I have read a lot of books this month which a great way to start 2022! In order to showcase the books that I read this month I have decided to get two birds with one stone and start doing mini reviews. These are two books that I really want to talk about!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Review

• Author: Sarah J Maas
• Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
• Genre: Fantasy
• No. of pages: 433
• Dates read: 11.01.2022 – 21.01.2022
• Star Rating: 3 stars

Plot: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Now the reviews on this one go either way. Some people absolutely love this series with their whole being while others hate it with their whole being. I was super interested to see what camp I fell into. I ended up having a sort of middle of the road experience with this book.

On one hand I can see and understand where the criticism for this novel comes from. The romance is pretty under-developed, certain interactions the protagonist has with two men in this novel are very toxic and the author instead of truly condemning the male characters tries to find loopholes to actually excuse the behaviour which I think is disappointing.

But on the other hand, I can understand how this is a piece of fiction made for an adult audience. Yes, this book is not YA. This series is sold under adult fantasy, it has been completely been mis-marketed. I personally found this book to be super engaging and exciting. I was shocked by how focused I was reading this book, I blinked and was 100 pages in. I also enjoyed Feyre as a character, is she the best written protagonist? No. But she also wasn’t boring and I respected her determination and love for her family.

My main focus on this book is that it’s not a literary masterpiece but it’s not meant to be considered like that. It’s meant to be a spicy fantasy for a new adult audience that is engaging and enticing and I do believe it has done that. It definitely has its shortfalls which should be rightfully addressed and I also don’t think it should be promoted as YA.

---

Heartstopper: Volume One Review

• Author: Alice Osman
• Series: Heartstopper #1
• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• No. of pages: 278
• Dates read: 25.01.2022
• Star Rating: 4 stars

Plot: Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…

On the other end of this spectrum is this super cute and fluffy LGBTQ+ contemporary romance. Again, a combination of genres that don’t normally work for me but when you put it in graphic novel format I am invested.

I had heard so many great things about series for so long and I finally decided to see if the hype was worth it and I have to say… it is!

The standout features for this novel include the two main characters just being so lovely and wholesome and it just being a beautiful and rewarding experience to watch them figure their feelings towards each other out. I enjoyed both characters equally and I felt they complimented each other well. The progression felt genuine and natural, it didn’t feel forced at all.

I found this novel to be firmly rooted in realism and I think that’s one if it’s strong points. Having personally gone to a british secondary school I felt like I was being sent back to those times. Sometimes I read books set in high school and it feels so far removed from the experience that my friends and I had but this didn’t feel like that. The dialogue, the way romance was handled and the family/friend dynamics were all super realistic.

I also liked how it tackled with tougher topics like being forcefully outed to your peers, figuring out your sexuality and how that can be confusing etc. These were handled with care and was a great way of showing different kinds of pathways in learning about your identity.

So, there you are. Two reviews for you guys today! The next book I’ll be reviewing is The Village of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo!