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hayleyslibrarycard's reviews
348 reviews
Five Survive by Holly Jackson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I LOVED THISSSSSS!!
It had me on edge the whole time, I was engaged, I was ready! This is the first thriller in a while that’s actually given me anxiety - Holly Jackson smashed that honestly.
I read this in about 6hrs on a Sunday and it was a whole ride man.
ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HATED OLIVER HE WAS AWFUL!!!!!! Wanted to absolutely throttle him everytime he had dialogue. The other characters could’ve been slightly more fleshed out but they did what they needed to do
Reyna is an angel, love her, enjoyed Reds POV too!!
I did find the plot very unrealistic at the start and had to suspend a lot of disbelief but as the story moved it started to get its grip on me and I could get swept away with the story. Will definitely pick up Holly Jackson’s other thrillers!!!
I don’t remember the last time I talked aloud to a book, had to stop and stare at a wall or had to run out and recount the whole plot while running around my lounge to my husband with a book and this one made me do all 3
It had me on edge the whole time, I was engaged, I was ready! This is the first thriller in a while that’s actually given me anxiety - Holly Jackson smashed that honestly.
I read this in about 6hrs on a Sunday and it was a whole ride man.
ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HATED OLIVER HE WAS AWFUL!!!!!! Wanted to absolutely throttle him everytime he had dialogue. The other characters could’ve been slightly more fleshed out but they did what they needed to do
Reyna is an angel, love her, enjoyed Reds POV too!!
I did find the plot very unrealistic at the start and had to suspend a lot of disbelief but as the story moved it started to get its grip on me and I could get swept away with the story. Will definitely pick up Holly Jackson’s other thrillers!!!
I don’t remember the last time I talked aloud to a book, had to stop and stare at a wall or had to run out and recount the whole plot while running around my lounge to my husband with a book and this one made me do all 3
These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I read this because some girls in my high school bookclub were frothing it hahaha. This was solid, it did what it said it was gonna do on the tin. I read it all very very quickly and it was so easy to read. SO many things happened that it was lowkey a little unbelievable but it is a book about teenage witches so??? Literally something hugely dramatic happens every few pages so it definitely keeps you wanting to read but the adults are a bit ridiculous and don’t help at all
I liked the our MC Hannah, she did make some silly decisions but she’s also a teenager so I can give her that, Veronica did my absolute head in (we got too much of her hahaha) but I LOVED Morgan and was excited about the small twist with her! I liked the representation of the queer characters, especially Morgan being Bi and the conversations that were had around that.
Overall this book was enjoyable, had very YA tropes which is fine (it’s not supposed to be written for me!) k will probably pick the second one up if I need a book I don’t have to pay much attention too and need a break from horror haha
I liked the our MC Hannah, she did make some silly decisions but she’s also a teenager so I can give her that, Veronica did my absolute head in (we got too much of her hahaha) but I LOVED Morgan and was excited about the small twist with her! I liked the representation of the queer characters, especially Morgan being Bi and the conversations that were had around that.
Overall this book was enjoyable, had very YA tropes which is fine (it’s not supposed to be written for me!) k will probably pick the second one up if I need a book I don’t have to pay much attention too and need a break from horror haha
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Actually adored this!!!
Was so freaking cute, I love Ben and I love Nathan and I love their friendship.
This was the perfect upper end of YA for me, it took serious topics and hard conversations and didn’t dumb them down or make them seem easier than they actually would be. Ben didn’t realise they were non binary and then everything fell into place which I loved. I know it’s good to have great representation of coming out but it’s definitely not always like that and I appreciated that here.
I think Ben and their sisters relationship was spot on, and again im so glad to see everything between them didn’t just get wrapped up in a bow. We don’t have to dumb down things for our YA readers! A lot of them are going through these EXACT things and they deserve to see realistic representations.
The themes in this are quite heavy but Mason balanced it out beautifully with moments that made me scream, cry, kick my feet and twirl my hair.
I think this book would do wonderfully at my school library
Was so freaking cute, I love Ben and I love Nathan and I love their friendship.
This was the perfect upper end of YA for me, it took serious topics and hard conversations and didn’t dumb them down or make them seem easier than they actually would be. Ben didn’t realise they were non binary and then everything fell into place which I loved. I know it’s good to have great representation of coming out but it’s definitely not always like that and I appreciated that here.
I think Ben and their sisters relationship was spot on, and again im so glad to see everything between them didn’t just get wrapped up in a bow. We don’t have to dumb down things for our YA readers! A lot of them are going through these EXACT things and they deserve to see realistic representations.
The themes in this are quite heavy but Mason balanced it out beautifully with moments that made me scream, cry, kick my feet and twirl my hair.
I think this book would do wonderfully at my school library
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was really enjoyable!
The only other Ali Hazelwood I have actually finished is Bride (which I loved haha!) and while this was wholly readable and I flew through it I didn't enjoy it as much as Bride.
I really liked Elsie as a character and enjoyed her arc throughout the story (I think she's my fave Ali Hazelwood FMC as she wasn't as "not like other girls" as her other characters. ) She grew a lot and it was super exciting to see her growth throughout and was a real celebration when she stood up fior herself.
I think this book got slightly bogged down with the scientific details but overall it didn't effect to much of my enjoyment - my brain just kinda blanked over those sections lol.
LOVED Jack, and was surprised that this was kinda slow burny (??) and then we got a lot of really hot spicy scenes. This book may not have needed to be as long as it was to get there but they were a great addition and I think this is what Ali Hazelwood excels at.
The rest of the cast of characters could have been fleshed out slightly more, but I think that it worked as Elsie's people pleasing tendencies meant that it made sense that we didnt really know her relationship to others that well as she just kinda did what they wanted her to do and be whoever they wanted her to be.
Overall very enjoyable and was the easy read my brain needed.
The only other Ali Hazelwood I have actually finished is Bride (which I loved haha!) and while this was wholly readable and I flew through it I didn't enjoy it as much as Bride.
I really liked Elsie as a character and enjoyed her arc throughout the story (I think she's my fave Ali Hazelwood FMC as she wasn't as "not like other girls" as her other characters. ) She grew a lot and it was super exciting to see her growth throughout and was a real celebration when she stood up fior herself.
I think this book got slightly bogged down with the scientific details but overall it didn't effect to much of my enjoyment - my brain just kinda blanked over those sections lol.
LOVED Jack, and was surprised that this was kinda slow burny (??) and then we got a lot of really hot spicy scenes. This book may not have needed to be as long as it was to get there but they were a great addition and I think this is what Ali Hazelwood excels at.
The rest of the cast of characters could have been fleshed out slightly more, but I think that it worked as Elsie's people pleasing tendencies meant that it made sense that we didnt really know her relationship to others that well as she just kinda did what they wanted her to do and be whoever they wanted her to be.
Overall very enjoyable and was the easy read my brain needed.
Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thanks Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advanced readers copy of this novel!
A solid 5 stars. I loved this!
My heart hurts and feel so melancholic about countries and cities I don't even know after finishing this.
This short but satisfying novel follows a young Brazilian woman’s first year in America, a continent away from her lonely mother, and the relationship they build over Skype calls across borders. Although this book doesn't necessarily have the most plot the vibes are delicious and everything I wanted from a novel (very aptly) named Blue Light Hours! The lighting and atmosphere of this book plays a really large part, almost as if it's a character itself which made you feel like you were there with the mother and daughter.
I really liked the almost outside-looking-in vibe of the novel, you get to hear thoughts and musings from the characters but a with a few degrees of separation much like the two characters are separated. I did love hearing about the daughters life in America and her friends and college life were well fleshed out here, but it was a very pleasant surprise when it switched POV's for the last. bit of the book.
This book is so melancholic and so descriptive of growing up and realising your mum is also just a girl and doesn't know everything or have everything sorted like you assume her too. It made me miss my mum and want to talk to her about her life and how she sees the world, and how it feels to have a daughter grow up in front of her eyes without knowing the depth of the life shes living.
Loved the glimpses into language barriers, cultural barriers, the massive undertaking that is immigrating to a new country and all the pressures that come along with that, being an only child and the expectations that surround that, the shifting relationship of you needing to take care of your mother rather than her taking care of you.
I loved the ponderous tone of this book, the way every small thing is romantisiced like the way the light creeps into the room of both the mum and the daughter is so romantic and important. It poetic and shows how every little thing we do holds so much importance and can and should be romantisced. It's so full of longing, and guilt and love and the feeling of looking back and feeling like we've suddenly grown up and can look behind us at all the decisions we've made along the way that make us who we are. I'm an absolute sucker for vibes and a lyrical prose so if you're also into that I think you'll love this.
Blue Light Hours was the perfect length. It felt meandering but hopeful but also sharp and to the point. Recommend getting your hands on a copy on October 15th!
A solid 5 stars. I loved this!
My heart hurts and feel so melancholic about countries and cities I don't even know after finishing this.
This short but satisfying novel follows a young Brazilian woman’s first year in America, a continent away from her lonely mother, and the relationship they build over Skype calls across borders. Although this book doesn't necessarily have the most plot the vibes are delicious and everything I wanted from a novel (very aptly) named Blue Light Hours! The lighting and atmosphere of this book plays a really large part, almost as if it's a character itself which made you feel like you were there with the mother and daughter.
I really liked the almost outside-looking-in vibe of the novel, you get to hear thoughts and musings from the characters but a with a few degrees of separation much like the two characters are separated. I did love hearing about the daughters life in America and her friends and college life were well fleshed out here, but it was a very pleasant surprise when it switched POV's for the last. bit of the book.
This book is so melancholic and so descriptive of growing up and realising your mum is also just a girl and doesn't know everything or have everything sorted like you assume her too. It made me miss my mum and want to talk to her about her life and how she sees the world, and how it feels to have a daughter grow up in front of her eyes without knowing the depth of the life shes living.
Loved the glimpses into language barriers, cultural barriers, the massive undertaking that is immigrating to a new country and all the pressures that come along with that, being an only child and the expectations that surround that, the shifting relationship of you needing to take care of your mother rather than her taking care of you.
I loved the ponderous tone of this book, the way every small thing is romantisiced like the way the light creeps into the room of both the mum and the daughter is so romantic and important. It poetic and shows how every little thing we do holds so much importance and can and should be romantisced. It's so full of longing, and guilt and love and the feeling of looking back and feeling like we've suddenly grown up and can look behind us at all the decisions we've made along the way that make us who we are. I'm an absolute sucker for vibes and a lyrical prose so if you're also into that I think you'll love this.
Blue Light Hours was the perfect length. It felt meandering but hopeful but also sharp and to the point. Recommend getting your hands on a copy on October 15th!
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
I wish I liked this book more but I just don’t think I get it??
Like there were times when it was genuinely eerie and I was starting to get a bit scared but like also nothing happened, like there was almost no plot?? I didn’t like the jumping timelines as the character didn’t seem to age in an accordance to the plot lines and it was confusing as to when this was supposed to be.
Through reading reviews I learnt that this was a short story that originated on Reddit and has been adapted and made longer for the novel and that makes so much sense. I can imagine it would be way scarier and tense being only a few pages long.
The writing was very simple (and that’s fine!) but there wasn’t any edge to it that kept me hooked. I’m glad it was only 200 or so pages cos I probably would’ve DNF if it was longer. I did fly through it and it kept me fairly engaged though.
Can’t say I’d recommend
Like there were times when it was genuinely eerie and I was starting to get a bit scared but like also nothing happened, like there was almost no plot?? I didn’t like the jumping timelines as the character didn’t seem to age in an accordance to the plot lines and it was confusing as to when this was supposed to be.
Through reading reviews I learnt that this was a short story that originated on Reddit and has been adapted and made longer for the novel and that makes so much sense. I can imagine it would be way scarier and tense being only a few pages long.
The writing was very simple (and that’s fine!) but there wasn’t any edge to it that kept me hooked. I’m glad it was only 200 or so pages cos I probably would’ve DNF if it was longer. I did fly through it and it kept me fairly engaged though.
Can’t say I’d recommend
Hide by Kiersten White
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. It’s a solid 3 star book but just not as thrilling or as horror-y as I wanted it to be. The blurb really hyped me up for a really suspenseful, twisty turny novel and I didn’t get as much of that as I wanted. Would call this more of a dystopia rather than a horror/thriller because those elements were just not there for me.
It was definitely spooky and would translate well into a movie!
I have another book from this author on my current tbr so I’ll give her another go as I didn’t absolutely hate the book. I just never felt very dedicated to any of the characters, or the plot.
However to give credit where credit is due I did read the book in 24 hours and didn’t want to stop reading so it definitely had me hooked, although it was kind of confusing, I did love the multiple POV that changed from one sentence to the next as it kept up the suspense. I definitely think this was the right choice for this kind of book, even though there were characters that were definitely more "MC" than others, I think it would have been boring to only read from that perspective. I was kinda hard to keep track of however cos for some unknown reason the author decided to call two characters the same name with both of those people calling each other the "other ava" hahaha.
It was definitely spooky and would translate well into a movie!
I have another book from this author on my current tbr so I’ll give her another go as I didn’t absolutely hate the book. I just never felt very dedicated to any of the characters, or the plot.
However to give credit where credit is due I did read the book in 24 hours and didn’t want to stop reading so it definitely had me hooked, although it was kind of confusing, I did love the multiple POV that changed from one sentence to the next as it kept up the suspense. I definitely think this was the right choice for this kind of book, even though there were characters that were definitely more "MC" than others, I think it would have been boring to only read from that perspective. I was kinda hard to keep track of however cos for some unknown reason the author decided to call two characters the same name with both of those people calling each other the "other ava" hahaha.
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is my second go at an Eric LaRocca short story collection, I do find them rather hit or miss. In this collection I really enjoyed “bodies are for burning” and “you’re not supposed to be here” but the rest were just ok to me.
Eric LaRocca writes about some really weird shit and isn’t scared to really go full throttle with it which I really appreciate. Lots of body horror and taboo topics which I think he writes with respect. Appreciate the fact that his characters are queer!
Eric LaRocca writes about some really weird shit and isn’t scared to really go full throttle with it which I really appreciate. Lots of body horror and taboo topics which I think he writes with respect. Appreciate the fact that his characters are queer!
Amma by Saraid de Silva
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A straight 5 stars from the moment I started to the moment I finished.
Saraid de Silva wrote the most insanely tender book that makes you want to shake every single one of the characters and then text your mum.
It is a sweeping, tender, dreamy novel with sharp edges that leave paper thin cuts. I need to stare at a wall for a while.
I love her characters, they have my heart. I love Suri and Annie, I love the lives I lived while reading this book and realising the depth that every single person has inside themselves and how intertwined families truly are.
The writing is simple but devastating and sweeps you away, experiencing the sounds, sights and feelings of the characters in your own body.
Everytime a secret is revealed and you find out more about these people you come to care for so deeply my heart hurts a little more.
I borrowed this book from the library but god damn does Saraid de Silva deserve every one of my pennies, I will now read anything she writes.
I tried explaining the plot of this book to my husband and realised what an insane undertaking this book must’ve been. She nailed it. I’m in love, already need a reread
I love books set in New Zealand, it draws me in like nothing else and binds to my heart surer than other books, her descriptions of place were incredible especially places such as Sri Lanka that I have never been too.
This book explores SO much, in so much depth in a short amount of time. grief, love, hurt, intergenerational trauma, how place can be so crucial to who we are
Saraid de Silva wrote the most insanely tender book that makes you want to shake every single one of the characters and then text your mum.
It is a sweeping, tender, dreamy novel with sharp edges that leave paper thin cuts. I need to stare at a wall for a while.
I love her characters, they have my heart. I love Suri and Annie, I love the lives I lived while reading this book and realising the depth that every single person has inside themselves and how intertwined families truly are.
The writing is simple but devastating and sweeps you away, experiencing the sounds, sights and feelings of the characters in your own body.
Everytime a secret is revealed and you find out more about these people you come to care for so deeply my heart hurts a little more.
I borrowed this book from the library but god damn does Saraid de Silva deserve every one of my pennies, I will now read anything she writes.
I tried explaining the plot of this book to my husband and realised what an insane undertaking this book must’ve been. She nailed it. I’m in love, already need a reread
I love books set in New Zealand, it draws me in like nothing else and binds to my heart surer than other books, her descriptions of place were incredible especially places such as Sri Lanka that I have never been too.
This book explores SO much, in so much depth in a short amount of time. grief, love, hurt, intergenerational trauma, how place can be so crucial to who we are