Ever since I finished this book on either last Sunday night or Monday morning, can’t remember which, I have been meaning to write a lengthy review witEver since I finished this book on either last Sunday night or Monday morning, can’t remember which, I have been meaning to write a lengthy review with all of my thoughts (good ones obviously). So this is going to be me rambling on about how much I loved The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas!
First of all, the book is written in a way that is so engrossing and draws the reader in immediately. Although the book is pretty long, it’s still a quick read because you practically can’t help but whiz through the 444 pages to find out what happens. Angie Thomas’s writing style is so unique and special. That’s one reason why this book is so captivating from the beginning. She is one of the most talented writers I have ever had the privilege of reading a book by. One sentence has the power to make me cry, laugh, smile, become angry because even though I know our world is fucked-up it is outrageous that people are treated unfairly because of the color of their skin, and gasp all at once. I have heard some people say that this book was too hard for them to read because of some of the things it discussed within its pages, but I think Angie Thomas does a wonderful job of not holding any information back from her readers while also not making the book too difficult to finish. I think that even if this book is hard to read, it is so important in the world we live in today. Absolutely every person alive needs to read this book. It talks about the issues of racism, police brutality, and gangs in a way that no one ever has before. The main lesson of this book is to speak out, that you have a voice for a reason and you should use it. That message was so empowering to me, and whether or not you need the courage to speak up about something that is going on in your life, I think it will be to you too. As I said earlier in this review, there are SO MANY THINGS I loved about this book. it is now one of my all-time favorites. But my very favorite thing is this complex, flawed, realistic, hilarious, relatable cast of characters. Starr, Sekani, Lisa, Maverick, Seven, Khalil, Kenya, Maya, and more. This is one of the few books where I loved the supporting characters just as much as, if not more than, the main character(s). I don’t know how I could possibly express these feelings in words. They all are so much fun to read about, and I love that every single one contributes something important to the overall story and plot line. Starr’s family is the best family with the best dynamic I have ever read about in any novel, YA or otherwise. Although they have their fights, their hard times as every family does, they are funny, loving, caring, and support one another when it is most needed. Many authors try to portray a “perfect family” in their books, which always either ends up being too unrealistic or annoying, but Angie Thomas truly knows how to create characters that have flaws while also being so lovable. The Hate U Give 100% deserves all the hype it has gotten. Never has a book been so important and life-changing while being SO GOOD, and I doubt there will ever be one like this again....more
I loved this book. I thought it would just be a refreshing, quick graphic novel read, but it was so much more than that. First of all, the art is absoI loved this book. I thought it would just be a refreshing, quick graphic novel read, but it was so much more than that. First of all, the art is absolutely beautiful. I also loved watching Freddy and Laura Dean’s relationship change, grow, and eventually shrink-although it was heartbreaking to watch them break up, their relationship dynamics were portrayed excellently. I have never read a book like this that was centered around a lesbian relationship; I am a big romance fan, especially of LGBTQ+ romance novels, but books like that that are actually good and show what it’s like to be queer don’t come around very often. This is definitely my favorite book I have read so far in 202o. It is beautiful, relatable, sad, and hilarious all at the same time....more
edited review: After a while I have decided to give All Your Twisted Secrets a 5-star rating, because I truly enjoyed it that much! I love the locked-edited review: After a while I have decided to give All Your Twisted Secrets a 5-star rating, because I truly enjoyed it that much! I love the locked-room trope in YA books, and Diana Urban’s take on it. Her writing was very good and nuanced, and her characters were crafted very well. Many thrillers have an intriguing plot line but bad writing, or vice versa-this book had both. There were some things I guessed correctly, and many more which I didn’t! The twist at the end was absolutely MIND-BLOWING!!! I also loved the entire cast of characters. When I started reading this book I was hesitant about the flashbacks, but they ended of being some of my favorite parts of the story. They gave a lot of perspective to what was happening in the present day, and even dropped a few subtle hints that made the reader wrack their brain about what may happen next. Diana Urban also does excellently when discussing bullying and suicide. These are very important topics to discuss in literature especially in YA, because teenagers are some of the most common victims of bullying, and there are sadly many teenage suicides every year. I think it is quite interesting that Diana Urban found a way to talk about those in a thriller, making her novel both relatable, important, and thrilling! If you are looking for a book to read during quarantine, you absolutely HAVE to get your hands on All Your Twisted Secrets!...more
I would be excited to read Cassie Clare’s grocery list. But a nearly 600-page Shadowhunters novel, filled with so many Tessa and Will moments, is an aI would be excited to read Cassie Clare’s grocery list. But a nearly 600-page Shadowhunters novel, filled with so many Tessa and Will moments, is an absolute treat. I loved reading about all of the characters (Tessa and Will most of all, obviously) and the way they were developed throughout the story was excellent. As always, the writing is detailed and beautiful and I loved every single second of it. The plot was one that made me unable to stop turning these pages. One part I really enjoyed was the flashbacks, every few chapters or so, to events that occurred with the main characters during the early 1900s. It was so much fun watching everything come together as the novel progressed. I knew this would be 5 stars for me before I even read it, and this book even went above and beyond the extremely high expectations I had. Definitely a new favorite book of all time for me. Also: WILL HERONDALE I LOVE YOU ...more
Feminism, queer rep, body positivity encouragement, friendships, I know I talk about these things in reviews all the time but I really do love readingFeminism, queer rep, body positivity encouragement, friendships, I know I talk about these things in reviews all the time but I really do love reading about them! Reading about the things boys had done to some of the female characters made me so angry, and then I was rooting for the girls so much when they tried to seek retribution. This book was written really well, and there were several both big and very small parts (paragraphs or even sentences) that I loved and triggered my emotions in a good way. ...more
Caroline Kaufman’s poetry is so amazing I cannot even believe it. Reading this book, I felt understood. She captures depression and what it feels likeCaroline Kaufman’s poetry is so amazing I cannot even believe it. Reading this book, I felt understood. She captures depression and what it feels like in such a unique way....more
The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful and extraordinary. That combined with plot twists, great female characters, discussing how friendshipThe writing in this book is absolutely beautiful and extraordinary. That combined with plot twists, great female characters, discussing how friendships can start to fade... I had to think about this for a while before I wrote my review, but I just had to give it 5 stars. This book really dove deep into what goes on inside someone’s head, including how they feel guilt and how they can be led to believe something....more
This book was just so much fun! I loved all of the scenes, and it was cool to read about the characters having all of these amazing new experiences. TThis book was just so much fun! I loved all of the scenes, and it was cool to read about the characters having all of these amazing new experiences. The friendships and relationships are complex but very good. A very enjoyable read that I would highly recommend....more
Each installment in this series is better than the last! Stevie is one of my favorite YA characters ever. I loved going back to the 1930s when Iris anEach installment in this series is better than the last! Stevie is one of my favorite YA characters ever. I loved going back to the 1930s when Iris and Alice Ellingham first disappeared every other chapter. Maureen Johnson truly is the modern YA Agatha Christie. I might want to attend Ellingham even more than I did Hogwarts after first reading Harry Potter! ...more
Loading...
