{DNF Review} These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Page Count:  449

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Published on: November 17, 2020

Genres: YA fantasy, romance, retellings

Amazon // Indie Bound // Barnes & Noble // Better World Books

April 22-26

Rating: DNF 

TW/CW: blood depiction, gore, violence, death, murder, loss of a loved one, disease/contagious contagions, discussions surrounding communism, transphobia, drug use and addiction, suicide, colonization, & racism (and microaggressions) 

(EDIT:) TW/CW cont'd: discussion/mention of human trafficking and kidnapping, loss of a pet, and there are creepy insects!
(Thank you Melanie [meltotheany] for the complete list!)

~ ~ ~

Goodreads synopsis: 

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

~ ~ ~

Hey, all!

I, unfortunately, DNF'd this novel at 33% (about 150 pages in).

I'm so sad that I didn't enjoy this book. It was getting to the point where my brain wanted to read, but I couldn't stay focused on the book because of my lack of connection to the story. I really wanted to like this book. I love Chloe Gong's presence online and I think she's a delight, but her writing style just wasn't for me.

I'm the kind of reader that adores character-driven novels. I love the emotions and depth that different characters from different upbringings and backgrounds can bring to a story. However, this book just didn't do it for me.

I liked the ideas of the characters. I just didn't like the execution of their personalities.

- It just felt like Juliette was constantly painted as this badass character, but it was just telling. The showing aspect just didn't happen. It just felt forced and lackluster. She kept doing things that were pretty badass, but then she'd turn around and do something really dumb and oblivious that a trained person wouldn't have done.

-Roma was just boring to me. Maybe it was just because I hadn't gotten to the meat of his character, but I really just didn't care about him at all.

I really liked the atmosphere of this story. The overall themes were shaping up to be done quite well, but it's really the characters that keep me reading their story. I just didn't care about what was happening to them. I really wanted to though.

This book also is #ownvoices for the Chinese representation. It also has a wonderful side character that is a trans girl and there is a budding m/m relationship between men who are Chinese and Korean.

Within the first 150 pages, I could tell that colonialization would play a massive part of the story. That's probably what kept me pushing forward. I loved those aspects of the story. However, I'm probably just going to watch or read a spoiler-y review to see what happens. In the book, Juliette felt like a foreigner in her own country. That speaks VOLUMES. The fact that her own people made her feel more Americanized and different just because she was sent away for an American education and to keep her safe from the violence in her country is just so heartbreaking.

The setting, the gangster vibes, and the themes in this book were everything, but I couldn't connect with the slow pacing and the characters.

I know that so many readers have absolutely adored this book. Please give it a try if it's been peaking your interest. My brain has been in a weird place lately and my mental health has honestly caused me to dislike books that I /thought/ I would adore. Chloe Gong brings so much to the book community and so many other readers adore this book. Please definitely give it a chance!

Let's discuss in the comments! 

Happy reading!

Olivia 

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{DNF Review} Simmer Down by Sarah Smith

 Page count:  320

Published on: October 13, 2020

Published by: Berkley

Genres: Adult contemporary romance

Rating: DNF

Goodreads synopsis:

In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.

The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum…a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart means jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

~~~~

Hey, guys!

A couple of months ago I was approved to read Sarah Smith's 2020 novel, Simmer Down; however, this reading experience didn't go as expected. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I anticipated. In fact, I DNF'd it. 

If you've been following me on Instagram and Goodreads, you've probably seen the massive amount of romance novels -- a romance binge if you will. However, Simmer Down just wasn't what I was looking for. I've heard so many wonderful things about the author's work, but I was really let down by this novel. When going into this novel, I was really excited to read about food trucks, Hawaii, Filipino foods, and the promise of a heavy familial influence was really promising. However, when hitting the half-way mark of this story, I began to lose interest. By the 60% mark, I was completely bored and any of my interest in the story had disappeared.

This was just not for me. 

By 60%, I had begun to feel like the romance was forced and the angst and predictable conflict that naturally develops in romances just felt boring and uninspired. Their relationship, unfortunately, didn't really develop as I had hoped. They got together far too quickly, it wasn't even shown on-page, and it just was really frustrating. The moments that you would want from a romance -- the scenes where they begin to actually fall for each other -- were glazed over and their happiness in their relationship was established far too quickly. The angst that could come from the slightly forbidden aspect of their relationship was just nonexistent. The scene that allowed the characters to come into continuous contact was just really unrealistic and the heroine's behavior drastically changed in order to let that scene pan out.

Overall, I didn't like this story. I DNF'd at 60% and I don't plan on picking it back up. I know that this romance will definitely be something that other readers will enjoy, but it wasn't the kind of romance that I enjoy.

Happy reading!
Olivia
~Liv the Book Nerd~
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July 2018 Reading Wrap Up

Hey, guys!

July has been SUCH a productive reading month. I've done 3 read-a-thons, I've traveled across the country, and I've DNF'd 2 books and I've read 18 books! I'm honestly so proud of myself. This month I read some pretty good books. I've found a few new favorite books, and I'm pretty happy with the other books I've read too. 

Here are the books I read this month!

1. Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake Volume 1 by Natasha Allegri, Noelle Stevenson, Kate Leth, Lucy Knisley
• 3.5 stars
2. The Sun & Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
• 3 stars
3. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
• 4.75 stars
4. {DNF} City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare
• No rating: did not finish
5. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
• 5 stars
6. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover 
• 2.5 stars
7. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
• 3 stars
8. The Ancient Magus Bride Volume 1 by Kore Yamazaki
• 4 stars
9. Persepolis #1 by Marjane Satrapi
• 3 stars
10. Paper Princess by C.S. Pacat
• 3 stars
11. Mirror & the Maze by Renee Ahdieh
• 3 stars
12. Save the Date by Morgan Matson
• 5 stars
13. Lumberjanes: Beyond Bay Leaf Special #1 by Faith Erin Hicks, Noelle Stevenson, Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, and Shannon Watters
• 4 stars
14. Runaways #7 by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka
• 4 stars
15. Jim Henson's Storyteller: Fairies by Matt Smith & Dan Jackson
• 3 stars
16. Persepolis #2 by Marjane Satrapi
• 3 stars
17. The Demon in the Wood (Grisha #0.1) by Leigh Bardugo
• 4 stars
18. When It's Real by Erin Watt
• 4 stars
19. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
• 4 stars
20. Kiss Me in Paris by Catherine Rider
• 3 stars
21. {DNF} The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One by Amanda Lovelace
1. DNF review coming soon!

Favorites: Save the Date & The Kiss Quotient 

Least Favorites: City of Glass, The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One, & Ugly Love

Number of Pages Read: 4,313

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{DNF Review} Secrets of the Tally by Halie Fewkes

Page Count: 330

Published on: August 22, 2015

Published by: Tally Ink Publishing

Genre(s): Fantasy, YA

Source: hardback via author

Age Rating: YA

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: DNF 

Goodreads synopsis:

Meet Allie: she's just woken up in an empty forest with blood on her hands and everything she's ever known wiped from her mind. In her survival-oriented world, people are hunted by vicious predators and it quickly becomes clear that they are specifically hunting her. 

Allie's friends and sister have no insight as to why she's a target, and her only clue is a list of tally marks she finds tucked away, detailing how many lives she's saved and how many deaths she's caused. Judging by the amount of ink slashed across the page and the fact that nobody seems to know about it, Allie knows she used to have secrets that need to be recovered. 

Without knowing whom to trust, she finds herself drawn to a new stranger in the caves they call home, and even though he won't talk about his own past, he's ready to help Allie recover hers. 

The problem now is that Allie's instinct to survive is the only thing strong enough to bring her memories back. Flashes of her old self will only surface to save her from life-threatening danger, so if she wants to avoid living as an echo of her former self, danger is what she must seek.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     I was sent Secrets of the Tally for an honest review by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own. See my review policy for my policy on review copies and DNF'd books.

    The premise of Secrets of the Tally had such promise but I, unfortunately, did not enjoy this book at all. I had quite a few problems with the book, but I really wanted to love it. I'm really disappointed that I did not enjoy this book. I adore Halie Fewkes, her Instagram feed, and her journey to being published is so inspiring. I can only wish her the best in her future endeavors. Unfortunately, her book was just not for me.

     Secrets of the Tally follows Allie who has woken up without any of her memories. She soon realizes that no one really understands her past fully and that she has to rely on her survival skills and intelligence to figure out who she truly is. She finds out that her memories only come to her when she's in true peril, so she has to seek out as much danger as she can.

      I initially started this back in May of 2017, but I really wasn't in the mood for it, so I set it down for a bit. I was starting to get into a slump and I felt like it wouldn't be fair to Fewkes if I read it when I wasn't in the mood. Well, at the end of the year, I was finally in the mood to read the book, but unfortunately, I just didn't like it. I was just really bored throughout the book and I couldn't even get through it. The plot was just so slow and the events were just so predictable or just so random. On top of that, I felt like the characters were really two dimensional and boring. I didn't connect to any of them and they were just so irritating and annoying. 

     There were a few instances where the story got interesting, but within a few pages, it just got boring again. I just could not get behind it. Many of the scenes that happened were just so irrelevant and annoyingly random. The whole plot was just so inconsistent and boring. I really did not enjoy the magic/fantasy element of this story. Within the first half of the book the system wasn't really adequately explained. I was just confused. I originally thought it was going to be really interesting, but I really didn't get anything from it. 

    Overall, I felt like this novel lacked development. I really wanted to love this story, but it wasn't for me. I was just bored and annoyed with the characters and plot. The concept was really intriguing, but this book just fell flat for me. 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~
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{DNF Review} Trust (Between the Lions #1) by Jodi Baker

Page Count: 296

Published on: October 3, 2015

Published by: BookBaby

Genre(s): Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Mythology, Fantasy, YA, MG 

Source: Paperback - via publisher

Age Rating: YA

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @jodibakerbooks

My Rating: 1 star - DNF

Goodreads synopsis

TRUST is a young adult, mythological, urban fantasy thrill ride about the darkly fantastical, supernatural Museion that has secretly protected humanity’s greatest treasures for millennia, and Anna, the sixteen-year-old New York girl who is the unknowing Heir to it all:

TRUST.
That’s what the voice inside my head kept repeating when I woke up between the infamous lion statues of the New York Public Library, with no idea how I got there and no memory of the last year of my life.

The only person I ever trusted was my mother, who lied about everything.

I want to trust myself, despite my missing memories. But hearing a voice inside my head obviously isn’t a good thing, especially since it know things I don’t… like how to speak Ancient Sumerian, the fact that yellow-eyed people aren’t actually people, and that my mother’s Egyptian ankh necklace was the key to unlocking the truth she was hiding:

I’m the last in a long lineage of powerful women whose secrets date back to the ancient Library of Alexandria.

I’m fighting like hell to stay alive while searching for both my missing mother and the truth, desperate to find something or someone I can trust.

~~~

Hey, guys!

    I was sent Trust quite a while ago, but because of school, book slumps, and failed attempts at even starting. I haven't had the chance, lately, to just sit down and power through it. I was sent this book after helping the author promote the release of her book through a giveaway and guest post. She and her agent sent me a book a few weeks after the giveaway. I this book really intrigued me. I love mythology and I love the mystery behind the library of Alexandria, but this book just was not for me. 

    Trust follows a sixteen-year-old girl, Anna as her life is turned upside down through paranormal and supernatural events after her mother goes missing. Anna begins to hear a mysterious voice in her head ...who can speak ancient Sumarian and knows about her ancient bloodline. As Anna continues to discover more and more about her family, she begins to doubt that she can trust anyone she comes across.

      This book has a great premise, however, I did not like it much at all. I read the first 30% of the book, but I really just could not get into the book. I usually give a book about 40-50 pages before I DNF it, but I really was hoping for Trust to pick back up. I have tried to start this book three or four times, but I didn't get into it. I thought it was just a timing issue, but I really do not think that is the case. This book just was not for me. 

      
     As I started this book and got a decent chunk read, I realized that I really did not like how the characters were established. I didn't like their personalities and I just didn't care about what was happening to them. Not to mention, I really did not care for Baker's writing style.The way she wrote the dialogue to any scene, the constant rambles, the random monologues. It just wasn't interesting to me and I just found all of the characters to be annoying. Everything was described vaguely and even moments that I figured would have more substance to them lacked everything I would hope for. 

    This book was just not for me. I think that this book could be marketed for the middle grade genre. The writing style lacked the depth of what I would expect from a young adult novel. I expected something with some Percy Jackson vibes, but...no.

Happy reading!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~

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{DNF Review} Snowball by M.Y. Zeman

Page Count: 248

Published on: September 15, 2015

Published by: Createspace

Genre(s): Fantasy-Paranormal, Middle Grade

Source: Paperback - via author

Age Rating: Middle Grade

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

Twitter: @myzeman1

My Rating: DNF'd

Goodreads synopsis:

Heroes don't come any furrier than this.. I wasn't born with a scar on my forehead. I'm not an heir to a distant kingdom. The destiny I was born to was simply to die in a laboratory. My ability? To become small and furry. But becoming a hero doesn't happen overnight and destiny is a funny thing. In one moment the kindness of a stranger- or in my case a vampire - can change everything. My name is Snow and I am a wererabbit. Snow Everly was born a rabbit and believed that her destiny was to die in a cold laboratory. Then one winter night, a vampire breaks in searching for his missing research. When the lab goes up in flames he goes back and rescues her. When she turns three years old, Snow gains the ability to shift into a girl. Why was she created? Who and what are the mysterious figures following her? Follow Snow on her journey as she searches for the answers. Snow's dream is to one day become a hero and above all else - she wants to be accepted for who she is - a wererabbit.

~~~

Hey, guys!

    I was sent M.Y. Zeman's three released books for an honest review. Unfortunately, I really could not get into book one, Snowball. I feel like this book would have been something I would have enjoyed when I was in middle school, but I just could not get behind the premise at this time. At first, I thought this book was interesting and I thought I would continue on, but it really put me in a slump.This book really was not for me. 

     This book follows the young wererabbit, Snow when she's rescued from a burning laboratory by a vampire. The first 70 pages that I read of this book followed Snow as she grew up. I stopped while she was a toddler, but I really could not get behind how slow her development was. I just didn't enjoy the way Zeman had written her childhood. I felt like she could have gotten to the meat of the story much more quickly. I was at first, really interested in her vampire guardian's story, but he got really boring as the book continued, too. I just really did not enjoy the characters or premise as the story continued on.

    I think that younger paranormal-loving readers would really get into this book, but it just was not for me. It was strange and I didn't like the way the story built up. 

Happy reading!

Olivia 

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{DNF} The Last Shadow Gate by Michael W. Garza

Page Count: 262 Published on: March 3rd 2017 

Published by: NeerHaven Press Genre(s): Fantasy Source: Print: Paperback via Author Age Rating:

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @mwgarza

My Rating: NO RATING

Goodreads synopsis:

Summer vacation was never supposed to be like this.

It was bad enough Naomi had to be shipped off to her dad's home for the summer and deal with her half-brother Gavin, but when the siblings are forced to spend their break with their great-grandmother in upstate New York, everything changes. An investigation into the strange disappearance of their great-grandfather forces them to retrace his footsteps. They discover a gateway between worlds and encounter extraordinary creatures in a land where the people are desperate to escape the coming of a shade lord. To survive their adventure, Naomi and Gavin must settle their differences and find the elusive shadow gate that will take them home again.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      I won't be rating this, as I just care to. This is just one of the books that I don't think I need to rate. There are some books that I DNF that I absolutely hate, but there are some that I know aren't for me, so why rate it? The Last Shadow Gate is like the latter. 

      I got about 55 pages into this book (20-ish %) and I just couldn't get into it. I didn't enjoy the writing style. The children's narration style didn't fit their ages, their personality, and it just wasn't how children and young adults speak. The way Garza wrote these characters was kind of infuriating. I didn't enjoy them at all. I found the characters that I encountered to be very boring and bland. They were just so obvious and the relationships were just very underdeveloped from the beginning. The sister-brother dynamic was kind of annoying. There was no explanation for their rivalry and nastiness and the reader was just kind of expected to understand why they were constantly picking on each other. I have siblings, and we're rude to each other sometimes, but we have reasons. There didn't seem to be a reason for these to...and if there was, I missed it. You'd also think that I'd like at least one character within the first fifty-ish pages, but I just found myself forcing myself to read the book. It took me at least 2 hours to get into this book. I usually give iffy books about 40 or 50 pages before I DNF them, but I found myself just forcing myself to get to that area so I could stop. It wasn't fun.

      Overall, I was just very bored and uninterested from the first page. I found myself rewording sentences and basically asking the questions my creative writing professor asks me when I'm writing. It just wasn't a writing style that enjoyed. I couldn't connect with the characters, which is a very important aspect to me, and I just wasn't enjoying myself. I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't make myself read it if I didn't enjoy it. 

      At this time, I'm not too interested in reading this book, but I might pick it back up once I'm definitely in the mood for it. There are so many interesting aspects to the plot that I would love to explore, but until I'm in the mood, I'm not going to pick it up.

      I'm sure there is an audience for this book, but I'm not a part of it. If this book sounds interesting to you, then I highly encourage you to do so. It wasn't because I absolutely hated Garza's book, it just wasn't for me. So if this sounds interesting to you, then give it a go! 


Happy reading!
Olivia 
~LivTheBookNerd~

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{DNF'd} The Tormented Witch by J.C. Beckham

Page Count: 212

Published on: June 16, 2016

Published by: Solopreneur

Genre(s): Paranormal, Fantasy, YA

Source: Paperback--Print copy provided by author

Age Rating: PG-13

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @jemma_beckham

My Rating: 2 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Apart from the fact that Leila Albergo was born in England, she was just like any other seventeen-year-old U.S. high schooler. That was until, by a dark twist of fate, she develops supernatural powers.

Leila is convinced that her feelings for school heartthrob Luca Jareau will remain unnoticed until he turns out to be her greatest ally. With his help, she must learn to control her magic and conceal the truth from everyone else, in order to protect the people she loves.

Leila also realizes that some friends are not always who they seem to be and that staying alive at any cost, can sometimes be too high a price to pay.’

~~~

Hey, guys!

      This book was sent to me for an honest review by J.C. Beckham. I was actually really excited to read another paranormal novel this year. I have been kind of off paranormal for a few years because I went through a huge paranormal reading phase in middle school. It started with Twilight and I went through a bunch of different sub-genres of paranormal..from witches, angels, vampires, werewolves, and demons. The paranormal and fantasy genres have shaped my reading taste and are what have made me the avid reader that I am today. 

      Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book at all. I couldn't even get 100 pages into the book! I found the main character to be really annoying and aggravating and her actions, and her whole personality was very frustrating. While reading this book, I became really irritable and sarcastic. I would write comments in the margins of the book, and looking back, I was even sarcastic in my comments. Even within the first 80 pages, the main character would change personalities constantly. One moment she would be kind of funny and friendly, but then she would revert back to being vain and selfish and act as if she knew everything. S

      One of the characters that I met while reading the first bit of the book, Luca, was very annoying too. It was probably just because I didn't get much of an introduction, but he was very vague and he and Leila's relationship was a bit too insta-lovey for my taste. 

      Another thing, the main character would accept the weird things that were happening really quickly and she wouldn't question anything that happened or ask any questions. She even said that the stuff that was happening was ridiculous and then say something along the lines of "well what other explanation is there?" ....That isn't really acceptable and I couldn't make myself finish the book. Even at page 81, I didn't really care about the story or what would happen to the characters. 

      This book really was not for me. I would have enjoyed it much more when I was probably 12 or 13, but at age 18, it is not for me. I had too many cliche or predictable moments that it made me angry. I couldn't connect with the characters and I just didn't find myself interested in the story. I wish that I liked this book, but I don't think it came during the time of my life where I would have enjoyed it. This book was overall, very cringe-y. 

Happy reading!
Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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