oolawuyi_'s reviews
330 reviews

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

5.0

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

4.0

I really liked Lessons in Chemistry! I think it is very witty and its playful style pairs really well with a lot of what the author was trying to do. For example, from the anthropomorphic dog, to the genius four year-old and the main character that is an expert in five or more fields of science, and even the antagonists that are described vaguely like characters in Roald Dahl books, none of the characters feel particularly real. They pull from real experiences many of us can relate to in some way but it helps create an interesting, almost satirical, quality to the book as the author exposes and pokes fun at what it’s like to just exist as a woman in a patriarchal society. You can be a genius but no one will still begin to believe you’re smart enough to do your job, you can be extremely logical or practical, but somehow you’re still a problem because you’re not emotional enough. Basically (like Harriet’s character states), no amount of change will ever make women worthy in patriarchy and the book points out the insanity of it really well.

However, the books has two significant problems for me. The first, which is one I think many other reviewers have pointed out, is that the book deals with very important themes such as gender based discrimination, sexual harassment and assault, homophobia etc. but often does so in a graphic way that it is frankly unnecessary for what is essentially a comedy. While at the beginning, the scenes seem like necessary character background, but as the book goes on there are so many more instances of or references to sexual harassment that are gratuitously thrown in there.

Additionally, another central idea in this book is Elizabeth’s depression, but it is weirdly abandoned at the end.

Are we meant to infer that her quitting her job helped her depression or continuing her work in a biogenesis helped or is she just still depressed? Either way

I would have liked a little more on it. Even the storyline we did get a resolution to felt rushed and could have been fleshed out better.

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

4.75

This book is the epitome of the idea that everything that can go wrong will go wrong.

“There is a price for greed and violence. 

We do not always know who will pay it. 

But for good or ill, it will be paid.“

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

3.5

I feel like I’ve been feeling so cynical about my romance reads of late but this was the perfect cure to that. I LOVED Logan and Alexis’ relationship. Even with the frustrating communication at times, I could relate to the idea of shrinking back in fear of not being enough for someone, and I enjoyed watching Alexis overcome those fears. The chemistry between them was also fantastic, as were all the supporting characters.

Also this has a Parks & Rec reference and honestly Logan and Alexis gave me strong Ben and Leslie vibes at certain points!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

3.0

It was honestly really exciting to be back in the world of the Hunger Games! I enjoyed the first half of this book and, even though we all know how Snow’s story ends, I was really curious about Lucy Baird and how her “relationship” with Coriolanus would unfold. I also appreciated the additional details the book provided on what led to the creation of the games and how they became the spectacles we know in the original trilogy. 

 

Unfortunately, the book lacks a lot of the action that the other books had, which is understandable, but it quickly loses what little momentum it has around the halfway point, making it very hard to get through. Things pick up again as we see Snow’s entitlement grow in the third act but it the pay off was all rather underwhelming. Ultimately, the book could have benefited from being 100-150 pages shorter.

Three Weeks to Wed by Ella Quinn

2.0

I did not understand Grace’s character for most of this. I also did not understand why there were so many unnecessary sub plots.

The family was great though, especially Mary. A sweetheart. Matt too.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

4.5

This book covers so much ground both literally and figuratively. So many new dynamics are explored and old ones developed. Not to mention some big reveals.

The plot is very tight with clear character arcs. Our goal: break Darin out. Our obstacles: everything and everyone.

Laia and Elias’ journeys in this were powerful (and perfectly paced, as Ms Tahir always is): full of triumph but also so much pain. However, Helene’s POV was really the star of the book for me. Her struggle between her duty and her heart was heartbreaking and, despite being the only one of the three not on the run, she was possibly the one I feared for the most as she stood alone in a den of vipers. We really begin to understand the evil they are up against in this book (in the Commandant, in the Warden, in Marcus, and in the Nightbringer) and I can’t wait to see how they face them moving forward.

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

3.0

I’m not sure why we started a whole new plot in the last 30% of the book but this was fun.

I thought the conversations around women and marriage were really interesting and Pandora was a fun female lead. We didn’t really get much of a character arc for Gabriel though, he was just kind of there.

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

3.75

I have read quite a few books from this universe now and this book in particular sound make an excellent TV show. It brings in a lot of the great characters from the Wallflower series, refers to the Ravenels, and has really good stakes.

My only gripe is that because of how much it has going on, I felt like I didn’t have enough time with just Merritt and Keir as leads.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

4.0

Honestly, head empty. Excited for book 2!

Edit: The nuance with which Sabaa Tahir writes her characters (particularly her supporting characters) is so fun, and I feel like it’s such a rare treat.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse