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Mini-Summary

A Court of Thorns and Roses follows Feyre, a skilled hunteress, who is the main provider for her impoverished family. On one of her hunts, she kills a wolf, which unbeknownst to her, was a magical creature. To atone for her doing she is taken prisoner by a High Fae Lord. Feyre soon learns that this realm is not what she thought it to be. What is this realm? Does Feyre survive? Find out by giving this book a read :)

Likes and Dislikes

-Despite not being a regular fantasy reader because of the complexity of most worldbuilding and the overall complexity of some fantasy books (I also just prefer romance or psychological type books🤭), I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. What particularly stood out to me was the book's simplicity, both in terms of language and worldbuilding. The inclusion of a visual map at the beginning was also a nice touch to break down the worldbuilding and give readers a better understanding. One of the best parts of this book was how the writer wrote the characters. She delved into their pasts and their traumas and added layers of depth that resonated throughout the entire story (and from what I’ve been told, throughout other books). Aside from a slow pacing at its start(which is relatively normal for the first book in a book series), the ending of the book was quite appealing.

-Though most of the characters were really well written, I would’ve loved to see more perspectives of the other characters because including different points of view, in my opinion, would’ve made the storytelling a lot better. However, since I've just started this book series, I'm curious to see if this changes throughout the other books. Another thing that didn’t really appeal to me was some of the development of the main character. Initially, she was portrayed as a strong huntress and provider for her family however, her choices throughout the story deviated from her established characterization and while I won't talk about specific instances (as to not give any spoilers), this inconsistency in her behavior kind of dropped the quality for me personally.

Aside from the initial slow pacing and some character choices, the author’s ability to world-build and write really complex yet understandable characters really made this an overall enjoyable read.

Age rating- 17+

Genres- Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Novel

Do I recommend?-Yes, I recommend you give it a read and don’t let the initial slow pace deter you.

Trigger Warnings- Ab*se, Violence, Death, Gore

-Set the atmosphere with the playlist below and enjoy-

Mini-Summary

Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human focuses on the life of Yozo Oba, who is a self-described failure. Despite having a wealthy upbringing his parents lacked the emotional intelligence to properly care for him. As a result, Oba is void of emotions and lacks the understanding of humans. He goes through each day wearing a mask of a personality in an attempt to be seen as seemingly normal. Throughout this novel, he faces many hardships yet it's all told in a monotone tone. Why does Oba have these thoughts? What lead to his feelings of low self-perception? Find out by giving this book a read:) (Read the ‘Do I recommend’ section Below)

Likes and dislikes

- Every time I picked up this book and began reading there would be some aspect that would drive me to tears. The first time I read this book I honestly was not in a proper mental state and that in itself contributed to the conflicting feelings I felt while reading. It took me about a month to finish, which was odd because I often binge-read books but due to the heaviness of this book it felt physically impossible to continue reading on certain occasions. The relatability of this character is not something I expected to feel when I first dived in. But in terms of self-perception and trying to understand certain things I feel as though this character has some relatable characteristics. I really loved the raw approach in Dazai’s style of writing and the way he wrote on mental health. 

- Honestly, I tried to find something to critique about this book for this review but in my opinion, it was really well articulated. Though this book does have traces of blatant misogyny when you read the book and see the trauma inflicted upon him at the hands of women it's somewhat of a cause-and-effect situation. (Feel free to let me know your opinions in the comments)

Age rating- 16+

Genres- Semi-autobiographic, Fiction, Novel

Do I recommend?- I do recommend you give it a read but it is a heavy book to digest overall and I would recommend you be in a good state of mind before you start reading.

Trigger Warnings-Su*c*de, SA, D*ath, Child Ab*se

Mini-Summary

This story is centered around two adolescent males, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio, who have just been alerted that they have only one day left to live. Despite having never met before the start of this 24hrs they quickly grew close, some may even say their meeting was fated. This story is set in a technologically advanced New York City, where there is the existence of Death-Cast. Which is a company that calls to let people know their death date as it comes near. Is the information this company gives real? Do they actually die at the end? Find out by giving the book a read :)

Likes and Dislikes 

-There are many aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. I found it to be such a wholesome yet heartbreaking story. It did such a great job of making me feel conflicted within my own emotions while also having me grasping at straws and denying the inevitable truth that was soon to come at its end. While this story does hint at a budding romance, it focuses on the connection between two people who lived with regrets and aspirations which captivated me and left a lasting impact due to the relatability of the characters themselves.

-The only downside to this book, in my opinion, was some of the writing. Because it centers around adolescents, I believe this author like many others, tried to encapsulate how they think teenagers sound which came off as awkward while reading certain lines. 

But all in all, if you love heartwrenching, yet wholesome stories and can appreciate various types of romances in books, then you should definitely give this one a read.

Age rating- 14+

Genres- Young Adult, Romance, Drama

Do I recommend?-Yes

-Here's a playlist you can listen to, to set the ambiance while reading-