luluwoohoo's reviews
470 reviews

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (audiobook narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt)
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

This re-read before Oathbound is the third time I've read Legendborn, and I still enjoyed it just as much as the first. I'm still blown away by the complexity of the narrative - something that is usually oversimplified in YA fantasy - and the ways in which the hefty amount of worldbuilding is slowly revealed to us. There is so much going on but it never feels confusing or overwhelming. Even knowing to look out for the sneaky clues laid for the act three reveal, I was solidly impressed with these details and their subtlety. 

Deonn has a beautiful economy with words when it comes to tackling difficult subject matter. Trauma and grief in its many forms are ongoing topics that she explains in such a simple but hard hitting, authentic way. 
She also manages to take tropes and themes that often make me cringe (see: broody bad boy) and writes them so that I'm kicking my feet in eagerness and excitement instead. I've never truly been a fan of love triangles but the setup and backstory behind this one has me intrigued #teambothofthem ? 🤞🏻

Now onward to Bloodmarked!


"Some truths only tragedy can teach. The first one I learned is that when people acknowledge your pain, they want your pain to acknowledge them back. They need to witness it in real time, or else you're not doing your part."
Yeonnam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat by Kim Jiyun

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Yeonnam-dong's Smiley Laundromat
by Kim Jiyun
☀️☀️⛅

A series of interconnected stories that were sweet but not wholly captivating.

The concept of the laundromat being the connecting tissue between the lives of these various individuals is great. Some of the storylines, like Old Jang's, were intriguing and executed well. Others, like the musician and his "fairy", were too saccharine even for me. I found the escalating drama a bit jarring in the Lost And Found chapter but liked bringing everyone together, though having that resolved with one chapter left felt like an odd structural choice.

Jiyun's narrative voice was a bit clunky for my tastes; I don't think this is due to translation as I've read other works from the same translator. The stories didn't flow for me, and often I found that the internal monologues of the characters spelled things out too easily.

This was still very heartwarming and mostly enjoyable to read, but on reflection there are a lot of elements I wanted to be different for me to better appreciate the concept.


"There'll come a time where the bitterness fades away, and life will be at its best. Keep faith. That day will come! No matter where you go, take good care of your health."
I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman
☀️☀️☀️⛅

A YA story that explores identity, friendship and mental health through the lens of fandom. 

The plot was simple to follow and kept interesting across the dual POV structure. At times it became exaggerated or unrealistic but ultimately it never felt out of control in the context of the world that Oseman set up. I really enjoyed the focus on fandom: how multifaceted that world can be, how all consuming it often becomes, and how life changing it is for many people. 

The two main characters were both written with clear and distinctive voices that felt authentically dramatic and age appropriate. Both of them feel like their lives are crumbling for different reasons and don't always respond in the most appropriate way, but being a teenager is messy and complicated and I think Oseman did a brilliant job of capturing this essence across the whole cast of characters. The emphasis on the power of friendship love vs romantic love was really excellent and elevated this story to another level.

There was a lot of great representation across the board in this book. Having main characters who are a Muslim and a biracial gay trans man respectively gave interesting depth to an otherwise simple setup, but their identities didn't define them within the plot. 

This is a really enjoyable YA novel that tackles tough concepts in an easy to digest manor.


"I think the truth is that everyone in the entire world is confused and nobody understands much of anything at all."
Love, Just In by Natalie Murray

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray 
☀️☀️☀️🌤️

A contemporary Australian romance that successfully balances the fluffier stuff with darker subject matters to form a layered, more complex novel.

Breaking up the structure of the narrative with flashbacks was a great choice to build the history of Josie and Zac's relationship (even when a few of the flashbacks didn't feel totally relevant or connected in the beginning). The first half felt well paced but I think the 2nd act was a bit too bloated in comparison to the ending, which I liked and was unexpected. 

I really appreciated the relationship progression between Josie and Zac, especially the grown up conversations which are all too often brushed over or ignored in romance. Their chemistry was good and believable, though there were a few instances of out-of-character miscommunication that felt shoehorned in for the plot to work. The examination of health anxiety and survivors guilt through these characters was wonderful.

It was lovely to see Sydney and Newcastle portrayed well throughout this book - the Australian-ness was present without being overtly signposted. 

This is a fabulous book which doesn't shy away from handling difficult topics alongside the romance. It is well written and ticks a lot of boxes for me, and I look forward to exploring Murray's other work.
 

"'You don’t have to hide from me, OK?’ he says softly. ‘If this is a part of you, then I want to know about it.'"
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Go to review page

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner 
☀️☀️☀️

For a book about a historical serial killer, this was slower and more intimate than I'd expected. Those things aren't inherently bad, but a lack of depth in the worldbuilding and character development prevented me from connecting with it emotionally.

The dual timelines didn't wholly work for me when they weren't equally weighted in importance or stakes. The historical timeline was undoubtedly more interesting and didn't dissolve into melodrama as often, but jumping between the two only made the pacing feel slower and the urge to keep reading lower in both sections. 

My biggest gripe with the characters is that the key concept protagonist - Nella - was incredibly passive. For a book selling itself on the idea of female empowerment and revenge, she didn't represent these values nearly enough. Modern day Caroline did have more agency but her connection to the past felt shoehorned in as an afterthought rather than having any specifically crafted mirroring going on. Eliza was the best character but she couldn't make up for the shortfalls of the others.

The writing was decent overall but I found many of the inner monologues, particularly Caroline's, overwritten and not portraying naturalistic thought patterns (people don't consciously realise that their grief is more nuanced etc).  

There are lots of things to like about this book, but I was left wanting more. 

'"For many of these women," Nella whispered, "this may be the only place their names are recorded. The only place they will be remembered. It is a promise I made to my mother, to preserve the existence of these women whose names would otherwise be erased from history. The world is not kind to us... There are few places for a woman to leave an indelible mark." I finished tracing an entry, moving on to the next one. "But this register preserves them - their names, their memories, their worth.'
Adventures in Stationery: A Journey Through Your Pencil Case by James Ward

Go to review page

informative slow-paced

2.5

Adventures In Stationery: A Journey Through Your Pencil Case by James Ward
☀️☀️⛅

A delightful concept I was keen to explore let down by dry writing and structural issues.

It's clear that Ward has some humour by the occasional quip thrown in at the end of a paragraph, which makes it all the more disappointing to find this book reads like a textbook. There is little creativity or nuance in the explanation of each item; rather, we're given a dry, factual play-by-play of its history with focus on patents and variations rather than what makes that specific item so special. 

There are some interesting and enjoyable connections made within, like the fact that we have liquid paper corrector to thank for MTV, and why Scotch tape is called Scotch tape, but those gems of information were totally drowned out by the bland and repetitive facts. 

Breaking the book up into chapters specific to each item(s) was smart but within chapters I struggled to understand the editorial choices. Ideas didn't flow logically into one another and many segues felt forced. The pictures throughout were wonderful but the book would have improved with more thoughtful use of them.

I really wanted to enjoy this but the style let down the small amount of interesting substance that could be mined from its pages.


"Is the perceived quality of these notebooks just an example of the placebo effect? We think they're better than their rivals just because we think they're made by Italian artisans and when we discover they're mass-produced in China, we assume the worst? The irony is that people assume 'made in China' suggests poor quality, but China is essentially the birth place of paper and for centuries led the world when it came to paper production."
Love and Other Scores by Abra Pressler

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Love And Other Scores by Abra Pressler 
☀️☀️☀️

As a fan of tennis and romance there was a lot to enjoy here, but ultimately this played out exactly as I predicted to the point of losing connection with the book. It was cute and funny at times but the stereotypical plot was its downfall. It was too heavy handed with the darker subplots and skipped over a lot of moments that could have helped build a better understanding of character. The tennis was technically well written but not very engaging, and I expected more from in a book focusing on this. The portrayal of Melbourne was lovely and felt vibrant and authentic.

Both character's perspectives were interesting to read from but not overly distinctive. Insta-love isn't my favourite type of romance so this naturally felt quite rushed to me, but I enjoyed their banter, particularly in the second half, and also thought the sex scenes were decent. The supporting characters were mostly well done but I think there was one too many beats to Noah's side of things which made it feel bloated compared to Gabi's arc. I didn't feel particularly sympathetic towards them with
the forced outing
when it was so blatantly foreshadowed in several different scenes of them ignoring the possible consequences, but the fallout was well handled and emotionally charged.

For an easy read I did enjoy this overall, but I just found myself wanting more in a few aspects which would have taken this book to another level. I'd still recommend it to anyone wanting something simple and fun. 


"Gabriel, my veritable cinnamon roll of a boyfriend, who doesn't like swearing because it makes him feel bad, thinks that being slightly difficult is enough to scare me off? Bless him. Bless his little cotton socks."
The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
☀️☀️☀️

A really cute concept waxing poetic on all things reading and unlikely friendships that was let down by its overly simple execution. 

The plot was always designed to be simple, which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but when the entire story is predictable from the first few pages with little to no creativity imbued to mix it up, there came a point where finishing this felt like more of a chore than it should. In saying that, the structure of this book was a highlight, shifting focus from character to character as each got their own expanded section. I really liked reading more about Maisey and found her situation particularly sympathetic. 

All of the romantic relationships within this story had strange dynamics (even the ones we were meant to root for) which definitely influenced my overall connection to the narrative, but the found family/friendships were nicely done. The entire book hinged on Sloane and Arthur’s growing relationship which was sweet and endearing to read from both sides. 

Overall I can’t say I found this especially memorable but it was a nice little palate cleanser of a story that will appeal to someone seeking the warm hug it offers.


"Say what you might about Arthur McLachlan, the man is erudite. I've never been called God's pestilent uvula before, but it was a phrase I intended to throw in at every dinner party I attended for the rest of my natural-born life."
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa
☀️☀️🌤️

A sweet but ultimately shallow interpretation of a classic novel, which technically serves its purpose just fine but suffers from the necessary comparison to literary greatness.

There was a lot of potential for a fantastic “remix” here, but for me it fell short in the simplicity of the narrative. The success of Pride and Prejudice lies in its social commentary, of which we get next to nothing here. The examination of transness in a historical time period was done well enough, but I’ve read better interpretations that also more successfully align with historical accuracy and lean harder into the emotional ramifications.  

Oliver was, naturally, the most interesting character in the novel. Novoa did a great job of writing internal monologues explaining in explicit detail why living as your authentic self is so important. However, many other characters who are complex and interesting in the original were watered down to one-dimensional figures, often portrayed with no subtlety or nuance. Manufacturing villains felt unnecessary. The sexism displayed by Darcy and his half-assed redemption arc made him undesirable, defeating the purpose of the novel overall, particularly when combined with the insta-love from Oliver. Oliver’s parents' reactions to his coming out felt too neat and uncomplicated in the scheme of his concern. 

As an entry into the narrative I’m sure lots of young adults would love this novel. For me personally I was hoping for something with more depth and complexity, which is probably asking for a lot with the page count, but I was unfortunately left wanting more when I finished this. I still praise Novoa for the work done here - it feels like an impossible task to remix such brilliance - but I can’t say I was swept away like I’d hoped to be.


"He just needed a break, away from Lady Catherine, away from people who looked at him and saw someone Oliver didn't recognize. 
He needed to stop pretending to be someone he wasn't, but the impossibility of it all was a crushing weight threatening to grind his bones to dust."
Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
☀️☀️☀️⛅

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for this ARC copy!

A seductive and fast-paced thriller that manages to keep the reader hooked until the reveal, but lacks believability to completely enthrall.

The plot revolves around surviving the aftermath of a brutal crime scene which Evie, the protagonist, was not responsible for. Her escape with enigmatic Jae and subsequent evasion of authorities becomes less and less believable as the plot goes on. The tension in the plot is replaced with the romantic entanglement, but it isn't enough to distract from the glaring convenience of most escapes.

Deitch's writing didn't blow me away but it found a nice balance between the stark action scenes and some more poetic moments between. The relationship between Evie and Jae felt a bit rushed within context but I liked the conflicted portrayal and aftermath. 

The pacing is solid in parts 1 and 2, but the reveal itself was a little underwhelming as was the thin epilogue. Without the last 50 pages I think the book would have been much stronger.

This debut was interesting and I enjoyed the ride, but ultimately wanted a little more reality to ground the narrative. If you're seeking a fast, fun adventure this is worth checking out.



"I wasn't much of a crier; I never have been. A in math. A in history. F in crying in front of others. I prefer a stiff upper lip, which probably isn't healthy. I don't like my emotions acknowledged. Crying is something you do in the shower once every three years, or in the anonymity of a dark cinema during a particularly sad gay movie."