I thought it might be fun to break down the first five books I read in 2018, to let you know what they were and how I felt about them, because now, I'm diving into my class reading lists. (Which for the most part I also catalogue on Goodreads, so follow me there!)
A Conjuring of Light
As you may know, this is the last book in the A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy. There are quite a few mixed reviews about the series conclusion, but in my opinion, it was really well done. It was tied up enough that I wasn't left feeling like there needed to be more. But it was also open enough to know that the characters have futures, you know? I'm a huge fan of Schwab's writing: the world, the characters, all of it. And I rated this 5/5 stars.
A Wrinkle in Time
I listened to this on audiobook and while I really enjoyed the narrator, the story felt a bit lacking to me. I was surprised by how short it was (the audiobook was about 6 hours at regular speed) and I don't think it left quite enough room for character development. The world is really cool, though. It follows Meg. Both her parents are scientists, and her father disappeared some time ago while on a top-secret trip for the government. So after meeting some strange, but intelligent, women, Meg goes to find him by having to pass through a darkness that takes her to an oddly strict world. It just wanted more magic and less Wizard of Oz feels. I rated it 3.5/5 stars.
Vicious
After finishing the A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy I knew I needed to read more V.E. Schwab, and I've had this guy on my shelf for quite some time. I didn't feel the 5/5 stars that a lot of people seem to, but I still really loved it. While I had my favourite characters, the constant time and point-of-view jumps made me feel a bit disconnected, like I didn't get enough time with some of the characters. I still loved the anti-hero characters and the plot of university nemesis was so fun. I rated it 4/5 stars, and I think I'm interested in the sequel.
Before I Let Go
umm, how do I start? This wasn't good. If you're still going to read it (because I am just one opinion) I do want to give you a trigger warning for: suicide, fire, emotional abuse, emotional manipulation. I heard about it on the YA Pride twitter because they've started a book club, and this is their January pick. So I thought I'd give it a try and took it out from the library. At the end of the day, I felt like there was no characters development, the LGBT representation is extremely minimal, and the plot was terribly repetitive. I definitely had to make myself push through the last half of the book to find out if it could be redeemed or not. A lot of the reviews on Goodreads echo my thoughts, so if you want to learn more, I'd recommend taking a look at those. 1/5 stars.
Every Heart a Doorway
This has become one of my new favourite books. You've probably heard of it before, but it takes place at a boarding school for "wayward children" AKA the children who go through doors that lead to fantasy worlds and have to readjust when they find their way back to the real world. The children in this, though, don't want to be home. For whatever reason they came back into the real world, and are now struggling to find their door again. I loved the plot, the characters, and especially the dialogue. Omigosh, the dialogue was fantastic. You must read this! (5/5 stars, obviously.)
So those are the first five book I read in 2018. Now that I'm diving deep into my school readings (which I don't think will be entirely horrible this semester), it was really nice to get some "fun" reading in first.
If you want to stay up to date on what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads, but also follow me on Instagram! I love talking about what I'm reading on my insta-story!
If you want to stay up to date on what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads, but also follow me on Instagram! I love talking about what I'm reading on my insta-story!
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