So far this year, I’ve read 13 books and I definitely have a lot of opinions about them. No spoilers!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 3/5
Widely loved by all, my opinion of this book does not match the majority. I thought The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was okay. I enjoyed reading it and I got through it pretty quickly, but I thought it lacked depth. Evelyn is written to be a very complex character, going to any lengths to rise to the top. While I loved her character and her ambition, I don’t think she was necessarily a good person. I will say that the ending was an emotional rollercoaster, and I did not predict it. I would recommend this book even though it wasn’t my favorite.
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven, 2/5
I picked up this book because I am a huge fan of Jennifer Niven’s previous work. Yet, this book was terrible. It tried way too hard to be current, in the worst way possible. The main character is an obese teenager and the whole point of the book is to promote body positivity. Instead of being uplifting the author makes the main character loose the weight anyways and be bullied, thus promoting fatphobia even more.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, 3/5
If you liked the movie Age of Adeline, this book is a great option for you. The main character, Adelaide, became immortal after selling her soul to the devil. Then, he cursed her so that no one would remember her, hence the book title. This concept was very intriguing to me, and it did not disappoint. That being said, V.E. Schwab does a great job making the reader feel as though they are in the story with Adelaide. I would even say V. E. Schwab does the job a little bit too well, because it felt like actual centuries passed by as I read the book, like they did for Addie. It took me a year and a half to finish the book, but to be honest, the ending made it worth it.
Lightlark (Lightlark #1) by Alex Aster, 4/5
Having grown up on the classics (The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Harry Potter), I was beyond excited to read Lightlark. It’s basically the adult version of The Hunger Games. This was the first fantasy book I’ve ever read, apart from Harry Potter, and I really liked it. Initially it was difficult to grasp all the different characters, but once you do it’s so good. Alex Aster is an amazing author and makes you feel like you’re in the book with the characters. There are so many plot twists, but they all contribute to the ending and are purposeful. There’s also romance, but on the side, which is how I prefer it. I could not put this book down and got through it super-fast. I really recommend this book! The second book just got released and I will be purchasing it ASAP.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, 3/5
The Paper Palace had been sitting on my shelf for a while so this year I decided it was time to tackle it. The whole idea of a wealthy family with a summer vacation house was enticing. The main character, Elle, was mostly likeable, but the first scene of the book is her cheating on her husband who she has three kids with. As the book goes on Elle must decide if she wants to stay with her husband, who is oblivious to the whole situation, or run away with her childhood best friend, who is also married. There are also many flashbacks to the past which were very interesting and valuable to the storyline but caused the timeline to be hard for me to follow. What I was NOT expecting was multiple very graphic descriptions of sexual assault that occurred while Elle was a child. While very important to the events of the story, I did not think that amount of detail was necessary. All things considered, not a bad read, but I would stray away from it if you don’t like reading about violence.
Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey, 3/5
This was a book that caught my eye because of the pretty cover. It’s a mystery book about a teenage girl named Abigail who went missing. The book talks about her family and friend’s journey to uncover what happened to her. There were themes of sexual assault that I was not expecting. The ending is truly disturbing, and despite not enjoying the violence, I thought the book was well written
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily R. Austin, 2/5
If you want to feel depressed and bad about yourself, grab this book. The main character struggles with anxiety and depression. The premise of the book sounds interesting; a lesbian taking a job in the catholic church and trying not to get caught, but it was overly graphic in a way I wasn’t expecting. I want to root for her so bad, but she just picks the absolute worse way to go about things every single time. Overall, not a good experience.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, 4/5
At first, I started reading this book because it was an assignment, but I ended up loving it. I think anyone who studies science should have to read it. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks details how Henrietta Lacks had her cells stolen and multiplied for years after her death from cervical cancer. These cells made millions of dollars and lead to many breakthroughs in cancer research, all the while her family had no idea what was going on and received no financial compensation. This problem led to many advancements in informed consent and the rights of patients to decide what happens to their body tissue. I don’t typically have patience for nonfiction books, but this one is worth a read.
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver, 2/5
The summary on the back of this book set high expectations and, once again, I was let down. The book starts right after Lydia’s fiancĂ© of 10 years dies. The whole idea of the book is that Lydia lives a double life, one where she grieves, and one where she finds a way to be with her fiancĂ© again. This book sounded right up my alley, but it did not deliver, like at all. There was no plot. Just the same things over and over again.
The Candy House (Goon Squad, #2) by Jennifer Egan, 4/5
To be completely honest, I picked up this book because it had a pretty cover, but I ended up really liking it! It’s a little bit different from the books I usually pick but I thought it was a nice change of pace. The book jumps from the perspective of a many different narrators, so you get to hear lots of mini stories. They all connect, but you have to finish the book to figure out how. This book is a lot more technological and philosophical than I’d usually go for, but I like that it made me think. The Candy House is interesting because it is the second book in the Goon Squad series, but I picked it up not realizing that and found out it can also stand alone. But seriously, go look at the cover of this book, it’s gorgeous!
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow, 2/5
The book opens with the main character, Charlie, living in a mental health facility. She documents her journey navigating life on her own once her parents stop paying for her care at the facility. Every time I picked this book up, I just felt incredibly bad for Charlie. I was initially intrigued by the idea, but hated the way it was presented. It just made me upset every time I picked it up. Maybe that’s the point of the book, to show how hard it is to live with mental illness, but I did not enjoy the experience.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, 3/5
If you like this book, I’m sorry in advance. Out of all the books I’ve read this year, The Song of Achilles was my most anticipated read. So many people told me that this was one of their favorite books and Madeline Miller wrote the greatest love story of all time. To say the least, I was extremely excited to read this book and had very high expectations. Honestly, I was thoroughly disappointed. This book could not hold my attention at all. I’m a very fast reader but it took me months to get through this one and I dreaded it. I definitely do not think it was the greatest love story ever written. Don’t get me wrong, it had great moments, but it was just not the book for me. I was promised a good cry at the ending, and it just didn’t hit me like that.
Twisted Love (Twisted #1) by Ana Huang, still reading
I cannot give Twisted Love a definitive rating because I have not finished reading it yet, but it seems very promising. I’m predicting it’ll be a 4/5. It’s a new adult romance book and is very on par with my reading level. Twisted Love has that whole forbidden love concept that everyone loves. Ava, the main character, is very close to her brother, like they live on the same street right next to each other. But her brother must leave the country for a year, so he asks his best friend, Alex, to keep an eye on Ava. Initially they hate each other, but we all know how that ends up. It’s a bit raunchier than I expected, but I don’t mind it. I plan to buy the remaining three books in the series when I finish this one.