April Wrap-Up!

For the month of April, I read 9 books. That's a pretty decent number, but I read one book twice and the majority of the books I read were three star books, so in hindsight, I didn't have all that great of a reading month. But I'm still really excited to discuss the books I read! Here they are, in order of least favorite to favorite!

Just a quick reminder, for my wrap-ups, I will simply be discussing my thoughts on the book, and summaries will not be included. However, Goodreads links to every book will be present!

The Other Side of Paradise by Staceyann Chin

This book was incredibly well-written, thought-provoking, and important. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author, and it was phenomenal, especially with all the different Jamaican dialects. However. I had to read this book for school. So I didn't pick it up of my own volition, and I really didn't enjoy reading it. I also felt like the audiobook took FOREVER; I felt like I had to listened to at least 40 pages worth, and it would turn out I'd only listened to, like, 15. This is a really good book, and if I had actually wanted to read it, it would have gotten a very high rating from me. But a big part of reading for me is enjoyment, and when I don't enjoy reading a book, when I feel like it's a chore to pick it up, I simply cannot give it a high star rating, no matter how well-written or important the book may be.

Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige

So, I actually got to go to a book talk/signing for this event, and it was a lot of fun, and Danielle Paige is just so, so sweet. After the event, I went home and read this graphic novel in one sitting. And I have to say, I think that going to the event boosted my enjoyment of this book. It was fun, there were feminist themes, and the artwork was great, but that's all this book really had going for it. It needed a LOT more development on everything, from the plot to the characters to the world. It was fine. It was enjoyable. If you're a superhero fan, I think this is something you'll want to add to your collection. But for me, it was pretty forgettable.


The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman

This book was getting a lot of hype on BookTube, and it was being pitched as a Riverdale-esque story, so I decided to pick it up. To my surprise, not only did I get Riverdale vibes, I got Vampire Diaries vibes, and those are both my favorite shows on the CW. In fact, this book reads like a CW television show. But to be honest, I've kind of forgotten everything that happened in it already. It was fun and I enjoyed it, but for me, it wasn't anything special.

You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno

I'm going to be honest: I almost DNF'd this book. But it was just so short that I felt like it would be a waste of time to DNF it when I was more than halfway through the book. And I'm glad I didn't. The last 70 or so pages were fantastic and intriguing, even though the ending was bananas and I didn't understand wtf happened. This book is a loud FU to rape culture, and I really appreciated that element of the book. However, in my opinion, it took until the last 70 pages for the commentary about rape culture to make an appearance. And I just found the first 220 pages to be a drag. Unpopular opinion, but that's how I felt. The last 70 pages were great, but they weren't great enough to make up for the boring 220. I did really like and appreciate what Katrina Leno was trying to do with this story, but the execution just didn't work for me.

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

I actually participated in the blog tour for this book, so you can check out the Q&A I did with Emily here. I really enjoyed Wicked Saints! I thought this book did a handful of things well. First, in fantasy books, I think it is all too common for the world to be poorly explained and/or confusing. I'm someone who has to understand the world completely and understand how everything works in order to really enjoy a book. And I didn't have any huge questions about the world! I understood perfectly why the two countries were at war, what made them different, how they were ruled, and how the magic system(s) worked. The magic system was also unique and well-crafted, and it made sense to me. Yay! This had all the makings of a solid 4-star read, but there were two big things that I had issues with. First, there were some pacing issues. It dragged in some places and went two quickly in others. And second, I was thoroughly confused by the last quarter of the book, especially the ending. There are books like You Must Not Miss where the author intends to make your head spin. And then there are endings like that of Wicked Saints, where the ending isn't supposed to be confusing but is because it was poorly executed. So, I had my issues with Wicked Saints, but it was a strong debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what Emily comes out with in the future!

Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

Not only was Girls with Sharp Sticks a super-feminist page-turning thriller, it was well executed! Where I felt like You Must Not Miss missed (no pun intended) the mark in terms of execution, GWST hit the nail on the head. I really liked the exploration of subjects such as toxic masculinity and gender stereotypes within this super mysterious setting and it was very difficult to put down because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I do believe there is going to be a sequel, and I am looking forward to it! The ending was left open-ended, but things were wrapped up enough that it could still be a successful standalone. I really enjoyed this book, it just wasn't quite a 5-star read for me.

American Royals by Katharine McGee

This was one of two ARCs that I read this month, and it comes out in September and I will be participating in the blog tour which will feature an in-depth review! This was actually my most anticipated book of the year, and it did not disappoint! I mean, a Katie McGee book where America is reimagined as a monarchy? Sign me the fuck up! I don't want to say to much about the book right now, but know that I absolutely loved it, the ending broke my heart, and I need book two now! If I had any criticisms of this book, it would be that I felt like a lot of the characters resembled characters from Katie's Thousandth Floor series. I felt like I could pick out the Leda, the Avery, the Rylin, the Watt, the Cord, the Calliope, the Atlas. It didn't bother me much, but it is worth mentioning.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Read this book, y'all. I have a full review of this book here, so check that out if you want to hear more of my thoughts on it. But this is going to be my favorite book of 2019. I read it at the beginning of April, but I'm calling it. It's also the book I read twice this month. It was also the first book that I read this month, so I do think I felt like every book I read this month except for American Royals was crummy compared to this one. Make of that what you will!

All righty, those are the books I read during the month of April! I would love to know what books you read during the month of April, and if you've read any of the books I've just mentioned. I am super excited and super intimidated by May because there are SO MANY books coming out that I'm dying to read, but I also have a bunch of ARCs to get through and the last weeks of school, so it's going to be a super busy month!

XOXO,

Isabella