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luciaartworld's reviews
11 reviews
Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“Another thing about the rules, they weren’t meant to be broken. They were meant for the broken to follow”
Long way down is one of those books that will make you reflect on your own thoughts throughout the story. Our protagonist, Will, is going to teach us about his life as a black teen born in a difficult neighbourhood where there are three rules for males to follow ([don’t cry, no snitching and take revenge (hide spoiler)]) and when his brother gets killed he intends on following these rules. He must do so.
This story is written in verse, it takes place during a minute ride on an elevator that stops on each floor to let someone of Will’s past in, and it shows how violence, death and toxic masculinity affects so many young people these days. Reynolds manages to make each verse touch you and think about why the characters made each one of their decisions.
Even though I loved each verse, I have to say that this writing style was not for me. I like descriptions, long and detailed ones. Because of the nature of the writing style, the book does not provide you with a lot of that. The descriptions are short and very direct, which sometimes is very welcome as it feels like a punch in the face. It’s a great way to describe something so raw and hurting as death is. But I do wish that other times, we got to read more in-depth about certain things, for example, what being in the elevator was like. But that it’s more of a me thing and not a fault of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It's a very fast and powerful read. I think It’s a very important story for us, especially youth, to read. It helps us think about our society, our way of acting about things that sometimes are imposed on us, our role in society and to reflect on how privileged we are if we had a better childhood than Will. Most importantly, to think of what we can do to have fewer children be put in Will’s position.
Long way down is one of those books that will make you reflect on your own thoughts throughout the story. Our protagonist, Will, is going to teach us about his life as a black teen born in a difficult neighbourhood where there are three rules for males to follow ([don’t cry, no snitching and take revenge (hide spoiler)]) and when his brother gets killed he intends on following these rules. He must do so.
This story is written in verse, it takes place during a minute ride on an elevator that stops on each floor to let someone of Will’s past in, and it shows how violence, death and toxic masculinity affects so many young people these days. Reynolds manages to make each verse touch you and think about why the characters made each one of their decisions.
Even though I loved each verse, I have to say that this writing style was not for me. I like descriptions, long and detailed ones. Because of the nature of the writing style, the book does not provide you with a lot of that. The descriptions are short and very direct, which sometimes is very welcome as it feels like a punch in the face. It’s a great way to describe something so raw and hurting as death is. But I do wish that other times, we got to read more in-depth about certain things, for example, what being in the elevator was like. But that it’s more of a me thing and not a fault of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It's a very fast and powerful read. I think It’s a very important story for us, especially youth, to read. It helps us think about our society, our way of acting about things that sometimes are imposed on us, our role in society and to reflect on how privileged we are if we had a better childhood than Will. Most importantly, to think of what we can do to have fewer children be put in Will’s position.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The odd thing about ambition is this: You can acquire it like a fever, but it is not so easy to shed."
Holly Black created a magnificent world. It was very easy to forget about the real world and get transported into the woods of Fairie. I was able to see it, but not feel it. I love feeling things while I'm reading, feeling cold even though I'm warm, tasting food, and feeling the character's emotions. That was missing for me. I was not able to connect with Black’s writing as much as I would have liked to, which is one of the reasons for it to not be a 5-star book for me.
As for the characters, I enjoyed them but none of them stood out enough to say they are my favourite ones. Jude is a great protagonist. She’s fierce, manipulative, scared, impulsive and determined to get what she wants, no matter what. She’s the combination of good and bad. Making her a human in a fairy world makes this story interesting, as seeing the way she moves through a world she doesn’t completely belong to is the most important aspect of this story. The Fairies are self-centred, manipulative and overall cruel. I liked their concept but their personalities tended to merge into one, making them quite similar to one another. I can barely point out a trait that differentiates them.
Something that I loved about this book was that it was not a romance. There are hints of romance here and there, but the plot was centred around politics. I was fascinated by the interactions between fairies and humans and how the monarchy of this world works. At the same time, there weren’t lots of things that surprised me when it came to decisions being made. The fae became easier to read after the first few chapters, so their decisions rarely came as a surprise and Jude is quite predictable as well.
Holly Black managed to create a beautiful world with an interesting and very dark story, it kept me entertained and interested enough to want to continue the series and I just hope the next book will have whatever it is that was missing for me so that I can give this series the five stars I wish it had.
Holly Black created a magnificent world. It was very easy to forget about the real world and get transported into the woods of Fairie. I was able to see it, but not feel it. I love feeling things while I'm reading, feeling cold even though I'm warm, tasting food, and feeling the character's emotions. That was missing for me. I was not able to connect with Black’s writing as much as I would have liked to, which is one of the reasons for it to not be a 5-star book for me.
As for the characters, I enjoyed them but none of them stood out enough to say they are my favourite ones. Jude is a great protagonist. She’s fierce, manipulative, scared, impulsive and determined to get what she wants, no matter what. She’s the combination of good and bad. Making her a human in a fairy world makes this story interesting, as seeing the way she moves through a world she doesn’t completely belong to is the most important aspect of this story. The Fairies are self-centred, manipulative and overall cruel. I liked their concept but their personalities tended to merge into one, making them quite similar to one another. I can barely point out a trait that differentiates them.
Something that I loved about this book was that it was not a romance. There are hints of romance here and there, but the plot was centred around politics. I was fascinated by the interactions between fairies and humans and how the monarchy of this world works. At the same time, there weren’t lots of things that surprised me when it came to decisions being made. The fae became easier to read after the first few chapters, so their decisions rarely came as a surprise and Jude is quite predictable as well.
Holly Black managed to create a beautiful world with an interesting and very dark story, it kept me entertained and interested enough to want to continue the series and I just hope the next book will have whatever it is that was missing for me so that I can give this series the five stars I wish it had.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery and Death of parent
Divergent by Veronica Roth
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
"Wolf winter,'" she said, her voice small. "I wanted to ask about it. You know, what it is."
He was silent for a long time. "It's the kind of winter that will remind us we are mortal," he said. "Mortal and alone."
Wolf Winter is that type of book that you won’t forget about the moment you finish reading it. The amazing atmosphere and characters made me want to continue reading this book just to find out what would happened next.
It is a slow book and very descriptive. You will require patience and time to read it, specially during the first part of the book. It is the type of book that allows you to imagine every little aspect of the place and understand each character as you try to figure out every one of their secrets. It is not just a book for entertainment as it will make you think about what humans are really capable of when overflowed with emotions.
The story takes place during 1717 in Blackasen, Sweden, were superstitions, witchcraft and Christianity were discussed thoroughly and the authority of certain characters were questioned as a war keeps happening around our main characters, who in this story, are too focused on surviving the worst and darkest winter in the history of this tiny community in the mountains to really notice it. This is a world where everyone does what they need to survive, not spending any time to shed tears, a world where the ghosts of the past manifest themselves in order to help those who are gifted and willing to hear them.
I started reading this story thinking that it was going to be just a murder mystery book and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Even though a murder does start all the problems for our main characters, Cecilia Ekbäck made sure to include more things into this story, as she shows us that everyone has secrets and evil can be hiding anywhere, even where you least expect it.
He was silent for a long time. "It's the kind of winter that will remind us we are mortal," he said. "Mortal and alone."
Wolf Winter is that type of book that you won’t forget about the moment you finish reading it. The amazing atmosphere and characters made me want to continue reading this book just to find out what would happened next.
It is a slow book and very descriptive. You will require patience and time to read it, specially during the first part of the book. It is the type of book that allows you to imagine every little aspect of the place and understand each character as you try to figure out every one of their secrets. It is not just a book for entertainment as it will make you think about what humans are really capable of when overflowed with emotions.
The story takes place during 1717 in Blackasen, Sweden, were superstitions, witchcraft and Christianity were discussed thoroughly and the authority of certain characters were questioned as a war keeps happening around our main characters, who in this story, are too focused on surviving the worst and darkest winter in the history of this tiny community in the mountains to really notice it. This is a world where everyone does what they need to survive, not spending any time to shed tears, a world where the ghosts of the past manifest themselves in order to help those who are gifted and willing to hear them.
I started reading this story thinking that it was going to be just a murder mystery book and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Even though a murder does start all the problems for our main characters, Cecilia Ekbäck made sure to include more things into this story, as she shows us that everyone has secrets and evil can be hiding anywhere, even where you least expect it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
“Twilight, again. Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.”
I don’t know what prompted my decision to reread this book after twelve years, but I can safely say that my twenty-four years old self has a completely different opinion to my twelve years old self.
I used to love this book, I mean I used to be a fan of it, but re-reading it now made me realized how problematic it truly is.
Let’s start with our main character, Bella. I despise her. She is really boring, unhealthily dependent on Edward, shallow and incredibly insufferable. I feel like she only thinks about two things throughout the book: how beautiful Edward is and how rainy and green Forks is. We get Edward is hot; don’t think about it so often. Her thoughts are just obsessive. The way she just accepts Edward being a vampire is not believable. I would have expected her to be scared and slowly start falling in love with him as she realizes that he is not going to hurt her, but no, she simply doesn't care. On that note, it takes Bella a week to fall in love with this guy she just met and all I can think about is this:
Now let’s talk about Edward. I used to think he was the perfect boyfriend but in this read I realized that what I thought was romantic is actually manipulative and controlling behaviour. I truly believe he has a multiple personality disorder. One minute he is smiling and laughing and the next he is angry and growling, and that happens on the same page only two lines apart. Let’s not even get started on watching Bella sleep at night, that’s just creepy. He is also a stalker. Following Bella around to “make sure she is safe” is not normal, and Bella’s behaviour of just accepting this and feeling flattered because he is following her is even less normal. The good thing about him is that he actually admits to being a monster, even if he says it because he is a vampire and not because of his repulsive behaviour.
The Cullens, Edward’s family, were just decor. Whenever you felt you were finally going to get to know them something happened, and they left, or Bella left, the scene. I know we get their backstories in future books, but I wish we could have seen more of them in this one. I never thought I would say this but, forget Team Jacob and Team Edward, I’m team Jasper and Alice. They were the only characters that truly interested me.
The book itself is an easy read and quite predictable. The first half is just Bella complaining and going through her everyday life, the second half, could have been better. It’s underdeveloped. I had to take a break from it more than once since all I wanted to do was slap Bella to see if she could use her brain a bit more. The word building has potential, it really does, but you never really get to explore it, and the few bits you see are clouded by Bella’s complaints. I really like Forks and I wish Bella had taken some time to explore it more.
I can appreciate Twilight for the good it did during my teenage years, it got me friends that I still have, and it got me into reading, but it is a forgettable book.
I don’t know what prompted my decision to reread this book after twelve years, but I can safely say that my twenty-four years old self has a completely different opinion to my twelve years old self.
I used to love this book, I mean I used to be a fan of it, but re-reading it now made me realized how problematic it truly is.
Let’s start with our main character, Bella. I despise her. She is really boring, unhealthily dependent on Edward, shallow and incredibly insufferable. I feel like she only thinks about two things throughout the book: how beautiful Edward is and how rainy and green Forks is. We get Edward is hot; don’t think about it so often. Her thoughts are just obsessive. The way she just accepts Edward being a vampire is not believable. I would have expected her to be scared and slowly start falling in love with him as she realizes that he is not going to hurt her, but no, she simply doesn't care. On that note, it takes Bella a week to fall in love with this guy she just met and all I can think about is this:
Now let’s talk about Edward. I used to think he was the perfect boyfriend but in this read I realized that what I thought was romantic is actually manipulative and controlling behaviour. I truly believe he has a multiple personality disorder. One minute he is smiling and laughing and the next he is angry and growling, and that happens on the same page only two lines apart. Let’s not even get started on watching Bella sleep at night, that’s just creepy. He is also a stalker. Following Bella around to “make sure she is safe” is not normal, and Bella’s behaviour of just accepting this and feeling flattered because he is following her is even less normal. The good thing about him is that he actually admits to being a monster, even if he says it because he is a vampire and not because of his repulsive behaviour.
The Cullens, Edward’s family, were just decor. Whenever you felt you were finally going to get to know them something happened, and they left, or Bella left, the scene. I know we get their backstories in future books, but I wish we could have seen more of them in this one. I never thought I would say this but, forget Team Jacob and Team Edward, I’m team Jasper and Alice. They were the only characters that truly interested me.
The book itself is an easy read and quite predictable. The first half is just Bella complaining and going through her everyday life, the second half, could have been better. It’s underdeveloped. I had to take a break from it more than once since all I wanted to do was slap Bella to see if she could use her brain a bit more. The word building has potential, it really does, but you never really get to explore it, and the few bits you see are clouded by Bella’s complaints. I really like Forks and I wish Bella had taken some time to explore it more.
I can appreciate Twilight for the good it did during my teenage years, it got me friends that I still have, and it got me into reading, but it is a forgettable book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Stalking
Moderate: Death and Blood
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
If that quote was the only thing you read before jumping in and reading this book you'll think you're going to read a love story when I personally think it couldn't be farther away from the truth.
This is not a love story and I can not understand how some people can say that what Catherine and Heathcliff felt for each other was love.
The story is about Wuthering Heights and it's residents. Most of the story is narrated by Ellen "Nelly", the housekeeper of the Earnshaw family who lives in Wuthering Heights and later on in Thrushcross Grange, who tells the story of Heathcliff and Catherine, two tormented souls that seemed to "love" each other but could never be together. The typical tragic love story, but with a lot less love and more obsession.
I have never hated two characters before as much as I hate Catherine and Heathcliff. Their personalities combined was a recipe for disaster. More than once I wondered if Catherine was bipolar apart from being manipulative and selfish. I couldn't stand her mood swings, one minute she loves you the next she hates you and things turn violent. Heathcliff was just a monster, the devil itself. A manipulative person, full of hatred, selfish, a person with problems to controlled his anger and with the worst intentions. He's not a misunderstood character, he is just evil. He never cared for anyone but himself.
Their relationship was not based on love, but rather on obsession and the idea of going against everyone that surrounded them. Heathcliff did things only a monster and a completely unstable person would do. I have lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes when they talked about how they "love" each other.
The only character I somehow cared about was Cathy, Catherine's daughter, but her story was cut short as she was not the main character. I would have loved to read more about her life once she was free from Heathcliff.
I found myself often wondering why the characters acted in a particular way, then I remember that most of them are mentally unstable and everything made sense... kind of.
All in all I enjoyed the story enough to finish it. I wouldn't read it again. It kept me hook during my bus ride to university but not enough to read it at home where I often got distracted.
If that quote was the only thing you read before jumping in and reading this book you'll think you're going to read a love story when I personally think it couldn't be farther away from the truth.
This is not a love story and I can not understand how some people can say that what Catherine and Heathcliff felt for each other was love.
The story is about Wuthering Heights and it's residents. Most of the story is narrated by Ellen "Nelly", the housekeeper of the Earnshaw family who lives in Wuthering Heights and later on in Thrushcross Grange, who tells the story of Heathcliff and Catherine, two tormented souls that seemed to "love" each other but could never be together. The typical tragic love story, but with a lot less love and more obsession.
I have never hated two characters before as much as I hate Catherine and Heathcliff. Their personalities combined was a recipe for disaster. More than once I wondered if Catherine was bipolar apart from being manipulative and selfish. I couldn't stand her mood swings, one minute she loves you the next she hates you and things turn violent. Heathcliff was just a monster, the devil itself. A manipulative person, full of hatred, selfish, a person with problems to controlled his anger and with the worst intentions. He's not a misunderstood character, he is just evil. He never cared for anyone but himself.
Their relationship was not based on love, but rather on obsession and the idea of going against everyone that surrounded them. Heathcliff did things only a monster and a completely unstable person would do. I have lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes when they talked about how they "love" each other.
The only character I somehow cared about was Cathy, Catherine's daughter, but her story was cut short as she was not the main character. I would have loved to read more about her life once she was free from Heathcliff.
I found myself often wondering why the characters acted in a particular way, then I remember that most of them are mentally unstable and everything made sense... kind of.
All in all I enjoyed the story enough to finish it. I wouldn't read it again. It kept me hook during my bus ride to university but not enough to read it at home where I often got distracted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that—warm things, kind things, sweet things—help and comfort and laughter—and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.”
I'm so glad I decided to give this book a try. I remember loving the 1995 film as a child and I can safely say the book is just as good.
The story of little Sarah Crewe warmed my heart once more. The plot is a very simple one and quite possibly something that you have read before.
When reading it you have to remember the times when this book was written and that this is a story of a child. It includes many cruel and real parts but it also includes fantasy worth of a fairy-tail book.
I think this is a fantastic small read for both children and adults to enjoy.
I'm so glad I decided to give this book a try. I remember loving the 1995 film as a child and I can safely say the book is just as good.
The story of little Sarah Crewe warmed my heart once more. The plot is a very simple one and quite possibly something that you have read before.
When reading it you have to remember the times when this book was written and that this is a story of a child. It includes many cruel and real parts but it also includes fantasy worth of a fairy-tail book.
I think this is a fantastic small read for both children and adults to enjoy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Racism and Death of parent