Really enjoyed this one! I love Liane Moriarty’s writing style, and it’s always so awesome to see her weave so many different point-of-views from super different characters together. Super heartwarming with a mystical flare and poignant themes. I’ll definitely be recommending this one!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Okay, so I read this book at the insistence of a family member, and I entered with a quite a bit of skepticism, but I found it thought-provoking. Autobiographical-flavored nonfiction is NOT my favorite for lots of reasons, but some thoughts and takeaways from me:
– I know many people that I consider to be trustworthy and reliable who have seen or experienced things they cannot explain, which is actually why a lot of this wasn’t big news to me
– The author describes many accounts/videos of people seeing or experiencing things they cannot explain
– I think the author brings up lots of concepts that are interesting from a purely speculative point of view
– Personally, I have always accepted that the universe is full of lots of things we don’t understand yet, and this book didn’t really change my perspective in any way.
– In general, regardless of the veracity of the claims in this book, the saga makes for a good story, and definitely made me consider a lot of “what-ifs.”
– At the end of the day, my big takeaway is if you do see a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), I would stay away from it.
Overall, I found this an interesting read and would recommend if you’re curious about the subject or if you want to discuss with your friends. Regardless of what you believe may or may not be true, this author truly believes that the UAPs are not of this world, and is passionate about bringing those truths to light. Personally, I’m thankful for the progress that’s been made on de-stigmatizing the topic and hope we can all learn more in the future.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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My favorite read of the year so far, and I can say without a doubt this will be on my top ten of 2025 list. This is now my go-to recommendation for any and all readers. The audiobook narration was also fabulous. This is a short review because I really don’t have anything to say but go read it. Six glowing stars, the highest rating I can give..
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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A smart, techy sci-fi adventure with big Star Trek & Battlestar Galactica vibes & side of slowburn romance. Skyla was definitely my favorite POV, and I loved the idea of the connection with the ships. (Also, I loved that she had Fenrir – think big, epic doggo!) Definitely recommend for sci-fi fans looking for a space opera with big military & science elements.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Let’s see what did I like?
Everything
This one absolutely blew me away, and it is a book I will be recommending to literally everyone. Smart magic, fun characters, & a mystery to solve. Also, the narration was amazing. 10/10 will be recommending. Seriously, this was such an amazing find!
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Unfortunately, to be honest, I don’t know if I would’ve finished this one if I hadn’t gotten it from NetGalley.
What I liked:
– Persian & Indian-inspired mythology
– The book starts off like The Selection with a Hunger Games twist.
– While there’s obviously a book 2 planned, this book has a satisfying end that feels like a complete arc
What I didn’t like:
– Honestly, the main characters just fell flat for me. I felt like their personalities & the chemistry between them didn’t quite pop, and the spice/lustiness felt like it didn’t quite fit somehow — almost like it was added just so it could fit under the romantasy label.
– The Selection/Hunger Games set-up resolves surprisingly quickly (maybe at like the 25% mark) and from there, although l liked the idea of some of the developments, in general, it just felt like the plot dragged. (However that could’ve been because I was connecting to the characters)
All that to say, while this book wasn’t really for me, if you’re a romantasy fan who loves a strong side of mythology, it might be for you!
⭐⭐⭐½
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Knee-jerk reaction on finishing: I feel like I just ate a rice cake. Don’t get me wrong— I like rice cakes, they’re just not super satisfying.
Ranking my enjoyment of this series:
1. Fourth Wing
2. Onyx Storm
3. Iron Flame
So I have a lot of thoughts, but to avoid all spoilers, I’ll try to be brief and vague
What I liked:
1. Violet, Xaden, and all the dragons
What I didn’t like:
1. Not enough meaningful plot progression.
I feel like if someone wanted to skip book 3 for some reason, I would sum up the plot in one sentence, have them read the last 1-2 chapters, and they would be all set for book 4. That said, if you love the characters (which I do), then you’ll be reasonably happy to go on this ride despite this. While the lack of plot progression left me feeling unsatisfied, I enjoyed the read, and anticipate reading book 4. Though I’m not like foaming at the mouth for it, and I don’t anticipate Onyx Storm being one of my favorite reads of the year.
In the end, if you’re a fan of the series, I think you’ll like this one too!
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
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What I liked about this book:
– Great narration
– A bubbly, engaging YA voice.
– A sweet childhood friends-to-lovers mixed with a touch of rivals-to-lovers. (It’s very clear from the beginning that Sebastian is head over heels for Sadie and waiting for her to catch up. But it’s very sweet to watch them overcome past misunderstandings for their relationship to evolve into love)
– A quirky college campus that we’d all definitely want to live in
– The first 25-30% drew me right in
– Sebastian was super sweet and popped off the page.
What I didn’t like:
– This one felt about 3 hours (~30%) too long for me for a single-POV, light romcom, and I felt like the second half dragged.
– The many side characters, while fun, all kind of blended together for me
– While I started off liking Sadie, she grated on me in the second half – especially in some of the high-tension moments with Sebastian.
– Overall, the main plot felt a little lower stakes than my usual preference
Overall, if you’re looking for a light, sweet college romance with a YA flavor and great narration, you might want to check this one out! Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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What I liked:
– Audiobook narration is fantastic
– Descriptive imagery & narration that gives a tense sense of foreboding
– The idea of a mystery unfolding in a picturesque mountain cabin setting
– Some unexpected twists at the end
What I didn’t like:
– I couldn’t connect to the characters on this one and found nearly all of them to pretty unlikable, making it hard for me to get connected to the story. This could also have heavily impacted my thoughts on pacing and distinctiveness below
– Please keep in mind I like very fast-paced books, but this one felt too slow for me. Especially in the first half.
– I didn’t really feel like this one had that memorable spike that’ll keep me thinking about it. I almost felt like I’d read this story (or more likely, one that was very similar) before.
So, yeah, unfortunately, I don’t think this one wasn’t really for me, but if you’re looking for a tense, wintry thriller, this book may be for you! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook!
⭐⭐⭐½
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This book left me feeling strangely conflicted.
What I liked:
– The premise. I love the idea of paranormals hanging out at (essentially) a reform school with monsters in the basement.
– I liked the idea of Clementine, Jude, & all of their paranormal friends
– I’m usually a sucker for monsters, time travel, & tons of action
What I didn’t like
– I think my main issue was that I felt like none of the elements I liked were fleshed out as much as I needed them to be. I feel like we barely scraped the surface of Jude & Clementine. And there was so much intense stuff going on (like their classmates dying) but we kind of breezed past it without giving them time to react.
– Also, at times, I found Clementine a little frustrating in what she was or was not sharing with others
Overall I really liked the concept and found this an entertaining paranormal YA read, but I’m not sure I’ll grab the sequel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Hayley Reese Chow 