I'll admit, I was a bit bored at first, but by about halfway through, I was totally invested in the story. It's amazing that people today can still apI'll admit, I was a bit bored at first, but by about halfway through, I was totally invested in the story. It's amazing that people today can still appreciate these stories from the ancient past, as many wonderful works of literature have not survived to the present....more
It's been a while since I've read a ya contemporary novel; a genre I have mixed feelings about. However, I had high hopes for this one, and it didn't It's been a while since I've read a ya contemporary novel; a genre I have mixed feelings about. However, I had high hopes for this one, and it didn't disappoint me! This book follows Tally, an eighteen-year-old Jewish girl, on a trip to Israel with her twin brother and a group of other Jewish teenagers. Her mother is a professor of ancient Judaism, and I loved the little bits of historical information sprinkled throughout. Many important themes are explored such as grief, anxiety, identity, the holocaust, and anti-Semitism. The travel aspect was really cool, especially because my dad's been to Israel three times and I would love to go myself. I quite enjoyed reading a book about someone figuring out what to do in life and seeing her love of music. She also discovers her demisexuality, and I'm always looking for more books with a-spec rep. Also, there are so many people writing hateful reviews of this book, so I have to say: Please. Stop. Simply because it features Jewish people in Israel, many people don't want to read it. That's just plain wrong. Take your anti-Semitic thoughts somewhere else and quit being a jerk....more
This was such a cute story! One thing about this book that is particularly interesting is that Clarice's pov chapters are in the first person and CharThis was such a cute story! One thing about this book that is particularly interesting is that Clarice's pov chapters are in the first person and Charles Sebastian's pov chapters are written in the third person. I think that this is the first book like that I've read before. I'm still sad that the Unwanteds series is done (one of my all-time favourites), but this story of family love and unlikely friendship was the perfect thing to read now, as this is the longest amount of time I've gone without seeing my sister....more
This book was so relatable! Like Lou, I love music and am a talented singer, but I am quite sensory-avoidant when it comes to noise. Growing up as an This book was so relatable! Like Lou, I love music and am a talented singer, but I am quite sensory-avoidant when it comes to noise. Growing up as an undiagnosed autistic child, I was in many choirs and loved performing at concerts but I always hated the clapping. Similarly, I found it very difficult to be in a room where multiple conversations were happening at the same time. I hope that this book finds itself in the hands of a child who needs it....more
I was expecting this to be a pretty dull read, but somehow, I ended up absolutely loving it. This was my first experience reading a work of 18th-centuI was expecting this to be a pretty dull read, but somehow, I ended up absolutely loving it. This was my first experience reading a work of 18th-century literature, so I wasn't really sure what it would be like. The story centres around a young woman named Emily in late 16th-century France who is orphaned and travels with her aunt to Italy. They live in a castle named Udolpho, which is owned by the new husband of Emily's aunt. Here, Emily discovers many mysterious things, including secrets of the castle and of her family. There is also a really sweet romance plotline. I loved seeing how this book impacted Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey with its gothic setting and themes. Hopefully, I can get around to reading more novels from this time period soon!...more
There isn't much for asexual representation in books, and I had been wanting to read one with ace characters ever since I discovered that I'm ace abouThere isn't much for asexual representation in books, and I had been wanting to read one with ace characters ever since I discovered that I'm ace about a year ago. It was truly amazing to read about a character that I could relate to in this way!...more