val_theburrowofstories's reviews
330 reviews

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa

Go to review page

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book has been in my TBR for a couple of years now, and I read The Worst Best Man last year so I knew I wanted to read everything from the author and I was in a romance mood so that's why I picked up this book! 

I love how Mia Sosa writes her books, I love how funny they are, I love the romance, I love the representation on Brazilian culture! 

Dean and Solange are characters that you cannot help but for in love with them. As long as personality goes, I am literally Dean and yeah my type would be someone like Solange, so I understand him so much. But if I were in a relationship with either of them I would be so lucky lol 

Honestly I think I enjoyed the first half a lot more but then the very last chapters were so damn funny and good with the tias and what happened in Las Vegas. 

This is also a 4 ⭐ in its own way. 

I had such a good time listening to the audiobook while I was trying to be productive doing other things. I loved both narrators, they really brought the characters to life. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The way I made so many notes on this book and I barely remember what happened, can't remember the character's names and I finished this in one day even though I found it kind of boring?? I think I found the audiobook kind of addictive because of the narrator or maybe it was the writing idk 
Osla, Beth and Mab.
 
What I found interesting is how there's mention of Prince Phillip of Greece and that he was dating one of the main characters. 

I felt so sorry for Beth because she grew up with this abuser mother but at the same time she made me so mad!! I can't stand people like her. 

By 20% I knew this was kind of boring lmao but I just kept going. 

I don't like it when the story is going back and forwards and it was annoying here. 

I feel like Osla could've been the one with a more interesting storyline because she was dating the Prince, but suddenly Mab took the focus with her husband and then Beth was supposed to be a bigger main character in the end with her finding a traitor, but I just didn't care about any of the girls to be honest. 

Omg Beth is actually such a f*cking terrible friend I had forgotten about this!! After all the girls did for her!! Because
she knew where the freaking bomb was going to hit and  she knew both her friends, including the husband and daughter of one of them, were going to THAT place and she said nothing about it?? 


This book is called The Rose Code, and that freaking code just mattered in the very last chapters lol 

By half of this book this was a 3 star, but now I think this might be a 2 stars which for me means it was just okay. And honestly I felt bad because I saw that half of the ratings are 5 star for this book lmao HOW and WHY. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Caraval I enjoyed. Legendary felt more like a task and just the bridge between the 1st and 3rd book. Sadly, Legendary is following the trend of: the 2nd book is worse than the 1st one. Especially when I don't like Tella as much as I did Scarlett (i mean not that I loved her, but I liked her). Besides not much was going on, but it was a 3 ⭐ while I was reading it so I won’t change that because I remember it was entertaining at least. 

I think that the magic of Caraval was also how it was an event that only happened once a year and that was the first time of the girls there, but now it turns out there’s going to be another one just 3 days after the last one? 

I wish we got more from Scarlett and Julian here, I really liked them in the first book, but this time it was from Tella’s pov and oh I do not like this girl… besides the romance there was wayyy better than this thing between Tella and Dante. 

I'm going to say it. I don't care how many times Tella is like "I love my sister, our bond if special, there's no one like her, I love her more than anything" GIRL STOP. You don't show it or prove it AT ALL. You barely think of her for more than a second, you barely consider her. So yeah... You think you're protecting her but to me you're just thinking about yourself all the time...So, of course Scarlett doesn't know the truth, AGAIN. Then Tella got mad at Scarlett because in the conversation SHE was eavesdropping she realized Scarlett didn’t tell her an important thing, as if Tella tells her everything (she doesn’t tell her a single thing). Tella only goes to Scarlett when she needs something from her. She’s very impulsive and never thinks before she acts, she’s jumping from one thing to the next without thinking about the consequences, she doesn’t think about anyone but herself… 

These girls have both daddy issues and mommy issues, they could not catch a break. I did not understand a thing about the mother and did not care to be honest. 

I was SO excited when Jacks appeared because I know he’s the main character of OUABH (which I haven’t read yet), I was hoping to see Evangeline too here or in the next book but that didn’t happen. 
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Go to review page

adventurous dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I’m not going to lie, when I think back to this book I finished almost a month ago I just think how this was boring and it was not the masterpiece I was expecting, and that just makes me sad. It was a disappointment. I don’t even remember most of what happened, just that it was slow as fuck and didn’t go nowhere. When I finished it I thought I would give it 3 stars but I feel now that I was being generous, so 2 ⭐ for my rating. 

Gosh I’m not even going to read my notes, I’m so tired with all the books I have to review that this is not worth it to make a well written review lol there’s hundred of those loving and hating this book already. 

It just makes me so mad that I didn’t love this, that I felt like her “bisexuality” was not represented correctly and was just something the author added so she could add it to the sell speech, the fan art is so pretty and the narrator is amazing, but that didn’t save this book. 

That “romance” she had with Henry? I did not feel it at all. And I hate that this Darkness was obsessed with her and wouldn’t let her in peace, it would’ve been sooo much more interesting to read about her falling in love with Luc but for real and if he was a bit different, but well. The ending was predictable too, I was just like “wait this is when I’m supposed to cry?” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

Go to review page

adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I remember being so invested when they were looking for the hobbits and then when Pippin and Merry were with the Ents because that was fun, but there was a battle and my mind could not focus on the audiobook, I had no idea what was going on from that point. 

Besides, I don’t know how many times I fall sleep while listening to this especially the second we got back to Frodo and Sam, it was just so damn boring… it’s so slow and nothing was happening. 

So, this is 2.5 ⭐ for me and I’m being generous. 

Anyways, I really love the narration by Andy Serkis. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ve been waiting for months to get this trilogy in Libby and I’m so happy I ended up really liking it! 
This might be the 10th audiobook that I’ve listened narrated by Rebecca Soler and she never disappoints. 

Scarlett and Donatella Dragna are two sisters who live with their abusive father in the Isle of Trisda. The girls have always dreamed of leaving and being free, and the opportunity finally presents itself in the name of Julian Marrero when this boy comes to the island and offers them to take them to Caraval, this magical place where they can play the game and if they win they can ask for anything they want.
 
I really liked the sisters, but especially Scarlett because I feel I would be more like her in this whole situation. I loved seeing her romance with Julian and how she had to learn to trust him. I did not expect that many plot twist and surprises in the book, especially in the end I was loving that. I was having such a great time with this book. 

By the end we got so many emotions and information that just convinced me this is a 4 ⭐ 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

One word to describe the whole book is CUTE. Which is funny considering this is a Nico Di Angelo story, but his relationship with Will is just so cute, they’re my babies, I want to protect them from everything and I loved them from the very first pages 🥺💛 

This book is basically Nico’s quest to go to Tartarus and save “the one who calls his name” and Will knew it was going to dangerous for him to go too because he’s a son of a Apollo and needs the sun, but that would not stop him and he goes along. I loved seeing both of them protecting each other, their strength, their determination, their loyalty, their love 🤧 

I know sometimes their dialogue and nicknames could seem cheesy, but to me it was just so cute and sweet and funny. They’ve been together for a year and I was so happy that we got to read some stories between them at the beginning of their relationship (the moment they knew they liked each other, how one asked the other on a date, their first kiss). There were moments where I could’ve cried of how cuteness and how happy and proud I am of them 😭❤️ 

As always, even the smallest appearance of Percy and Annabeth makes me happy, and is so cheesy and funny that their only advice for them on Tartarus was that they would be okay because they had each other lmao but it’s true! That’s how Percabeth survived after all. 

This is so coming of age, so cute, being proud of who you are and loving who you want, coming out... I feel like this book can be SO important for so many kids out there who want and need someone to feel related and safe. And this book is perfect for that. 

I’m going to miss Nico and Will so much, this is easily a 4.5 ⭐ for me. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Educated by Tara Westover

Go to review page

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

5.0

  • Happy International Women’s Day! I didn’t plan to read this for this day, but I’m so glad that I did because Tara Westover is such an strong woman.
  • This book was so powerful. This was Tara owning her story and telling it the way it was from HER perspective, the way she lived her life. I have so much respect for her, this was published in 2018 and I would not be surprised if she's still healing.

"You can love someone and still choose to say goodbye to them.
You can miss a person every day, and still be glad that they are no longer in your life."
-Tara Westover

  • I'm genuinely surprised she didn't talk about menstruation. And I have to admit I was so scared for her when she was a child that Shawn would rape her, then I was scared he would kill her. Can we talk about how she barely looked or talked to boys and yet when Shawn said she had a "reputation" they were horrified of her being pregnant, SHE thought she was pregnant and looked at herself in the mirror... The lack of sexual education. And then when they confirmed she wasn't??? I'm scared of just thinking how they confirmed it.
  • I feel so so sorry for those kids of the siblings who don't support her. but especially for the ones of Audrey and Shawn, because they are just the living image of their parents which means their childhood will be just like hers unless they run.
  • She is right by mentioning that this is not about Mormonism. Maybe religion played a role in this, but her brother and parent’s evil in my opinion belonged to them, not to any Satan and of course is not the will of any God they believe in.
  • I have to admit that I didn’t cry. I understand the moments that I “should’ve”, I understand why other people would’ve cried. But I’ve never lived abused so I can’t say I was reliving something, and I’ve always been the “strongest” child who didn’t cry easily because I had a “cold heart”, that’s how I view myself and maybe there’s something wrong with me too that I can’t see, but that’s the truth.
  • I didn’t cry, instead I was shocked, stunned, angry, I could not believe it, it was all just so crazy. When you think of stories of more kids living like this, that’s it, they’re just stories you hear of someone else living far far away, they didn’t happen to you, you don’t read about them with more detail in a book. It’s is eye opening to finally read this story and realize “this is real, this has happened, this is still happening not only in her family but probably so many others”
  • I can’t stop thinking on how powerful this book is and how more people should read it, yes it was Number 1, yes it’s acclaimed, yes it has Awards, and somehow it’s not enough. It will neve be enough.
  • I want this book in my library, highlighted with tabs, with annotations written by me and other people, I want to have discussions around it, I want to check on it from time to time. I want to highlight with a pencil all the obstacles, and with colors her support system, her quotes, her growing up and changing her mind. There’s so many things to point out, so many things to discuss.
  • I feel so overwhelmed by this whole book. She’s powerful, she’s brave, she’s inspiring. She got over the obstacles, she got her education. Education IS a privilege and it could be life changing for some.
  • The fact that she dedicated this to her brother Tyler, because he was always nice to her, he always supported her, he is the one who kept telling her to go to college.
  • This is so far away from my fantasy books, hell I WISH this was some dystopian shit, but it’s a MEMOIR and I just can’t stop thinking about it. This is not fantasy, and yet this is one of the few examples of why I must keep getting out of my comfort zone tbr every once in a while, to discover stories (fiction or not) like this one.
  • I want to keep reading so many reviews now, from all the ratings. I need to read more opinions. I even want to read the thesis she presented for her PhD.
  • This makes me think of the kind of parent I would be, consuming books, blogs, podcasts about parenting the second I learn I was pregnant. I almost want to study psychology just to help kids.
  • I'm thankful my healthcare and education were priorities in my family. I'm thankful I was not forced into any religion. I'm thankful I was loved. I'm thankful I didn't live an abuse like this and I pray I never will, thankful that I can recognize the signs of when something is wrong and I must ask for help. I'm thankful for my family (we are not perfect, and of course I have many complains about them lol but I'm thankful for them)
  • I keep thinking and thinking and thinking, and there is no denial to me. I can’t rate the same way I do my fantasy books (or any other fiction book for that matter). I can’t even compare it to other non fiction I’ve read because they are self help, and I’ve read just a couple of memoirs. So this is a very unique book to me, and as such it has to be rated for it’s own reasons. At the beginning I thought how difficult it would be to rate it, but now I think it's a 5 ⭐
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I predicted that this would be a new favorite book, sadly it isn’t, but still I really liked it and it’s a 4 ⭐ for me. 

I remembered so little of the synopsis I thought this was set in a time before Christ even or in just a little town in the middle of nowhere with very few civilization, I was very surprised when I saw that this was set in the second half of the 1900’s. 

I didn’t understand at first why so many women turned into dragons, I thought it was magic, but the fact that it’s presented as part of their BIOLOGY is crazy to me, it’s such an interesting concept. I don’t blame them at all for turning into dragons and leaving because it was mostly to escape men, but there were also some cases where they turned because it just made them happy and feel free and there was no men involved. 

The way Alex’s father made my blood boil so many times in this book… he got an easy death for what he deserved. Then there’s her mother who is just… shit at communication, the only good thing she did was not abandoning her but I almost wish she did and killed her father in the process, maybe the girls would’ve been better off that way. He made me so mad I almost wanted to DNF, but this isn’t about him and I would’ve given him the power he doesn’t deserve, so he can go to hell and I’m glad I kept reading. 

As Taylor Swift once said: fuck the patriarchy!

Her aunt Marla fits so perfectly the “stereotype” I just knew she loved women, and good for her because damn men are shit in this book, they’re all either sexist or misogynist, that’s the description of the society here to be honest.
 
We almost never see any representation of menstruation in books, so I was glad to have that here. 
I can’t begin to explain what I felt reading how Alex had her friend Sonja and how they clearly liked each other, you know? Like the first innocent love as a child. And when they are together again when they grow up I was just so happy for them. 

Alex is so incredibly strong because to Beatrice she was her cousin, sister and mother. She was a child raising another child and she did such a good job on her own and still stayed a good student. I felt sorry for her by the circumstance but at the same time I was proud and just wanted the best for her. 

This is a book I would love to have in my library and recommend to every girl, I feel it’s such an important read because it shows how a sexist and misogynistic society was and is, talks about menstruation, about how lucky we are to have education for little girls and women, the importance of family, girls loving girls, having a support system, being free… there could be so many conversations around this, and I love that. 

Dragons coming back is something I didn’t expected and it was so interesting to see how people reacted to this and changed their lives and spaces so dragons could study, work, be part of society. I really liked seeing Alex learning to live with and love her new family. 

I loved the ending for the sisters and reading who they grew up to be. 

Finally, I’ll just like to say that I absolutely LOVE this narrator, I loved picking up this audiobook and hearing her voice again, it was just so comforting and soothing, I will be checking out more of her work. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

For months now I’ve been meaning to start reading The Lord of the Rings and recently I found out there’s audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis and I just knew I had to listen to that version and I’m happy I did! 

I watched the movies two years ago and I remember few things so I was comparing it to that at some points, there’s some things here I know didn’t happen in the movie and a couple others that were modified, it was interesting to see that. I was hoping to see more of Arwen but her appearance was so brief here. 

I love to see that Sam's loyalty and devotion towards Frodo is the same in the book. While having Pippin and Merry in the adventure is like having two little kids in the company lol 

I didn’t know Frodo leaves Hobbiton when he’s 50 years old, just like Bilbo did when he went on the journey with the dwarves 🥺 

My rating is 3.5 ⭐, it was entertaining and I love the audiobook, but I have to admit at some points I had no idea what was going on, and that’s because this is slow and (i’m sorry!) a bit boring sometimes lol so I lost my focus. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings