Flash Reviews | #5 | March 6-28, 2016

The Crown and the Arrow by Renée Ahdieh
Not counted towards my overall reading goal, I was really disappointed with this extremely short offering from Ahdieh. I felt like a lot of the magic in her writing that I love so much in The Wrath and the Dawn was missing and I just wasn't captivated by Khalid's perspective. You can read my full review here. ★★

021. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
I didn't like the romance that this book presented and I thought that the characters were entirely too cool to be believable. I did like this book for the road trip aspect that it presented and I thought that there were moments here and there were everything fell into place, but overall, this wasn't the great read that I expected it to be after really enjoying Everything Leads to You by the same author. You can read my full review here. ★★★

022. After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell
I enjoyed this book but I certainly had problems with how it was written and the constant switching of POVs. I thought that the main story line of Alice's life and her different relationships was definitely the strongest part and I felt myself losing interest when we were learning about characters such as her grandmother. You can read my full review here. ★★★



023. A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
I felt a lot of good momentum in this book but it just never really went to the place I wanted it to go to. My biggest issue was definitely with this constant build up of energy that only let me down and the ending, which I won't get into detail about here. I enjoyed the atmosphere in the initial setting that the book took place in and I wish that the location change could have kept that same sort of feeling, even if it was meant to be a happier place for Grace. You can read my full review here. ★★½
024. Iron to Iron by Ryan Graudin
I absolutely adored this look into Luka's character. I enjoy this warped world that Graudin has created so much and I will relish every opportunity that we get to be a part of it. Even though we see all of these characters in Wolf by Wolf, there is just something so exciting about getting to know them one year prior. I do really love Luka and Adele's chemistry and tension and I think it will be interesting to see how Yael!Adele has affected Luka in light of this revelation that she isn't who she seems to be. You can read my full review here. ★★★★

025. Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta
Wow, I fell in love with this book! It has everything that I enjoy reading about; it follows a young girl discovering her sexual orientation amidst a Nigerian war. I adored the writing and the incorporation of Nigerian songs, stories, and words. I thought that the ending was beautifully done and it left me feeling hopeful and fulfilled. This is definitely a new favorite of mine. You can read my full review here. ★★★★★

026. Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne
This book had the potential to be a favorite when I initially read the premise and started reading it. With comparisons to White Oleander, I knew I had to give it a shot - especially because it has been sitting on my shelves for entirely too long. At the end, though, it was just okay. I thought that there were parts that were too dramatic or too unnecessary that didn't fit with the rest of the story, and I didn't always get a lot of emotion from what was an incredibly dark story. You can read my full review here. ★★★

The Moth and the Flame by Renée Ahdieh
Also not counted towards my overall goal, this offering was so much more successful than The Crown and the Arrow. First of all, the length aided so much in making this an enjoyable short story, something that the aforementioned piece did not have. It also helps that I love these characters, Despina and Jalal, more than Khalid (and perhaps even more than Shazi). Their blossoming friendship and relationship was so cute to read about and the story ended with me only wanting more and more and more. I think that this story also benefited from taking place in a time before The Wrath and the Dawn (for the most part) so that there isn't that much repetition in events. You can read my full review here (but it is pretty much this exact blurb). ★★★★

027. Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica
I read this on a whim. I enjoyed Kubica's The Good Girl and I am very excited for her upcoming Don't You Cry, so, naturally, I found that I should read this book, too. I ended up really enjoying it and I think that Kubica has improved a lot since her debut was published. While I did see some of the twists coming, I found that that didn't at all affect my ability to appreciate them. I would have liked a little more closer in the end, but I found this book so, so hard to put down and I found the motivations behind these characters' actions to be understandable and real. You can read my full review (when it is done) here. ★★★★