This month I read four book and all of them were AMAZING. Two years ago I used to read a book a day, mind you they were usually romance books I got through kindle unlimited for my kindle. For 2020 I really want to focus my reading on physical books. Mainly books I bought within the past three years that have just been sitting on my shelves.
Here are my reviews for each book:
1. November 9 by Colleen Hoover (Five Stars)
At first I wasn’t sure about this book. The characters didn’t capture me and I thought about 50 pages in, should I DNF? I put the book down for a while until I realized I was thinking about the characters and wondering what was going to happened. So I continued reading and here I am just a handful of hours later with tears in my eyes and the book finished.
Let’s start with Fallon. I really liked the flaws of this character along with her scars. She was very strong-headed and I loved her sass. I mostly felt very empathic toward her. Ben I admittedly did not like in the beginning. I found his character very juvenile. He wasn’t like the typical “bad boys” I read about in romance books. Eventually as he grew, I watched him grow and I fell in love. Every year on Nov 9th we watch these characters mature and fall in love with their story.
The entire concept was amazing. It was the reason I bought the book because I loved the movie with Anne Hathaway One Day. I loved this book a lot, a lot more than expected. I really enjoyed that these characters are unlike the gorgeous heroine and sexy jacka** alpha male. These were people, related people, who make mistakes, who go through life and experience tragedy and depression and insecurities.
This is my first Colleen Hoover book and I’m so happy too, because now I have to read MORE. This book without a single doubt in my mind deserves FIVE STARS. It is an emotional adventure worth reading, and worth loving.
2. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (Five Stars)
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It was a beautiful and realistically tragic story. Words cannot adequately describe the genius behind this story. It was mind blowing, soul crushing, and heart wrenching.
This book is one of very few books that doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending. It has trial and error, it has love as well as hate, it has real world problems, misogyny, death. Even though we do not go through “the grace year” the tale is something women can relate to. To be seen as the lesser sex, to experience sexism…
I cried at the ending. The 400 page book doesn’t “solve the problem” but it works toward the issue. It shows baby steps, not an over night fix. It shows that people with time can be persuaded to change beliefs they’ve grown up with. The Grace Year is a story of a land ruled by men who think women posses power. They send the girls away at 16 to live out their grace year getting rid of their magic.
Tierney has been through so much in this book. But she is the start of the change along with a usurper whose identity isn’t figured out (yet). With her knowledge of survival she tries her best to endure her grace year without trouble. But of course there is trouble, there is death, talk of ghosts, poachers who kill in the forest and girls who turn on each other.
Ryker is the love interest in this book and just thinking of him I could cry. He is a poacher and he is different. He has a different view on the world. The two of them together make them realize what they truly want.
I do not want to spoiler but, this book hits a hard truth. It will make you cry and make you feel heartbroken. There is so much deception and lies, so much hatred as well as the judgement of what is right and wrong. Even though this book is fiction it feels relatable to our history as women for years were oppressed. This book has action and adventure and keeps you turning the page hooking you with the delicious thrill of what is going to happen next. Trust no one, believe nothing, and grab a box of tissues.
3. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten (4.5-5 Stars)
4.5 STARS!
I cried and loved it so much. I’m so glad I decided to read this book, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
SPOILER-FREE* REVIEW
Elizabeth was “adopted” into the Frankenstein household to be a friend to Victor, who from the start seems emotionally disturbed. Many times Elizabeth catches him throwing tantrums, hurting his little brother, etc and Elizabeth is always there to calm him. She is obsessed with Victor, she in fact loves him. And he loves her, too, in his own twisted way.
It starts off with Elizabeth going to find Victor. He hasn’t written any letters and is worried. Elizabeth goes to great lengths to be Victor’s “protector” she even hides “evidence” of his projects.
I love these two character so much in the beginning. I love their love for each other. I love their devotion and obsession, there intense need to be together no matter what.
I shave off .5 stars because of the end. About halfway through the book Victor changes in ways that I won’t go into depth because this is the spoiler free version. If want spoilers continue reading at the end in my spoiler section and I will name exactly why the ending bothers me.
I am a romantic and I loved the love story but this is the DARK descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein. The story of the mad scientist Victor Frankenstein. This story is deliciously disturbing and frightening. It has twists and turns, some predictable, but shocking nonetheless. It is heartbreaking, it is strengthening, it is a tale to be read! I highly recommend it. The time period is accurately portrayed in a way that when picturing the scenes playing out in your head, you almost see black and white. The character development is amazing, White does an amazing job showing Victor and Elizabeth change as they get older. The plot twists are enough to pick up the book. You’re not going to know what to expect in this page-turning Frankenstein retelling!
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*SPOILER REVIEW BELOW STOP READING IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED*
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Here I will explain why I shaved off .5 stars making me rating only 4.5. I mainly has to do with the fact that like I said, I’m a romantic. I felt like Elizabeth, blind to Victor’s insanity. Blind to his sociopathic ways. I really loved his particular sweet side to Elizabeth. I loved them and rooted for them to be together. I thought they would be end game only because Elizabeth was blind all those years. She helped cover him from getting into trouble. Like a scene where Victor had cut his little brother so bad it requires stitches. She knew Victor had done it, yet she still loved him. I thought the same thing was going to happen throughout the story. That she knew he was doing all these insane things and yet she was going to stay by his side.
Victor with his jealously and his obsession with Elizabeth, he does some bad stuff that effects her life including what he does to Justine and the horror he does to his own little brother and their best friend Henry. She realizes just how out of his mind he is.
Worse off she realizes his on their wedding night. She rejects his love wanting nothing to do with him and he admits her to a psychiatric hospital. This is a major shift in the story. There is no retribution. Victor is never going to be forgiven by Elizabeth, so this is the end of their romance and the start of Elizabeth’s drive to bring him down.
I love the story so much I just wish it could’ve ended in a way that Victor is redeemed and Elizabeth and Victor stay in love. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The development and growth of the characters, the insanity and disturbing experiments are thrilling.
Highly recommend!!
4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown (Five Stars)
After YEARS of having this series on my TBR I FINALLY got to it! And I am so so happy I did. This book is epic. It is everything you’d want in a science fiction novel. It has action, adventure, betrayal, space themes, hardship, and badass characters!
Let’s start off with the basis of the story. I am not spoiling anything you wouldn’t see on the back of the cover. Although if you’re like me and you don’t read the back of the cover this may* be a spoiler, but it is also something that happens 40 pages in. Darrow’s wife Eo is hung for her “crimes.” Darrow is a Red living on Mars, they are the low of the low. Golds are the rulers. Reds are oppressed and virtually slaves. Eo has had enough, she dreams big and wishes her husband Darrow had the same fight. When they are caught in restricted territory they received lashings but Eo with her courage and need to be heard—sings. The governor who is a Gold, sentences her to death.
This sparks Darrows need/want to change. He never wanted to fight the Golds. He was happy living his own life with his family. As long as he had them and Eo by his side he thought life to be fulfilled. But now that Eo is gone, Darrow finds himself lost. This is where we begin our journey to see Darrow’s character development. Although he isn’t necessarily “weak” at the beginning of the story, he isn’t exactly dominant. Through the way of the Gods, Darrow is turned into a Gold and is to start a revolution for his people, but first, he must infiltrate.
Darrow goes to this Gold school where they are all sorted into houses (almost like Harry Potter but with killing). He meets a lot of Golds who become kinda special to him. This is where you see a shift. You see Darrow as ruthless, vicious, and in need of vengeance for Eo. He truly becomes a leader at this school and it’s amazing to see him at the end of the book compared to the end.
The setting and world building makes this book a hard read, but it’s worth it. If you like science fiction and you like reading about other worlds or interstellar type books this is for you! I loved the concept of the book, although the characters in themselves are worth reading alone, the setting is a plus. I love the concept of colors and the hierarchy. I love the language and the vivid pictures that are painted each chapter.
If you like gore, if you like strong characters that are, at times, morally gray and flawed. If you like war. Stories of vengeance. Stories of revolution. Stories of growth. This is the book for you! How else can I convince you? This series is worth reading—or at least the first book because I haven’t started book 2 yet. You will fall in love with the characters, the plot will have you turning the page and straining your eyes to continue until you just can’t anymore. The setting is dense but will blow you away with its imagery. Pierce Brown is the king of science fiction with this amazing book and I can’t wait to continue. I love Darrow and his strength and resilience, I love Sevro and his ability to adapt and overcome and I love the fiery Mustang and her secrets.
So what are you doing? Don’t be like me and start this book three years later. Start it now! You won’t regret it! FIVE STARS.
Those are the four books I’ve read for January 2020. Now for what I’m reading next month (hopefully I stick to it)
- The Spring Girls by Anna Todd
- Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
- Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown
- It Ends With Us (Colleen Hoover)
What did you finish in January and what are you reading for February?
lovingcassian 