Book Reviews

|| There’s truly nothing like reading a good book || | cogito, ergo sum |

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If We Were Villains Book Review

If We Were Villains

Author: M. L. Rio

Description: Oliver Marks has just served ten years for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day of his release, he is greeted by the detective who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, and he wants to know what really happened a decade before.

As a young actor at an elite conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same characters onstage and off – villain, hero, temptress – though he was always a supporting role. But when the teachers change the casting, a good-natured rivalry turns ugly, and the plays spill dangerously over into real life.

When tragedy strikes, one of the seven friends is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless...

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆

Review: If We Were Villains is a novel written for those who appreciate the art of plays, the magic behind Shakespears words and how thought-consuming they can be to the right people. It’s astonishingly profound, yet hollow if the reader lacks interest in the subject. 

Its seven protagonists felt alive within he pages, their actions and mannerisms well defined and present in a way that felt real. With emotionally raw scenes interlaced between stunted silences and exultant reenactments. In addition to its lyrical magnificence, the element of drama is certain to be a strong factor to bringing the characters alive. 

It wasn’t as villainous as my expectations leading up to it, rather more poetic in its villainy. However, there were visceral moments that cut deep, awaking rage and similar emotions in me like no other book has ever managed. 

Apart from this, I’m in the belief that my opinions on certain characters and relationships may differ from the popular opinion. It’s not prevalent to my rating nor my review, thus maybe not worth dwelling on. 

Theres not much else to say, for everything else lay within the lines and sentences of If We Were Villains. 

[soft-lovely]

[persephone-in-spring]

the unexplained eroticism of darkness, knowledge and pretentious existence : a dark academia playlist

contains 74 songs which include instrumental pieces, hozier, lorde, bastille, and many other lesser known artists.

THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE'S VIBE HERE PEOPLE

so listen well, be gay, do crime, but don't forget to learn shit in the process

[ajsbookreviews]

The way I would fight every single character in the Atlas Series for Callum Nova

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The Atlas Paradox Book Review

The Atlas Paradox

Author: Olivie Blake

Description: Six magicians were presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. 

Five are now members of the Society. 

Two paths lie before them. 

All must pick a side. 

Alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and The Society of Alexandrians will be revealed for what it a secret society with raw, world-changing power, headed by a man whose plans to change life as we know it are already under way.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆

Review: Just like entropy, the Atlas series keeps expanding and growing, exponentially becoming better with each book. 

If compared with its predecessor, The Atlas Paradox is better in all the ways that count. The writing is noticeably more fitting, with paragraphs better formulated and more adapted to the reader’s experience. The characterisation and development of the core six is phenomenal, creating much more entertaining chapters and capturing the reader based solely on its curiosity for the people involved. It’s engrossing in a way The Atlas Six never managed to become. 

And despite the overall lack of plot in this book, the affinity Olivie Blake has to tap into unthinkable dynamics and making them absolutely incredible is remarkable. There’s palpable chemistry and hilarious banter littered all over the pages. Take for example Callum and Reina, who at first glance have nothing in common, turned out to be the best duo in the trilogy thus far. 

However, for all that it’s worth, the ending is quite disappointing in comparison to how well crafted the rest of the book is. Romantic moments aside, there’s nothing that ties the whole thing together in a high. In fact, there’s plenty of loose threads left. And frankly, it’s just plain boring. 

Apart from the unfortunately lacking ending, The Atlas Paradox reads as a treat for the lovers of The Atlas Six. It might not be a book for those who aren’t fond of the characters themselves, for those who only care about the academic parts or the mythos. But that doesn’t mean it is not a great book. 

[stonifae]

[deviika]

Fyodor Dostoyevsky // Alanis Morissette

[luciferifilia-deactivated202504]

So many books, so little time.

— Frank Zappa, (via. luciferifilia).

[talleyuh]

i’m literally sick i will defend bram wilding til the end of my life

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The Mary Shelley Club Book Review

The Mary Shelley Club

Author: Goldy Moldavsky

Description: New girl Rachel Chavez turns to horror movies for comfort, preferring stabby serial killers and homicidal dolls to the bored rich kids of Manhattan Prep...and to certain memories she’d preferred to keep buried.

Then Rachel is recruited by the Mary Shelley Club, a mysterious society of students who orchestrate Fear Tests, elaborate pranks inspired by urban legends and movie tropes. At first, Rachel embraces the power that comes with reckless pranking. But as the Fear Tests escalate, the competition turns deadly, and it’s clear Rachel is playing a game she can’t afford to lose.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Review: It’s been quite some time since I was as personally invested in a book as I was reading The Mary Shelley Club. 

Despite the sporadic clunkiness of the writing, Goldy Moldavsky perfectly encapsulates the effectiveness and easiness of a captivating plot. The imagery, the emotion, the tension — it all grasps the reader into the high stakes drama. It’s a wonderful concoction of all horror classics and some. 

If there’s anything to pick apart from the book, it’s the fact that it sorely misses a sequel. 

P.S. I desperately need more Bram and Rachel scenes. 

[juliaxyn]

You’re never too old to learn something new. Never stop studying. 

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Divine Rivals Book Review

Divine Rivals

Author: Rebecca Ross

Description: After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Review: Divine Rivals is a creative and original story, with good world-building and intriguing mysteries. The history behind the war’s origin, and all the mythological creatures bring nuance to the story. 

However the execution is lacking. If it’s not an obvious cliché, it’s cringy dialogue. The book is littered with such in between its good writing. The pacing of the romance is too rushed, barely any time spent on the actual “rivals” part of the “rivals to lovers” trope. There was barely any emphasis on grief or mourning, nor any actual development of the main characters feelings for each other in between their state or rivalry and their love. 

Overall it’s an enjoyable read, though unreliable in quality. 

[prrcyjacksons]

That’s the thing about being an adult standing beside your childhood race car bed. Time collapses, and instead of the version of you you’ve built from scratch, you’re all the hackneyed drafts that came before, all at once.

[Book Lovers by Emily Henry]

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Book Lovers Book Review

Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Description: Nora is a cut-throat literary agent at the top of her game. Her whole life is books. Charlie is an editor with a gift for creating bestsellers. And he's Nora's work nemesis.

Nora has been through enough break-ups to know she's the woman men date before they find their happy-ever-after. That's why Nora's sister has persuaded her to swap her desk in the city for a month's holiday in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. It's a small town straight out of a romance novel, but instead of meeting sexy lumberjacks, handsome doctors or cute bartenders, Nora keeps bumping into...Charlie.

Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Review: With a magnificent start, Book Lovers manages to set the mood instantly. The writing is lighthearted and fun, albeit bordering on corny at times. There’s enough character depth and development to keep the reader interested. Although, it’s the way Emily Henry manages to portray a spectacular show of chemistry between the two main leads that is the true star of the novel. It’s palpable, almost electrifying. And it certainly makes up for any of the corniness.

However, in some of the more comedic aspects it falls a bit short. It’s underwhelming how instead of focusing on the female leads tasks, as it was promised in the first act, it keeps moving toward different encounters of the main couple. Which is not inherently bad, but there is a lack of balance. 

Nevertheless, Book Lovers was a very pleasant read, fulfilling it’s easy-going role in a couple of lazy afternoons. 

[libraryspectre]

Catriona Ward has this fun way of writing first-person where her narrators are so messed up as people that despite being in their heads you have no idea why they're doing what they're doing half the time. They'll describe their actions or emotions without a hint of thought process as if it should be obvious while I stare at the book in horror and confusion

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Star Splitter Book Review

Star Splitter

Author: Matthew J. Kirby

Description: Crash-landed on a desolate planet lightyears from Earth, sixteen-year-old Jessica Mathers must unravel the mystery of the destruction all around her--and the questionable intentions of a familiar stranger.

For Jessica Mathers, teleportation and planetary colonization in deep space aren't just hypotheticals--they're real. They're also the very real reason her scientist parents left her behind six years ago. Now she is about to be reunited with them, forced to leave behind everyone she knows and loves, to join their research assignment on Carver 1061c, a desolate, post-extinction planet almost 14 lightyears from Earth.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Review: Star Splitter is the book to read if you’re easing your way into the sci-fi genre.

Matthew J. Kirby’s writing is fantastic, bringing forth a level of vividness that reads like a movie — words blossoming into images on their own. It’s not convoluted scientific jargon, and neither is it dumbed-down explanations. It’s the sweet spot right between the two. Especially taken into account the visionary storyline and its genre, it’s utterly gratifying to read. The mere interpolation of the second point of view into the story, and how well executed the idea was, brings me awe and admiration for Kirby’s ingeniousness. 

However, though the book was filled with intriguing secondary plot-lines and strange incidents, not enough of them were expanded on. It’s a dreadful miss to leave so many hanging threads laying around, with no explanation nor pay-off. 

Additionally, though this is more of a personal preference, another downside was the small amount of spotlight given to Duncan. The character brought forth so much charm and dimension to contrast with Jessica. It made the dialogue entertaining, and it gave a different perspective to the events that neither Jessica could provide. It’s a shame the character was under-utilised. 

For all it’s worth, Star Splitter reads as a stand-alone, but I would be lying if I wasn’t desperate for a sequel. 

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“Every tree can be a gallow, and every man has a neck to hang.”

— Master Polydore Vigil