Thank you for addressing that rape/assault against a male character by a female character is still assault and should be treated as such! OMG! I read a YA book with that a few years ago and it was so problematic but so many people ignored it because a female did it to a male. It bugs me to no end.
for real! it seems like something more authors are including in books, but are not handling it the same way as they would when it's a female survivor. it's upsetting that there is a double standard in real life, but even more upsetting when an author doesn't choose to address that double standard in their writing when they CAN
your look in this video is popping off, omg, we love a 60s queen. also, you're so eloquent when talking about books you don't like. as someone who is often reduced to sounds only vaguely resembling the english language when talking about books that suck, i cannot relate!!!
I just found this girl's channel. I don't even have words to describe how freaking awesome I think her personality is. She's the most badass girl on the planet! I love it!
The premise of The Secret Girl sounds kinda like Oran Highschool Host Club (anime on netflix)... but the girl character in Oran doesn’t like any of the guys but they’re all obsessed with her and it’s actually funny and good.
In regards to "why hate the child for what their mother did?" Question about the Unlikely event. I'm from ireland and youd be surprised how Judgemental we can be. Catholicism has morphed some of our opinions and reactions over the years. If you got pregnant out of wedlock, the police would come in the night and take you away to a laundry where you'd work until birth and be separated from you child and them adopted off. That's one example. When the mother is thought of as "the other women" and then the child hated, I wasn't surprised. The mother ruined a good catholic mans marriage. *eye roll*
I’m happy you talked about the sexual assault of the male character. I feel like it’s rarely treated properly in books. I remember I read a YA book a couple of years ago were a girl takes advantage of a guy who couldn’t consent. (It was some sort of brain injury) he told her that he didn’t want to be more than friends . Late on when he found out what she did he got mad (rightfully so) and she played victim for the rest of the book. It made me really upset
Sugar Daddy would have been an amazing thriller based on your description. I would have loved to read a revenge tale. Following along with her plan, reading about how she almost gets caught, seeing the plan evolve, etc.
The story about Jack is very different from what you assumed. You have to read the other books in the trilogy to know the whole story. Lovely Vicious is my favorite trilogy ever. Isis Blake is a badass.
Very informative commentary and criticisms, plus it's nice to see your passion which causes one to seriously consider reading or skipping a story. As a composer of original music themes performed on the guitar for book trailers about comics, I like such reviews / thoughts since it helps me create promotional narratives for stories I complement with original music with a goal to entice readers. Your directness and honesty is very influential to readers and artists like me, thanks for being out there and expressing such important messages!
😭😭 I’ve been bingeing your videos all day and then u bless me with this treat. Shit I am just not sure...I still want to read a curse so dark and lonely but I’ve seen it on a few “worst” lists so far!
I knew The Secret Girl would be on this list since it sounded like a hot mess in your “I read 5” video including it. But all of these sound like such hot messes 🤣 I’m glad I decided to not add The Unlikely Event to my TBR. I read one of L.J. Shen’s standalones (Midnight Blue) and was NOT impressed. Looking forward to the other videos in this series 💕
I dnf'ed A Curse So Dark and Lonely because it didn't feel like a fantasy at all. Like, to me, if you're going too write fantasy, there's a certain...style? Not that all fantasies read the same, of course, but usually they're all more focused on describing things because the world is different, etc. It felt like a light contemporary in the writing, and the world just sort of felt like it had a hand wavey European theme. So the Secret Girl is a mix Boys Over Flowers and Ouran High School Host Club but bad?
Love your channel and how you care so much about representation, but thought I should flag up that referring to sex workers as “prostitutes” is considered a slur by those in the community, particularly when combined with the idea that they “sell themselves” or their bodies when in fact they are considered to sell their time and their services. Just thought I’d raise this because I know you wouldn’t intentionally use language that’s considered derogatory against a marginalised group! ❤️
Damn, the only one of these I had on my TBR was a curse so dark and lonely but I’m not super interested in reading that one anymore 😬 love these kind of videos, I’m here for the roast!!! 🤣🤣
Ah, "In the Unlikely Event." I'm reading that now. Haven't gotten to the crazy yet but I'm well prepared for it now. It boggles my mind that there are so many 5 star reviews on Goodreads.
The story hit me good I love the angst but definitely not happy with how it ended or some part of the story is just getting me pissed and angry But hope you enjoyed the book!
I love some good drama between characters but the use of miscommunication is so frustrating and not in a entertaining way. It just makes me want to stop reading bc the characters are being so stupid 😂
Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to pick up In the Unlikely Event because of the reviews I’ve seen. And Vandal was a HOT MESS. I enjoyed book one in that series, but books two and three were really not good reads...
ooo i haven't read book 3 but looks like i'll be skipping that one too. it's so weird because i LOVE carian cole's most recent series. i guess she has grown as an author haha
So basically with the secret girl, you're saying that the author is slightly or offensively homophobic. I'm not really understanding that because even if one of the boys is not gay he could be pansexual or bisexual or even biromantic for that matter. It's not inherently a copy of ohhc either. In the author community, people sometimes use tropes or ideas they have seen from other works of literature.
lol I actually like cm stunich's book but I admit the secret girl was not the best I think you should actually read Allison's Adventures in Underland. also a reverse harem one of my favourite books
I love the Secret Girl and the rest of the series. I truly think if you gave the rest of them a chance you might like it. I understand the homophobia you’re addressing but that’s not really how I took it. I thought about the setting and storyline a lot when readings those scenes. Mostly just thinking about the fact that it’s an all boys school, it’s a bully romance, and it’s honestly realistic to how a lot of LGBTQ+ people are treated in certain circumstances today :/ In today’s age, as horrible as it is, people in that community sometimes find themselves in circumstances like some in the book. It wasn’t the author feeling that that way herself but more basing the writing off the way it often happens. Also, I also think a lot of people go through a stage where they might be confused about their sexuality. The way that part played out was really realistic to how someone who is a lot like the particular character may (not necessarily) react. It is just a book and I don’t think that’s what it’s all about. I guess it’s up to you whether to take it seriously or not but I found it very good read so I suggest reading the rest just to give them a shot! I totally understand where you’re coming from but this is just my opinion on your concerns, no disrespect!
The protagonist in Love me never has never been popular, she befriended a popular girl bc she was nicer to her than her supposed friend the queen bee. Her problems weren't at all resolve bc of her losing weight and that has never been glorified in the story. But gotta admit throughout the series there was too much sobby drama.
Have you read I Was Born Ruined by C.M Stunich? That's probably my favourite book from her & that's saying a lot lol Her books are entertaining but aren't the best on the market.
Uh. Insatiable was exactly opposite of what you mentioned. Patty’s life doesn’t get better just because she got skinny. In fact, she gets.... way more crazy
Luckily I only read one of these books, a curse so dark and lonely, and I found harper annoying. I’ve read 4 l.j.shen books and I’m on the other end of the scale. 3 of them have been standalone, all I’ve liked and 1 (vicious, the first of a series) I have 1 star too.
Ma'am, no offense but you gotta read the entire Lovely Vicious series by Sara Wolf (if you haven't already) to know about the whole story of the "random girl"😭
Maybe this might be my inner weeb talking, but am I the only one that got a Ouran High School Host Club vibe from The Secret Girl? Ouran High School Host Club is about a girl who goes to a fancy private school, breaks an expensive vase and is forced by the members of a host club to pay off her dept. The catch is that she has to pretend that she's a boy to not piss off the female clients. What makes that anime great and the other fall flat is a couple things. 1) The manga/anime was surprisingly progressive. Haruhi's father is a bisexual crossdresser. That's never taken as a joke or something to be mocked, instead all of the guys in the host club treat him like they would anyone else and it's stated that's where Haruhi got her open minded attitude from. The guys in the host club learn of Haruhi's gender early on, so there's no homophobic bs. In fact, Haruhi also mentions early on that she doesn't care about what gender others see her as. She doesn't care if people use male pronouns for her, which is the reason why she wore the male uniform long before joining the host club. I'm pretty sure that if the manga was written now, she would be genderfluid, agender or non binary. The book you read, isn't that. 2) Ouran High School Host Club is genuinely charming and funny. Whereas this sounds like it's meant to be taken completely seriously, which makes it fall flat.
Vandal was definitely not the best book ever written. It gets a grade of C in my gradebook, which is disappointing because I really loved the book Torn, by the same author. I have to say the fact that the female main character, Tabi, set up the initial meeting as the beginning of her revenge plot, made her just as effed up as Vandal. So for me, two effed up people getting together, just save the rest of the world from their issues.
The love me never book sounds like a bad version of the book where the main guy (is in college) whores himself out to help his single mom keep the house or something. ( I can’t remember the name of that book)
Why can’t stories with people losing weight just be about why most people lose weight? Most of us just want to be healthy, the aesthetics don’t matter.
I think when you review or makes public opinions about a book you should have a complete idea about it. Otherwise it is an injustice to the reader as well as the author. If you have read all three books love me never, forget me always and remember me forever you would have a different idea about it. And it's not about giving women empowerment lessons on being yourself but about feelings and hardships suffered by a teenage girl and the way she tries to overcome physical emotional and mental assault by someone whom she cared by herself. It's her way of coping. You can't say that she should do it in a certain way. There is no right way to do it....everyone has there own... Even Jack story is not something like the way you understand. He has his own valid reasons for that. Please try to understand the book and its story before you make such videos
books, even in series, need to stand alone in being enjoyable. if i didn't enjoy a book, i am going to talk about it as it is the nature of my channel. i'm glad you found enjoyment in this series! it just wasn't for me.
Girl, CM stunich is not homophobic, she is bi she has a wife 🙄 you might want to search some things about an author before saying something dumb and putting it out there on the internet. Plus the book is not a hot mess, it has more reads and buys then you could ever get and you think that’s a hot mess, do you have a mirror?
Odd how you interpreted what she said that way! She clearly states that while it comes across slightly homophobic and uncomfortable she also explicitly says that it’s likely unintentional. Just because an author is bi doesn’t mean she can’t accidentally write things that come across the wrong way! Also a recommendation for next time you make a criticism, don’t insult the person and make very rude remarks as that really hinders people taking you seriously. It’s also just not right, you wouldn’t want to be spoken to in that way.
Thank you for addressing that rape/assault against a male character by a female character is still assault and should be treated as such! OMG! I read a YA book with that a few years ago and it was so problematic but so many people ignored it because a female did it to a male. It bugs me to no end.
for real! it seems like something more authors are including in books, but are not handling it the same way as they would when it's a female survivor. it's upsetting that there is a double standard in real life, but even more upsetting when an author doesn't choose to address that double standard in their writing when they CAN
your look in this video is popping off, omg, we love a 60s queen. also, you're so eloquent when talking about books you don't like. as someone who is often reduced to sounds only vaguely resembling the english language when talking about books that suck, i cannot relate!!!
"popping off" lmao
I just found this girl's channel. I don't even have words to describe how freaking awesome I think her personality is. She's the most badass girl on the planet! I love it!
The premise of The Secret Girl sounds kinda like Oran Highschool Host Club (anime on netflix)... but the girl character in Oran doesn’t like any of the guys but they’re all obsessed with her and it’s actually funny and good.
Or Hana Kimi series. It's quite a trope in Japanese manga/anime I guess.
"I killed your whole damn husband" OMG I'm laughing so hard
I almost cracked up at work. So good. Lol 😂
Oh it's truly my favorite time of the year. Love to hear about the favorites but also the worst reads. Both are amusing in different ways.
For me "Love me Never" was the best novel ever
So the secret girl is basically the plot of Ouran Highschool Host Club but not cute
Or Hana Kimi?
@@ridiculousspider I don't know Hana Kimi is good?
@@Paulapoet if you like cute and ridiculous manga, yea. It was sweet and a fun ride.
"I killed your whole damn husband"
Can- can you kill half of a husband?
"No, I killed your whole damn husband" 😂😂
In regards to "why hate the child for what their mother did?" Question about the Unlikely event.
I'm from ireland and youd be surprised how Judgemental we can be. Catholicism has morphed some of our opinions and reactions over the years. If you got pregnant out of wedlock, the police would come in the night and take you away to a laundry where you'd work until birth and be separated from you child and them adopted off. That's one example.
When the mother is thought of as "the other women" and then the child hated, I wasn't surprised. The mother ruined a good catholic mans marriage. *eye roll*
1 minute in and I already know I can’t read the first book, the name Malikai makes me picture the kids from children of the corn.
“Soap operas wish they could be this dramatic.” 😆😆 LOVE your earrings, wheeeeeere can I get them?
target! lol
I’m happy you talked about the sexual assault of the male character. I feel like it’s rarely treated properly in books. I remember I read a YA book a couple of years ago were a girl takes advantage of a guy who couldn’t consent. (It was some sort of brain injury) he told her that he didn’t want to be more than friends . Late on when he found out what she did he got mad (rightfully so) and she played victim for the rest of the book. It made me really upset
Sugar Daddy would have been an amazing thriller based on your description. I would have loved to read a revenge tale. Following along with her plan, reading about how she almost gets caught, seeing the plan evolve, etc.
The story about Jack is very different from what you assumed. You have to read the other books in the trilogy to know the whole story.
Lovely Vicious is my favorite trilogy ever. Isis Blake is a badass.
Very informative commentary and criticisms, plus it's nice to see your passion which causes one to seriously consider reading or skipping a story. As a composer of original music themes performed on the guitar for book trailers about comics, I like such reviews / thoughts since it helps me create promotional narratives for stories I complement with original music with a goal to entice readers. Your directness and honesty is very influential to readers and artists like me, thanks for being out there and expressing such important messages!
😭😭 I’ve been bingeing your videos all day and then u bless me with this treat. Shit I am just not sure...I still want to read a curse so dark and lonely but I’ve seen it on a few “worst” lists so far!
I could listen to you speak about everything and anything all day
ahh thank you!!! a curse so dark and lonely drove me bored out of my mind!!!
i felt the same about a curse so dark and lonely. everything felt so slow and dry. it really didn’t feel like a fantasy book at all.
I knew The Secret Girl would be on this list since it sounded like a hot mess in your “I read 5” video including it. But all of these sound like such hot messes 🤣 I’m glad I decided to not add The Unlikely Event to my TBR. I read one of L.J. Shen’s standalones (Midnight Blue) and was NOT impressed. Looking forward to the other videos in this series 💕
I dnf'ed A Curse So Dark and Lonely because it didn't feel like a fantasy at all. Like, to me, if you're going too write fantasy, there's a certain...style? Not that all fantasies read the same, of course, but usually they're all more focused on describing things because the world is different, etc. It felt like a light contemporary in the writing, and the world just sort of felt like it had a hand wavey European theme.
So the Secret Girl is a mix Boys Over Flowers and Ouran High School Host Club but bad?
i knew you’d pick ITUE fair enough,, also this background reminds me of ur first videos
Love your channel and how you care so much about representation, but thought I should flag up that referring to sex workers as “prostitutes” is considered a slur by those in the community, particularly when combined with the idea that they “sell themselves” or their bodies when in fact they are considered to sell their time and their services.
Just thought I’d raise this because I know you wouldn’t intentionally use language that’s considered derogatory against a marginalised group!
❤️
“Whore” and “whoring” is also language that should really only be used by those within the community 💜
thank you! i didn’t know that
chandler ainsley every day’s a school day 😎 thanks for putting out the great content ❤️
I've been bing watching your videos, and OML YES someone who also finds A curse so dark and lonely dull af!
... But you are so right about "A curse so dark and lonely" Mediocre is the perfect word for it!
Damn, the only one of these I had on my TBR was a curse so dark and lonely but I’m not super interested in reading that one anymore 😬 love these kind of videos, I’m here for the roast!!! 🤣🤣
😂I love this.
I’ve been thinking ALOT about quality and quantity. I’m hoping 2020 the quality of what I’m spending my time reading is better
amen to that! was pretty eye opening doing these end of the year vids cause i had a LOT of middle of the road reads and not many faves
I've never seen someone else dislike a curse so dark and lonely! I really didn't enjoy it 😢
Ah, "In the Unlikely Event." I'm reading that now. Haven't gotten to the crazy yet but I'm well prepared for it now. It boggles my mind that there are so many 5 star reviews on Goodreads.
The story hit me good I love the angst but definitely not happy with how it ended or some part of the story is just getting me pissed and angry But hope you enjoyed the book!
Yes! Finally someone that felt the same way about A Curse So Dark and Lonely as I did!! Just don’t understand the hype.
I love some good drama between characters but the use of miscommunication is so frustrating and not in a entertaining way. It just makes me want to stop reading bc the characters are being so stupid 😂
I completely agree with A Curse So Dark and Lonely because I dnfed it 😩
Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to pick up In the Unlikely Event because of the reviews I’ve seen. And Vandal was a HOT MESS. I enjoyed book one in that series, but books two and three were really not good reads...
ooo i haven't read book 3 but looks like i'll be skipping that one too. it's so weird because i LOVE carian cole's most recent series. i guess she has grown as an author haha
You’re the first person I’ve come across that hated A Curse So Dark and Lonely as well 😂😂 it was just not that great.
i knew the secret girl was going to make this list!
Everytime it was mentioned that malachy had PURPLE eyes I could not contain myself lol it was absolutely ridiculous
You look so pretty in this video!
So basically with the secret girl, you're saying that the author is slightly or offensively homophobic. I'm not really understanding that because even if one of the boys is not gay he could be pansexual or bisexual or even biromantic for that matter. It's not inherently a copy of ohhc either. In the author community, people sometimes use tropes or ideas they have seen from other works of literature.
lol I actually like cm stunich's book but I admit the secret girl was not the best I think you should actually read Allison's Adventures in Underland. also a reverse harem one of my favourite books
I love RH and C.M.Stunichs books too.. but I'm not a fan of the bully trope... cannot wait for the third book in Spirited series though!! 😍
I haven’t read any of these, thank gosh
I love the Secret Girl and the rest of the series. I truly think if you gave the rest of them a chance you might like it. I understand the homophobia you’re addressing but that’s not really how I took it. I thought about the setting and storyline a lot when readings those scenes. Mostly just thinking about the fact that it’s an all boys school, it’s a bully romance, and it’s honestly realistic to how a lot of LGBTQ+ people are treated in certain circumstances today :/ In today’s age, as horrible as it is, people in that community sometimes find themselves in circumstances like some in the book. It wasn’t the author feeling that that way herself but more basing the writing off the way it often happens. Also, I also think a lot of people go through a stage where they might be confused about their sexuality. The way that part played out was really realistic to how someone who is a lot like the particular character may (not necessarily) react. It is just a book and I don’t think that’s what it’s all about. I guess it’s up to you whether to take it seriously or not but I found it very good read so I suggest reading the rest just to give them a shot! I totally understand where you’re coming from but this is just my opinion on your concerns, no disrespect!
I hated A curse so dark and lonely as well. I just couldn't like it. Her contemporaries are so good but this was a complete fail
Which is the book beside Sawkill Girls?
the wicker king
@@chandlerainsley Thank you! You have a beautiful collection ❤️
I think the guy on the cover of Vandal was in that show Gigolos
Is there a book where the witch who cursed the beast is actually the love of his life
I love reverse harem because the whole love triangle is annoying to me. I'm like "pick all of them, what's the issue gurl oh my God just stop"
The protagonist in Love me never has never been popular, she befriended a popular girl bc she was nicer to her than her supposed friend the queen bee. Her problems weren't at all resolve bc of her losing weight and that has never been glorified in the story. But gotta admit throughout the series there was too much sobby drama.
the cp rep is the only reason I picked up a curse so dark and lonely.
Have you read I Was Born Ruined by C.M Stunich? That's probably my favourite book from her & that's saying a lot lol Her books are entertaining but aren't the best on the market.
Uh. Insatiable was exactly opposite of what you mentioned. Patty’s life doesn’t get better just because she got skinny. In fact, she gets.... way more crazy
sounds kinda like this book :)
i am cackling at the pickle comment
Luckily I only read one of these books, a curse so dark and lonely, and I found harper annoying. I’ve read 4 l.j.shen books and I’m on the other end of the scale. 3 of them have been standalone, all I’ve liked and 1 (vicious, the first of a series) I have 1 star too.
I've heard really mixed reviews of A Cure So Dark and Lonely. I can't really decide if I would like it or not.
Ma'am, no offense but you gotta read the entire Lovely Vicious series by Sara Wolf (if you haven't already) to know about the whole story of the "random girl"😭
I think The Secret Girl was based on the Asian TV series The Secret Garden
Maybe this might be my inner weeb talking, but am I the only one that got a Ouran High School Host Club vibe from The Secret Girl? Ouran High School Host Club is about a girl who goes to a fancy private school, breaks an expensive vase and is forced by the members of a host club to pay off her dept. The catch is that she has to pretend that she's a boy to not piss off the female clients. What makes that anime great and the other fall flat is a couple things.
1) The manga/anime was surprisingly progressive. Haruhi's father is a bisexual crossdresser. That's never taken as a joke or something to be mocked, instead all of the guys in the host club treat him like they would anyone else and it's stated that's where Haruhi got her open minded attitude from. The guys in the host club learn of Haruhi's gender early on, so there's no homophobic bs. In fact, Haruhi also mentions early on that she doesn't care about what gender others see her as. She doesn't care if people use male pronouns for her, which is the reason why she wore the male uniform long before joining the host club. I'm pretty sure that if the manga was written now, she would be genderfluid, agender or non binary. The book you read, isn't that.
2) Ouran High School Host Club is genuinely charming and funny. Whereas this sounds like it's meant to be taken completely seriously, which makes it fall flat.
Vandal was definitely not the best book ever written. It gets a grade of C in my gradebook, which is disappointing because I really loved the book Torn, by the same author. I have to say the fact that the female main character, Tabi, set up the initial meeting as the beginning of her revenge plot, made her just as effed up as Vandal. So for me, two effed up people getting together, just save the rest of the world from their issues.
The love me never book sounds like a bad version of the book where the main guy (is in college) whores himself out to help his single mom keep the house or something. ( I can’t remember the name of that book)
You really did not undersand Jack's story...
Why can’t stories with people losing weight just be about why most people lose weight? Most of us just want to be healthy, the aesthetics don’t matter.
In the unlikely event seems to be an interesting book judging from your review and anither one on goodreads. RIP one chocolate bar
Another*
Sugar Daddy sounds like.wasted potential. I really wanted to read it, but when you got to the climax, yikes. What a waste.
That first book is just so weird hearing everything that you had to say about it kind of puts me off from the author herself
I didn’t like A Curse So Dark and Lonely either
Vandal sounds like the conflict in Another Earth but no where near as good
I don't understand the "hate" for "In the unlikely event"...i really liked it🤷♀️
Interesting reads new friend Ruthie
Lol I don't like pickles
I think when you review or makes public opinions about a book you should have a complete idea about it. Otherwise it is an injustice to the reader as well as the author. If you have read all three books love me never, forget me always and remember me forever you would have a different idea about it. And it's not about giving women empowerment lessons on being yourself but about feelings and hardships suffered by a teenage girl and the way she tries to overcome physical emotional and mental assault by someone whom she cared by herself. It's her way of coping. You can't say that she should do it in a certain way. There is no right way to do it....everyone has there own... Even Jack story is not something like the way you understand. He has his own valid reasons for that. Please try to understand the book and its story before you make such videos
books, even in series, need to stand alone in being enjoyable. if i didn't enjoy a book, i am going to talk about it as it is the nature of my channel. i'm glad you found enjoyment in this series! it just wasn't for me.
Girl, CM stunich is not homophobic, she is bi she has a wife 🙄 you might want to search some things about an author before saying something dumb and putting it out there on the internet. Plus the book is not a hot mess, it has more reads and buys then you could ever get and you think that’s a hot mess, do you have a mirror?
Odd how you interpreted what she said that way! She clearly states that while it comes across slightly homophobic and uncomfortable she also explicitly says that it’s likely unintentional. Just because an author is bi doesn’t mean she can’t accidentally write things that come across the wrong way! Also a recommendation for next time you make a criticism, don’t insult the person and make very rude remarks as that really hinders people taking you seriously. It’s also just not right, you wouldn’t want to be spoken to in that way.