Quick-Fire Book Reviews 2

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post with some quick-fire reviews of the books I'd read recently. This summer has been great for reading -- I even took part in the Reading Rush readathon last week! -- so I'm back with another round of short, spoiler-free reviews of the books I've read since that last post.

(All photos are from my bookstagram -- and if you like them, consider giving me a follow @looseleafellie!)

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval is one of those super-hyped books that people buy multiple copies of because they love it so much. Personally, I found it to be a fairly enjoyable read with a twisty-turny plot and a great concept. Furthermore, the main character, Scarlett, has synesthesia like me, so that was a wonderful personal connection (she sees emotions as colors while I see numbers as colors, so it’s not exactly the same, but I understood what she was experiencing)! I did feel that all the reveals, hidden agendas, and mistaken identities made it a little hard to keep everyone’s motivations straight, which detracted from my enjoyment somewhat. Despite not being perfect, it’s a solid read.

My rating: 4 out of 5



Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

It took me a little while to get invested in this story — there were at least five POVs, and the switches between first and third person was a bit jarring. Once I got into it, though, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The twists and turns were awesome, and Keralie’s character development was  nothing short of masterful. Also, we must protect my precious baby Varin at all costs!!

My rating: 4 out of 5


Evermore by Sara Holland

I was super excited to read this book, because I loved the crap out of Everless. I thought it was a satisfying conclusion to the duology, though it was a bit of a slog compared to the first book. It might be because after the huge twist at the end of Everless, all the new information Jules learned seemed kind of inconsequential. Without giving too much away, I thought I could see where the book was going (with a certain character being Jules’ greatest weakness), and I was about to get really annoyed about it, but the real solution turned out to be a complete surprise. The ending alone made me bump it up a star.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Memento by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Memento is a prequel novella to the Illuminae Files that you could only get by pre-ordering the authors' new book, Aurora Rising (which, by the way, was awesome). I wanted AR anyway, and I adore the Illuminae Files, so I submitted my pre-order faster than you can say "Ellie buys way too many books."

This little gem was a short, fast read, and I loved every page! It really reminded me how much I love the Illuminae Files (and pushed me to finally start Obsidio). The story centers around a completely new character — Olivia Klein, a crew member aboard the Alexander — but some familiar faces make cameo appearances. Also, my baby AIDAN gets to be the star of the show <3

My rating: 5 out of 5




Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Obsidio solidified the Illuminae Files as one of my favorite series ever! I’ll be honest, I enjoyed the previous two books slightly more, simply because a lot of Obsidio was set on the Kerenza IV mining colony instead of in space. The parts in space were more interesting to me, especially since I didn’t connect to Asha and Rhys as much as I connected to the other members of the main cast who have been around since the first and second books. Still, I thought it made a great ending to the trilogy, with a suitable amount of victory balanced with heartbreak and death (one character death actually made me gasp out loud!).

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

I was super excited to read this book, because I love sci-fi, I love King Arthur, and I love genderbent retellings (not to mention a healthy dose of diversity). In the end, I really liked it! Merlin, Ari, and her knights make up a cast of lovable cinnamon rolls (who, in some cases, will also stab your eyes out), and the villainous Mercer Corporation draws a chilling parallel to the mega-companies of today. I also enjoyed the clever ways in which Arthurian legend was woven into the story. I was a little confused about the distances between the planets, since it seemed like the characters could reach their destination pretty darn quickly when they needed to, and the time jump in the middle of the book threw me off a bit. Overall, though, this was a winner! I can’t wait for the sequel next year.

My rating: 4 out of 5



Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

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