Not everything is handed to you in life--we have to decide who we're going to be and make our own place in the world.
I really loved this book. I l
Not everything is handed to you in life--we have to decide who we're going to be and make our own place in the world.
I really loved this book. I liked it even more than the first one, and I already really enjoyed that one. Where the first book was introducing us to this crazy situation this family has made for themselves, this book seemed to dive headfirst into the world and universe and expand on it all so much. The adventures felt grander, the stakes felt higher, and everything felt just a little more magical.
This is another series that's technically middle grade because of the ages of our protagonists, but definitely could be enjoyed by many ages. I think everyone I know that has read this is around my age, actually. This book in particular was a bit darker and more intense than the first one (not incredibly so, because again, middle grade, but enough so that it was a noticeable difference for me), and also just so much more rich in detail. Having the first half (at least) of this book set Downstairs was a fascinating departure from the first book. Like I mentioned, the new setting really upped the stakes. The first book ended on a cliffhanger, and this second one really benefitted from that running start, having picked up immediately where that one ended.
One thing I tend to love about middle grade books is that they often have a sort of underlying moral compass, and this was no exception. This book was all about figuring out, for yourself, what's right and wrong, and how it often isn't easy - and about how we can learn from our mistakes and failures. Every character in this book messes up majorly somewhere along the way, but they all become better for it. Despite that, it didn't come across as preachy or like the characters ended up in forced situations just to have to learn something. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and it was nice to see characters realizing these lessons along the way in a subtle way for kids to pick up on.
Really, really enjoyed these, and I'll be happy to give them both a place of honor on my shelves. Glad I finally picked them up after hearing how great they were!
And the quote I really wanted to use for my review under the spoiler cut, because I fear it gives too much away. But it was the point towards the end of the book that made me tear up and is an important moment in the book that I want saved.
(view spoiler)[
Farewell, Prosper Redding. You are not what your family might have made you, and, it seems, neither am I.(hide spoiler)]
Merged review:
Not everything is handed to you in life--we have to decide who we're going to be and make our own place in the world.
I really loved this book. I liked it even more than the first one, and I already really enjoyed that one. Where the first book was introducing us to this crazy situation this family has made for themselves, this book seemed to dive headfirst into the world and universe and expand on it all so much. The adventures felt grander, the stakes felt higher, and everything felt just a little more magical.
This is another series that's technically middle grade because of the ages of our protagonists, but definitely could be enjoyed by many ages. I think everyone I know that has read this is around my age, actually. This book in particular was a bit darker and more intense than the first one (not incredibly so, because again, middle grade, but enough so that it was a noticeable difference for me), and also just so much more rich in detail. Having the first half (at least) of this book set Downstairs was a fascinating departure from the first book. Like I mentioned, the new setting really upped the stakes. The first book ended on a cliffhanger, and this second one really benefitted from that running start, having picked up immediately where that one ended.
One thing I tend to love about middle grade books is that they often have a sort of underlying moral compass, and this was no exception. This book was all about figuring out, for yourself, what's right and wrong, and how it often isn't easy - and about how we can learn from our mistakes and failures. Every character in this book messes up majorly somewhere along the way, but they all become better for it. Despite that, it didn't come across as preachy or like the characters ended up in forced situations just to have to learn something. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and it was nice to see characters realizing these lessons along the way in a subtle way for kids to pick up on.
Really, really enjoyed these, and I'll be happy to give them both a place of honor on my shelves. Glad I finally picked them up after hearing how great they were!
And the quote I really wanted to use for my review under the spoiler cut, because I fear it gives too much away. But it was the point towards the end of the book that made me tear up and is an important moment in the book that I want saved.
(view spoiler)[
Farewell, Prosper Redding. You are not what your family might have made you, and, it seems, neither am I.(hide spoiler)]...more
Such a short read, but so, so fun! I really loved getting these glimpses at Pip's crowd before we get to the main book, getting to see more in depth lSuch a short read, but so, so fun! I really loved getting these glimpses at Pip's crowd before we get to the main book, getting to see more in depth looks at how her brain works, learning just what exactly made her pick the Bell case for her project. The idea that the murder mystery dinner game's solution was "too easy" and obvious, and that perhaps the most obvious answer isn't always the correct one... well, she was certainly onto something there, huh? Plus, we get a really good little foreshadowing moment there at the end (well, especially that one - there were several little foreshadowing moments throughout the novella, really!).
Overall, a great addition to the series, I think. A lot of lore and background info on this group of friends and Pip's logical line of thinking that really add to the story that was told in book one!...more
This was one of the books I was most scared of picking up, because The House in the Cerulean Sea was so wonderful and I wanted a sequel about Arthur aThis was one of the books I was most scared of picking up, because The House in the Cerulean Sea was so wonderful and I wanted a sequel about Arthur and Linus and the kids meeting David so bad, and what if I built it up into this amazing thing in my head and then it was a let down? That's happened so many times.
I'm so happy to say this was not one of those times.
What a beautiful sequel. What a wonderful story. Getting to dive into Arthur's mind this time around and all the trauma he's held since his childhood - while still not losing the first book's charm and hilarity and love, and getting to see the family grow - is such a gift.
I'm sure I'll have more to say about it at some point in the future, once I'm able to stop happy crying....more
Look, I think Kaitlyn Hill's brand of cute and funny romcoms are just exactly my speed, alright? I loved Love From Scratch — and some of the importantLook, I think Kaitlyn Hill's brand of cute and funny romcoms are just exactly my speed, alright? I loved Love From Scratch — and some of the important conversations brought up within about harassment within the workplace and being an online persona dealing with hate / parasocial relationships — and this book followed that same sort of path.
Please appreciate that unintentional-at-first-but-I'm-keeping-it pun.
Anyway! This time our backdrop is a survivor type reality show, but we also get a lovely look on how grief can sneak up on you when you least expect it. How it's an important part of you that is okay to share with people close to you. How anxiety doesn't have to completely control your life and make you weak. And I know maybe that sounds heavy for a romance book, but I promise that it didn't feel that way while reading it. Did I get a bit misty-eyed when Natalie would talk about her grandmother or Finn about his dad? Sure. But they were always in the context of looking back fondly on these memories full of love, so the context wasn't really sad. I promise, this book doesn't come off feeling overly sad (and I've been super sensitive to that stuff since losing my grandfather and have tried my hardest to avoid books with heavy topics, so take my words with a little weight, at least!).
The daily challenges for the reality show aspect of this were super fun to read about as well. I loved watching Natalie get to be in her element with horseback riding, or Finn acing the trivia challenge, or Natalie helping a "rival" contestant with a challenge that she was scared of to pay back that team helping her previously — and seeing beautiful friendships bloom out of that. The adventures were both entertaining and heartwarming so many times!
Kaitlyn Hill really does just have a special touch when it comes to feel-good romcoms, and I'm always going to be on the lookout for her books in the future. (Plus, cool to see that this one tied back into Love From Scratch in the tiniest way too! I haven't read Not Here To Stay Friends yet, though I have it downloaded and hope to get to it soon, but curious to see if that ties in to either of these as well! Love when authors make their own tiny 'cinematic universes', if you will.)...more
"You know as well as I, Trystan Maverine, that humans demonize what they cannot understand. It isn't our job to educate them, just to live the way
"You know as well as I, Trystan Maverine, that humans demonize what they cannot understand. It isn't our job to educate them, just to live the way we're meant to with the knowledge that being called a monster does not make you one."
Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, torture (mostly off-screen), reference to death of a parent, reference to death of a sibling, kidnapping, a drowning scare at one point.
Same as with the first book, I feel the need to reiterate that this is indeed a humor-centric fantasy romance, despite the dark sounding content warnings!
Anyway, there's not a ton that I can say in a review for this book, since it's book two in a trilogy, meaning I don't want to spoil the first one or giveaway where the third might be heading, but... I will say that this book absolutely lived up to the love I had for the first one and the hype I had built up in my head for this sequel.
We got a couple of new POVs on and off throughout this book too, which were always an interesting little break! Our motley office crew had to be split up at times, so we'd jump between like... the adventuring party and the folks back at the office every now and then because it felt like so much was happening all the time. This series definitely falls in that "compulsively readable" category for me for that reason - there's always so much happening and I feel like I have to know what's going to go down next!
I am so very, very ready to see how book three is going to play out after certain revelations in this one as well. I can't believe it's like another year away or something now, but... such is the downside of loving an in-progress series, I suppose.
(Oh, also, get yourself the Barnes & Noble edition, if you can. The two extra chapters are worth it. They're not full of crucial information or anything, just extensions of cute scenes in the main body of the book, but oh man did I love them both.)
((Also, part 2, I have a full on theory about what book 3 is going to be called and what it's going to look like now, and I can't wait to see if either are correct down the line!))
"We're all monsters in the end. At least mine lives in the light."
Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, torture (mostly off-screen), attempted sexual assault, death of a parent (off-screen), death of a sibling (off-screen), kidnapping.
(I promise this book is way more lighthearted than the warnings make it sound. This is in fact a humor-centric fantasy romance, I swear!)
I feel like most of the people ragging on this book wouldn't know a fun, lighthearted story if it hit them upside the head. Look, is this the next great work of American literature? No. Is it the most perfectly well-written thing I've ever read? Again, no. But is it the most fun I've had reading a book in quite a while?
Why yes. Yes it is.
And I've already pre-ordered book two, because, well... now I absolutely have to know what happens. Because you know our girl's about to burn the world down to right what's been wronged. And I absolutely cannot wait to see what sort of unhinged and hilarious things she gets up to next.
I don't know, man. This book's humor gets me. It's full of this dry, sarcastic, dark, blatant, and sometimes kind of stupid sense of humor that speaks to something in my soul. The number of times the two alternating POVs would basically just be like, "Well. This sucks. Now what?" just works for me. Complain heartily about something, insert some self-deprecating quips about how you got yourself into that situation in the first place, and then get to work fixing it. I honestly love it. Both their POVs were so fun to read.
Yes, this is full of almost every trope you can think of (grump & sunshine, forced proximity, touch her and you die, he hates everyone except her, etc.), but it's so perfectly self-aware about every. single. one of them. They realize the situations they end up in are ridiculous and cliche! And that's what makes it funny!
Anyway. Ahem. Clearly this book made me feel some type of way.
Well that was certainly a wild ride! I definitely had an idea about who it was in the end and was half right, at least! Looking forward to jumping intWell that was certainly a wild ride! I definitely had an idea about who it was in the end and was half right, at least! Looking forward to jumping into the prequel and second book soon-ish to see what else could possibly be going on in this universe....more
Look, I purposefully didn't want to know much about what this book was about — I mean, it's Leigh Bardugo, I'm going to adore it — but I am so on boarLook, I purposefully didn't want to know much about what this book was about — I mean, it's Leigh Bardugo, I'm going to adore it — but I am so on board. Sign me up. Where do I sign. Take all my money. I need ANSWERS! haha...more
Content Warnings: Murder, kidnapping, dog attack, brainwashing.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for free iContent Warnings: Murder, kidnapping, dog attack, brainwashing.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. Review also cross-posted to NetGalley.
This is probably like a 3.75 rounded up or something. Not quite 4 stars in that I didn't love it, per se, but I did enjoy it! The art style is not really my favorite, I'll say, and it doesn't quite match up to the cover art's style. The cover art is much more defined and has a lot more detail than a lot of the actual graphic novel does.
However, the mystery of what in the world was going on in this small town was definitely enough to keep me reading, even if it did seem like it wrapped up pretty quickly and even if I'm not 100% sure what exactly was going on and who all was in on it. The ending of the plot did feel a bit rushed, I have to say.
But on that note, this is only volume one of what seems to be a planned series, so maybe things will be made clearer as the story progresses! I think I'm intrigued enough by what's going on to keep reading the series, at least for now, but I do hope there's a bit more action and suspense in the next one (nothing seemed super dangerous in this one and wrapped up pretty quickly and neatly each time something started to get intense), and that we also get more answers.
Oh, also wanted to note that the timing got a bit confusing on several occasions. In the first third or so of the book especially, it felt like it we kept jumping back and forth by a couple of days to take a detour to see something that had happened previously in the case or something, but there was nothing to really denote those changes. You sort of just had to figure it out on your own.
Anyway, worth picking up still, though, if small town mysteries and graphic novels are both things you enjoy!...more
Percy is a dork, but he's our dork. (Read as: These are just as much fun as I remember them being - all these stories told through his eyes!)Percy is a dork, but he's our dork. (Read as: These are just as much fun as I remember them being - all these stories told through his eyes!)...more
If at first you don't succeed, try, try not to spiral into the kind of self-loathing you've been conditioned to feel by a system that promotes unat
If at first you don't succeed, try, try not to spiral into the kind of self-loathing you've been conditioned to feel by a system that promotes unattainable goals and then converts your resulting insecurities into profit.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. Review also cross-posted to NetGalley.
This was a super cute and super fast read, but I definitely agree with the description on the back - it feels like a hug! This would make such a great gifting book, honestly. Such a good little pick-me-up for any friends or family that might be going through a bit of a tough time. After all, who among us doesn't need to be told that we're doing really well given the circumstances, hm?...more
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