Mini Review Round-Up!!

Hello! It’s been awhile since my last post, & I’m sorry ’bout that. Work has taken over my life recently & the weather shift into summer-like temps & then back into spring have done a number on my sinuses & sleep schedule. Last night I was held captive by spiders in every room of our apartment except the bedroom. (I have severe arachnophobia so the idea of being in any of those rooms was terrifying.) I even left all the lights on ’cause…well…I wasn’t going back to turn them off.

So I didn’t get a couple things posted that I had meant to.

THAT CHANGES TODAY!

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I present to you, oh patient readers, my Mini Review Round-Up! Where I’m going to share with you my most recent mini reviews from books I’ve read in the past year. Starting with the most recent & down to the least. Enjoy!

And feel free to click the covers to get more info on the book from it’s GoodReads page!

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Red Riding Hood by  Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

My Rating:  2/5 Stars

Read:  April 20, 2016

My Review:  Let’s start off with what I liked:
1) Every wolf scene. Gory & violent & pretty well written.
2) The cover is pretty.
3) Nope. That’s it. Moving on.

What I DIDN’T like:
1) The pacing was slow.
2) I didn’t like any character, least of all Veronica. Ughh
3) It might’ve just been me, but a few parts seemed a little too sexist? I can’t, man.
4) I WAS BORED OUT OF MY SKULL. Just praying for the end to come soon.
5) The ending was…..what was it? It basically wasn’t even an ending. It was all just so awful. If I have to get a legit ending by watching the movie, well, too bad. Not happening after how much I disliked this book.
6) That love triangle? How ’bout no. Get this horribly written thing away from me, thanks.

I did not like this book y’all. It sounded better than it ended up being for me. Kinda regret picking it up.

If you liked it, I honestly really am happy for you. I wish I did too. I really wish I had liked it.

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The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My Rating:  4/5 Stars

Read:  April 20, 2016

My Review:  This book was so good. It’s not really that short (it’s not super long) but it just kind of grabs you & never let’s go, so it feels like a fast-paced whirlwind of action & survival. Teresa is rad, even though she’s unconscious through most of the book. The boys say something stupid, she puts them right back in their place! Minho & Newt are kind of my faves.

My only real complaints are as follows:
1) I hate when a book/movie withholds information from characters for no other reason than to have some big reveal later. Like, why not just tell Thomas what was up with the Maze when he initally asked? There was NO NEED to not tell him. Such a pet peeve of mine.
2) I lied. There are no other complaints. Ha! Got ya!

Not gonna lie guys, I DID see the movies before reading this book. And they were awesome. I’m actually glad I did. Now I can love both of them while still acknowledging the differences. I like the way the book ended, & can see why the movie didn’t end the same & why certain elements were left out.

The thing between Teresa & Thomas was cool, I thought. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes scifi action stuff. It’s a fun time, & I loved it!

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Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

My Rating:  4/5 Stars

Read:  April 12, 2016

My Review:  This was a nice, but also sad, continuation of the Mercy Falls series. I love Sam & Grace, I am totally in love with Isabel in all her sassiness, and the introduction of Cole? Swoon worthy!

The end made me cry, I’m not going to lie to you here.

Overall I thought the book was well written, & I found myself completely in love with the…well, love in the book! Seriously adore these characters. I really feel like Stiefvater just has a great, poetic way with words & descriptions. It’s beautiful.

Can’t wait to read Forever!!
(Eventually cause I have a huge tbr list right now. Currently reading like, 4 other books. Gotta finish those up!)

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The Merciless by Danielle Vega

My Rating:  4/5 Stars

Read:  August 2, 2015
ReRead:  February 7, 2016

My Review:  I wouldn’t say this book is scary, more that the last half of it can be pretty unsettling at times. Definitely entertaining. Pretty hard to put down. I still can’t believe I read almost 300 pages in 5 hours.

The first half of the book can be a little annoying with how much it reads like Mean Girls, but Vega’s writing style is fast-paced enough that the moments where you roll your eyes at the parallels go quickly & you can’t help but keep reading.

And I have to mention how irritated I was with the tattoo shop scene. No reputable tattoo parlor will have needles just hanging out, unwrapped, at easy access to anyone and everyone on trays. This was either a really bad, unlicensed shop, or someone really needs to research these things a little better.

(reread 2016 thoughts):  I think I liked it more the 2nd time, but my thoughts overall remain unchanged. The first 30% reads all Mean Girls-esque, but once they get to that house? Man, it’s like I just can’t stop reading. It’s so good. I am a fan of Vega’s writing.

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Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

My Rating:  1/5 Stars

Read:  January 25, 2016

My Review:  I had high hopes after hearing all the rave reviews.

Now?

No. I absolutely hate this book.

The characters are awful & unrelateable. The prose is overused & the metaphors are ridiculous to me. I really had a hard time with this one. I, personally, would not recommend it but who knows.

Maybe someone else would love the things I despised. Read at your own discretion.

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Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman

My Rating:  3/5 Stars

Read:  January 10, 2016

My Review:  The beginning was a tiny bit weak. That wasn’t a plot twist, that was poor writing.

But it got immensely better as it went on.

Overall I definitely enjoyed this one. It wasn’t as suspenseful as I was hoping, in fact, it was pretty predictable. But it’s still worth a read if you like mystery/thriller/weird books.

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And there you have it!
My mini review round-up.
What did you think?
Any books you’ve read?
Anything you disagree with?
Let’s chat about it!