kayaj's reviews
515 reviews

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

lighthearted

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

 

The Love Hypothesis, if nothing else, is a big win for STEM girlies everywhere. Now me personally, I’m deathly allergic to math and physics and all that*. But I appreciate the representation and the references to the absurd difficulties women face when trying to make it in the world of academia, especially BIPOC women. It obviously doesn’t dive into a ton of depth since it’s first and foremost a romance, but it still does touch on those subjects which I did enjoy.

*although, i only have a slight intolerance to statistics and chemistry. and this book definitely has chemistry so it wasn’t all bad.

We follow Olive, a chemistry Ph.D. student who can’t for the life of her convince her best friend Anh to date her ex since Anh truly doesn’t want to hurt her. So, in a moment of panic, she kisses the first guy she sees. Who happens to be a young hotshot professor with a stingy reputation. They end up agreeing to fake-date for a certain period of time as they both have something to gain from the arrangement. 

You’d best BELIEVE that this was originally Reylo fanfiction. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that since it’s not bad fanfiction! And considering the lack of lightsabers, Millennium Falcons, and Stormtroopers*, I think it’s safe to say it stands on its own. Olive and Adam have excellent chemistry. Since they’re both chemists**. But seriously, Adam’s slight grumpiness and cold exterior to everyone but Olive (in a wholesome way I promise) is actually so much fun to read about. His hatred of all things sweet and Olive’s addiction to all things sweet is the best dynamic ever okay?

*that and darth vader are the height of my star wars knowledge I’m sorry I’m sorry!

**i’m actually such a comedian today kevin hart better be looking for another job SOON

The plot had just enough happening to keep me at least vaguely interested. Olive and Adam have to keep up their ruse, which means awkward situations on top of awkward situations. Add to that the fact that they both have important science-y stuff to do and I’d say this story never lacked in purpose. There was a part in the middle that I felt did slow down a little, and I found myself getting a bit bored, hence the 4-star rating. It did pick back up again though!

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you”.

So that’s it! Overall, this was an entertaining read. Adam and Olive’s interactions were absolute gold and carried me through the slower parts of the story. 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

4.5

The Will of the Many by James Islington

5.0

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

emotional

4.5

 I have a confession to make. Up until now, I have been against mainstream booktok books. But I’ve recently realized the error of my ways! If I just ignore Colleen Hoover and the countless smut, then there are actually quite a few gems that booktok hypes up. And Divine Rivals is one of them. 

 

Divine Rivals is one of my favorite new releases of the year. Iris and Roman’s letters are full of beauty and rich, romantic prose without ever feeling too flowery. The atmosphere is so subtly written that when you finally tear yourself apart from the book, you feel like a stranger in your own home*. After years of putting her releases on my lists, I finally read a Rebecca Ross book. And it was worth the hype.

*or subway. or office. or wherever you read

This book follows Iris and Roman in the middle of a war reminiscent of World War I or World War II. However, the author did create an original mythos instead of directly setting the story in one of the World Wars and the war is between gods. Iris’s brother Forest is off fighting in the war, and Iris’s only comfort is her mysterious penpal whom she writes to through her magical typewriter.

Roman Kitt, on the other hand, knows exactly that he’s writing to Iris Winnow, his rival at their shared newspaper. And for some reason, he can’t stop writing to her as he conceals his identity. 
 

THE LETTERS THEY WRITE TO EACH OTHER ARE SO ROMANTIC. They’re brimming with longing and yearning and beautiful, beautiful prose. Surprisingly, the fictional war-torn setting works very well with this You’ve Got Mail pitch. I was pulled into these characters and this world from the very first page.

I’m not a big historical fiction girlie, so I didn’t always connect with parts of this book. There was a part in the middle that dipped a little for me. But I really did enjoy the rest of this book. If you’re not normally a YA reader, I’d still highly recommend this book! It reads very in a very mature style and the characters are older. I deem Divine Rivals worth the hype! 

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

dark

2.25

meh. suspense was good, ending was bad, middle was long.

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

dark mysterious medium-paced

4.25

 

All The Dangerous Things shows several small streaks of brilliance. I have read (too many) thriller books, and the best kind is when you’re shocked by the ending. However, after closer inspection, you realize that the clues were laid all along for you to figure out all the different twists. It’s just a matter of hiding them cleverly enough that you didn’t quite connect the dots until it was too late.

We follow Isabelle, who hasn’t stopped searching for her son Mason ever since he disappeared from his crib a year prior. She’s lost friends, family, even her husband in pursuit of the truth. She hasn’t slept properly for a full year, only subsisting on the bare minimum needed to survive. As a last-ditch effort, she teams up with a podcaster who begins unearthing truths about her childhood that cause Isabelle to begin to question herself. And not at the least because she’s forgotten one important detail: she’s a sleepwalker.

now this is what i call a solid thriller.

It’s not overly high-stakes the way some thrillers are (Behind Closed Doors and Survive The Night come to mind). However, it does an incredible job of sowing seeds of doubt in your mind, in stealthily ramping up the tension, until you realize that your breaths have shortened and you’re completely unsure what to believe.

As we dive into Isabelle’s fragmented childhood memories, as well as reports of what happened the night Mason went missing, we begin to suspect her. But it’s not just her who is unreliable and complex. Almost every character in this book is entwined with this story one way or another, and none of them are perfect. I believe the author comments on this in her foreword but All The Dangerous Things really comments on the pressure mothers face to be perfect. Everything they do is judged, and they’re immediately regarded as terrible humans if they do not feel endless love and joy towards their child at all times. This book does a truly excellent job at drawing aside the curtain and reminding us as a society that there is a difference between taking care of a child properly and lashing on moms for the little things, the little feelings.

That being said, this is a twisty little jewel of a book! It has a steady pace that balances great reveals with excellent foreshadowing. It takes the psychological route instead of the suspenseful one, while keeping you on the edge of your seat. I cannot recommend this book enough if you’re looking for a new thriller!

So that’s it! I’m not sure how my next thriller read will top that in terms of intricate characters and fantastic twists but hey, you never know! 

Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

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? Yes

5.0

Maame by Jessica George

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Maame is a book I was terrified of reading. Simply put, I rarely ever reach for literary fiction. I find the highs to be about halfway up a mountaintop, while the lows are the Grand Canyon. However, occasionally one literary fiction book comes along and hits every emotion on the spectrum in the best of ways. In case you haven’t caught on yet, Maame was that book for me.

We follow Maddie, a woman whose mother spends most of her time in Ghana, leaving Maddie the only person to care for her dad with Parkinson’s disease. When her mother finally returns home, Maddie jumps at the chance to move out into the great wide world of London, England, and take risks like she wasn’t able to before.

This story is tragic and joyful, relatable and clever. It deals with racism and family, being torn between cultures and worlds. Maddie’s family is Ghanian, and so many of the white people she’s around fail to understand that part of her. George writes with raw honesty, and Maddie is a character that you desperately want to root for. You’re cheering her on as she experiences the new, and you’re heartbroken by the things she’s heartbroken by. Now that’s powerful writing.

If you’re like me and worried that you’ll be bored, don’t be. Every event has a purpose and that is to flesh out Maddie’s character arc. And guess what? It works. I truly am surprised with how invested I ended up being in this little story full of big thoughts. Also, I cried so there’s that.

Overall, this is a standout debut for 2023! A huge thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Did not finish book.

it didn't grab me!