#bookgirly

Am I the side character or main character?

Cause....

Im in several different friend groups.

I'm the third wheel In two trios

The fifth wheel in one friend group

And the seventh wheel in one chaos crew

Diary of an Oxygen Thief is a dark, confessional psychological novel that explores obsession, emotional manipulation, guilt, and self-destruction through the eyes of a deeply unreliable narrator. More than a romance, it's a disturbing character study about someone who mistakes cruelty for control and intimacy for power.

The novel follows an unnamed Irish advertising executive living in the United States who openly admits that he once took pleasure in emotionally hurting women. After years of toxic relationships fueled by arrogance and insecurity, he unexpectedly falls in love, only to experience the same heartbreak he once inflicted on others. As his carefully constructed sense of superiority crumbles, he is forced to confront his past behavior and the emptiness beneath it.

One of the book's biggest strengths is its voice. Written anonymously, the novel reads like an unfiltered diary, making the narration feel raw, intimate, and unsettling. The prose is sharp, darkly humorous, and brutally honest, pulling readers into the mind of someone who is both self-aware and deeply flawed. The narrator isn't written to be admired, and that's exactly what makes the book so compelling.

Readers often praise the psychological depth and the exploration of toxic relationships, narcissism, addiction, and emotional vulnerability. The novel doesn't offer easy redemption or clear moral lessons. Instead, it challenges readers to sit with an uncomfortable protagonist whose actions are often frustrating, selfish, and destructive.

That said, Diary of an Oxygen Thief is an extremely divisive book. Some readers consider it brilliantly written and thought-provoking, while others criticize it for being repetitive, self-indulgent, or lacking meaningful character growth. Because the narrator is intentionally unlikeable, many people struggle to connect with the story at all. Reading it can feel less like following a plot and more like being trapped inside someone's therapy session before they agreed to attend therapy.

Overall, Diary of an Oxygen Thief is a provocative and psychologically intense novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy unreliable narrators and character-driven fiction. It's not a comforting read, but it's one that often sparks discussion long after the final page.

Started reading "Bride" by Ali Hazelwood today! I read her debut novel "The Love Hypothesis" when it was trending on booktok a while back... not the best, but entertaining enough. Hazelwood is certainly redeeming herself so far with this one!!

i had to rant about this.

so this post is about the controversy of powerless by lauren roberts.

if you're a booktoker who has been online for even a super short amount of time you will know that powerless has plagiarized the following books:

Defy the Night, Defend the Dawn, & A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

The Hunger Games & Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Shatter Me, Unravel Me, & Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

The Cruel Prince, The Queen of Nothing, & The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

Once Upon a Broken Heart & The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, & Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Remnant Chronicles & The Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Tangled (a movie)

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Supernatural (TV series)

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

Boys of Tommen by Chloe Walsh

Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Selection by Kiera Cass

There are 33 books in this list.

Ranging from small things like quotes and actions to huge things like entire plotlines, Roberts has taken bits and pieces from each book and sewn them together. Kind of like a patchwork blanket.

This is a document that lists ALL the similarities between Powerless and other books.

Reasons Powerless was plagiarized (color-coded ver. out now<3) - Google Docs

This is a document that "overturns" all arguments of Powerless defenders.

Overturning plaigirism defender's claims - Google Docs

Powerless is not a good book, not if it's plagiarized.

Everything is kind of flat, all the scenes and quotes and plotlines are copy-pasted, and the characters are literally taken from OGs. For eg. Kai Azer is a Temu Cardan Greenbriar and Paedyn Gray is a wannabe Jude Duarte.

peace out,

haavya

Nightshade is a dark academia romance wrapped in gothic tension, murder mystery vibes, and emotionally damaged people making increasingly questionable decisions inside a creepy Scottish university.

The story follows Ophelia Winters, a scholarship student arriving at Sorrowsong University with one goal: prove that billionaire Cain Green is responsible for her parents’ deaths. Her plan is supposed to be simple — stay unnoticed, investigate quietly, and leave. That immediately falls apart when she collides with Alex Corbeau-Green, Cain’s son, who seems arrogant, dangerous, and impossible to avoid. Things spiral even further once anonymous threats, stalking incidents, and murder accusations start piling up around her.

The biggest strength of the book is definitely the atmosphere. Sorrowsong University feels genuinely eerie and immersive, with isolated castle settings, old-money elites, secret societies, and constant tension hanging over everything. The dark academia aesthetic is strong here — rainy highlands, hidden hallways, emotionally repressed characters, the whole package.

The romance between Ophelia and Alex is very much a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers situation fueled by grief, suspicion, and unresolved trauma. Alex is written as the classic tortured rich-boy love interest — intense, protective, emotionally messy — and readers are VERY divided on him. Some absolutely adore the yearning and banter, while others think the relationship becomes overly dramatic and frustrating, especially near the ending.

Reactions to the pacing are mixed too. A lot of readers found the mystery addictive and bingeable, especially with the stalker plot and cliffhanger ending. Others felt the story dragged in places or leaned more YA emotionally than the darker marketing suggests.

Overall, Nightshade is a dramatic, gothic dark-academia romance that prioritizes atmosphere, emotional tension, and mystery over realism or subtle character choices. If you like morally messy characters, obsessive slow-burn dynamics, and books that feel like rainy midnight playlists turned into a story, it’s extremely addictive.

Welcome ~

⋆˚ Belle ⋆ 17 ⋆ she/her ⋆ enfp ⋆ bookblogger ⋆ danmei/magical girl/horror enthusiast⋆ steamdeck drider ⋆ shoujo life⋆ pink and Resident Evil 4ever ! ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ ₊˚⊹♡

⤷ ゛Leon's Lady ₍ ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎ ˎˊ˗

⤷ ૮₍ ´ ꒳ `₎ა Fable .˚

۶۟ৎ Listening to: RUDE! ~ Hearts2Hearts

۶۟ৎ Reading: "Circe" , Madeline Miller ; "There There", Tommy Orange

۶۟ৎ Watching: Love Island USA: Season 8

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred’s Curse saga, a fantasy romance that mixes political intrigue, magic, and personal growth in a world ruled by powerful descendants of gods known as the Descended. The story follows Diem Bellator, a young healer from a quiet village whose life is turned upside‑down when her mother disappears under mysterious circumstances and truths about her heritage begin to emerge. As Diem ventures beyond the walls of her home, she learns that her world is far more dangerous—and complicated—than she ever imagined.

One of the novel’s biggest strengths is its immersive world‑building. The society of Emarion, divided between ordinary mortals and the powerful Descended elite, creates a tense backdrop for conflict and rebellion. Diem’s journey from sheltered healer to someone involved in a growing civil war feels gripping, and the moral questions she faces about duty, love, and identity add real emotional weight to her story.

Many readers praise the slow‑burn tension between Diem and Prince Luther, describing their dynamic as complicated, layered with mistrust, frustration, and chemistry that only builds over time.

However, some find the pacing slow at first and Diem’s decisions frustrating, especially early on, which can affect engagement for some.

Overall, Spark of the Everflame is a character‑driven, richly detailed fantasy romance that sets up a larger saga of power, choice, and personal discovery.