I’m not going to lie that this month of reads were mostly a major letdown. Only two of the seven books I picked up were books I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to a friend. I started off the month with Cinderella is Dead by Kaylnn Bayron, which was a book I was looking forward to reading. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype and was a letdown. There was also All the Stars and Teeth and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, both were the winners this month. I devoured them within a few days because I was memorized by both the story and the writing.
Cinderella is Dead
Rating: 2/5
Description: It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .
This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.
My Thoughts: I had high hopes for this one as the storyline seemed like it was going to be really good. I loved the idea of spinning an old classic into something new and wicked, but the storyline left much to be desired. While the first chapter started off strong, it quickly went downhill. The plot was all over the place, the characters didn’t feel very developed, and it was a miss for me. The only part that I enjoyed was the overall concept and the ending was decent.
The Wrath and the Dawn
Rating: 2.5/5
Description: In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
My Thoughts: Retellings are meant to light your imagination on fire and give you a fresh take on an old story. Unfortunately, this story fell pretty flat for me. While I like the original story, this duo was supposed to be a feminist and diverse retelling of 10001 Nights. Its neither that nor more. Honestly, I could go on and on about why I wasn’t a fan of this book, but there’s a few that stood out to me. One the main character, Shazi, was very wishy-washy throughout the entire book on what she wants to do or not do. There was also no real plot development or character development for many of the characters, including Shazi. I walked away from the story not really like or rooting for anyone in particular.
Second book in the series is The Rose and the Dagger, which I also read and wasn’t a fan.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Rating: 3/5
Description: France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
My Thoughts: I know there that are many people who LOVED this book, but it left much to be desired for me. While I love the idea of the plot, the author really didn’t develop it where it could’ve been. Many parts of the book didn’t add anything to the storyline, and the characters were pretty boring. The only part that I enjoyed was the rom com bit that is thrown in near the end of the story. It gave the story a little spice even with not much to begin with. Basically it wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t great either.
Arsenic and Adobo
Rating: 2/5
Description: When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She’s tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.
With the cops treating her like she’s the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…
My Thoughts: The only interesting about this book was the cover, which is really well-done. The writing and characters felt….juvenile. It’s the only word that maybe fits. I felt like I was reading more of a high school reading assignment than an adult book about murder, grief, and post-graduation. It was a meh for me.
All the Stars and Teeth
Rating: 4/5
Description: Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice.
She will reign.
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer — the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.
When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.
But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder — and more peril — than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
My Thoughts: Finally a book that I loved this month. At first Amora seems to be the villain in the book, but she quickly transforms, and you see her in her full glory. The story is breathtaking, sweet, horrifying at times, and best of all – full of adventure. I already ordered the second book in the series because I’m so excited to see how this story continues to unfold.
The second book in the series is All the Tides of Fate.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Rating: 4/5
Description: The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
My Thoughts: If you were a big fan of Nancy Drew books during your childhood, then you’ll love this book. The main character, Pippa, decides to do her school project on an old case that rocked her town 5 years ago. It quickly turned into an in-depth investigation, and I loved seeing the story unfold as she finds new clues and pieces. It was a fun piece to read, and I really enjoyed it.
