eightshot's reviews
191 reviews
Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
3.5
a perfectly servicable romance novel that i thought was fine for the most part. however was this really rivals to lovers?? it was like one-sided annoyance-FUCKING-fwb-third act conflict-actually dating. like i'm not gonna lie [redacted] caught me off guard it was so quick
Cancelled by Farrah Penn
4.0
i liked this! it was a quick read for me and the premise was interesting; it follows brynn, this matchmaker/relationship counselor person who sets up relationships by coaching people on how to win their crush's affection, but quickly falls down the social standing at her school after a video of her alledgedy cheating with her ex-best friend's boyfriend goes viral at her school.
i liked brynn. she was a interesting main character and i liked her relationships with her friends; they all truly seemed to care for each other. in particular, i loved brynn's relationship with cadence. i also thought brynn's relationships with her mom and brother were written very well, especially her relationship with smith, her older brother who suffers from a drug addiction.
i liked the side characters, such as cadence, tahlia, and marlowe. i will say that i think charlie served as a perfectly fine love interest but the book for me would have been the same with or without him. also brynn saying she loves him when they've been close for only a year or even less??? that is crazy to me but you do you girl.
the story was interesting as well. i thought the way the video was handled was good and the femolution club was good. brynn was getting stomped on every step of the way though like why was she the school's antichrist at five different points in the book??? hello
overall i thought this book had an interesting premise and delivered on it reasonably well! the characters and plot were the standout to me, the romance less so.
thank you to netgalley and penguin group for the arc!
i liked brynn. she was a interesting main character and i liked her relationships with her friends; they all truly seemed to care for each other. in particular, i loved brynn's relationship with cadence. i also thought brynn's relationships with her mom and brother were written very well, especially her relationship with smith, her older brother who suffers from a drug addiction.
i liked the side characters, such as cadence, tahlia, and marlowe. i will say that i think charlie served as a perfectly fine love interest but the book for me would have been the same with or without him. also brynn saying she loves him when they've been close for only a year or even less??? that is crazy to me but you do you girl.
the story was interesting as well. i thought the way the video was handled was good and the femolution club was good. brynn was getting stomped on every step of the way though like why was she the school's antichrist at five different points in the book??? hello
overall i thought this book had an interesting premise and delivered on it reasonably well! the characters and plot were the standout to me, the romance less so.
thank you to netgalley and penguin group for the arc!
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
4.25
4.25 stars
aww i really liked this!
so i really liked the mix of different characters in this story: gwen, art, sidney, gabe, bridget, and agnes were such a fun cast and the different conversations and interactions between them really was the heart of this novel. shout=out to gwen and art's hate-to-close friends arc; watching them go from haters to close friends was really nice and i thought it a natural progression. the banter in this story was so funny like the conversations would be so unserious sometimes. each character had their own distinctive personality as well which is always a plus.
the plot was interesting as well. i'm gonna be so honest i had NO IDEA what the politics were so that last battle was like...hmm...so that's not...well. like i had no idea who was like beefing with who.
the romances were so sweet like gwen being so giddy over bridget and arthur starting to feel a little more than normal for gabe was cute! i just wish the ending was longer so we could've have more time with the characters truly coupled up.
overall i really enjoyed this! a queer arthurian retelling romcom and it delivered for me. very fun and honestly if the author was like gonna write an adult version of this i would eat that shit up! i liked this a lot.
thank you to netgalley and st martin's press for the arc!
aww i really liked this!
so i really liked the mix of different characters in this story: gwen, art, sidney, gabe, bridget, and agnes were such a fun cast and the different conversations and interactions between them really was the heart of this novel. shout=out to gwen and art's hate-to-close friends arc; watching them go from haters to close friends was really nice and i thought it a natural progression. the banter in this story was so funny like the conversations would be so unserious sometimes. each character had their own distinctive personality as well which is always a plus.
the plot was interesting as well. i'm gonna be so honest i had NO IDEA what the politics were so that last battle was like...hmm...so that's not...well. like i had no idea who was like beefing with who.
the romances were so sweet like gwen being so giddy over bridget and arthur starting to feel a little more than normal for gabe was cute! i just wish the ending was longer so we could've have more time with the characters truly coupled up.
overall i really enjoyed this! a queer arthurian retelling romcom and it delivered for me. very fun and honestly if the author was like gonna write an adult version of this i would eat that shit up! i liked this a lot.
thank you to netgalley and st martin's press for the arc!
I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang
3.5
3.5 stars
let me start by saying that this book is okay! perhaps even sometimes good!
i liked sadie; she's this perfect student and a people pleaser but she also has this bitter rivalry with julius and these emails that she keeps in her drafts. now the way she goes about life when these emails are sent out is very inspiring i know that if i was her i would probably move states. i also liked how her personality in school and at home are very contrasting, and i really liked her relationship with her mom. her mom seems very understanding. justice for her mom btw that dad is a bum! i would have liked to see sadie's relationship with her classmates(besides abigail and julius) be more developed though. we also could've probably seen more emails as these things were apparently the equivalent of a nuclear bomb hitting the school.
julius was also kinda interesting; his relationship with his brother was realistic(there are definitely some people ik who struggle with living up to their parents and their siblings). again, i would have liked to see julius have more development with friends. as a love interest, i thought he was okay. his relationship with sadie was cute. julius going to see her at the bakery and winning her the medal was sweet though i did like that. i will say though i have no clue on why they were beefing but their interactions were funny
the writing is pretty good; i'm not one to say much about writing but the pacing was good. i finished this book really fast and it didn't feel like it was dragging to me so i'll consider it good.
HOWEVER...ann liang's books are too repetitive. like there's the main character girl who attends a fancy school. she gets in trouble some way and ends up having to co-exist alongside her love interest, who she dislikes for one reason or another. the main characters are always these perfect students who like try so hard at everything. the love intersests are always these academic rivals. like...we need to switch it up. i like the author, but maybe just once we don't need the perfect protagonists and the academic rival-to-lovers. maybe she's found her niche and i get that she might want to write what she's good at but her books are going to really start feeling one-note if she keeps with her current trend.
overall i liked this i think? but i also think her books are starting to feel a little formulaic which is not great. however, if you like academic rivals-to-lovers, a complexish protagonist, a snarky yet caring love interest, or any of her previous novels, you'll definitely like this book
thank you to netgalley and scholastic for the arc!
let me start by saying that this book is okay! perhaps even sometimes good!
i liked sadie; she's this perfect student and a people pleaser but she also has this bitter rivalry with julius and these emails that she keeps in her drafts. now the way she goes about life when these emails are sent out is very inspiring i know that if i was her i would probably move states. i also liked how her personality in school and at home are very contrasting, and i really liked her relationship with her mom. her mom seems very understanding. justice for her mom btw that dad is a bum! i would have liked to see sadie's relationship with her classmates(besides abigail and julius) be more developed though. we also could've probably seen more emails as these things were apparently the equivalent of a nuclear bomb hitting the school.
julius was also kinda interesting; his relationship with his brother was realistic(there are definitely some people ik who struggle with living up to their parents and their siblings). again, i would have liked to see julius have more development with friends. as a love interest, i thought he was okay. his relationship with sadie was cute. julius going to see her at the bakery and winning her the medal was sweet though i did like that. i will say though i have no clue on why they were beefing but their interactions were funny
the writing is pretty good; i'm not one to say much about writing but the pacing was good. i finished this book really fast and it didn't feel like it was dragging to me so i'll consider it good.
HOWEVER...ann liang's books are too repetitive. like there's the main character girl who attends a fancy school. she gets in trouble some way and ends up having to co-exist alongside her love interest, who she dislikes for one reason or another. the main characters are always these perfect students who like try so hard at everything. the love intersests are always these academic rivals. like...we need to switch it up. i like the author, but maybe just once we don't need the perfect protagonists and the academic rival-to-lovers. maybe she's found her niche and i get that she might want to write what she's good at but her books are going to really start feeling one-note if she keeps with her current trend.
overall i liked this i think? but i also think her books are starting to feel a little formulaic which is not great. however, if you like academic rivals-to-lovers, a complexish protagonist, a snarky yet caring love interest, or any of her previous novels, you'll definitely like this book
thank you to netgalley and scholastic for the arc!
The Bone Season: The tenth anniversary special edition: Signed Exclusive Edition by Samantha Shannon, Samantha Shannon
4.25
i really liked this version(i read both before) and it's really interesting to see how samantha shannon has improved over the years;
Spoiler
particularly the scene where liss dies feels so much more sadder and impactful, especially paige's last line to her. i cried!!
The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon
4.5
warden get up please please also that woman being pregnant with that guy's baby SHOCKED ME...i gasped like ooh that's not
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan
3.75
i don't know if it's me or the book but i found myself not liking this as much as i used to love the pjo books. it's still a solid entry tho
This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry
4.0
the scene where izzy goes off on her parents was so powerful like she was finally standing up to them oh izzy i love you
No Exit by Taylor Adams
3.5
my heart kept on falling into my ass every time a new development occurred like i am not meant for thrillers
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
4.25
this book made me start to appreciate chemistry again after the trauma of my sophomore year class of chem.
also six-thirty is the best book dog there was, there is, and there ever will be. UGH when
also six-thirty is the best book dog there was, there is, and there ever will be. UGH when