justine

sign here by claudia lux is a debut novel about a guy who works in hell and makes deals with people to sell their souls to the devil, in exchange for something they want. the setting sounds interesting bc it seems like hell went corporate & every day sounds like a v inconvenient day at work. some parts allude to the tortures of eternal damnation and sometimes it’s briefly described, but the setting isn’t scary at all (unless jager & pens that don’t work frightens you). 

the harrisons have their typical rich white family drama so it wasn’t all that interesting to me, but the morally grey (i know, how morally grey can you be if you’re in hell) peyote trip was my favorite out of all the characters and i enjoyed his pov the most as he makes his way up the corporate hell ladder + tries to get these people to sell their souls away by signing a contract on his tablet (lol).the chapters are really short for each pov and we spend a lot of time back and forth diff settings and diff timelines so it a little suspenseful & keeps you engaged.

although i enjoyed this read, there are some inconsistencies that i won’t be mentioning bc *spoilers* and some loose ends + weird & creepy behaviors by a certain character that i wish were explained and addressed. i’m glad i slept on this bc when i finished this book last night the ending gave me that high that you get when you finish a book and think about the events that happen after the ending and the character’s future, but now that i’ve collected my thoughts a bit more, i feel like this just had too much going on and too many side stories that didn’t really feel cohesive in the end. 

“Inspired by the true story of a daring deception that plunges a courageous young woman deep into the horrors of a Nazi POW camp to be with the man she loves.”

When I started reading this book, I thought to myself, “no way did this really happen, right? This can't be a true story.”
The horrors that the prisoners endured, the inhumane treatment and the hateful crimes seeped through the pages spectacularly. Izzy had to disguise herself as a man while being held prisoner and her fears were written beautifully by Brookes.
It felt drawn out at first, but I was captivated by the resilience and bravery of Izzy, the men that became her friends, and the prisoners that survived such cruelty.
I wanted to know what happens next. Do they survive? Do they find out about Izzy? The build-up was intense and long, but necessary. I definitely enjoyed this read.

3.5/5

I received an ARC through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The first few chapters were quite confusing, having to piece together what's going on and trying to keep up with the events as well as the characters. It didn't make much sense until after Ch 16 for me, because it felt like I just had so many questions about the setting and these kids and how the heck they're living.

After getting through the first few chapters though, I was captivated. The writing style is engrossing and the more you read it, the more you don't want to put it down. The book got pretty heavy, which I didn't expect! I loved how all the characters were intertwined and how the pieces slowly unraveled. It felt so messy but it was somehow woven together so well that everything just made sense in the end.
This felt like a 3-star read in the beginning but after finishing it, this book deserves a 5. There were some parts that felt awkward but I loved it in its entirety. Definitely something that stays with you for a while after you finish reading it.

not going to rate this book because this was a hate-read. lol
this was better than faker and a little less annoying.
the amount of times the mc tried to push that her and li were “friends,” and the amount of unprofessional incidents that happened in this book after the mc kept saying how professional she is was so aggravating.

2.5/5

This was my first audiobook.
It wasn't necessarily a romance or holiday read, but a book merely about following two lives over the course of a year. I couldn't connect with the characters and their romantic feelings for each other felt forced.

With it being my first audiobook I was also having a hard time not zoning out but I'm definitely not ruling out audiobooks entirely.

Full review on my blog http://www.mypagesandbrew.wordpress.com

jennette mccurdy talks about her struggles as a child actor and the emotional, physical, and mental abuse of her mother that led her to multiple eating disorders. this really was ‘heartbreaking and hilarious,' and i really loved the audiobook.
you hear and see countless stories of the horrific things child actors go through, but it truly is incredibly sad to hear what mccurdy went through. i do believe she inserts dark humor in the best possible way, which makes it feel like you're listening to a friend recount their story.
this felt so raw and powerful and i highly recommend this memoir.

this does heavily discuss eating disorders, body shaming, abuse, manipulation, grooming, death ( + ones i might have missed) so bear that in mind when picking this one up.

It's always a good time with Erin Entrada Kelly's characters.
I'm a huge fan of her writing and the way the characters are all unique in their own way. I honestly don't think I disliked any of her characters, even the bullies, because we're shown a lot of what goes on in each of the characters' lives. The small town setting and the feeling of ‘everyone knows everyone' was portrayed nicely and honestly made me think about my time in high school as I was the new kid my freshmen year in a small school where everyone knew each other since nursery/kindergarten.

my only wish is that we got to see more of the characters because the ending felt rushed and I really wanted more

I loved this book so much and Edward A. Mendoza's narration was amazing!!

There were many instances that brought me back to my own childhood memories and upbringing while reading this and it made me like the characters and the story even more. From the humor down to the superstitious beliefs, the Filipino representation felt so natural—so unforced. I also loved how some parts of Filipino history were touched on.

This was such a fun read and a well-balanced story, I'm definitely going to buy a physical copy and read this again!

The story had potential but I personally didn't like the writing and how disconnected I felt from the characters. There was no chemistry between the MC and the love interest and their conversations felt dry and forced.

As much as I love when settings become characters themselves, this just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.