rachelsinabook's reviews
61 reviews

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

i need therapy after this one. also for xaden to step on me 🧎🏻‍♀️

A Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

*Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for sending me this eARC to review!* 

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾overall rating: 3.5/5 stars, but rounding up to 4 stars☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

↪this book is for you if you like...
☽ dark academia 
☽ retelling
☽ edgar allen poe 
☽ horror 
☽ enemies to lovers slow burn 
☽ gothic  
☽ dual pov 
☽ erin a. craig books 

↪length: 384 pages 

                             ༻✦༺ old king stuart's lost his head, hoping he won't end up dead. ༻✦༺ 
                     ༻✦༺ lock the windows, bar the door; the plague will come for rich and poor. ༻✦༺ 
                                  ༻✦༺ if you want to stay alive, there are three ways to survive: ༻✦༺ 
                                       ༻✦༺ run away across the sea; pray for blood immunity; ༻✦༺  
                             ༻✦༺ or die and be reborn again, and drink the blood of living men. ༻✦༺ 

dear reader, you're in for a treat of you love gothic horror retellings, masquerade balls, enemies to lovers and tons of deceit. 

what i liked
☽ overall vibes
☽ writing style (very fast-paced, didn't feel like it dragged)
☽ can we talk about the cover?? like, hello gorgeous
☽ action-packed ending
☽ well-written villain 
☽ well-written secondary characters that actually had plot-relevance 

what i didn't like 
☽ i wish that there was more jewish rep other than the occasional mention of seraphina being jewish
☽ i wish there could have been a little more development of the romance between nico and seraphina
☽ nico was a little bit of a flat character, but was cute ⁎ᵕᴗᵕ⁎
☽ i wish there was more explanation of the vampires and what exactly they can and can't do, because it felt like they were just 

☾trigger warnings☽
death, blood, violence, mild self-harm, antisemitism, death of a parent, grief 

Jumping Caspian by Sara Jane Triglia

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This was a cute little short story. I wish that it was just a little bit longer so the story could have been more developed, but I could also see it turned into a 350 page book.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

literally perfect in every way and i need 3-5 business days to recover from the heartbreak 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Body shaming and Death

Minor: Blood

The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

4.0

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75