booknerderika's reviews
663 reviews

This was my first time reading manga and I see what the hype is about. This was entertaining and action-packed. I love the found family tripe and this little group is shaping up to be that which makes me excited to read the next book. 

I wasn't a huge fan of the first book but I've heard good things about this one so I gave it a chance. There were a lot of predictable elements, but they weren't horrible. I was not a fan of the

third act break up 🙄

and Rhys was too possessive, not as much as Alex but still an unhealthy amount. I liked how this book smoothed everything out in a believable way though. I still haven't decided if I'm reading the next one, we'll see how I feel in the future. 

Our Joy, Our Power - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
 The Book Club - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Nina Evans, in the Round - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Earth is Ghetto - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Initiative Check - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Corner Booth - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Betty's Best Craft - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 The Panel Shows the Girl - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Spirit-Filled - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Cole's Cruise Blues - ⭐️⭐️
 High Strangeness - ⭐️⭐️
 Catalyst Rising - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Requiem of Souls - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Honor Code - ⭐️⭐️
 Drive Time - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 Wolf Tracks - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
 The Hero's Journey - ⭐️⭐️
 Abyss - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This anthology soothed my nerdy heart.

This was so cheesy, and the words the characters used made me laugh because who says "drat" and calls people "dynamite"?? There were more, but you get the gist of it.  

The plot was Hallmarky, but since those are my guilty pleasure during the holidays (more as sort of background movies while gift wrapping, baking, etc.) I wasn't mad about it, but it made it not as intriguing. 

This was also very much a Christian romance. It was obvious not only from the characters never doing more than kissing but also from the constant silent prayers they would say. As a Christian, I didn't mind the random silent talking to God because I do that too throughout the day, but I did feel like some of the prayers didn't add to the actual story. The long ones felt more like the author was inserting her own testimony, which is fine, praise Jesus 🙏🏽, but those could have been put in the acknowledgments instead of in the middle of a scene. 

Overall, I felt like the romance was lacking and the cheesy one-liners were killing me. I love witty banter between love interests and while this was sweet, I didn't feel like I got any of that at all. 

The poetry was beautiful and the story was so raw and real. The deep and confusing struggle that the characters experience is something I think many teens can resonate with regardless of their sexual orientation/preference. 

This was a sweet story of the power of community and others showing up for one another. 

As for the romance, I'm not a fan of stories of people in relationships falling for someone else. There was borderline cheating going on just by the flirting

and almost kissing.

I understand the toxic relationship aspect but I still don't think that justifies the behavior. 

I'm glad Trey made the mature decision in the end even though it was hard. That alone is representation we need more of in books. 

I still enjoyed the book, I just felt uncomfortable with how Trey was in a relationship with someone else

for almost the entire book.

A great end to a great series. 

This started out a little slow for my taste, but every scene felt necessary. Everything after 80% of the book was an emotional rollercoaster. I cried when certain characters died and cried again when their souls crossed over. Any book that makes me cry gets a high rating from me. The end gave me all the closure I wanted and I loved it. What an adventure this series has been. I'm sad to say goodbye but it feels right. 

I could list quote after quote of this book, but instead I will urge everyone to read it!

Hamad so eloquently put into words the struggles women of color have to deal with. She also provides historical evidence as to the inception of the racist caricatures created by white people and their racist behaviors towards people of color.