Helene for Queen, though.

I ...really liked this book? It was a little quiet in moments, and not as much action as I was expecting, but it all worked in the end. Hm.

This book was not good. It felt unedited in so many ways. The phrase "I reckon" was used so many times, I screamed. I wanted this to be better, but it was an absolute chore to read.

This was so, so lovely. I don't know what else to say.

Hmm, more like a 3.5 stars but I rounded up. I didn't hate this book, but I wasn't in love with it. I think there were some emotional beats that were missed; sections of the story that would have benefitted and helped me connect with the characters more if they were longer and more thought out. While I appreciated Whaley's inclusion of agoraphobia, it felt like an "arms-length distance" use of it. Hmm, hmm, hmm.

If you expected something new, you're in for a real treat since this book definitely flubs a few things about parts in Les Mis that are for sure surprising. Although it is everything you'd expect from a book about Eponine.

I did not like Cameron's previous book (that I was eagerly anticipating) Rook so naturally I was wary about picking this up. However, this had some crazy M. Night Shyamalan-esque twists pleasantly surprised me with how unexpected they were.

There was a lot in the ending (almost overwhelmingly so) but I really did love this. Dang, man.

Fast-paced insanity.

This took me way too long to read and I think it has to do with being tired of Riordan's writing--lbr, 14 books worth and then some will do that to a person. But hot damn, if I won't read the next one.

WELP, goddamnit. It had the kind of endings I hate but I loved this one. Some of the wording was a little too flowery at points that I almost didn't understand the important tidbit it was describing but all in all, I'm down.

I was going to read something else in between this one and the last book but I guess that's not going to happen.

I was going to give this one star up until the last 75ish pages, which were enjoyable. Weak cliffhanger(ish) ending but I really liked the montage of the boys learning their powers. Needs more bromance and less terrible female leads. Also, definitely could have done without the 100 pages of drawn out set up. And the story format was really annoying and pointless (it stops within reason 75ish pages from the end, so it makes sense why those were better)

Okay, maybe 1 1/2 stars.

This book was tedious and took me far too long to read. It was beautifully written, but the plot meandered and I found myself drifting in and out and easily distracted. Was everything literal? Was most of it metaphors? Picturing this lush atmosphere was sometimes nearly impossible. When things were rooted in the "real world" though, the book gripped me. So, I don't know. Three stars for indecisiveness.

Leave me to float on a cloud with the elephant, I put a comb in it. I'm done.

July has been kicking my ass, and this book took stupidly long to read. I was enjoying the first half but the second half felt... kind of boring? Kind of typical? Kind of weak overall? There were some really stupid plot points that made me roll my eyes, and the big surprise was preeeeeeetty obvious that I kept thinking that maybe I was wrong. I wasn't. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

I'm not crying, you're crying

Page 55. That's how far I attempted to get before calling it quits and adding this as my first DNF of the year (and quite frankly, I can count on one hand the amount of DNF books ever for me.) Not only within the first 20 pages did she lose her dad and home to a fire, but then is almost raped and kills the man who tries to--which okay, yes, awesome--but all of that? In 20 pages? That's not fast pacing, that poorly executed writing. I persevered, trying to get past my qualms with how Lee plots a novel, but when they meet the potential love interest* with the name of Cay (short for Cayenne Pepper, and I am not kidding you) I put that book down.

I couldn't do it. I cannot do it. Sorry not sorry. On to something else.



*I have no clue if he is because I didn't finish, but the jacket copy does mention banding together with some cowboys.

I was on board until the ending, which felt like pulled taffy -- super rushed, then super slow, and then too many quickly brushed over things. But I'm interested in the next one, Rutkoski. You got me.

I'm rather sad this is a series, because it would have been far more powerful as a stand alone. Rushed ending and nothing surprising, but the best 19th century Western girl-poses-as-boy tale I've read.

Different than most and heavy with political intrigue. While there wasn't a lot of action (and frankly, wasn't needed), this kept me interested. Would like more, please. Kiersten White's prose is lovely.

Because I needed to get on another emotional roller coaster. This one is a tough swallow but I feel you, man. This one was good.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL BECAUSE I HAVE EMOTIONAL WHIPLASH. Holy crap.

I'm confused and then I am not. Whatwhatwhatwhatwhat.