Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Heavenbreaker

I really enjoyed this read! It basically reminded me of a mix of Gundam Wing and a medieval joust.

What I liked:
– Unique World Building
– Strong emotions (all the righteous rage and grief)
– Morality is in all shades of gray.
– Multi-POVs from characters with very contrasting perspectives
– Slowly unfurling political intrigue
– Solid audiobook narration

What I didn’t like:
– The relationship between Rax and Synali. While I like both Rax and Synali individually, their relationship felt a bit forced to me and rather stagnant. For some reason, I see this is listed in the romantasy genre and brahhh, that is inaccurate. This is a straight sci-fi.
– Very plot-driven. In general, there’s not a lot of deep, evolving relationships between the characters but that may be because… (see next bullet)
– This book doesn’t stand alone in any way. Most readers won’t mind this, but the end reads like we kind of dropped off in the middle of the book, and it’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine.

Recommended for those looking for an engrossing sci-fi with some interesting world building and intriguing political turmoil. (But definitely not a romantasy)

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

If we can compare it to Gundam Wing, you’ve probably got me already.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Resonate

This was such a unique premise! Battle of the bands in space with some AI intrigue.

What I liked:
– Top-notch world-building! The interplay between the music and the spaceships was well-thought out and described.
– A quick, flowing writing style that is easy to get into
– The original music?! whaaa! Dude, I’m always a fan of book playlists, but original music to go with the book is going the extra mile.
– Naveen and Kindle definitely popped as characters and I enjoyed tagging along with them
– Solid audiobook narration

What didn’t quite work for me:
– I had a little trouble connecting to Jude as a character, and I wasn’t an Isley fan. Their dynamic wasn’t really there for me. And just in general, this story felt more plot-driven than character-driven.

Recommended for anyone looking for a unique, music-infused sci-fi with a fast-paced, plot-driven story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Definitely here for more YA science fiction in the world.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – That’s Not My Name

What I liked:
The MCs were likable
The premise was interesting

What I disliked:
The pacing just felt a little too slow for me
I didn’t feel like we got as much closure as I wanted
I feel like the big twist was too heavily foreshadowed

Recommended for anyone looking with a YA thriller with an interesting premise.

⭐⭐⭐ ½

Foreshadowing is kind of like salt. We definitely need some… but it can definitely be too salty. And then I get the salty look. (as seen here.)

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Shatter Me

What I liked:
– Adam & Juliette have a super cute relationship
– I like how the mystery of Juliette & the world in general kind of unfolded
– The writing style and format had a intensely emotional/lyrical feel

What I didn’t like:
– In many ways, this plot is super simple
– While I thought it started out unique, the ending I found to be very much… not.
– This book doesn’t really stand on its own – I think it requires the sequel to flesh things out
– I’m pretty sure a pair of good gloves could’ve solved most of Juliette’s problems.

Overall, recommend for anyone looking for an engaging YA dystopian with a heavy side of romance and a distinctly X-men flavor.

⭐⭐⭐¾

This one came highly recommended from a friend, but I’m not sold on picking up book 2.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Fangirl (the Manga)

Fangirl’s one of my favorite books, and when I saw this at the library, I definitely want to jump back in. I don’t think I quite enjoyed this as much as the novel though. For some reason, it didn’t quite capture Cath the way I remembered her, and the narrative felt a little unbalanced with introspection. Still enjoyed it, but I definitely preferred the novel and I’m not sure I’ll pick up the second manga book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love me some Fangirl, but I’m definitely team novel on this one.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Heartstopper (1-5)

Since I flew through this series, I combined the reviews for five books currently out into one post.

Book One

So… I saw the Netflix show when it first came out and loved it. Finally got around to reading the graphic novel, and my god, how is it EVEN BETTER THAN THE SHOW?! (I mean, really, I should’ve expected this, the book is almost always better than the show/movie, but the show set such a high bar!)

Sweet, YA romance perfection I would recommend to literally everyone. My only warning is there’s totally a cliffhanger (thank goodness I have seen the show for that reason,) and I cannot WAIT to read the rest of the series. (5 stars)

Book Two

Just as adorable as book one and I’m honestly blown away by how faithful an adaption the Netflix show is! Onward to book 3! (5 stars)

Book Three

Cutest series ever continues to be the cutest series ever. I can’t believe I didn’t read these sooner! (5 stars)

Book Four

Another cute installment of the Heartstopper series! I really appreciate how they took on mental health issues in this one, and there were some really sweet moments, but I felt like the majority of this volume was told through journal entries in a narrative flashback style instead of experiencing the events in the moment with the characters. I’m not a huge flashback fan, so I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first three. Overall though, definitely recommend for fans of the series, and I’m definitely excited to read vol 5! (4 stars)

Book Five

Another cute installment of the Heartstopper series that tackles hurdles (in per the usual, an amazingly sweet and tactful manner) like applying to college, long distance, and physical intimacy. I read this in one sitting and definitely recommend for all Heartstopper fans. Can’t wait to see what volume six brings, and hoping for more seasons of the show as well!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh my gosh, after that INTENSE reading slump, these books were such a relieving breath of fresh air. My only complaint is that I want more!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – One of Us is Back

Screenshot

So I loved book 1 of this series, I thought book 2 was okay, and I think I feel about the same about book 3. Though I really like the quick-flowing writing style, over the course of the series, I feel like we just kept adding characters to the Scooby Doo crew and in this one they all kind of blended together. The only one that popped for me is Nate, and while I enjoyed getting more of his story, I felt like the climax felt a just little flat. However if you enjoyed book 2, I’d definitely recommend giving this a try!

⭐⭐⭐½

The reading slump is growing… someone save me!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Better than the Movies

What I liked:
Wes. I totally wished this had been a dual POV! Wes is so obviously head over heels with Liz from the beginning, but he does what he can to help her get what she wants. And he had so many clutch saves when she was in a bind.

What I didn’t like:
Liz. The clueless heroine is one of my least favorite tropes and I got pretty impatient with her. She goes through a big lying phase, treats her best friend poorly, does the whole “makeover for a guy” thing, gives the “it’s complicated” excuse for not communicating, and doesn’t treat Wes very well.

Neutral:
This book was chock FULL of pop culture, movie, and song references. I don’t really have any strong feelings about them, but I know some do so I’m throwing it in here.

I don’t think this one was really for me, but if you’re interested in a classic-feeling YA romance, it might be for you!

⭐⭐⭐¼

At 3 “not-for-me” books in a row, I think I can’t deny that I’ve entered into the dreaded reading slump.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – None Shall Sleep

This book follows serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell as they’re recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers, and then get tangled up with an active case of a serial killer who targets teenagers.

Enter Simon, a teenage serial killer with a history with Travis, and an interest in Emma. This basically felt like Silence of the Lambs meets YA. Weirdly, Simon was my favorite character, and thought the audiobook narrator did an amazing job with him.

While I liked Emma and Travis’s backstories, I honestly thought their young ages were a little hard to believe. I feel like they should’ve been 21 or 22, but since the New Adult genre still isn’t a thing they were aged down. I wish we could’ve gotten a little more depth into their characters, and developed their buddy-cop relationship a little more. Their original assignment was sidelined super quickly, and I feel like Travis didn’t get as much air time as he should have.

All that said, the writing was wonderful, I enjoyed the pacing and the story, and the audiobook narration was awesome. This book feels like it’s setting up Emma and Travis’s (and Simon’s) partnership up for more adventures and I would totally read them! Definitely recommend to anyone interested in a fun YA crime story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ¼

Twisted, creepy villain? I’m here for it

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Book Review – The Heart of The Sea

The Heart of the Sea is a gender-swapped Little Mermaid, but it has a lot to add to the original tale. In this version, the two main characters are separated childhood sweethearts, with the narrative bouncing between the past and present day. There’s a lot more world-building and magic to tie together the world of humans and merfolk, and I especially love the addition of the Condemned and the larger element of danger. Though the characters didn’t super pop for me, I thought this was a very original take on the Little Mermaid, and would definitely recommend to any Fairytale Retelling fans out there!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Elsa gives this one a thumbs up!

Thanks for reading!