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March 2024 Mini Reviews | Part 2

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Yolk   by Mary H.K. Choi Published: 4th March 2021 by Atom I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. I have heard great things about Choi's works, that they are introspective, and portray relationships in very realistic ways, and this is exactly what I found with  Yolk.  The sibling dynamic between Jayne and June was eerily relatable - the power struggle between older and younger sister, the resentment held towards their different experiences being raised by the same parents, but the overall underlying knowledge that both of them would do anything for the other, and that this is the most important relationship they have. Their closeness grows and wanes in equal measure, and their dependence on one another goes from virtually nonexistent to literally life or death, which I thought really forced the cracks in their childhood, and more recent years as young adults, to be examined and reckoned with. I certainly didn't agree

March 2024 Mini Reviews

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Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982   by Cho Nam-Joo Published: 1st March 2020 by Scribner I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. I have had this book for going on 5 years now, and that just felt like far too long without having read it! I really liked the sound of this, as a fan of both speculative fiction and works by Korean authors, and this was not an exception. I loved the length of it, as I find books with minimal plots to be very interesting, but can easily drag if they go on for too long, which this didn't. It was very interesting getting to witness Kim Jiyoung in all the aspects of her life, from her role as a wife and mother, to being an employee, and a friend, and how she seemed to struggle, at least to an extent, in each of these parts. I really enjoyed the footnotes within the story, providing readers with real data to back up how Kim Jiyoung was feeling, particularly towards the discrepancies in life she experienced as

February 2024 Mini Reviews | Part 2

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Beasts of a Little Land   by Juhea Kim Published: 3rd February 2022 by Oneworld Publications I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. I find Japan's control of Korea, and Korea's eventual independence, to be a very interesting, though tragic, aspect of history that I don't know enough about as it isn't a common topic of history taught in the UK, and in seeking out Beasts of a Little Land as a narrative interpretation of people's experiences during that time, I found out so much, and in such an approachable way. Although quite clearly fiction, the lived experiences of each of the characters portrayed how this time was experienced in such differing ways, from Jade's turbulent childhood to Jungho and his fight for his country's freedom. I did find the story to drag at times, especially when reading about the characters that I didn't care for as much as Jade, and I found the pacing of the story and

February 2024 Mini Reviews

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A Million to One  by Adiba Jaigirdar Published: 5th January 2023 by Hodder Children's Books I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. I had no idea what to expect from this, but I was very intrigued by the idea of a heist set on the Titanic ship, especially one performed by teenage girls. Although this is the first book from Jaigirdar that I have read, she is a well-established YA author, and now I can see why! The writing was incredibly strong throughout, and I found it very impressive that she was able to write A Million to One from four different people's perspectives at times, with mostly equal amounts of depth and character development. I did find the first half of the book to be stronger than the latter half, and I also personally wasn't a fan of the pacing of some of the storylines involving the four girls and what happened to them, however. I felt that the heist plot became quite convoluted, and when added t

January 2024 Mini Reviews - part 3

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Real Easy   by Marie Rutkoski Published: 18th January 2022 by Tinder Press I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. This felt like a real departure from what Rutkoski is known for writing - the popular YA Fantasy series The Winner's Trilogy  - but this venture into Adult Fiction was gripping, and shows her range throughout ages and genres. I feel as though the whole "strippers being murdered" storyline is one that can be done badly very easily, but Rutkoski puts the stories of the strippers at the forefront of the novel, allowing their lives the be the focus, and ultimately the heart of the story, rather than the killer or the detectives investigating the crimes. The sisterhood borne out of circumstance seen between the women in Real Easy , including the female detective, felt very authentic, in loving but not necessarily liking one another, but always protecting their kin. I was genuinely surprised by the twist

The Bright Spot by Jill Shalvis | Book Review

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The Bright Spot  by Jill Shalvis Sunrise Cove #5 Published: January 16th 2024 by Headline Eternal Other works:  The Family You Make ,  The Friendship Pact ,  The Backup Plan ,  The Sweetheart List Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher. This in no way affects my review. Synopsis Luna Wright is a lot of things, but sweet and trusting aren't on the list. However, she’s a sucker for the underdog and a hard-luck story. Adopted at birth, with scant knowledge of her biological family, she’s created her own inner circle, a motley crew which includes her bestie Willow, to help her run the struggling but charming Apple Ridge Farm.  With a farm-to-table cafĂ© as well as a menagerie of rescued animals (complete with a baby goat who keeps escaping to the pantry to eat the secret stash of decidedly not organic potato chips), it’s the best home she’s ever known. But when Silas, the owner who they secretly call The Grinch, passes away, Luna discovers the farm

January 2024 Mini Reviews - part 2

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  The Gentleman's Gambit   by Evie Dunmore A League of Extraordinary Women #4 Published: 5th December 2023 by Piatkus I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review. This was a bit of a mixed one for me - I've heard such great things about this series by Evie Dunmore, but I found it very. hard to get into, and almost gave up on it once I'd hit the 100-page mark and still didn't feel invested in the story. Seeing other reviews from people who have read the whole series did alleviate my worries about the previous books, however, as it seems that it has been a common feeling in this seeming more Historical-Fiction heavy than a Historical Romance. It certainly felt focused on the impact of colonialism on artifacts, rather than the budding romance between Catriona and Elias, and while this is something that I wholeheartedly support being called out, it felt a touch out of place within this kind of narrative. I did enjoy th