kassielovestoread's reviews
318 reviews
Obsidian Feathers by N. Cáceres
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
I liked this book a lot! It was definitely not perfect, but I think if you were looking to read more Latine books then this one would be a great start (Look up trigger warnings beforehand, of course). This is a standalone, dark fantasy romance that features a lyrical writing style and an emotional character arc.
I think what I took issue with this book the most was that some of the things the characters (specifically Xochi and Sal) would say was absolutely absurd and cringe. Completely out of left field too, LOL! Like whyyyyy are we publicly proclaiming to the enemies how you guys fuck each other?? I understand it's basically like bragging, but I don't know, I really didn't care for it and I often found myself needing to put the book down for a few minutes. I also do not think this book needs to be nearly six hundred pages long! A lot of the extra detail and unnecessary plot points could've been left out in favor of answering the questions that went largely unanswered:
I think what I took issue with this book the most was that some of the things the characters (specifically Xochi and Sal) would say was absolutely absurd and cringe. Completely out of left field too, LOL! Like whyyyyy are we publicly proclaiming to the enemies how you guys fuck each other?? I understand it's basically like bragging, but I don't know, I really didn't care for it and I often found myself needing to put the book down for a few minutes. I also do not think this book needs to be nearly six hundred pages long! A lot of the extra detail and unnecessary plot points could've been left out in favor of answering the questions that went largely unanswered:
Spoiler
What about Xochi's dad, her siblings, and her grandparents? Will she attempt to find them and learn more about her lost heritage?
Teacher of the Year by M.A. Wardell
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
3.75
Life definitely got in the way for me and made me take a much longer time with this book than I normally would have. It was still an enjoyable read!
This book is not as polished as a traditionally published novel would be- there are definitely some areas of this novel that I think needs work. Some of the dialogue between characters were stunted and I think an editor could've made some of the scene changes flow better. But, I loved the characters so much! This is definitely a character driven story and features plenty of spice and emotional conversations about recovery, sexuality, and self-care. I loved this story and would absolutely recommend it to all!
This book is not as polished as a traditionally published novel would be- there are definitely some areas of this novel that I think needs work. Some of the dialogue between characters were stunted and I think an editor could've made some of the scene changes flow better. But, I loved the characters so much! This is definitely a character driven story and features plenty of spice and emotional conversations about recovery, sexuality, and self-care. I loved this story and would absolutely recommend it to all!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Addiction
I Love You, I Hate You by Elizabeth Davis
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
I'm so freaking happy to be done with this book. I hated every single page of it and I really wish I would have just dnf'ed it instead of forcing myself to finish it!!
I straight up hated the characters. I thought they were so full of themselves and extremely self-serving. I don't care how poor you grew up, that doesn't give you license to work for the same corporations that willingly keep people impoverished for the sake of maximum profit. I have a million other qualms about this book but that's the main issue that annoyed me.
This book suuuuucked, I'm so mad I spent good money on this. Would neverrrr recommend.
I straight up hated the characters. I thought they were so full of themselves and extremely self-serving. I don't care how poor you grew up, that doesn't give you license to work for the same corporations that willingly keep people impoverished for the sake of maximum profit. I have a million other qualms about this book but that's the main issue that annoyed me.
This book suuuuucked, I'm so mad I spent good money on this. Would neverrrr recommend.
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
This book featured one of the saddest character expositions I've ever read in a YA fantasy. This book was dark, y'all. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading this one. As difficult of a read this was for me, I did enjoy it overall.
Buuuut, the story was a little predictable for me. I don't know if it's because the author left too many clues along the way or if I had a keen eye for the big reveal, lol. I did not like the ending- it was too ambiguous and I absolutely detest those kinds of loose interpretation endings. I would've liked to read a more definitive ending for Leto. She who had to deal with so much heartache and trauma and grief deserved a more thorough send-off. Finally, I don't think Lies We Sing to the Sea needed to be nearly five hundred pages! It definitely could've wrapped the story up with a page count of no more than 300. There were a lot of chapters where the plot moved too slowly, it was a bit of a hurdle to get through.
Buuuut, the story was a little predictable for me. I don't know if it's because the author left too many clues along the way or if I had a keen eye for the big reveal, lol. I did not like the ending- it was too ambiguous and I absolutely detest those kinds of loose interpretation endings. I would've liked to read a more definitive ending for Leto. She who had to deal with so much heartache and trauma and grief deserved a more thorough send-off. Finally, I don't think Lies We Sing to the Sea needed to be nearly five hundred pages! It definitely could've wrapped the story up with a page count of no more than 300. There were a lot of chapters where the plot moved too slowly, it was a bit of a hurdle to get through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Caña
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.5
Wow, I loved this book sooo much! It has such an engaging plot and characters, it was too easy to breeze through this book. I usually have a love/hate relationship with fake dating because most of those novels are always missing that it factor for me. But this book had it all! Culture, food, love, shenanigans, and a deeply moving theme dealing with parental loss and grief. Coupled with a great romance plot, A Proposal They Can't Refuse was a fantastic novel from start to finish!
The only thing that I'd say stopped this from being a perfect 5 star read was that after the halfway mark of this book, the main characters decided to be together and have a (what I thought, anyway) understanding that by then their feelings were very real and their relationship wasn't casual. But then it became really confusing when the MC's reminded each other (internal dialogue) that the arrangement was fake, that the love wasn't real...etc. Like I said, it was confusing! I think that could've been fleshed out better in edits. Also!! There was no resolution between Sofi and Kamilah- are they done for good or did the author just forget to include that? Need to know 😭
Anyway, I'd recommend this book to any and everyone!! Especially if you need to read more diverse books, start with this book which is basically a love letter to Puerto Rican culture. I loved the ending and especially the epilogue even though I cried reading all of it </3 LOL. I can't wait for the rest of this series!! I'm confident these books are only going to get better and better!
The only thing that I'd say stopped this from being a perfect 5 star read was that after the halfway mark of this book, the main characters decided to be together and have a (what I thought, anyway) understanding that by then their feelings were very real and their relationship wasn't casual. But then it became really confusing when the MC's reminded each other (internal dialogue) that the arrangement was fake, that the love wasn't real...etc. Like I said, it was confusing! I think that could've been fleshed out better in edits. Also!! There was no resolution between Sofi and Kamilah- are they done for good or did the author just forget to include that? Need to know 😭
Anyway, I'd recommend this book to any and everyone!! Especially if you need to read more diverse books, start with this book which is basically a love letter to Puerto Rican culture. I loved the ending and especially the epilogue even though I cried reading all of it </3 LOL. I can't wait for the rest of this series!! I'm confident these books are only going to get better and better!
No One Knows Us Here by Rebecca Kelley
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Reading this book felt like a slooooow march to the end of a long, winding journey. This book had a lot of pacing issues for me. In fact, too much in No One Knows Us Here consists of nothing really happening. Yes, there are some unsettling scenes with Rosemary and Leo but I kept waiting for the pace to really pick up (this is supposed to be a thriller, mind you) and it didn't really do that until 75%-80% of the book was done. There's a lull in the story where it's just Rosemary's chaotic day to day and it was overall not an engaging novel for me.
However, I can appreciate that I knew what the purpose of this book was. A cautionary tale and/or a fictional story that has the echoes of familiarity if you watch the news regularly. Rosemary's story is not something out of the realm of possibility (statistically speaking)- it happens to millions of women each day and for that reason, I would recommend this book to others because I feel it could be deeply cathartic to someone out there.
However, I can appreciate that I knew what the purpose of this book was. A cautionary tale and/or a fictional story that has the echoes of familiarity if you watch the news regularly. Rosemary's story is not something out of the realm of possibility (statistically speaking)- it happens to millions of women each day and for that reason, I would recommend this book to others because I feel it could be deeply cathartic to someone out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-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
4.25
Certain Dark Things is now in my top three favorites by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! This book hooked me in from page one, where the reader is introduced to Domingo- whom you immediately love. The author perfectly encapsulates the dark, gritty atmosphere of Mexico City in an unknown (but somehow familiar anyway) time period. The novel in total is short of 300 pages and my edition features some awesome content since this is a previous work seeing a new life. I loved this book!
The cast of characters: Domingo, Atl, Ana, and Nick + Rodrigo. The novel shifts perspectives every chapter, so the reader gets the full impact of the conflict from multiple perspectives. It's just another aspect that had me fully committed to this story. While I loved Atl, I held a particular affection for Domingo. His backstory was extremely tragic :( But despite that, he manages to be upbeat and ready to throw down for his friend. I really admired him!!
PS. The dog will live! I always hate it when there's an animal companion in novels and something devastating happens to them because it's literally a knife wound to my heart! But the dog survives so if you're anything like me, rest assured :) Can't recommend this book enough!
The cast of characters: Domingo, Atl, Ana, and Nick + Rodrigo. The novel shifts perspectives every chapter, so the reader gets the full impact of the conflict from multiple perspectives. It's just another aspect that had me fully committed to this story. While I loved Atl, I held a particular affection for Domingo. His backstory was extremely tragic :( But despite that, he manages to be upbeat and ready to throw down for his friend. I really admired him!!
PS. The dog will live! I always hate it when there's an animal companion in novels and something devastating happens to them because it's literally a knife wound to my heart! But the dog survives so if you're anything like me, rest assured :) Can't recommend this book enough!
The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
No notes. Just pure perfection!
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book!! THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE!! Man, oh man, this is why fantasy romance will always be top tier to me. This book had me by the throat- it was so freaking good!!
I loved the fact that this was dual POV, even though it's mainly Lara's story to tell. It's because Aren's POV added so much to the romantic plot of this book. And even though said romantic plot isn't the most perfect execution of enemies to lovers, I loved it all the same!! The tension was palpable and the chemistry was off the charts. Any time Aren had something to say, Lara had no problem matching his wit with something even more clever. Lara is much more than meets the eye and Aren has layers to his easy going nature. You just know a pair like that is gonna make the story entertaining!!
Gotta dive in to book two IMMEDIATELY!
I loved the fact that this was dual POV, even though it's mainly Lara's story to tell. It's because Aren's POV added so much to the romantic plot of this book. And even though said romantic plot isn't the most perfect execution of enemies to lovers, I loved it all the same!! The tension was palpable and the chemistry was off the charts. Any time Aren had something to say, Lara had no problem matching his wit with something even more clever. Lara is much more than meets the eye and Aren has layers to his easy going nature. You just know a pair like that is gonna make the story entertaining!!
Gotta dive in to book two IMMEDIATELY!
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oh man, this was a really tough read. Short it is in number of pages, don't let that fool you though. Of Women and Salt was equally heart wrenching and thought provoking. A great book that read like a poem but it wasn't in verse at all. I don't know how to describe it beyond that.
This novel introduces you to several women (and includes a handy family chart to reference) who are mostly related to each other. Each chapter focuses on a different woman in a different time period and country. It felt a little confusing at first when the chapter would end and the perspective changed- the reader does have to do a bit of heavy lifting to figure out how everything is connected. Each chapter reflects a poignant part of the characters development with the exception of Jeanette who has more of a central storyline.
These stories...were not easy to read. They were tragic and full of sadness and generational pain. And what's particularly interesting, is that even though these women were born in different times and circumstances, their pain and sadness was universal. But what differed between them was how they handled their problems. Specifically, Dolores, Carmen and Jeanette. I would never judge a woman in a position such as theirs, I've never experienced such violent abuse and therefore will not judge- I just thought it worth mentioning how each woman handled what happened to them in comparison.
This novel introduces you to several women (and includes a handy family chart to reference) who are mostly related to each other. Each chapter focuses on a different woman in a different time period and country. It felt a little confusing at first when the chapter would end and the perspective changed- the reader does have to do a bit of heavy lifting to figure out how everything is connected. Each chapter reflects a poignant part of the characters development with the exception of Jeanette who has more of a central storyline.
These stories...were not easy to read. They were tragic and full of sadness and generational pain. And what's particularly interesting, is that even though these women were born in different times and circumstances, their pain and sadness was universal. But what differed between them was how they handled their problems. Specifically, Dolores, Carmen and Jeanette. I would never judge a woman in a position such as theirs, I've never experienced such violent abuse and therefore will not judge- I just thought it worth mentioning how each woman handled what happened to them in comparison.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Domestic abuse