jaysaysnope's reviews
40 reviews
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
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
4.5
june claremont-diaz? she is the mother i never had. she is the sister everybody would want. she is the friend that everybody deserves. i don’t know a better person.
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
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? Yes
2.0
Begging YA authors to please stop trying to tackle complex themes in the constraints of YA word counts. Plus, I don’t know any Black teenager who would give the white establishment as many chances to screw her as Chiamaka does. Genre savvy, she is not.
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Murder, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Racism, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Trafficking, and Slavery
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
3.75
made me cry. jamaicans clap when a plane lands too, and although i have lived with both my parents since the day i was born, i saw shades of myself in both camino and yahaira. this book will make you wish for sisters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Stalking
Minor: Sexual harassment
The Clique Set by Lisi Harrison
5.0
I've read every book in the Clique series so far (including the prequel and summer books but excluding the Clique-tionary) and I must say, they are outstanding! My favorite book is Alicia's summer book because she is my favourite character. Something I noticed throughout the entire series was that even though Massie seems to be the strongest, the most powerful and Claire seems to be the weak outcast, it's almost the other way around. Massie is always worrying about her title and stature, about what people think about her, and that makes her too self-conscious. Being popular can take a lot out of you, as she discovers. Claire, on the other hand, is completely fine with herself and doesn't feel she has to change for anyone. True, after a while she does become more cliqueish, but that's because being around the Pretty Committee so much makes her feel inferior. I think Claire is brave to go about her daily life with Massie like this. All in all, a fabulous series!