pgmoon's reviews
217 reviews

emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-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

As someone who doesn’t typically gravitate toward contemporary romance, Henry's work has been a revelation for me, starting with Beach Read, which I rated 4 stars. The premise of Funny Story intrigued me right away, and I’m thrilled to say it lived up to my expectations.

The main character, Daphne, felt like a mirror to my own experiences. Her struggles to trust, open up, and make friends resonated with me on a personal level. I also loved her interest in libraries and archives—something I’m passionate about as well. Beyond that, her bravery and kindness were truly inspiring. Henry crafted her arc beautifully, making Daphne’s journey one of self-discovery, letting go, and embracing love.

The relationship between Daphne and Ashleigh is a highlight of the book. Their bond felt authentic, and it was a joy to watch their friendship evolve. Daphne’s eventual ability to let go of Peter was another standout moment for me; it’s such a cathartic and empowering scene that added depth to her character growth.

That said, I did find the antagonists, Peter and Petra, to be a bit on the nose at times. Their exaggerated traits made them feel like caricatures, though I can’t deny that people like them do exist. The story also leans into a few rom-com tropes, but Henry’s ability to imbue her narratives with emotional depth sets her apart from other writers in the genre.

What I appreciate most about Henry’s work is how real her love stories feel. They’re not just about physical chemistry or whirlwind romance; they’re grounded in emotional connection and personal growth. That’s what draws me to her books and makes them stand out in a sea of contemporary romances.

Funny Story was an absolute page-turner for me, and I’m already looking forward to reading more of Emily Henry’s work. If you’re a fan of heartfelt stories about self-discovery and love, this one is not to be missed!

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Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

My first book of the year! I recently revisited Pachinko by Min Jin Lee after having to set it aside previously, and I’m so glad I gave it another chance.

This sprawling generational drama hooked me from start to finish, with a pace that, in my opinion, never slows down. It’s fascinating to watch the environment evolve as the decades pass, offering a vivid window into the history and struggles of Korean immigrants in Japan.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its complex characters. They’re deeply flawed, selfish, petty, and morally questionable at times, yet they feel incredibly real. Each character’s choices and circumstances often reflect the harsh realities of the world around them, and even the ones I didn’t particularly like or agree with were compelling to read about. For me, Sunja is the heart of the story. Her journey is full of unexpected twists, and I found myself rooting for her resilience and determination throughout.

Thematically, Pachinko delves deeply into issues of parental expectations, neglect, and the ever-present weight of systemic racism. The discrimination faced by Korean characters is portrayed so palpably that it was eye-opening for me, especially as someone unfamiliar with that history. The story can be incredibly heavy and, at times, heartbreaking. Just when you think a character might find happiness or escape their struggles, the narrative often pulls them back into sorrow, underscoring the challenges of their lives.

If I had any qualms, it would be that some character perspectives and events were uncomfortable to read about, but this rawness is also part of what makes the book so powerful. Another minor gripe is that the third-person narrative could occasionally be confusing to follow, especially when jumping between characters and timelines. However, these issues are small compared to the richness of the story overall.

Pachinko is a remarkable book that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys generational sagas. It’s already beloved by many, and for good reason.

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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

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emotional funny hopeful fast-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

A very quick read for the end of the year! A book certainly a little out of my age range, but was very sweet in its dialogue and plot, albeit a little dated (~~I'm reminded that 2015 was almost a decade ago and cry~~) but great music references.

I think if I was a little younger, I would have felt this book's impact so much more. But I can see why so many have loved its story. The story is very relatable and poignant.

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Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

After finally finishing Two Twisted Crowns and wrapping up this series, I’ve got a lot of thoughts!

First, the positives: the magic system remains a standout feature. It’s imaginative, intriguing, and continues to be one of the strongest elements of the story.

The Nightmare, too, deserves praise—his character arc feels like the most developed part of the series. I really liked the concept of the ending, with Elspeth and the Nightmare forming a connection and her helping the Shepherd King regain his humanity. Unfortunately, Elspeth just isn’t an interesting enough character to fully carry this storyline, which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Unfortunately, that's the short list for me.

The plot tries to do too much. It juggles continuing the story from the first book, Elm’s

rise as king, and his love story with Ione

. As a result, it feels unbalanced. Rayvn and Elspeth’s story, already rushed, is sidelined to make room for

Elm and Ione’s plot, which weakens the impact of their relationship. Elm and Ione’s romantic development relies heavily on physical attraction and sexual encounters, which doesn’t create the deep bond the story seems to aim for, especially for a married couple at the end of the story

. There’s also a fair share of borderline “deus ex machina” moments—like

Hauth being the sacrifice or the spirit deciding to support Elm as king

. Many events seem to exist purely to push the plot forward without much explanation, such as

Hauth’s repeated death and resurrection, which I found confusing and unnecessary (Maybe I missed something reading?)

The characters, sadly, are the most disappointing aspect of the book. Elm was my favorite character in the first book, and I was excited to see where his story went, but he fell short here. Ione, who intrigued me initially, also didn’t live up to her potential. The narrative leans too heavily on telling readers about characters’ struggles rather than showing them. For example,

Elm and Ione’s shared abuse at Hauth’s hands could have been a compelling connection, but it’s mostly explained through exposition rather than demonstrated through their actions and interactions. While the book insists Elm and Ione share a deep understanding of each other, this connection doesn’t come across to the reader. They barely interacted in the first book, so this sudden bond feels unconvincing

. Most side characters,

like Petyr and Wik, add little to the story, while others introduced in the first book (Elspeth’s family, Ione’s family)

are left unresolved. The villains, including the king and Hauth, are one-dimensional and lack any compelling traits that might make them memorable.

The writing itself has issues with pacing, and certain stylistic choices, like the use of modern swearing, pulled me out of the fantasy setting. The world also feels very contained—a criticism I noticed more in this book than the first. On top of that, the story’s twists are overly telegraphed. For example,

Rayvn being related to the Nightmare is so heavily foreshadowed that it’s not surprising at all, as much as the book might want you to think so

.

Overall, I think this book is a step down from the first in terms of pacing and character development. While the first book was fairly basic, it was consistent. This series in general feels a bit overhyped to me. I don't want to be too harsh, but I feel I've read many YA/NA books that tell a more cohesive and engaging story. It’s especially frustrating because there were aspects I genuinely enjoyed. I respect the decision to keep the series short and not drag it out unnecessarily, but I think it could have used another book to properly flesh out its storylines.

There’s a great fantasy saga somewhere in this series, but what I read didn’t fully deliver. Despite my criticisms, I do appreciate the effort and creativity that went into this story, even if it wasn’t entirely satisfying for me.

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The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

This took me a while to read, as it was very intense, especially in the wake of recent events.

James Baldwin is an incredible writer, and he deals some hard truths within this text. It's amazing to see what has changed in the sixty years since this was written, and how much absolutely has not.

This is a really brilliant read, and I highly recommend the audiobook as well!

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One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I finally got around to reading One Dark Window, and while it took me longer to get through than I expected, that’s not really the book’s fault. Everyone’s been raving about it, so I went in with pretty high expectations. Overall, I’d say there’s definitely enough here to make me want to keep going with the series.

The first 50-75 pages were a bit rough for me. There was a lot of explanation upfront (not surprising for fantasy) but also a bit too much exposition in a rushed manner. I found myself going back sometimes to make sure I read things right. Once the main story kicked in, though, it slowed down in a good way, and I started enjoying it more.

The magic system is the real standout—it’s super interesting and kept me hooked even when other parts of the story felt pretty standard for the genre. There are also some fun, memorable scences

(the ball and the truth serum scenes were favorites)

.

Let’s talk about the names. I’ve survived the wild naming conventions of YA dystopia, but “Ravyn” (with a y!) was a bit much for me—especially since he’s a main character and

the love interest

. That said, I mostly liked him as a character, and everyone else I could deal with, but it just kept sticking out to me.

Elspeth and Ravyn are decent leads, but honestly, the most interesting parts of their personalities are tied to

the magical "curses" happening to them

. Their romance didn’t do much for me—it felt rushed, but good for them, I guess! Elm was the real MVP of the cast, with some nice complexity and balance - I am excited to see what he gets up to in the next book. Ione felt underwhelming; I kept waiting for her to have a bigger role, but it never really happened. But I am still intrigued by her! The villains? Over-the-top evil, but hey, it’s YA fantasy—it’s kind of the vibe.

I really liked the little poems at the beginning of each chapter; they added a nice touch of atmosphere. The dialogue was solid, with a good mix of drama and humor, and Gillig’s writing kept the story engaging.

I know some readers found the ending super surprising, but I think Gillig did a good job laying the groundwork, so I wasn’t totally shocked. Still, it’s a cool ending—very visual and bold, and it sets up the next book in a way that’s different from most YA fantasy. I appreciated that.

Overall, this one was a mix of hits and misses for me. The magic system and some of the side characters (shoutout to Elm!) were great, and the writing kept me invested, but some of the characters and tropes felt a bit too familiar. That said, I liked it enough to keep going with the series and hope the next book dives deeper into the world and characters.

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Spinning by Tillie Walden

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emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

3.5

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this graphic novel! It's mostly very slice of life with the main character's/author's changing relationship with figure skating and

her sexuality

. A blend of comedy, serious topics, and growing up, I felt the narrative was very relatable and easy to read. A pretty short story if you're looking for something heartfelt and realistic.

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Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Burial Rites is based on a true story about Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last person to be executed in Iceland, and it really dives into who she might’ve been beyond the accusations against her. Kent’s writing gives Agnes this layered, ambiguous quality that makes you question if we truly know who she was.

One of the best things about the writing is the style. The narration switches up—some parts are told in a straightforward way with other characters, but when we get into Agnes’ thoughts, it reads like poetry. Those parts are just stunning! Kent’s imagery and the way she captures Agnes’ emotions really pull you in. Also, the side characters are surprisingly interesting, especially Margret,

who is her main overseer before her execution

whose relationship with Agnes slowly deepens and evolves over time.

Even though I had an idea of how things would end

—kind of like the story in Hadestown, where you know it’s doomed from the start—I kept hoping for a different outcome. It’s tragic,

but in a way that makes you hang on, page after page.

The book has a slower pace, which I liked, though I could see it being a bit too slow for some people. A few of the characters are definitely meant to be disliked, and while that could come off as a bit much, but I thought it worked to build tension.

There are some small detractors - Tóti, a character (who I really enjoy, especially his conversations with Agnes) who starts out as pretty important but then seems to vanish for a while, only to pop back in a bit abruptly. And things wrap up really fast once Agnes finally shares what happened the night of the murder—I felt like I’d hit a sudden finish line.

That said, I still thought this book was very good! I don’t know much about Icelandic culture, but from the notes, it’s clear Kent did a ton of research, and the setting felt super authentic. If you’re into historical fiction about complex women and their struggles, I’d totally recommend Burial Rites!

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Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

Before the Coffee Gets Cold took me over a month to finish, which is longer than usual for me—especially considering the book’s length. I typically take my time with audiobooks, but this one felt particularly slow, and unfortunately, there’s a reason for that.

To start with the positives, I think the premise of this book is very intriguing. The concept—a café where customers can travel back in time, but only until their coffee gets cold—creates a unique backdrop for exploring themes about time, regrets, and how we spend our moments. It’s clear that this story has a deeper message to convey, and I appreciate that intention. However, I found that what was given to the reader just didn't work for me.

A major issue I had with Before the Coffee Gets Cold is its pacing. The story feels overwritten, with a lot of repetition that didn’t add much to the narrative. The dialogue often struck me as odd and stilted, which might be due to the challenges of translation. While I can understand and forgive to an extent, there’s just too much of it to ignore. This problem was exacerbated by the audiobook format—each chapter is around an hour long. The combination of lengthy chapters and repetitive prose made this relatively short book feel much longer than it needed to be.

As for the characters, I found them to be just okay. The format—each chapter having its own beginning, middle, and end—means that we only spend a limited time with each character. Since each story is mostly self-contained, with characters sometimes crossing paths in other chapters, we don't get the opportunity to deeply connect with any one of them. This is understandable given the structure, but it makes the characters feel one-note, and they never made a lasting impression on me. Each story felt sweet but rather basic, with messages that felt a bit too obvious.

The lack of emotional impact was especially disappointing. For example, the story about

a mother meeting her unborn child

had the potential to be very moving, but because

the mother is such a minor character, I didn’t feel a strong connection to her

. While the scenario is undeniably sad, I wish there had been more build-up to create a deeper emotional resonance. If I had to rank the stories, I’d say that

the sisters’ story was my favorite, followed by the married couple, then the mother and child, and lastly the daters

. However, none of them really left a lasting impact on me. I think this story would have worked better as a visual narrative, like a movie or TV show. The café’s atmosphere and the fleeting, heartfelt moments might have felt more impactful with the aid of visuals and music, which could bring the characters and their emotions to life in a way that the book didn’t quite manage to do.

Overall, I really wanted to like Before the Coffee Gets Cold more than I did. I expected a cute, short read, but instead, I found myself slogging through it. The characters and the writing are what held it back. While I can see why others might find beauty in its themes and approach, it just fell flat for me. No hate to those who love it, but it wasn’t quite my cup of coffee ~~lol~~.

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The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

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adventurous challenging emotional fast-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? Yes

4.5

After the surprise ending of The Wicked King, I was eager to dive into The Queen of Nothing, and it did not disappoint. This installment is a much faster-paced read compared to the earlier books, but it still delivers on what makes the series so engaging: the characters.

Jude's journey in this book stands out as particularly compelling, with her facing some of her biggest challenges yet. Her inner conflict, especially with

her relationships—like those with her (step?)father Madoc and Cardan—

drives much of the story's tension. I found myself constantly invested in how these dynamics would evolve, especially as Jude and Cardan navigate their complicated feelings. I do wish there was a bit more of Cardan, though!

One of the most surprising moments was

Taryn murdering her husband! ~~good for her, they could NEVER make me like you Locke~~

It’s interesting how polarizing Taryn can be among readers—I still don't really get the hate.

The subplot between Vivi and Heather was a rollercoaster, breaking my heart only to sew it back together by the end. In fact, the majority of the side characters felt well-rounded and fascinating, adding depth to the story.

The plot itself was intriguing and kept me hooked; at its core, the heart of the story is Jude and Cardan’s relationship and what propelled the story forward, and not just their romance. Their

dynamic—whether they could truly trust each other and let go despite their feelings—

was beautifully written, truly poetic cinema! Both of them grow not just as individuals but

as rulers

, making their journey even more satisfying to follow.

Overall, The Queen of Nothing wraps up the series in a satisfying way, and I’m thrilled I finally got around to reading this series. I’ll definitely be checking out the supplementary and companion novels to keep the magic going!

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pgmoon's reviews 217 reviews

pgmoon's reviews
217 reviews