sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews

emotional funny lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Perfect for fans of Gossip Girl, Anna K is a juicy story that revolves around young New York City socialite Anna K and her friends. Anna’s oh-so-perfect life is filled with parties, elegance, and her perfect boyfriend Alexander, but when Anna K meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky for the first time, she can’t help but fall in love. Based on Leo Tolstoy's, Anna Karenina, Anna K is one not to miss. I have never read Anna Karenina, but I looked up the book’s Wikipedia page after finishing Anna K and marveled at the similarities.

Jenny Lee provides her relatable (despite how dang rich they are) characters with depth and incorporates Asian and Jewish representation that I found to be well-researched. I did think the book was a little too long and some elements lost my full attention, but I can safely say that I definitely don’t need to read Anna Karenina as Jenny Lee’s version is a lot juicer. I am currently reading the sequel, Anna K Away and I’m loving every second of it.

Content Warnings

Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

After reading E. K. Johnston’s Star Wars book Ahsoka, I was really excited to delve into another young adult space story by Johnston. I am not sure if what I was given by NetGalley was a really rough draft, but this story unfortunately read like an unfinished draft. The book is about a young girl named Pendt Harland who lives on her family’s spaceship in which she is despised by her entire family. Pendt, eager to escape her fate of forced insemination, manages to secretly leave her family’s ship and sells herself to a set of young adult male twins to help continue their family line by becoming pregnant.

I was taken aback by the middle-grade writing interwoven with very adult themes. These themes include sexual content, human trafficking, confinement, and uncomfortable medical content. What else bothered me about Aetherbound was the inappropriate use of an eating disorder plotline which I found to be unnecessary and potentially triggering for young adult readers. The other plotlines were unfinished, the writing was poor, and the main character’s choices inadvertently imply that it is ok for women’s bodies to be used at the discretion of a man.

Content Warnings

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love thrillers that aren’t thrillers but are actually thrillers. I couldn’t help but laugh as I rapidly turned the story’s pages…is it really a thriller if I am laughing throughout the entirety of the book? Yep, definitely still a thriller. Finlay Donovan, a young mother of two, is a thriller novelist who is currently going through a divorce. Finlay is struggling to pay the bills and is eager to earn enough money to make sure that she gets custody of her children. While eating lunch one day with her agent at Panera, Finlay is accidentally mistaken for a contract killer while discussing her new thriller manuscript.

After a haphazard string of events, Finlay realizes that murdering someone is a lot more difficult in real life than its fictional counterpart. Finlay Donovan is Killing It may be one of the more hilarious and creative books I have read in a long time. If you’re looking for a good time, this fun novel is bound to keep you entertained. Because there are so many moving parts, I found it slightly difficult to keep track of character plot lines, but overall, Finlay Donovan is a book that exemplifies “why I read books.”

Content Warnings

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-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

5.0

I…wow…I have no words for Infinite Country. This short, yet beautiful tale tells the story of a family split between the United States and Colombia. We learn about each member of the family and what it means to be a citizen of a country. Engel’s exquisitely-written story gives readers a perspective on immigration and what makes a person a citizen of a country. Infinite country held my attention for an entire weekend and is a book I recommend picking up if you haven’t already had the chance to.

Content Warnings

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s been a while since I have picked up a Riley Sager book, but oh my I was very impressed with his newest release (out July 29th!). Survive the Night is a fast-paced thriller about a college student named Charlie who finds herself in the passenger seat of a ride-share with a driver that may be the one and only Campus Killer…the killer that murdered Charlie’s best friend. But Charlie doesn’t want to think that her mysterious driver is a serial killer…it may just be that her mind is playing tricks on her and she is just imagining everything.

Was this book predictable? Yes. Did I love it anyway? Yes. I found myself flipping pages at a rapid pace and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Some scenes definitely made me cringe, but I never felt bored or thought that the story dragged on. I haven’t read Sager’s more recent tiles (Home Before Dark and Lock Every Door) after having a meh experience with The Last Time I Lied, but Survive the Night has definitely put Riley Sager back on my radar. I think fans of Sager will really enjoy his newest installment. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Thank you Dutton Books and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy!

Content Warnings

Namesake by Adrienne Young

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Cue the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. I am obsessed with all things sea, pirates, and ships after reading Fable and Namesake. In case it wasn’t evident, these books go together and are best read back-to-back. The books tell the story of Fable, a seventeen-year-old girl who was dropped off on a mostly deserted island by her father after their family’s ship was destroyed during a storm. Fable wants to find her way back to her father with the hopes of finding a place on his crew. But she has to get there first…

These books are perfect for both young adult and adult readers. While it did take a bit of time for me to familiarize myself with the characters in Fable, I really enjoyed Namesake because it allowed me to spend time with Fable and her crew. The world is corrupt and dangerous, but nothing can stop Fable from achieving her dreams. The duology is perfect for those looking to get a taste of the seas from the comfort of their couch and the chance to explore a new world of trade and secrets.

Content Warnings

Fable by Adrienne Young

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

These books are perfect for both young adult and adult readers. The world is corrupt and dangerous, but nothing can stop Fable from achieving her dreams. The duology is perfect for those looking to get a taste of the seas from the comfort of their couch and the chance to explore a new world of trade and secrets.

Content Warnings

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

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emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Talk about steam! How to Fail at Flirting is not shy about getting to steamy stuff within the first few chapters. When Professor Naya (pronounced like papaya) Tuner’s friends convince her to get out in the dating scene again, Naya takes it seriously. But when her one-night-stand turns out to be the man of her dreams, Naya finds herself in trouble.

I was shocked to learn that this is Denise William’s debut novel. It’s so good. The pacing, the writing, the dialogue; it’s all there. Williams does an amazing job tackling difficult issues in academia, abusive and toxic relationships, and race all within 343 pages. Also, gotta love a main character that is obsessed with Star Wars. And you can’t forget the punny dad jokes. Overall, I really loved this one. Five big stars from me!

Content Warnings

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

OooOOoOooo I loved this one! There is just something about the sequels of fantasy novels that really make me fall even more in love with the characters. In Crooked Kingdom, Kaz and the Crows are at it again. I read this one right before the Shadow and Bone Netflix show was released and I am glad I did! Crooked Kingdom provides even more context and delves deeper into the relationships between the Crows that I wouldn’t have known about without reading the book. I can’t say much more without spoiling the first in the duology, but know that I really enjoyed this one!

Content Warnings

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

While I know next to nothing about the Imperial House of Japan, I really enjoyed Tokyo Ever After. The main character, Izumi Tanaka learns that her father is in fact Japanese royalty and travels to Japan to meet the man she has never known. There are a whole lot of customs and traditions she isn’t familiar with, but Izumi navigates this unexplained territory with the help of her bodyguard hottie, Aiko.

I loved the GenZ banter interwoven with pieces of information about the Japanese Royal Family. This coming-of-age story is perfectly paced and never felt dull or slow. The romance was not overly steamy and it was difficult not to root for Izumi as she navigates a different country with a culture entirely different than the one that she has always known. It reminds me of The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot (which I adore) so I am not at all surprised that I loved Tokyo Ever After as well.

Content Warnings

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sfbookgirl's reviews 412 reviews

sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews