NOVELty Reads

 novelty | ˈnɒv(ə)lti | noun The quality of being new, original or unusual  

[noveltyreads]

Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Only This Beautiful Moment is a beautifully woven story following three generations of the same family throughout the 20th and 21st century. We start the story with Moud, a present day gay Iranian-American boy who learns that his grandfather in Tehran is dying. Him and his dad travel to Iran where they learn secrets about their family and their collective past. 

Told within three perspectives, sometimes cutting from one time period to another, this book tied together the narratives of three different people and showed how their present has been influenced by their past decisions or actions. This book felt deep and reflective and I loved seeing everything wrap up nicely at the end. Highly recommend even if some of the chapters were sometimes 80 pages long.

[noveltyreads]

If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was fantastic. I genuinely believe I've found my favourite book of 2023.

The writing? It was so gorgeous and lush and I'm in awe of the fact that this was Cynthia So's debut novel. It feels like they've been writing for years because If You Still Recognise Me was so descriptive and covered so many complex themes such as identity, family, and online relationships. I loved the way in which fandom and online culture was discussed and brought to life in a way that didn't feel stale or cheesy but rather realistic and nuanced - it gave me nostalgia for old school Tumblr and fandom blogs the entire time I was reading it.

I absolutely loved this book with my entire heart. Honestly, my review isn't doing this book justice. If You Still Recognise Me is so unique to read, so warm and thoughtful that words are too little to perfectly articulate how heart-warming the story is. Absolutely brilliant and flawless. Highly recommend.

5 stars overall.

[noveltyreads]

Always Isn't Forever by J.C Cervantes Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

You know those books that you hear about and you just knowit'll be a book that you'd love?

That was this book for me. 

From the second I heard about this book on Instagram, I knew instantly that I NEEDED it and that it would most likely be my next big obsession. When I got approved of an ARC on NetGalley I almost lost my mind. 

From the first pages, I was already in love with both Hart and Ruby and I loved reading from both their perspectives and Lourdes. I devoured this book, loved all the characters and cried a lot at the heartbreaking plot line of a lost love being given a second chance to fall in love again. I knew from the blurb this would be gut-wrenching and sad but the book also had hopeful undertones and elements that I enjoyed too. I was surprised by the supernatural elements in the book and liked the touches that added to the overall story. 

All in all, I adored this book and I can imagine myself doing a re-read at some point. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a book in the same sort of vein as You've Reached Sam.

[noveltyreads]

The Luminaries (The Luminaries #1) by Susan Dennard Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. 

I've been looking for a paranormal book for a while now, one that is set in the real world but has a fascinating magic system. I've heard good things about the uniqueness of The Luminaries and I was so happy when it came in one of my Illumicrate boxes. 

When I first started reading, I wasn't enjoying the book much in the first 50 pages. I was worried I would have to struggle to read and finish it but as I kept going, I started to breeze through and all of a sudden I read 100 pages in seemingly a blink. 

I enjoyed all the characters. Winnie seemed so shy and sweet and I was cheering her on as she made her mark on the Luminaries. After her dad was outed as a Diana, the Luminaries's mortal enemy, Winnie's family was cast out, condemned, bullied and shunned. On her 16th birthday, she takes the chance to regain her family's honour and become a luminary herself. To do so, she needs to undertake a series of tests to protect the human world from the paranormal. With a mysterious new force killing the creatures in the forest, the stakes have become even higher for Winnie to become a luminary and survive the trials. 

I enjoyed the story, love interest, Jay and the overall aesthetic of the story. There were times when I felt like the pacing was a little slow but all in all, I had so much fun reading this. I ended up reading the sequel straight after I finished this book and I cannot wait to read book three later this year.

[noveltyreads]

When the Vibe is Right by Sarah Dass Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. 

I have never read any books by this author before but I loved the storyline, the banter and characters of When The Vibe Is Right. There was a lot I liked and I think that's also due to the fact that I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the book physically. I think the narrator did an amazing job bringing the story to life. 

The book follows Tess who dreams of becoming a famous Carnival costume designer much like her renowned uncle who's business, Grandeur, she dreams of taking over one day. When her uncle's company falls on the brink of collapse, Tess needs to partner up with her annoying classmate and social media influencer, Brandon to help save Grandeur. As Tess spends more time with Brandon, she begins to wonder if she was wrong about him all along.

I absolutely loved the banter between Brandon and Tess. It was easily one of my favourite elements of the book along with the characters in general. Though the book was in first person, I think we got heaps of glimpses into Brandon's personality and character to really understand him. I also enjoyed the pacing and the Trinidadian setting. I have never read a book set in Trinidad and it feels like forever since I read a book set in the Caribbean. 

I enjoyed the pacing of the book but my main criticism is that it felt like there were so many things happening at times that it was sometimes difficult to keep track of. Apart from that, I really enjoyed this book and I can see myself recommending this in the future.

[noveltyreads]

Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was very sweet, deep and emotional. 

Ander and Santi Were Here follows main character Ander who is taking a gap year before going to university to study art. Their parents and family decide to "fire" them from work so they can focus on their art and portfolio. Replacing them is Santi a cute boy who starts working at Ander's family's taqueria. The two form a bond with their friendship quickly becoming something more. However, Santi is an undocumented immigrant and Ander soon realises just how fragile love and home really is.

I enjoyed the characters in this book. Much like Jonny's previous book, Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun characters are at the forefront of this story with the development of romance and chemistry integral to the book. The backstories of the characters and their personalities were my favourite elements of Ander and Santi Were Here and I loved getting to know them better.

My one criticism of the book is that it seemed very slow in terms of its pacing. I kind of wanted the book to be a little bit faster but I understand this was to show the slow burn and deep connection between both Ander and Santi which was slowly blossoming into a deep sort of love. I think readers who love deep connection would love this novel.

[noveltyreads]

I Like Me better by Robby Weber Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Look, this book was alright but if I'm being super honest, it didn't feel very memorable. 

The book focuses on Zack Martin who takes the blame for a prank by the soccer team's captain. As a result, he finds himself doing community service at the marine institute where he meets environmentally passionate, Chip. The two fall in love but Zack is scared to tell Chip the truth about the prank because it could mean he would be disliked by the team and the soccer captain. 

The book tackled big issues with self-esteem which is definitely an important issue to discuss and show. I kind of wish this was touched upon more to be honest. Zack was an alright character but he didn't really grab me much. I liked how sweet and adorable Chip was and the banter between him and Zack but I felt like I needed a bit more convincing with their relationship.

All in all, this was a good summery read but unfortunately nothing really grabbed me with the story.

[noveltyreads]

Clementine and Danny Save the World (And Each Other) by Livia Blackburne Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this novel! 

I've been looking for a hopeful and inspiring book for ages, one that showcases the beauty of humanity and of community. I think after the years we've had with the coronavirus and lockdowns, this book's message had even more meaning, showcasing how important it is to come together. This community feel to the book easily was my favourite part, highlighting how businesses and cultural areas create spaces for diversity. 

Other aspects I really enjoyed was the sort of enemies to lovers romance between Clementine and Danny. Clementine blogs under the username "Hibiscus" and constantly butts heads online with frequent commenter BobaBoy888 who claims she's out of touch with tradition and culture. When Danny's family's tea shop gets sold off to a massive corporation hoping to expand into the China Town area, he partners with Clementine to stand up for his community. 

The characters, the community feel to this book, everything just blew me away. I'm writing this review a year after I read it and it's bringing me back all the happy reading memories. This is a book I'll definitely be recommending to everyone, I think this book came to me at the most perfect time in my life.

[noveltyreads]

Hot Dutch Daydream by Kirsty Boyce Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was okay but it didn't really *grab* me. 

I have to give the book some credit though, it was very atmospheric and I think Kirsty Boyce did a great job at immersing the reader in Amsterdam/Holland, making them feel like a tourist in the book much like main character Sage. 

I enjoyed the characters. Sage was very ambitious with her study goals, although it was sort of unrealistic for a high school student to have that sort of prestigious internship overseas without being a medical student at university and without any prior experience. I liked Rhy, he was very sweet and I liked how artsy he was. All the characters made this book a very lighthearted read. 

My issues with the book came with the romance, it felt a little too quick for my liking with the main character instantly falling for the love interest despite not being interested in boys or relationships previously. A slow burn would've been a better way to go about developing the chemistry between Sage and Rhyland. 

While the book was very light-hearted, I kind of wanted a bit more from the book. It was definitely one of those fluffier stories but I wanted a bit more meat on the bone. It felt like there was something lacking and I felt bored at parts, wanting something more to happen with the story. That being said, I would recommend this book to people who would want a happy, light-hearted novel.

[noveltyreads]

The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I'll be honest, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, which is a shame because I really wanted to.

From the start, I wasn't really connecting with the characters. I don't know what it was, but I was left wishing for more relatability and connection to them that would make me want to ship Francine and Ollie together. I was curious to see where their relationship would go but I spent the entirety of the book wishing for more chemistry. 

They did have some cute scenes together but I wished we got more of that. I liked the scene on the playground and the cheeky moments of physical displays of affection from Ollie but I wished they were prolonged more. The characters that absolutely stole the show for me were Rolo and Jiya, they were really cool and I was secretly shipping them together admittedly even more so than the main couple. 

I also enjoyed the writing style, it was very digestible and easy to read but I think the overall thing I would've wanted was more depth in general especially since the last part of the book felt really quick. 

I think what would've worked in the book's favour was if Francine's relationship with her family and her previous crush on Ollie was highlighted before the events of the book. The plan was introduced really early on and would've really benefitted from having those moments where we got some backstory before the main plot line was brought forward. The Plan could've been introduced more into the middle of the book which may have resulted in more connection and chemistry between Ollie and Francine.

Overall though, I thought this book was okay. Not amazing but not bad either, I just wished for a bit more depth to the characters and story.

[noveltyreads]

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I first heard Hayley Kiyoko was writing a book, I was immediately intrigued. Even more so when I heard it was based on her popular song Girls Like Girls.

The music video tells the story of a young girl named Coley who falls in love with her best friend Sonya who she seemingly has been in love with for a while. This book acts as an extended edit of the music video, showing glimpses into Coley's history, when she first met Sonya and how she felt about her and more about Trenton, Sonya's ex. 

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. I enjoyed Hayley's writing style and the characterisation of both Sonya and Coley. I think the setting being the early 2000's really helped with the story and was a nice touch I didn't expect until I started the book.

The only issue that I had was with the almost insta-lovey connection between Sonya and Coley. It felt like the "I saw her and my jaw dropped" sort of thing and I thought to myself that this attraction between them was growing rather quickly. 

That being said, even though the attraction between them was immediate, there was a slow burn growing between them and I enjoyed the execution of it. I loved the focus on running away and towards love and who you truly are. I thought that was done really well and I liked the portrayal of self-discovery showcased here. All in all, I enjoyed this book and I'll be excited to see more books from this author. 

[noveltyreads]

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Song of the Last Kingdom #1) by Amélie Wen Zhao

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was meant to be my first book of 2023 and yet, it is only now in 2024 that I finally got around to reading it. 

That being said, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was worth the wait. 

This book was so hyped for me especially in the weeks/months leading up to the release. After it came out, I haven't heard many people talking about it and I don't understand why. This book was brilliant and deserves to be read by so many more people. 

The book follows Lan who lives under the colonial rule of the Elantians who killed her mother before her own eyes. Before she died, she gave Lan a mysterious message on her wrist, one only Lan herself can see. When an incident at a tea room makes her join with Zen, a mysterious man who can use magic, Lan seeks to discover the last message her mother gave her, one that is intertwined with the myths and legends that she grew up with. 

From the start, the book was gripping. I think that's thanks to the writing style which was so descriptive and rich and fast-paced. I loved Lan from page one, her quick wit and snark was great to read on the page and her interactions with Zen were so much fun and cheeky. I really hope they become endgame in book two. 

I loved the world building, the characters and the writing. Everything was done so well in this book. I don't really have any criticisms to be honest apart from how the middle part of the book felt a little slower than the start and ending. I am so excited to read the sequel. I wouldn't mind more books set in this world.

[noveltyreads]

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really should've known better than to judge a book by its cover, but I really couldn't help that this book looked so cute. 

This book is a romance book, yes. But at its core it's more so about STEM and empowering women to go into science, tech, engineering and mathematics based fields. Bel doesn't think she has what it takes to do engineering. She enjoys it but she can't imagine doing it as a job or what she could do in the future. This book was quite empowering, showing that girls do belong in STEM. I loved the steminist message. 

But while I loved the women's empowerment in this book, a few things fell a bit flat for me. For starters, it took me a while to get into this book. I mainly blame writing style for this and I felt like I got used to the writing style too late to really absorb the story. Not to mention, the physics and engineering jargon. Because Bel and Teo talked (and flirted) in engineering and robotics terms, I struggled to understand a lot of things due to my complete and utter lack of understanding of anything physics related. 

I think it was mainly due to the physics banter that it took me a while to get into the relationship of this book which was a shame because this book got me cheesy grinning at the end. There were times when I was questioning if I was shipping them or not because there were things Bel and Teo were doing that I sort of raised an eyebrow about. I'm glad they communicated and helped fix things together. 

All in all, a cute book but the writing style got the better of me at times.

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The King Will Kill You (Kingdoms of the Sand and Sky #3) by Sarah Henning Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

And just like that, we finish the adventures in the Sand and Sky.

I won't lie, it took me a while to get into this book, trying to remember bits and pieces from The Queen Will Betray You. It's been a hot minute since I read book two but I found my way through book three fairly well regardless. 

The King Will Kill You follows immediately after book two and its major cliffhanger. The book is very tense considering the domino effect of never ending bad things happening to the Sand and Sky. Our heroes Amarande and Luca are trying to fit into their new roles as rulers of their respective kingdoms however, with people constantly questioning their authenticity and with the lines of succession in question among the other kingdoms, Amarande, Ferdinand and Luca are seemingly fighting against all odds. 

I enjoyed this book. It was good seeing Amarande and Luca step into their roles again. The book seemed consistent with the previous two books in the sense that it maintained the same sort of vibe and pacing. This book though was quite heavy with politics and court intrigue. While I love these two tropes, it did slow this book down at times from how much time was dedicated discussing the state of the Sand and Sky. 

All in all, this book was a good ending to the series and it tied everything up pretty well. Actual rating lies more between the 3-4 star range for me. 

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The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really whimsical and dreamy read that was very immersive. 

The Poison Season follows Leelo who lives on an island far away from the outsiders on the other side of the poisonous lake. Those with magic are the only ones allowed to stay on the island, those without are cast out of their society to find their own way in the world. When Leelo discovers a boy her age on the island who came from outside, Leelo is forced to reconsider everything she thought she knew about the dangerous 'outsiders'.

I think the characters were the strongest part of the book. I really liked Leelo and I thought the way she approached the world around her was very unique. I liked Jaren's chapters too, he was such a sweet character. There were times I thought the relationship between him and Leelo felt like a bit much, but overall, I didn't mind it. This book was easy to get through, one that could easily be read in one sitting. 

The only negative I really had was with the magical, dangerous forest. We knew it was a dangerous place and yet the tension, the danger was lacking a little in the book. There weren't many times when I felt scared of it, despite the main character saying how terrible and cursed it was. I also wished we got more information about the singing magic used by the islanders. It seemed like a cool concept but it wasn't talked about much. 

All in all, a pretty good read. I enjoyed this one.

4 STARS

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In Deeper Waters by F.T Lukens Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I sort of struggled to find my feet with this book. 

The first one hundred pages or so were really interesting and I enjoyed the pacing of it but if I'm being honest, In Deeper Waters didn't grab me as much as the other books I've read earlier this year. 

In Deeper Waters is the second book I've read by F.T Lukens. I've read Spell Bound last year and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2023. I was very excited to read In Deeper Waters as I find F.T writes very light-hearted books that honestly feel like a comfort read. Besides, I've had In Deeper Waters on my TBR for a very long time.

I enjoyed the start of the book as I already mentioned however, it was mainly after Tal's kidnapping (not a spoiler this is in the blurb) that I found myself starting to lose interest. At the start, I wasn't very sold on Tal's and Athlen's relationship but as the book progressed and I started to find my feet in the story, I started shipping them together more. 

I think the main issue I had with the book was with its plot. It felt like it tied things up too smoothly and without too much hassle considering all the trouble Tal's been through. I wish the ending was a little more high stakes than it was but overall, this was a nice lighthearted read. 

ACTUAL RATING: 3.2 STARS 

[noveltyreads]

All of Us Villains (All of Us Villains #1) By Amanda Foody and C.L Herman

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I have recently been finding myself gravitating towards dark fantasy this year and honestly? I love it. Dark fantasy brings forward everything I love in books: enemies to lovers, forbidden romance and magic schemes that make you wish the world was a little more magical than it actually is. All of Us Villains had the perfect recipe to become a newfound favourite. 

I was lucky enough to read a few pages of the book before it was out. I enjoyed the sampler so much that I bought the book (and its sequel) already knowing I would be transfixed and pun intended, spellbound. 

The book has been pitched to me as The Hunger Games but make it magical and villainous. The book is told in four perspectives: Briony, Alistair, Isobel and Gavin, four of the seven champions forced to fight to the death to win high magic, a rare magical commodity. The book spends a lot of time showing us how the champions have prepared and strategised for the tournament, building up the characters and showing how they all cope with the knowledge that they'll one day fight to the death. 

To me, Alistair was an instant stand out. I loved reading his perspective. He reminded me of Lira from To Kill A Kingdom in that he was raised to be villainous but really, his villainous behaviour was a result of what his family expected from him. He may be morally grey but I could tell he had a softer side and the way he cared for his brother, Hendry was really sweet and wholesome. 

Isobel started off as a character I really enjoyed reading but towards the end, I started losing interest with her character. Her parts were better in terms of plot and moving things along but as a character, she lost me towards the end. 

Gavin was a character I was very interested in. I am a sucker for the classic underdog story where the odds are stacked against them and they manage to be victorious. Gavin's entire family haven't won the tournament in all the centuries it's been happening. Gavin is seen as a dead boy walking and he wants nothing more than to prove people wrong. Out of everyone in the tournament, he and Elionor seemed the most ruthless in their pursuit to win and eliminate competitors. 

Briony was the last of the perspectives however, she never really grabbed me as a character and so, I wasn't as excited reading about her as much as I was for Alistair or Gavin. I won't lie, she sort of annoyed me. The other side characters I enjoyed were Hendry and Reid. Hendry was such a sweetie he's easily one of my favourite characters. Reid was a character I predicted would have a huge influence on the plot. He kind of reminded me of Harry Hookfrom The Descendants mixed with Yungblud and a bit of Palaye Royale. I hope I get to see him more in book two. 

The characters were a big win for this book. As in, all the characters felt unique with their own personality that I could easily tell apart. The only real negative I had was the book at times felt a little slow. I also wanted more suspense and tension from the competition. I knew the stakes were high but I didn't feel the danger or risk from the tournament even when things started going pear-shaped. By the end of the book, I started getting that anticipation I was looking for with the book ending on a tantalising cliffhanger. Naturally, I have started the sequel instantly.

ACTUAL RATING: 4.2 STARS