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howlinglibraries's reviews
1691 reviews
Beauty and the Feast, Vol. 1 by Satomi U
3.5
This is kind of a tough one to rate. I went into this story knowing nothing about the series other than the fact that it had a cute cover and was a slice-of-life manga, which is my favorite type of manga. I enjoyed it quite a bit and originally was going to rate it 4 stars, but I kept wondering if there was going to be a romance between the two main characters later on, because I got that feeling a bit. I kept hoping that wasn't going to be the case, given that she's 28 and he's a high school freshman (not sure what that translates to exactly in Japan, but here in the US that's 14-15 years old). As a 31-year-old woman, the idea of dating a high schooler literally makes me queasy! 😅
But when I finished the manga and came on to Goodreads to mark it as 'read', I saw that it's marketed as a rom-com series, and then I looked at the covers for some of the later books in the series, and... yeah, idk. It was cute but I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. I don't mind age gaps when both parties are adults, even if one of them is young (like 18-20), but a high school freshman is a totally different ballgame! (heh see what I did there) So I think I might just let this one stand on its own and pretend they're always going to be just friends or a cute big-sister-little-brother dynamic. 😌 Let me enjoy my delulu okay?!
But when I finished the manga and came on to Goodreads to mark it as 'read', I saw that it's marketed as a rom-com series, and then I looked at the covers for some of the later books in the series, and... yeah, idk. It was cute but I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. I don't mind age gaps when both parties are adults, even if one of them is young (like 18-20), but a high school freshman is a totally different ballgame! (heh see what I did there) So I think I might just let this one stand on its own and pretend they're always going to be just friends or a cute big-sister-little-brother dynamic. 😌 Let me enjoy my delulu okay?!
Mr. Villain's Day Off, Vol. 1 by Yuu Morikawa
4.0
Okay, that was cute! A little repetitive at times, but that's kind of the norm with these sorts of stories. I loved his obsession with pandas (and who could blame him?), but my favorite part was probably the chapter with the villain taking the two children around the mall and feeding them. I'll definitely be continuing this series!
Once Upon a Workday: Encouraging Tales of Resilience by Jonathan Kunz, Elizabeth Pich
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
I hate to be so blunt and negative, but this was awful. "Encouraging tales of resilience" - where? I skimmed the rest of the book after deciding to DNF it, just to see if those tales showed up later, and they don't. The book is written like a Dr. Seuss motivational book for adults who hate their jobs, which is somehow both obnoxious and incredibly boring. The very first story talks about how, if you hate your job but can't afford to take an 8-week vacation, maybe you could go part-time — because y'know, in this economy, we can all totally take a pay cut! /s
Sorry. I hated this. 😅
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
Sorry. I hated this. 😅
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
Bewitched by Laura Thalassa
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Broken Bonds by J. Bree
4.0
Okay, not a new favorite series yet, but I can see why people get so addicted to these books. It definitely kept me engaged! I'm super excited to continue the series. I'll post a full review in a bit, but for anyone who's read this series and wants my thoughts on The Bonds™️:
- Atlas is a darling and delight
- Gryphon is fine, thanks, no real complaints here
- Gabe is kind of douche-y in a "broken-hearted frat boy" way that grew on me significantly by the end of the book
- North is an over-domineering asshole who probably thinks he's doing "what's best for everyone"; fully expecting a solid grovel outta this guy
- Nox can go get fucked by a cactus coated in hot sauce.
Buddy read with my besties Malli and Misty ♥
- Atlas is a darling and delight
- Gryphon is fine, thanks, no real complaints here
- Gabe is kind of douche-y in a "broken-hearted frat boy" way that grew on me significantly by the end of the book
- North is an over-domineering asshole who probably thinks he's doing "what's best for everyone"; fully expecting a solid grovel outta this guy
- Nox can go get fucked by a cactus coated in hot sauce.
Buddy read with my besties Malli and Misty ♥
No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I simply assume at this point that anything KAM writes will be a hit with me. I loved this. I'll be honest and admit that the synopsis wasn't the most compelling thing for me and I basically only picked it up because I love KAM's writing so much that I was willing to try it out and hope for the best, but this was phenomenal. I was so invested in the history between these sisters and stayed on the edge of my seat until the very end!
I suspected the culprit from fairly early on in the story, but it didn't feel predictable as it was more of a gut feeling than anything, and even with my suspicions, I still fell for one big red herring hard — enough so that, when the reveal happened, I was somehow surprised despite having guessed it so early on. 😂 That might have made more sense in my head than it does on paper, but it's true!
I really enjoyed the different POVs of all three sisters, but JJ was definitely my favorite. I just loved her perspective, and some of the reveals about her past broke my heart! 10/10 would root for these women again.
I read a final copy borrowed from the library, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also given an early review copy. All thoughts are honest and my own.
I suspected the culprit from fairly early on in the story, but it didn't feel predictable as it was more of a gut feeling than anything, and even with my suspicions, I still fell for one big red herring hard — enough so that, when the reveal happened, I was somehow surprised despite having guessed it so early on. 😂 That might have made more sense in my head than it does on paper, but it's true!
I really enjoyed the different POVs of all three sisters, but JJ was definitely my favorite. I just loved her perspective, and some of the reveals about her past broke my heart! 10/10 would root for these women again.
I read a final copy borrowed from the library, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also given an early review copy. All thoughts are honest and my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Suicide
Minor: Violence, Gun violence, and Miscarriage
The Only Safe Place Left Is the Dark by Warren Wagner
From the very first line, you know The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark will be a bleak, unsettling tale, and it surely delivers. It's a unique perspective on a post-apocalyptic "infected" scenario, and Quinton is an easy character to empathize with. The writing was lovely, the pacing was solid, and the underlying plot about Quinton's experiences as an HIV+ gay man in the 80s was absolutely heartbreaking.
My only complaint is that I wish this story had been longer! I think it would've worked beautifully as a 150- to 200-page novella, and then we would have had more time to watch certain emotional elements and characters develop, which would have allowed the story's high stakes to be even better. That said, I still immensely enjoyed this and highly recommend it!
Thank you to BookSirens for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Quinton is gay and HIV+; mentions of a (deceased) gay character; Billy is Black, gay, and HIV+
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
By the summer of 1988, the only thing holding Frankie’s bones together was his skin.
From the very first line, you know The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark will be a bleak, unsettling tale, and it surely delivers. It's a unique perspective on a post-apocalyptic "infected" scenario, and Quinton is an easy character to empathize with. The writing was lovely, the pacing was solid, and the underlying plot about Quinton's experiences as an HIV+ gay man in the 80s was absolutely heartbreaking.
My only complaint is that I wish this story had been longer! I think it would've worked beautifully as a 150- to 200-page novella, and then we would have had more time to watch certain emotional elements and characters develop, which would have allowed the story's high stakes to be even better. That said, I still immensely enjoyed this and highly recommend it!
Thank you to BookSirens for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Quinton is gay and HIV+; mentions of a (deceased) gay character; Billy is Black, gay, and HIV+
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Gore, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use