Beware of the book dragon!

A gripping sequel to This Mortal Coil, which was already a brilliant read! Just as fast-paced and intelligent, it hit that spot I didn't realise I missed until I read this book! It still touches on moral and scientific ambiguity, however, it had its own Easter eggs embedded within, and every plot twist was one I didn't see coming! So keen for book 3 to come out!!! Rating: 5/5

I found this book really dense, and it didn't live up to my expectations (I had high hopes for this one!). I was bored for at least the first 85 pages. They were quite descriptive, however, it didn't have enough plot for me to be hooked enough. I found the story predictable as well. Not my cup of tea, but I can see its literary merit. Rating: 3/5

A spectacular, fast-paced read! The writing was crisp, yet left me with enough detail! This book provided me with a quite well-rounded and strong main character, Eila, as well as an interesting villain and side characters. The plot was also clearly well though out, and I just had to keep reading! As a fan of tech-based stories, this book takes filled that need! I 100% recommend this book for fans of the Insignia series (S.J. Kincaid) and Jinxed (Amy McCulloch). Rating: 5/5

This book was WOW. Set in Melbourne, it follows Bea Babbage who recently moved to the city from Perth, trying to find herself whilst tracking down a mystery writer.    I loved every page of this book and I felt a connection to Bea and the other characters. The plot itself  also got me hook, line, and sinker and I loved EVERY page of this book.  The book references and relatableness of the coffee addiction Bea made this book very well rounded! Rating: 5/5 Thanks to Simon & Schuster (Australia) and NetGalley for the eARC!

An in-depth, intriguing fantasy book, that feels very anime-like! I really enjoyed the descriptiveness of the scenes and how the characters interacted! I was also really intrigued by the amount of Japanese culture and folklore laced throughout the book. Another plus is that all the characters introduced relate to each, even if it didn't make sense to me at first! I only wish the POVs were labelled so that I could quickly understand each character more. Rating: 3.75/5

Crispy, straight-to-the-point writing, plenty of depth character-wise. I completely fell in loved with the mix of action with dystopia, with just the right amount of dark and sinisterness about it. It wasn't crazy or melodramatic at all. I couldn't help myself but to root for both of the main characters, but I wish the ending had a little more depth to it! Rating: 4/5

The PERFECT book for a bookworm like me!!! The plot and character development were spot on and I could see myself scattered in a lot of characters! This book made me laugh, say yikes countless times, and also cry. I also appreciated the mention of several of my fave classic authors(!!!) and just the whole book in general. I want more! Rating: 4.5/5

A really enjoyable collection of stories, that were diverse and spanned a bunch of topics, not just the queer+ community. It certainly lived up to the kindred definition, and also had a bunch of feel good, hug from an old friend type of story. Being a short story collection, development of characters was a little scant (just my taste), but it didn't detract away from the stories and messages that were shared within the pages. Rating: 4/5

An ambitious collection of interlinked short stories based on the history on the surrounds of Lake Illawarra. I rather enjoyed all the stories, however my favourites were Will's and Bel's, as they felt like they had the most in-depth stories, in comparison to all the all stories. I also  enjoyed the whole layout of the book timeline, going forward in time, and then back again, which rounded the story well. Rating: 5/5

TW: Death, anorexia A suspenseful, fast-paced story that touches on tough issues such as anorexia, death, friendship, and scandal. The storyline is consistent and engaging from the get-go, and well written and researched. I found the main characters were quite vivid by description and any touchy topics were touched on in a sensitive way. Rating: 4/5 Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books/HarperCollins for the eARC!

Sentient spaceships. Romance. Fast paced. Fun. The plot is such a great idea, however, I felt that the execution of the plot was a little lacklustre, especially at the start. That being said, the characters did eventually capture my interest and heck I even cried at some parts of the book! Not only does it have sci-fi and romance, but a bit of horror (but not so much that I'd have nightmares), it also deals with loyalty, friendship, family, and death. Rating: 3.75/5 TW: Death

A short and snappy book, that was consistently fast paced. The main characters even with their flaws are likeable, and I kept rooting for them the whole book. I also enjoyed the focus on the plot, and how the characters dealt with it. The themes explored (friendship, death, asylum seeking, equality) were dealt with in a manner that really caught my attention well. Rating: 4/5 Thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

An epic space story that is like The Breakfast Club meets the Guardians of the Galaxy. Featuring the been-sleeping-for-200-years girl Aurora, it follows a bunch of misfits who discover Aurora stowed away on their ship. The book focuses on the themes of friendship and loyalty; with a bit of romance in there too. The characters were sassy, and there was plenty of amusing banter and action scenes. The character descriptions were a little shallow, but the epic plot made up for that! Rating: 4.5/5

Disappearing Earth is just wow. I truly loved it. Opening on the disappearance of two young girls on the Kamchatka peninsula, it follows the impact of the two girls' disappearance on the community over the following months, and through the lives of other women in the wider region.  Phillips has done an amazing job of intertwining each character throughout the story, and just made each character's impact on the unfolding tale all the more real-feeling. The writing itself is quite  elegant and it flowed from month to month seamlessly.   The ending was also incredibly moving, and shows the importance of protecting those we love. Rating: 5/5