adelphiereads's reviews
138 reviews

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

What I love the most about this book is that it tackled the different nuances in a murder case. It shows how a murder case can be sensationalized in media and how that can influence the trajectory of the case. 

The evidences in every chapter are thought-provoking and mind-gripping. But I wasn’t entirely satisfied with how the climax played out which is my personal preference. So I still highly recommend it! It’s the kind of mystery novel that keeps on making you reconstruct your theories. I did not exactly predicted the ending so I think that’s a win.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

3.5

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Despite still thinking the plot could’ve been told in less than 3 books, I still liked how the story played out in the end. I have a love and hate relationship with this book series and it was so potent in this book. That’s why it took me soo long to finish it.

Still, the story was good if you’re only considering the romance side of things. To anyone who wants to read this book just keep in mind that it’s more of a Romance than High Fantasy. But it’s not all romance as well, there’s friendship, family, and a little bit of magic as well. 

This book a gave a nice conclusion to Feyre’s story and I can’t wait to start on Nesta’s in the Court of Silver and Flames because I really just loved her character here. still not liking the plot, I still liked how the story played out in the end. I have a love and hate relationship with this book series and it was so potent in this book. That’s why it took me soo long to finish it.

Still, the story was good if you’re only considering the romance side of things. To anyone who wants to read this book just keep in mind that it’s more of a Romance than High Fantasy. But it’s not all romance as well, there’s friendship, family, and a little bit of magic as well. 

This book a gave a nice conclusion to Feyre’s story and I can’t wait to start on Nesta’s in the Court of Silver and Flames because I really just loved her character here.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

3.75

This was such an easy read thriller novel. I loved the storytelling and how the writer conveyed the emotional dialogues of each character. But what I was quite disappointed about, considering this book's recent popularity in social media, is the predictability of the plot. Halfway through it I already have a pretty spot on prediction for its climax and an answer to its "great mystery". Reading my predictions come into play did not sit well with me. It is still a good book, it's just not as dark and twisted as you expect mystery/thriller novels should be but I think it's more leaning towards the reality? Like to me, it almost felt like a true crime book or a true crime documentary. If that's something that you will enjoy, then you should definitely read this book. 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

dark informative tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This dystopian book is like Orwell's 1984 if it was written by a woman and written for women. It is a slow-paced book but for a good purpose. The author wanted the readers to have an in-depth experience with the ruminations and emotions of the narrator. An experience that's akin to getting inside the mind of a woman, well...almost. I agree with what the author said in the introduction, that this is a feminist book in a sense that it showed how women are "human beings - with all the variety of character and behaviour that implies - and are also interesting and important..."

Like Orwell's 1984, it is also a warning, a prediction of what the future would look like if men become restless, more egotistical and power hungry. Although unlike the situation in 1984, the minority or the marginalized in this book is the entire women population. Regardless if they're the Wives, Handmaids, Marthas, Ecowives, or Unwomen, all of them are under the intense grip of men. As a woman, this is scarier than 1984's prediction, because I can really see this happening in the near future. It's like I have this innate fear that someday, men would take back what they "let us have", our freedom. For centuries they had our freedom in the palm of their hands and despite the massive progress we've made in the present, I can't shake the feeling that they would take up arms and subjugate us once more. They've done it before, right? 

Hence, this book awakened that fear in me but at the same time it ignited a flame in my heart. A flame that will direct me to do whatever I can to prevent this horrendous future from happening. If you want to have that flame inside you, ladies please, read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

The Husky & His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 2 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

In this second volume, we get to see how the relationship between the two main characters, in both their past and present lifetimes, is significantly affected by their miscommunication and prejudice. Mo Ran's prior knowledge of what happened in their previous lives is reason that their current relationship has improved. Still, people are always inclined to repeat their past actions regardless of its consequences. It usually takes something monumental for humans to ultimately stop repeating their mistakes. But I digress. In this volume, the author shows us the depth of the relationship between the two main characters and how fragile it is, how with a simple breath of a spell all of it could crumble into pieces. That's what kept me at the edge of my seat as I read through this book. It's a binge-worthy book and I can't wait to read the third volume. 

P.S. If you're looking for a danmei with heavy social relevance like MXTX's works, this is not it. 

P.S.S. I'd like to commend the writing of this author. It's so beautiful, moving and heartfelt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto

funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.5

The Husky & His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

adventurous dark emotional funny sad 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

4.5

This book made me feel all sorts of emotions in every chapter. Like there’s a chapter when I was laughing so much my stomach began to hurt but then in the following chapter, my heart felt like it has been ripped out of my chest by a bear claw and I was left shocked to my core. There are also instances when I felt so confused in one chapter that I just wanted to get to the end of the entire book series so that I will know what actually happened between the two characters.

I loved how this book kept me at the edge of my seat as I the story between the husky and his white cat shizun unfolds. Also, I’d like to commend the writing of this author. It’s so descriptive  that I really felt like I was transported to the world of wuxia.

Still, there are themes in this book to look out for so please refer to the content warnings before reading this. It is still a good book, though and I can’t wait to read the next volume because the end chapter of this one left my gutted, out of breath and teary-eyed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

When I was reading this book, I felt like I was having a conversation with a 16 year old boy. The kind of conversation that is unfiltered on the surface but is actually sort of still filtered. Like even though he’s saying a bunch of unnecessary observations about the world and making nonsensical declarations or statements, he is still saying something worthwhile underneath it all. 

What I loved the most about this book is that it served as literary lens to give the reader a view of what society was like during that time for a boy with unstable emotions and unsecured attachments and/or relationships all while trying to find his identity. It’s really something to read and ponder on. 

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

This book feels like a love letter for people in the closet and for those who are afraid to be themselves or even just to find out who they are. It gives the reader courage to step out of their comfort zone and discover who they really are. It also provides a vision of the what the world would look like if a person's immediate family and friends are more accepting and supportive of their identity regardless of how it deviates from the social norm (as long as it doesn't pose any harm to themselves and others, of course).

Every person deserves a family like Ari and Dante. Every person in the closet deserves a family like Ari and Dante. 

This book could also serve as a guide for the family and friends of those who are in the closet or who just came out and they have no idea how to deal with it. All in all, everyone should read it so that they would have an idea what it truly means to live and to love.