May and June Book Reviews

 *comes zooming in on roller skates and crashes into a wall*

Greetings, friends! After realizing that I have A LOT of thoughts about the books that I've read so far these past few months, I decided to make a review post [also, this will be pretty long because it's about 12-13 books put together, so feel free to leave and get snacks if needed].

So, I'll give a brief summary of each book, my rating, and my thoughts on each one. 

Books I Read In May

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Summary: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly-gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn't play wingman for class clown, Martin, his sexuality will become everyone's business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he's been emailing, will be compromised. 

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email conversations with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon's junior year has gotten all kinds of complicated. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out--without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

My Rating: 4 1/2 stars

My Thoughts: This one I love for many reasons. First of all, I love Simon. He's a huge nerd, he's an interesting main character, and he's an adorable [yet awesome] cinnamon roll. Also, I loved all of his email conversations with Blue. I think Becky did a good job foreshadowing who Blue was, without it being too obvious. I love Simon's family. His parents aren't perfect, but they clearly care a lot about their kids, and I loved his two sisters----Alice and Nora. I loved Simon's friend group, too! They were all great. 

The drama teacher was pretty great, too.

Also.....it just feels like this book was written by a queer person [like the whole 'why don't people have to come out as straight?' part], which made it more enjoyable and relatable to read. 

So, yeah, I like this one.

Leah on The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Summary: When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat-but real life isn't always so rythmatic. An anomaly of her friend group, she's the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw, but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she's bisexual, she hasn't mustered the courage to tell anyone-not even her openly gay best friend, Simon. 

So Leah doesn't really know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It's hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting-especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

My Rating: 4 stars

I like Leah, as a narrator and main character, almost as much as I like Simon. She did annoy me in places, but, overall, I really liked her. Also, I love Abby! She was in Simon vs, too, but now she's really getting a chance to shine, and I like that. Leah's mom is also great. There were also so many small things I love in this book [like the fact that Leah wore combat boots to the prom, the fact that a character accidentally made a reservation for dinner at the American Girl store, and all the little fandom references, for example]. 

There were a few things that bugged me, though.

One thing that Leah said [this is a spoiler, so, if you haven't read the book yet, maybe skip this part] that really annoyed me was that after a character comes out to her as 'a little bit bi' Leah just yells at her and tells her there's no such thing. First of all, you don't get to decide someone else's label, and, second of all, that just seemed like a really insensitive thing to say to someone who's just coming out of the closet. 

There were a few more things but that was the big one.

As I Descended by Robin Talley

Summary: Maria Lyon and Lily Bolton are their school's ultimate power couple-even if no one knows it but them. 

Only one thing stands in the way between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey. 

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily's whole world with a pointed look or a carefully placed word. 

But what Delilah doesn't know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do absolutely anything to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford-and four more years in a shared dorm with Lily. 

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory-including harnessing the dark power rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

My Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts: I liked this one! Keep in mind that it's been awhile since I've read Macbeth, so I won't comment on how accurate of a retelling it was. There was a very spooky atmosphere, which I think was done well. I enjoyed the plot as a whole, and I thought the characters were well-written [they were all morally grey, but it was done in a really good way]. I also like a lot of the sweeter moments between Maria and Lily before things just started to go really badly. The whole accidental-murder part kind of reminded me of Heathers. I don't know if that was intentional or not.

There was one major thing that kind of bothered me about this. 

The first is that I think the ghosts in this book weren't developed very much. Why they're trying to get revenge isn't explained very well, and they don't seem to have much of an agenda. 

The other thing that you should probably know is that, even though Robin Talley did a good job with including queer, POC, and disabled characters, it's a retelling of Macbeth, so a fair amount of characters die. It didn't offend me or bother me, but it does have some unfortunate implications, so if that would bother you, maybe skip this one.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Summary: The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring....

In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of those doors open and close. 

The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. 

Only it's different. 

At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. 

Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits, and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts: Honestly, I'm not sure how much I can say about it. I like Coraline herself, and I think she's a great heroine. The plot is really interesting and very unique, which I loved. It's also very atmospheric, and I love the way Neil Gaiman describes things. I can't really think of anything I didn't like, so this gets a solid 5 stars from me.

High School is Hell and Once Bitten by Jordie Bellaire

Summary: Honestly, I don't think these two require a Goodreads summary. Basically, it's a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer during the 2010's.

My Rating: 4 stars.

My Thoughts: Both of these were really fun! There were a lot of similarities to the show, and it had the same witty feel to it, but there were some differences [Spike and Drusilla were introduced earlier, Robin Wood is in high school, Willow's dating girls from the beginning, Anya works at the magic shop from the beginning, Cordelia's a lot nicer, etc.]. They weren't the best books ever, but I liked them.

Emma by Jane Austen

Summary: Emma Woodhouse is one of Jane Austen's most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain, and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village, and plays matchmaker to devastating effect.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts: I really liked this one! Emma is honestly one of my favorite Jane Austen heroines, probably partly because while she's definitely flawed, she's still likable. Mr. Knightley is great, too. I'm not a huge fan of Harriet, but she does her part in the story. It was an interesting and entertaining book, and I'm glad I read it. 

Books I Read In June

These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

Summary: Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If  she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg [read: a non-witch] she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend, Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron, selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over town, and Hannah's sure it's the work of a Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica. 

While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she's going to save the coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem's witches become deadlier by the day.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts: So, um, this book has gay witches. Do you really need another reason to read a book? 

The plot was pretty interesting, and it had a couple of good twists that I didn't expect. Plus, the magic system and the different types of witches was really interesting. I also really liked Hanna as a character. She's sweet and fierce. Her friend, Gemma, was awesome, too, as was her love interest, Morgan. Her ex, Veronica, was bad enough that you definitely didn't want them to keep dating, but not so bad that you, like, hated her or anything. Also, loved all the LGBTQ+ diversity. My only complaint is that I wish there was more on what happened a few months before with Hannah and Veronica and the Blood Witch, but, as it turns out, there's a prequel, so that takes care of that. Also, I really need to get my hands on the sequel, because it ends in such a cliffhanger. Just a warning: It's a little bit darker than the cover makes it seem, and one character actually dies, so I'm just putting a warning here.

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Summary: Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it's that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. 

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn't be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend's things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them? 

Maybe nothing. After all, they get seperated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can't quite nail a first date....or a second first date.....or a third? 

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work, and Ben doesn't try hard enough? 

What if life really isn't like a Broadway play? 

But what if it is?

My Rating: 3 stars

My Thoughts: *sighs* I really wanted to like this one. I like Becky Albertalli's books, and I like collabs, but this just fell flat for me.

First of all, I really don't like Ben. He just seemed like he didn't even like Arthur, and I got really annoyed at some of the things he thought about and said to Arthur. Like, that's just not how you treat your significant other. I also didn't like how there was so much drama that seemed really easily avoidable, and the ending just seemed really sudden and out-of-place.

With that being said, I did like all of the fandom references [especially the Hamilton ones!], and I liked Arthur, plus there were some cute moments, and it was fun to read. 

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Summary: It's 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl's display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again. 

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would rather marry her childhood friend ,Erin, than be paraded in front of suitors.

At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her stepsisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all-and in the process, they learn there's more to Cinderella's story than they ever knew.

My Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts: This book had such a unique premise, and I was super engaged in the story the whole time. I mean, Cinderella leads up to a dystopian society? Who would have predicted that? I liked the main character, Sophia, a lot, and several of the supporting characters as well. 

I think a testament to how well-written this book is, is that I got extremely angry while reading several parts. There were quite a few characters that I thought needed to die an extremely slow and painful death, and I'm not naturally a violent person. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary: It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be-dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them-not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. 

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers he's a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. 

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all-family money, good looks, devoted friends-but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him: Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair: and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things, but says very little. 

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in this strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts: I loved so many things about this book! My favorite thing was possibly the Raven Boys + Blue. I loved all of them individually, and all of their interactions with each other. They're all amazing, though Blue is probably my favorite. Maybe. 

Also, I love both Persephone and Calla.

Also, the plot is just so interesting. I was hooked from start to finish. 

So, basically, it's a new favorite, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Summary: A wonderfully entertaining coming-of-age story, Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen's ''Gothic parody.'' Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but with a decidedly satirical twist. 

The story's unlikely heroine is Catherine Morland, a remarkably innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage.

While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry's mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts: I like this one a lot! It's very witty, as per usual for a Jane Austen book, and I liked the general atmosphere of the book. I liked Catherine as a heroine, and I liked Henry a lot, too. 

I honestly just think this was a really good book, and I'm glad I read it. 

So, those were the books I read in May and June. Have you read any good books recently? Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? Are there any here that you want to read?