what_is_daphne_reading's reviews
323 reviews

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

4.0

I picked up this book because it’s on so many banned list. Maia did a great job describing her thoughts, feelings and emotions. It was easy to understand her dysmorphia even though I cannot 

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.75

When I first read Assassin’s Blade, I was in the middle of the reading the Throne Of Glass series and I did not like Celaena. Isn’t wasn’t until this book that I liked her. Had a read this one first my relationship with the series might’ve been different. I will definitely recommend that people start with this one from now on. 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was so well written. It deals with such a heavy subject matter but it does it in a nuanced way. I can’t understand why it’s on the banned list. It should be in the required reading list if anything! I mean, I don’t understand why anything is on a banned list. That whole concept is so stupid but I digress.   Star felt very much like a teenager to me and I loved that. I hate when YA books have characters that are either so immature that they are basically infants, or so overly mature that you wonder why the author said they were teens in the first place. Stat was just right. She was brave (although she didn’t think so), petty, funny, impulsive and secretive. Her relationship with her parents is basically goals. I hope my kids feel as solid about me as Star feels about her parents. Even when she is mad at them. 

I didn’t know that the title was referencing Tupac or what thug life stood for before reading this book. If you don’t know, it’s for:

The

Hate

U

Give

Little

Infants

Fucks

Everybody

Khalil is explaining this to Starr as he is driving her home. Then he is killed and Starr’s mom says, “he was just a baby.” 

Then basically, the hate officer 115 gave Khalil did fuck everybody in the neighborhood. Riots, looting, businesses being burned, police officers being attacked. 

What is most devastating about this book is how utterly mundane it is. This has happened many times. There are real life people out there like the Carters, like Uncle Carlos, like Ofrah, who are doing their best to make sure things like this don’t continue to happen. We can be them, we can help them,  but it’s not going to stop if we just pretend it isn’t a problem. 

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

This was a satisfying end to The Unbinding trilogy. Their quest was fulfilled but it was not easy or how they planned it. It wasn’t even option B of the plan. Or C. Everyone played a part not just the magical ones. They even added two extra people to their group before the end of the book.

It is telling that they discounted Vaughn, someone they knew to be bad because she was a woman. She even said, I am going to have this happen no matter what.

So I liked the end of story but I would’ve liked a more satisfying ending to the love story of the book. All the other couples we know are together and devoted and how they make it work. But with Alan and Jack we see that they are together but we don’t know to the extent or how. 

Heartsong by TJ Klune

adventurous emotional mysterious sad slow-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

4.25

If there is one thing I learned from this Green Creek novel is that mates must be separated at some point but for a long ass time and under duress. And I eat it up! It’s long a very long 3rd act break up. Generally I hate those but somehow TJ Klune has weaved them so perfectly into the story that you feel like, “yes of course this has to happen.” Then you suffer along with the characters. 

Very epic found family situation. Robbie found just the best and coolest group of people to call family. And it’s a little like a second chance romance since Robbie and Kelly. Lastly, I want to life in Green Creek. Sounds amazing. But be part of the Bennett pack so I get monetary compensation for being amazing. 

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Ravensong by TJ Klune

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

It took me longer to get into Ravensong than Wolfsong. The beginning of Ravensong jumps in time from Gordo's childhood to the time the guys were on the road. I personally have a hard time with time jumps unless they are done very obviously like in The Night Circus. So I had to read and reread. 

Plus, I felt like I wanted to be there with Gordo in his childhood undisturbed. It sounds like a shit childhood. Lots of things seem to happen to him one after the other after the other and it didn't seem so relentless because we kept jumping ahead and then back. It's only in retrospect that you feel the whole picture. 

I didn't love being in Gordo's head either. He is a very very angry person, which comes across clearly but he spent so much time thinking "I'm gonna hurt this person because they are saying something that makes me uncomfortable." It was deflection yes, and he didn't mean it, but I got tired of hearing it. 

In the end when we see into Mark while they are closing the door? My heart!! All those things we could infer from his demeanor but his thoughts were so heart breaking. I would've rather this book had been on Mark's head. 

I looked up fanart while I was still reading and ruined a plot twist for myself. As I am want to do. 

So don't look up fanart unless this doesn't bother you. 

Anyway, I totally cried a bunch of times, way more than in Wolfsong. Can't wait to pick up the next one. 

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

One of the things that I like about Alice Oseman books is that these teenagers reliably make the wrong choice. They are constantly obtuse and jumping to the wrong conclusions. It both works out fine and doesn’t work out fine. I am reminded of my youth. 

This book is a lot sadder than Heartstopper but I have already read Loveless and Radio Silence so I knew that Alice could write sad. I see myself a lot in Tori although I hope that I’m in a better place in my now old age. 

I especially like how Solitaire isn’t forgiven or glorified. Tori is disgusted and upset and that is really the best reaction really. Although I also felt deeply sad for them. 

At this point there is exactly 1 Alice Oseman book I haven’t read this year so I feel like I should do that one up so that I can have the whole set.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This whole book is dark and a bit sinister. The main characters were flawed, dislikable, and not beautiful and I loved them for it. Luzia wanted an okay life instead of the drudgery she was being forced to endure. She didn’t  want much until she saw what she could get. Then she wants more and more and more until it had destroyed everything. The same can be said for Valentina. The same can be said for Hualit. The same for Santángel and Victor and Fortún. They all wanted and wanted until everything fell apart. I really thought that there would be no HEA in this book but there is, although strained. It’s a “we are happy with what we were able to obtain in the end ever after.” 

This is my first Bardugo book and I really enjoyed it. 

File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents by Lemony Snicket

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

Lemony Snicket books are always a good time. My kids love them and I find them endlessly entertaining as well.