Friends Like These by Meg Rosoff Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I bought this book over the summer last year, but with an ever-growing TBR pile, it soon got lost in the long, long list of books that I needed to tackle and recommendations from my deceiving For You page on TikTok. But alas, I finally grabbed it off the shelf and parked myself on the skydeck of my apartment building to catch some sun and check list off the list. The summary on the back of the book drew me in, but unfortunately, it was the only interesting about this book. I was expecting some devious, toxic friendships in Rosoff's novel, but was met with lackluster characterization and a plot that could not get a grasp of what it wanted to be. The writing felt mediocre and often times unfinished - the only upside was the styling allowed reading to be quick paced and after two hours of reading, I only had about 30 pages left.

Beth, eighteen, is riding the high of being selected for a summer internship in New York, is met with a number of challenges raging from the heat of the city to wavering relationships with her co-interns. When luck seems to find her way and she befriends Edie, they have an instant connection and soon become attached to the hip. But with attachment comes consequences, and Beth finds herself riding in the passenger seat of Edie's never-ending drama, theatrics, and mood swings. The more time Beth spends with Edie, the more she succumbs to manipulative tactics and the constant stress of always following her lead. Keeping that in mind, I wish Edie was as diabolical as Beth made her out to be, and while I agree that Edie's actions were frustrating and thoughtless, she just seemed like an annoying, self-centered girl at the end of the day who Beth never stood up to until the very end.

Dan and Oliver's characterization were surface-level and unappealing in the sense that they held no true value to me throughout the entire book. They provided some minor support in showcasing Edie's true character, but ultimately I could not form an attachment or interest in their little side quests - they were simply uninteresting. I wish this read more as a core four toxic friend group rather than two girl best friends accompanied by their male coworkers - it would have made much more sense for all of them to be conniving towards one another than only having one "true" villain of the group.

If you're looking for a quick read that you can fly through, this definitely checks that box. To be frank, I read it so quickly in hopes that there would be some form of climax to the plot that would be explosive or really make Beth and Edie "enemies" but was let down by the end. While this classifies as historical fiction by being set in 1983, the author was only able to set the scene by mentioning the AIDS epidemic and World War II scattered throughout the book - I never felt like I was transported back in time other than when they would mention that bagels would cost twelve cents instead of the typical two to three dollars in today's world. I may give another one of Rosoff's works a chance in the future as I have heard good things, but for now I will move on to my next read.

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Dark Rise (Dark Rise, #1) by C.S. Pacat Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of C.S. Pacat's Captive Prince trilogy -Captive Prince, Prince's Gambit, and Kings Rising on Goodreads, now!

As a lover of the Captive Prince trilogy, I was excited to dive into a new world by Pacat. I do not think I was aware that this series was young adult, as I was very much expecting an adult series considering how intense the Captive Prince series was. This aspect definitely made it a little harder for me to get into, and I do not know if I was in a reading funk or just tired, but this book took me so much longer to finish than I expected it to. The story is certainly intriguing, but I found myself having a hard time getting into the plot and found the majority of the characters in the beginning not as compelling as those in Pacat's other work.

This book put me in one of the longest reading slumps I have experienced in years. I had to switch from reading a physical copy to the audiobook to make myself finish it out - for some reason, I just could not get into this book the way I wanted to. It took me basically half of the book to even start to actually enjoy any of these characters - while the world building definitely showed a lot of promise, the constant change of which characters we were following made me forget where they were and what they were doing in order to remind myself who was speaking. That being said, once I finally could focus on the characters, they were certainly interesting and began to be very captivating.

The story truly picks up about two thirds of the way in and shoots the reader forward in action as we watch so many of the characters experience despair and revelations as we reach the end of this first installment. I found that once the stakes truly felt as there was something to lose, the plot became much more intriguing and had me gagged a few times right near the end. There were a few things that you could predict, but even if they were predictable, they still made for good plot devices to propel the story forward.

I will say I was a little confused on some of the magical aspects of this book, especially when at around the halfway point we were suddenly talking about unicorns. Even though this book deals with magic, I did not expect unicorns and that element somewhat took me out of immersion of the book. Obviously I knew that with magic comes some interesting elements, this one aspect just seemed slightly out of place for the overall tone of the book. That being said, the author does a good job at establishing the "big bad" and diving into magical components while keeping the reader engaged and not overwhelmed.

There are a decent amount of characters in this ensemble, and to be frank, I have not decided if there is one that reigns above the rest for me. I found Will and James the most intriguing towards the end of the book, but Violet definitely takes a leading role throughout the majority of the book, with Will and James seemingly trailing right behind her for second. I do wish this had more of an ensemble feel like what we see in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I may return to this series when a fantasy book calls my name, but for now, I need some time to sit with my thoughts and decide where I truly stand on this series.

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Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies, #1) by Imani Erriu Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I remember seeing blurbs for this book on TikTok ages ago and adding it to my TBR shelf because it intrigued me so much. Three and a half years later, I should have known that my memories of the blurbs may have combined with other blurbs I have seen over the years. Looking back at my track record with TikTok recommendations, I should have known that I did not have a good chance of finding my next favorite romantasy series. The premise of the series is well-intended and I love the aspect of incorporating Greek mythology into the world, but I felt as though the plot lacked some serious development and character arcs that could have pushed this over from a "sure, read it" to a "definitely need to read" when it comes to recommendations.

Elara's journey was certainly the most gripping aspect of this book - I could very much get a sense that her character development was more thought out compared to the other characters. Yes, she is the female lead, but I am still a firm believer that all characters should be treated equally when it comes to development, especially when the majority of side characters were playing some part in aiding her and Enzo on their quest. That being said, watching Elara's development was refreshing in the sense that she was able to acknowledge her own disadvantages and was able to open up about past experiences that lead her to making certain choices. I felt like she was written slightly more "modern" compared to other characters - at one point she notes while reading a book that she "hates when the female characters lose their powers in the end" - and I could not agree more - but it did feel slightly out of scope for the setting of the book.

Enzo is much more mysterious, and he has that brooding, reluctant aura that tends to draw readers in. I enjoyed that he had this guarded exterior when Elara came along - he did not trust her, and while we knew her intensions were well-intended, she was keeping a few secrets, so it was fair that he did not immediately become vulnerable around her. His personality throughout the book was the one with the most depth in my opinion - he became more intriguing to me than Elara as his actions and development definitely captured me while reading. Elara's development was definitely up there, but there was just something missing in her story that was not pushing me over the line from enjoying her to rooting for her.

While this is not what I expected from this book - was I expecting greatness? No, but I was expecting a much more intricate story with well-developed lore. I did appreciate the guide in the beginning of the book that detailed pronunciation and the basics of who everyone was, but I typically prefer for that to be worked into the story rather than just information being provided to the reader. I will likely continue on with this series to see it through and can only hope that the storytelling improves with the next installment.

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Binding 13 (Boys of Tommen, #1) by Chloe Walsh Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Y'all this book moves at the pace of a snail - I understand that it is a slow burn, but that should not mean that the plot also moves as if it is stuck in time. I kept having to push myself to sit and read this book, and considering I have had it on my TBR two and a half years ago, I would have hoped it was going to live up to expectations. I did not realize that Shannon was 15 years old in this book - it feels very odd to read about a main character who is so young, and I felt as though I could not immerse myself into the story because I was so focused on how young she was - not to mention the constant mentioning of how teeny tiny she was for her age. Yes, I understand that it is important in the story, but it was constant and mentioned no less twenty times in the first one hundred pages - it became repetitive very quickly.

Thank goodness I borrowed this from the library because I simply cannot imagine using my hard earned cash to pay to read over 600 pages of this nonsense. Shannon is literally getting tossed around like a rag doll with her horrible home life and the only person that even remotely tries to do anything is Johnny - even her brother, Joey, is very much aware of what is going on, and yet seems to think that telling her to finally fight back is enough advice to get her through the next few years until she turns eighteen. I have conflicted feelings about Joey - I can understand where he is coming from, but he seems to do the bare minimum when it comes to protecting Shannon. Obviously I know it is not his job to make sure Shannon is safe, but I would have loved a little more initiative. 

Johnny is basically obsessed with Shannon but of course rugby comes first to him, yet he cannot stay away from her. At least he is not obsessed in the sense that he is running around kidnapping her - oh wait, he basically does that in the most loose of terms. You can tell that his infatuation with Shannon has overtaken his mind, but considering his mindset is rugby over everything, you can only imagine how well he handles having a "distraction" around during his most critical time to make the U20s.

Shannon's friends were pretty solid, and considering all of the bullying and harassment she went through at her old schools, I was glad she actually had people in her corner. I thought it was absolutely insane that just because Shannon would be standing near Johnny, there were people who considered her a threat and began to terrorize her. Bella in particular was the saddest excuse for a girl I have ever read and her insecurity was basically flying off the page. Considering Shannon was bullied for being small - and having big eyes? - I did think it was strange that high-school-aged people were still using those characteristics as their bullying points. It felt overused after the tenth mention, but I can see how the author wanted to drive the point home on how severe the bullying was for her at her previous school.

The worst offenders in this book are Shannon's mother and father - I was literally wishing they would disappear every other page. They are hands down some of the worst book parents I have ever encountered and I was perplexed on how they were able to carry on with their lives. It was physically nauseating to see how they treated their own daughter, and I wanted to put the book down by the last few chapters. This is not the worst I have seen, but definitely graphic enough to make me jump back as I turned the pages.

I wish I enjoyed this book as much I thought I was going to - I can certainly see the appeal, but I was expecting a lot more from this first installment, and with over 600 pages, I wanted to see more character development from Shannon. Johnny had his moments and his development after the first half of the book, but it was minimal in my eyes, and it frankly took a scenario that I will not spoil for him to get his act together and have his realization moment.

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House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! House of Hearts will be available on September 2, 2025.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group / Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been itching for a gothic dark academia book, and when this standalone popped up, I knew I had to dive in. With Violet searching for answers after her best friend passes away at an exclusive school, she is determined to attend and finally set the record straight - was her friend murdered, or was there something more at play?

As Violet assimilates herself into the school environment and meets the students she believes played a role in her friend's passing, she soon discovers that there is much more than what meets the eye when it comes to the secret society's true intentions. She forms an unusual yet enticing bond with Clavin Lockwood - the brother of the very boy she believes killed her friend or at least had a hand to play in the "freak accident" that lead to her demise. As Calvin and Violet interact, it is clear that their relationship will certainly have an interesting course.

The "intermission" chapters from Anastasia definitely added an extra element to the story that allowed readers to take a step back from the story at hand and look at the origins of what is driving this society's interests. As Violet's journey progresses, the information that we learn from these interlude chapters sheds light on information Violet uncovers and leaves little clues on where her story is headed and what revelations she will make as she works with Calvin. It would have been interesting to see even more development on Anastasia and Helen's sisterly relationship and what caused such a riff between the two - while we do get brief glances, more interactions would have beneficial for the significance of what plays out.

This book was a lot shorter than I expected, and I honestly wish it was longer - to no fault to the author, the plot moved very quickly, and I would have loved to see the background lore expanded upon, along with Calvin and Violet's banter and back-and-forth to develop as a more will-they-won't-they situation. That being said, I flew through this book in just about two hours, and the writing did have me locked into the story. I do think that the side characters, while important, did take up a lot of story space that could have been dedicated to more intriguing plot points.

This book has the same vibes as Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell and We Are Villains by Kacen Callender but with a touch of paranormal whimsy that is seen in Bunny by Mona Awad and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I had a fun time reading this and truly enjoyed the paranormal aspects that the author added it to the story - it made the stakes higher and drew me in to understand how everything would turn out for Violet, Calvin, and the rest of the Lockwoods.

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Our Fault (Culpables, #3) by Mercedes Ron Review

This is a spoiler-free review! This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of My Fault (Culpa Mía) and Your Fault (Culpa Tuya) on my blog, now. My Fault,Your Fault, and My Fault: London are now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

My favorite toxic forbidden couple is back in the final installment of the Culpables series. This series certainly is something, and with some of the most out of pocket plot devices coming into play, it is no surprise why it was a Wattpad sensation. Sure, there is a major trope in here that drives the story forward that just so happens to be one of my least favorite tropes, but for the sake of the drama I endured it. Nick and Noah are working through their own issues while apart, and with a number of life events changing their paths, they are forced to reconnect and truly take a look at their relationship - both past and possible future.

Noah's characterization in this book was a definite improvement, and Nick's development was still at his playboy lifestyle. I was hoping to see Nick become more mature, but it seems that his character is somewhat stuck at a certain stage, despite his need for control and the immense amount of responsibility he has in this book. Noah's life is still full of ups and downs, and she just never seems to catch a break when it comes to complicated individuals sneaking into her life. Just once, it would have been nice to see her happy - it truly felt as though she spent the entire book on edge or being confronted with yet another life-altering event that surely would send her over the edge.

Jenna and Lion are still just as present as ever, with Jenna taking on a much larger role of the two when it came to page presence and being there for Noah. She is super supportive of Noah and is always urging her to be honest, but there were times where Jenna seemed to be pushing Noah back to Nick only for her benefit in order to make their friend group whole again. Lion was only present for a few chapters here and there - Nick did not seem to have a support system in place, unless you count his driver slash bodyguard, Steve. I think the fact that Nick was somewhat of a lone wolf in this book contributed to his development stalling.

The twists and turns in this book actually had me locked in - compared to My Fault, I found that Your Fault lacked that intensity from the first book, but Our Fault certainly brought it all back. There were times where I had to re-read some paragraphs because I could not believe how quickly things were escalating from calm to borderline insane. The author definitely wanted to go out with a bang, because the last 25% of this book felt like I was being flung around in tornado with the amount of nonsense that ensued. 

I am glad that I was able to read this final installment before the movie is released later this year - I cannot begin to imagine what my thoughts would be if I watched this unfold on screen without some warning. This series was a wild ride and I would definitely recommend these books to readers looking for a touch of toxicity with their forbidden romance.

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Save Me (Maxton Hall, #1) by Mona Kasten Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Season One of Maxton Hall: The World Between Us is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

The day the season one of Maxton Hall: The World Between Us dropped, I binged the entire thing in one sitting and told all of my friends that they needed to watch it immediately. I was so excited to find out that the books would finally be receiving an English translation, and with the second season releasing this fall, I knew I had begin reading them as the translations are being published. There is always going to be a difference in the true words when translating a book, and I cannot tell if the translation was made in effort resemble Wattpad-style writing, or if it was the author's true intent. It truly had that After series aura to it in the sense that it was addicting to read, but not the best caliber of writing.

As someone who watched the show before reading the book - unfortunately I do not speak German, otherwise I definitely would have read it first - I found that while reading, the television adaptation is surprisingly very accurate to the events of the book. There are little details here and there that were omitted or altered, but the overall essence stays true. Looking at the book and television show as completely separate entities, I found that I enjoyed the characterization of James more in the show compared to his book counterpart. While he does have a decent amount of development in the book, the television show version certainly expands upon the author's original thoughts more in depth.

Ruby truly just wants to mind her own business but is constantly running into drama that she avoids like the plague. It was actually comically how much she was a witness to when she just wanted to get a good reference letter for her Oxford application. She really wanted to be left alone and yet everyone and their mother seemed to have their secrets spilled right in front of her. There were definitely moments when reading that I was getting some major second hand embarrassment from her actions, especially when it came to a certain outburst - I nearly had to put the book down and take a lap around the room. Overall, her character is very driven and knows exactly what she wants, almost to a fault. I do hope she becomes more care-free as the series goes on, because she certainly needs to be able to relax after everything she has been through.

The supporting characters helped move this story along, and Alister quickly became my favorite of the bunch. It was interesting to see his and Ruby's friendship / acquaintance grow throughout the book, considering it was unexpected and usually had James climbing up a wall that they were interacting with one another. Ruby's sister was not a major player in the game and her appearances in the book were nothing to write home about. Lin and Kieran served as Ruby's main friends, with Lin taking first place over Kieran's involvement. Seeing more into James and Lydia's home life really started to flesh them out as characters, and readers are able to understand why both of them have a stand-offish personality that they continue to guard.

For fans of My Fault / Culpa Mía by Mercedes Ron, Save Me opens a whole new world of enemies to lovers that is riddled with societal expectations, internal dilemmas, and the unsteadiness that comes with new love.

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Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Andrew and Thomas return to school with secrets from one another, a daunting fairytale turned into a haunting reality, and the disappearance of the creative spark that lived within Thomas and his artwork. When they arrive back at Wickwood Academy, everything is out of order - Andrew's twin sister, Dove, is all but warm to him, while Thomas arrives in questionable fashion with a torrid secret. As readers dive deeper in Andrew's perspective, they are exposed to more than they could have imagined. With the forest luring Andrew and Thomas into dangerous territory as they protect themselves and those around them.

Jumping around from high fantasy to romance, I knew I was in desperate need to get back into dark academia - Don't Let the Forest In has been on my TBR shelf for nearly a year as I anticipated its release, and I finally found the time to sit down with it. I have to say, I basically loved everything about this book - we are immediately introduced to Wickwood Academy and the aura is prickly, intense, and full of a deep sense of dread. With Andrew somehow on the outs with both his sister and Thomas, he fights to find out why they are pushing him to the side.

As we see Thomas recount a traumatizing experience while actively working to put an end to the torment that has followed him back to school, we begin to learn more about the horrors that have been haunting him. Without the help of Andrew, I am sure that Thomas would have been left to his own devices to constantly be looking over his shoulder for years to come. Drews was able to create such a sense of being watched throughout this book - I felt as paranoid as Thomas and Andrew as I read their story. Every corner they turned, it was as though they were confronted with the reality of high school bullying or the fantastical horrors of fairytales come to life.

Andrew's personal journey was intriguing and pulled at my heartstrings - you could feel his pain come off the page and his internal struggle as he came to terms with himself felt so raw. His characterization was well-developed and readers are truly able to feel his fears and hesitation to explore the unknown. Both Thomas and Andrew had a lot of feelings to explore throughout the book, and because they are so interconnected with one another, their lives bleed into one another so much you feel as though they are one being sewn together.

For those who loved The Wicker King by K. Ancrum, readers will be thrown into dark academia encompassed by fantasy and the desire for characters to uncover the truth about themselves and what the future has in store.

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The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology, #1) by Holly Black Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters, The Wicked King, The Queen of Nothing, and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories on my blog, now!

Going into this spin-off, I thought that we would be getting the story from Oak's perspective - imagine my surprise when it was Wren that we were following. It certainly made things interesting, and honestly resembled Jude's perspective throughout the original trilogy. I absolutely know that Jude would be proud of how secretive Wren can be, and Cardan so pleased with how cunning Oak has become. Wren has this feral, ferocious behavior that comes from essentially being treated like a wild animal, but she uses it to her advantage and is able to channel that energy into achieving her goals.

The adventure in this book takes a different route compared to the original trilogy, as we see Oak and Wren on a journey together and face a number of obstacles, so much so that it felt like every turn had them encountering a new danger. This really pulled me into a new perspective of the world - sure, we saw our fair share of obstacles that Jude and Cardan experienced, but it truly felt as though as soon as Oak and Wren tackled one monster, three more appeared.

Reading this right after finishing A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon gave me some whiplash, as going from adult high fantasy to young adult fantasy certainly is disorienting - reading about modern day inventions felt foreign to me. I personally have never been a major fan of fantasy books that reference modern things, but it plays well into this world considering they interact between the mortal world and Faerie. There was not a ton of modern items mentioned in this book compared to others, so it was easy to overcome and move on with the fantasy aspect of the world.

The ending low-key had me gagged - I actually audibly gasped. I knew things were starting to take a certain turn, but to actually see it come to fruition was so fun. Holly Black truly utilizes every aspect of Faerie, and with that comes the manipulative tendencies of the characters. Seeing a few betrayals and a number of omissions to characters in order to advance their own agenda, The Stolen Heir maintains reader interest as the story moves forward. I cannot wait to see what is in store for this chaotic duo.

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Finale (Caraval, #3) by Stephanie Garber Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Caraval and Legendary on my blog, now!

I wanted to enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Caraval and Legendary - but there was just something about this book that made it feel as though it was dragging on for the majority of the story until we reached the two-thirds point. Scarlet still grinds my gears, and even with her presence in this book being more tolerable than her minimal presence in the previous book, I still found myself rolling my eyes every single time she showed up. Tella continues to be the superior sister, and while she now finds herself placing trust in someone she did not expect to, she still holds true to herself.

With everyone's relationships seemingly on the rocks since the end of Legendary, the characters are now working towards mending those bonds and deciding if who they thought they loved truly are the ones they want to end up with. There is a lot of back and forth between the couples of Tella and Legend and Scarlett and Julian, which does create an interesting dynamic as perspectives switch throughout the book. Julian's character somewhat stays on the back burner until his true purpose comes into play, so his and Scarlett's relationship became less interesting to me as not nearly as much time is spent on them compared to Legend and Tella.

The actual plot of this plot felt like it was a little all over the place - at times it felt as though the story was dragging for chapters on end, and then suddenly everything was happening all at once and so much information was being thrown at the reader. The last third of the book definitely saved the plot - I was pretty locked in at the end, and was glad to see that actual moves were being made in order to accomplish the main goal. The Fates storyline was definitely the most intriguing part of the book, and to be quite honest, one of the best aspects of the series in general.

I wish there was more tension throughout this installment - while you could tell that the stakes were high in terms of the fantasy plot, the romances seemed to take a back seat and I felt disconnected from them at times. That being said, Tella's pull between Legend and Jacks was really enjoyable and I am such a huge fan of Jacks - to be upfront, the main motivation for me to finish this series to to be able to read Once Upon a Broken Heart, and now I am only one novella away from diving in. Jacks and his general mysterious aura really pulled me in, and the way he interacts with Tella makes the story more juicy and gives it a bit of a bite.

Even though the game of Caraval is over, you can definitely feel its impact on the characters in this book - they are still reeling from the consequences of the game, and the characters must make decisions that affect everyone around them. It was a different type of thrill compared to the game, but I did enjoy the difference and how it felt like a final chapter closing on both Tella and Scarlett's stories that allowed them both to have a proper conclusion. If you are looking for an entrance into the world of fantasy, the Caraval series may be the perfect books to pick up.

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We Are Villains by Kacen Callender ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! We Are Villains was released on March 25, 2025 and is now available for purchase at select retailers.

I would first like to thank NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I have really been in the mood for a mystery book and when the approval came through on NetGalley, I was quick to download and get started. The premise reminded me of a few other mystery books I have read in the past, and I was interested to see where things were headed for Milo as he attempted to uncovered who killed his friend, Arianna.

Much like Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell, our protagonist is on the hunt to determine who killed his friend, and is willing to go to extreme lengths to reveal the truth and get justice by any means necessary. Milo appears to be a wallflower and tends to stay in the shadows of others, but as more attention is drawn to him as the days go on, he is thrown into a whirlwind of events that have consequences for everyone. As readers learn more about Milo and his life outside of Yates, we are also exposed to his relationships with the students and how he views himself as an individual and on a deeper level.

The perspective changes nearly every chapter, and with short chapters, it became more of a challenge to keep track of who was talking - especially considering the perspectives are written in first person. While I do appreciate multiple perspective books, it felt as though this should have been limited to three perspectives instead of the larger amount that we had in the book. There were a number of characters who were more interesting to read about, and I would have loved to dive deeper into the more sinister individuals rather than dwell on some characters that in my eyes were not nearly as intriguing.

As this is a young adult book, I expected a certain ceiling or threshold that the author would reach without going into adult territory, but I fear that they kept this book hovering over more middle grade than young adult. I felt a little out of my element when reading this, and wish that the maturity was turned up a tad - considering this is a murder mystery, I wanted the stakes to be higher in certain scenarios. That being said, there were definitely chapters or events that fell into the young adult category, but it would have been great if the book felt more cohesive when detailing particular actions or diving into characters and their personalities.

This is a super quick read and you will be able to tackle it in a couple of hours - I was entertained, but felt as though it was missing a little something that would push it over the edge into something memorable for me. The mystery element was played well, and I have to say it definitely kept me intrigued throughout the entirety of the story.

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Wildcard (Warcross, #2) by Marie Lu Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Warcross on my blog, now!

I absolutely loved Warcross, and since science fiction is a genre that I am trying to get back into, I was excited to finally see this duology through and explore the consequences of the ending of the first installment. Hideo and Emika's relationship is put to the test through a number of obstacles and betrayals, and as Emika learns to navigate a world that is changing the NeuroLink algorithm, she must also discover the possible endgame of her decisions.

Hideo's actions now have unimaginable consequences for everyone using NeuroLink, and while the ethics of his decisions are certainly questionable, Lu writes his character in a way that you cannot help but feel for him and gain an understanding of why he did what he did. Complex characters are always a joy to read and experience, as not everyone is perfect or is going to be the hero in the story. Emika's admiration for him as a creator and feelings towards him as a possible romantic partner complicate her rationale in fixing what he has done, and her inner struggle was well established throughout this final installment.

Emika made some questionable decisions in my eyes - she somehow did not seem as collected as she was in Warcross, and I found myself growing slightly agitated with the decisions she was making throughout the book. I wanted to her to really lock into the tasks at hand, but she seemed a little aloof. She was also entirely too trusting this book, and considering how the first book ended, I would have expected her to have her guard up and be incredibly weary of any new people that inserted themselves into her life.

The fellow Phoenix Riders made great contributions to the story, and it was enjoyable to see their characterizations more fleshed out - while Emika's story is certainly intriguing, I loved getting to know these other characters more, in additional to seeing how their lives were affected by the NeuroLink change. Lu ahas always done a great job at incorporating side characters into her stories without overpowering the main leads, and Wildcard is not exception - I felt as though I had such a solid grasp of who everyone was, and as their motives changed throughout the story, you could see the pattern of their thought processes influence their actions.

Echoing my original sentiment included in my review of Warcross, I had such a fun time reading this book - there were times where I did feel as though the story was moving a little slower than I would have liked, but the overall vibe of this installment kept me drawn in and eager to see what happened next. It did take me longer to get though this book compared to the first, but I believe that was mostly due to it being about a year and a half since I read Warcross. There were a number of times where I was yelling at the pages, especially during moments where people were revealed to be more sinister than they wanted to be perceived as to others. 

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Immortal Dark (Immortal Dark Trilogy, #1) by Tigest Girma Review

This is a spoiler-free review! A list of content warnings is available at the beginning of the book.

Vampires!! I have not come across a vampire book that has sparked my interest in what feels like forever. Kidan, our female lead and narrator, is honestly not too likeable - I found her somewhat insufferable and incredibly impulsive as she continues to make rash decisions without any thought behind her actions. However, I find unreliable narrators and harsh main characters intriguing, and with her being coupled alongside an even more morally grey Susenyos, they made an entertaining pair. The persistent distain Susenyos and Kidan share for one another throughout this first installment is truly all-consuming - you see through Kidan's thoughts how she pushes herself to ignore his presence, yet she cannot stay away.

Susenyos is in the running for my top literary vampire - I loved the way Girma characterized him and kept his mystery looming over the story. I would have loved to see his perspective in this series, but I think having Kidan's sole perspective aids in the book's attempt to show her recklessness and how she centers herself - and her sister, June - at every turn. Susenyos has such an intriguing aura surrounding him, and while everyone at Uxlay University seems to cower at the sight of him, Kidan has no issues with getting on his nerves at any chance.

The side characters and their influence on the story and Kidan's own journey are so incredibly necessary for this story to work, and without them, this book would have gone in a completely different direction. While not every character is as they appear, Kidan's relationships outside of her search for her sister influence her actions, and in turn made her more well-rounded, while still maintaining her chaotic energy. She is forced to use them to her advantage in order to track down her sister and put away the draniac that took June from her - but not everyone is as trustworthy as they seem, and Kidan must navigate her new life at Uxlay University.

The human-vampire companionship aspect of this book is so much more than I expected it to be - it is intimate and full of power dynamics as they attempt to be equals in relationships that can only be seen as ticking time bombs. Kidan begins to risk everything she has ever stood for and been taught as she faces a series of murders and less-than-friendly faces in addition to Susenyos trying to get her out of inheriting her family home and drive her from the school. The dynamic between Susenyos and Kidan is intoxicating, I could not get enough of them- my jaw was dropping at nearly everything that came out of Susyenos's mouth.

Girma expertly details an extensive history in this first installment, and it adds so much to the book as a whole, as well as the background to the characters and the persistent struggles that they carry. I will say this is history-heavy as well as familial house-heavy - there was definitely a learning curve when I first cracked this book open, but reading the house names on the page and the texts being referenced made the background easier to understand once you settled in the story. Some moments are a bit hard to follow, and I did find myself flipping back a few pages a number of times to reorient myself to particular moments.

Immortal Dark perfectly blends dark academia, paranormal, and romantic aspects while pulling the reader in and holding them tightly. The enemies-to-lovers were truly enemy-ing it up to the fullest extent, and I had an absolute blast watching Kidan and Susenyos try to understand each other. I had heard rave reviews about this book, and was incredibly pleased to see that it lived up to the hype and solidified itself on my must-read recommendations to my friends. I cannot wait to see where this series takes us, and for fans of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, you are surely in for a treat.

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