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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Honey Girl in Books

Mar 4, 2021  
Honey Girl
Honey Girl
Morgan Rogers | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved this book so much I could cry. (I did cry.) Oh Grace, my sweet, emotional girl, and oh this book. This beautiful book. Do not go into HONEY GIRL thinking it is a gimmicky read because of the Vegas marriage premise. It's a real, heart-wrenching book that will rip and tear at your soul. But don't worry, this is a good thing. Because this is a ridiculously romantic and adorable story, as well as a nuanced coming-of-age/finding yourself (hey, it can happen at twenty-eight) story.

"Have you ever gone to bed thinking of someone you only knew for a night? Have you ever stared up at the sky and wondered where it was you saw yourself, all those years ago? Which star it was you followed here?"

Rogers writes with a lyrical beauty. She gives us Grace and Yuki, two sweet, lovely, flawed, real characters whom I adored. As for Grace, I wanted nothing but good for her. I identified so much with an anxious workaholic crippled by the expectations of her parents. ("Being angry at his unattainable expectations is so much easier than accepting that the only ones I have to meet are my own." -- I think I may need to have this bronzed, as it sums up my life.) Grace struggles with the pressures placed on her by her ex-military father, by intense racism that makes it difficult to succeed in a field where she's extremely qualified, and with mental health/anxiety issues. Rogers handles all of these excellently, covering them so well in her story, along with Grace and Yuri's burgeoning relationship. It seems like it should be too much for one book, but everything fits perfectly together.

Honestly, no review of mine can do this book justice. I love the characters of Grace and Yuri and the supporting cast is excellent (and the book is diverse). It's hilarious and funny yet deftly and kindly covers mental health issues. It also takes an insightful look at racism--especially in academia--and how difficult it makes life for Grace. There's romance, friendship, family, and so much more. I loved it all, and I highly highly recommend HONEY GIRL. I cannot wait to read what Morgan Rogers writes next. 4.5+ stars.
  
The Pact
The Pact
Sharon Bolton | 2021 | Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel tells the story of six friends: Talitha, Xav, Felix, Amber, Daniel, Megan. How one night changed their lives forever. This book was quite a slow burner for me, at least in the beginning. All of the characters have a say in this book, and I found all of them very compelling. It is a character-driven novel and I really liked to see how the characters interacted and what they were ready to do to save themselves. 🙂 I felt extremely sorry for Megan throughout this book and I don’t really agree with her decisions. She is really amazing and I think she could have achieved so much without these “friends” of hers.

The narrative of this novel was a little slow for my liking, but I was extremely keen to find out what is going to happen with Megan. I enjoyed the way the author kept me guessing and the suspense growing, and all the twists and turns were a welcome distraction to break the monotony that built up sometimes. The topics discussed were dangerous driving, alcoholism, survival, rich privilege, friendships, belonging, mental health issues, guilt, relationships between friends and families, and many more.

The writing style of this book is easy to read, enjoyable and creative, but something is missing. It is one of the “softer” books by this author, I could say. I am more used to her dark secrets, never-ending suspense and gripping from the first-page kind books, and this book was a little behind with it. I did like the ending of this novel, which was filled with action and rounded this story extremely well. 🙂 The chapters are pretty short, so the pages just fly by. I have pretty bad car anxiety, especially when it comes to accidents and reckless drivers, so parts of this book did not sit well with me because of these nuances. (I was able to enjoy this book never the less, I just screamed at the characters in my head. 😀 ) So if you suffer from it like me, proceed with caution. 😉

So, to conclude, I enjoyed this novel. The characters are very well developed and truly enchanting. They all have to offer so much to this book and I loved reading about them and their lives. The plot has plenty of intrigue, well placed twists and unexpected surprises and kept me guessing.
  
Ad Astra (2019)
Ad Astra (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Through hardships, to the stars.
Ad Astra is the kind of film they dont make anymore. Visually breathtaking, harrowing and it has such a deep pain and sadness to it that i left the theatre with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Ad Astra is the first film this year to leave me speechless and I'm actually finding it hard to put into words what I have just experienced. I will try my hardest not to spoil anything as this movie is best if you go into it blind to appreciate it to full effect. What an experience, I can safely say i had goosebumps, chills up my spine, a lump in my throat and on the brink or tears 90% of the runtime. Atmosphere and visual wise what they have accomplished here is not only teeming with beauty but an incredible feel of movies from the past. A cross between Blade Runner, Dune, apocalypse now and 2001 Ad Astra invoked in me the same heightened emotions I felt watching those films for the first time many years ago. Theres a constant sence of wonder, discovery and lingering dread present the entire film keeping you constantly fearful, on edge and floating in a state of happy sadness. Brad Pitt gives the performance of his career every part of his troubled mind playing out on in his facial expressions and behind his eyes. Theres an over arching theme about mental illness, social awkwardness and anxiety here and its truly depressing watching Brads character battle his inner demons while still putting on a brave face while know one else seems to notice or offer advice, comfort or guidance. Theres also a lot about the need for progression regardless of the sacrifice and emotional toll it takes on people and questions about if humanity deserves a future as we become more selfish, destructive and cold. Its primarily a character story about mental struggles, self destruction, burdens, loneliness, pain, legacy and destiny and at times its tuff to stomach watching this character suffer caught between right and wrong, but its always fascinating, relatable and rewarding. Set pieces are cold/disturbing and harrowing not only shocking you but leaving a lasting impression that most horror films struggle to achieve. I urge anyone into film go see this its a modern day masterpiece.