Flowerheart:
- Author: Catherine Bakewell
- Rating: 4/5
- Pages: 352
- Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Romance, Cottagecore.
Summary:
Clara’s magic has always been seen as dangerous, but when she accidentally curses her father, it’s up to her to cast the spell to save him. But she’ll need all the help she can get, which comes in the form of her old friend and love, Xavier, who’s tied into a dangerous spell of his own. Also, the presence of a deadly illness in the queendom raises concerns. Can Clara learn to trust the boy she used to love in order to save her father?
Thoughts:
This book is the perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” It’s filled with heavy topics like self-worth, extreme anxiety, depression, prejudice, deadly illnesses, and overcoming your inner demons. Every character, no matter how big or small their impact is, manages to make readers confront their own thoughts and emotions about certain topics. The book doesn’t shy away from darker topics, but instead embraces it and uses it in the most magical way a book could possibly do. However, some scenes feel too rushed or abruptly cut, leaving readers yearning for more development. If you want a book filled with magic, curses, romance, and about learning self-acceptance, Flower Heart is the perfect book for you.
22 Seconds:
- Authors: James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
- Series: Women’s Murder Club
- Rating: 3.7/5
- Pages: 384
- Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Suspense, Fiction
Summary:
SFPD Sergeant Lindsay Boxer already has to deal with people’s retaliation to the new guns, and buzz of a last-ditch shipment of drugs, and weapons crossing the Mexican border. Now, she faces a new case that targets her directly. “You talk, you die.” Now it’s up to Lindsay to decide what to do.
Thoughts:
22 Seconds manages to be just as, if not even more, thrilling than an action movie. With tense moments feeling straight out of one. The book manages to feel very realistic due to the topics being rooted in today’s world. Although the characters have compelling and grounded relationships, they can be hard to keep track of at times, and there are scenes that might leave readers feeling the urge to yell at the characters for their actions. Overall, 22 Seconds is perfect for anybody who enjoys action-packed books with realistic events and relationships.
Fairy Tale:
- Author: Stephen King
- Rating: 3/5
- Pages: 608
- Genre: Fantasy fiction, Dark fantasy, Thriller, Paranormal fiction, Suspense
Summary:
When Charlie Reade starts taking care of his grumpy old neighbor Mr. Bowditch and his dog Radar after saving him, he just thinks of it as repenting for his past sins. After Mr. Bowditch’s death, he reveals to Charlie the existence of another world hidden inside his shed and says to go there to renew Radar’s life to make her young again. But when Charlie goes there, he finds that the world is inflicted with a curse and it’s up to him to save that world before it hurts him.
Thoughts:
Fairy Tale reinvents and re-introduces readers to the fairytale stories they thought they knew. The story is genuinely amazing…when it remembers its plot. The author either spends way too much time describing things that don’t add anything to the plot or gives entire backstories to side characters only to not have it add to the rest of the story. Though the story does offer an array of fun and complex characters whose turmoil, whether physically or mentally, enhances and moves the story along, and the descriptive details are often excessive. Despite this, the vibrancy of the Empis and the mystery it brings will have readers hooked and hungry for more.
