April Book Reviews
Did you see the news? Ransom Riggs just announced the title, cover, and release date for the next book in the new Miss Peregrine series! I loved the first one and I can't wait to see the adventures continue. And be weirded out by all the pictures he finds. (Here's the article if you want to learn more.)
Anyway, let's see how I did in my reading this month. *checks Goodreads* Wow, I read 13 whole books in April, and four were non-fiction. I think that's not bad. Shall we proceed with the reviews? As always, you can click the book titles in the other books section to be taken to my Goodreads review.
Liked Best
The Night Parade- Kathryn Tanquary
My Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Likes:
• Japanese fantasy book! You don't see nearly enough of that in books. I was excited to read this mostly because of that, and because I love all things Japanese. It had all sorts of mythology and Japanese spirits.
• Read like a Studio Ghibli film. A lot of people compared it to Spirited Away, but I don't think it was that similar. If you like Miyazaki films, you'll like this book.
• The spirit world. A good otherworld rocks.
Dislikes:
• Some of Saki. She was a real brat in the beginning. And while she changed over the course of the book, she still wasn't my favorite protagonist. Only a mild complaint there.
Unearthed- Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner
Likes:
• Space adventure. It had a strong Indiana Jones/Doctor Who vibe I enjoyed. It was fast-paced and a good mystery.
• Jules and Mia. A great pair. Jules was adorable and Mia was tough. (Anyone notice a trend of this in YA books lately?) He was kind of like Indian Jones with his archaeological background, while she was a scavenger with more of a Han Solo feel.
• Nice worldbuilding. You don't get to see much of Earth, but you get a good feel for what it's like. The alien planet they're on, Gaia, was also nicely built. (Although shouldn't the name have warned them something was off?)
Dislikes:
• The romance. Two people get thrown together for a few days and of course they're going to fall in love. I prefer more of a slow burn.
• A lot of unanswered questions. Mostly about the Undying. I have a theory about them, so I'll have to wait and see if I'm right. Hopefully the next book will answer them.
Liked Least
The Kill Order- James Dashner
Likes:
• Basically nothing.
Dislikes:
• Unnecessary. This prequel deals with the origin of the Flare, but we already know all that from the other books. Seeing it happen was just awful and not needed. Plus, all the characters die, so what's the point? They also tried to make you like Teresa by showing her backstory, but it didn't work.
• Gross. Maybe I'm not remembering Maze Runner well, but I do not remember so much over the top gore and grossness in there. This one made me ill.
Long May She Reign- Rhiannon Thomas
Likes:
• The cat. The protagonist had a cat. She was nice. I liked the cat.
• Some nice friendship. The friendship between Freya, the protagonist, and her best friend Naomi was sweet. I liked that too.
Dislikes:
• Freya. She was hard to like, and she kept making me think of the Norse goddess. I wanted to like her, but something about her personality grated me. Maybe it was her obsession with being accepted by the court and how circular her thinking was.
• Not enough world. Most of the story takes place at court and we barely even hear anything about the rest of the kingdom. Also, the stuff with the Forgotten was a bit weird.
• The bad guy. I won't say a lot so I don't spoil it, but I was not satisfied with how Freya dealt with said person. Not at all.
Notable Mention
Gone Rogue- Marissa Meyer
This final graphic novel in the Lunar Chronicles gives a last wrap-up to whole series. It had some nice themes, like if androids can really be considered people, and allows us to have one last look into the world. I enjoyed it and thought it was a nice finish. Definitely suggest for fans of the books.
Other Books
Alexander Hamilton- Ron Chernow (5 stars)
Matilda- Roald Dahl (5 stars)
Tales from the Hood- Michael Buckley (3 stars)
The Lost City of Z- David Grann (4 stars)
Light the Dark- Joe Fassler (4 stars)
National Velvet- Enid Bagnold (3 1/2 stars)
Wonder Woman: Warbringer- Leigh Bardugo (3.75 stars)
The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy- Sam Maggs (2 1/2 stars)
Let's talk! What have you read this month? Are you excited about a new Miss Peregrine? Tell me in the comments.
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