May was a hectic month for me! I moved apartments, traveled back home, and managed to juggle three jobs. Despite all this, I still found time to read. Enjoy last month’s recap.
‘The Survivor Wants to Die at the End’ by Adam Silvera
I need to start this review out with a really big trigger warning. If you are not mentally in a good spot right now, do not read this book until you are. I’m so serious. It’s hard. It’s a lot. I couldn’t read too much at one time, and even with taking breaks, I struggled with the content.
That being said, read it when you feel okay.
I loved this book. I held it close to my heart, wanting to hug these characters and tell them they are loved. It ripped my heart out time and time again, but also filled me with a hope that I have searched for in my darkest times.
This story focuses around mental health, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. We meet our main character Paz as he is longing for a death cast call, alerting him of his incoming death. The book continues through multiple days, following both Paz and Alano (the death cast heir) as they continue searching for reasons to live.
Their friendship (blossoming romance) is fast and hard, but so is everything when you’re 19. Their relationship, though not the healthiest, is real. It has much of what I’ve loved from the previous two books, just… in a different font.
Unlike the other two, this story goes through multiple days and has so much more to follow. It’s unbelievable that I have to wait so long.
*Spoiler-ish Thoughts*
The closer I got to the end, the more I heightened I became, knowing that there was enough time to complete everything they had set up – the gala, the announcement, the death anniversary. It made reaching the end even more terrifying. And that cliffhanger? What is happening? Bonkers that the next book will be a proper sequel, continuing where this story left off.
TW: Suicide, Depression, BPD, Self-Harm, Death, Murder, Anxiety, Basically, everything.
‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid
When I heard that this book was written as interviews, I knew I wanted to read it. And when I finished “Evelyn Hugo,” I immediately purchased it.
“Daisy Jones & The Six” tells the story of the band, “Daisy Jones & The Six,” through interviews conducted with the bandmates and those close to them. It’s a super interesting way to tell and read a story. One that I enjoyed!
I loved going back and forth between the different points of view and sometimes even hearing different members recount the same situations differently. I like hearing about every part of the band’s past from writing albums to tours to even their close personal relationships. Each character had their own distinct personality. It never felt confusing and always felt genuine to the story.
Whenever I was actively reading the book, I was invested and following along in real time with the band. However, when I wasn’t reading, I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to get back to the story. I wasn’t thinking about it while going about my day.
Now, I can dive into the show and the music created from it!
‘Keep Me’ by Sara Cate
I said, “Ya know what? Let’s read a smut book. Let’s do it. One set in Scotland? Great! Why not?”
When I tell you I was 40% through the book before anything smutty happened, whatsoever, I am not exaggerating. Now when the smut began, there was quite a bit, but still not as much as I expected.
The story was fine. A marriage contract between two strangers who know nothing about each other, each believing they’re getting what they want. I didn’t really care for the FMC. She was bratty (kind of the point, I guess) and annoying (also maybe the point). They both have tragic pasts that have colored their present. Plus, some swinger parties and sub/dom stuff.
‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins
Re-Read 🎧
I haven’t read the original trilogy since high school, so I thought it was time for a refresher. It all still holds up, and it’s fun to remember the differences between book and movie.
