Joie du Livre

Tag: book review

  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

    No spoiler overview

    I wanted to read The Love Hypothesis before the movie came out, and I was in need of something lighter. This was a very cute romance, with lots of comedy. I appreciated that, while in a niche setting, we got just enough context to stay informed without taking us fully away from the story. There was certainly enough to relate to as a woman in a male-dominated industry, so it never felt so far removed from normalcy.

    And can we talk about Lili Reinhart’s TikTik… It’s a masterclass in building buzz. Like, c’mon.

    Full review

    Overall, I liked the story and the cast of characters. Thank goodness for a strong group of friends in a romance, rather than two people in a weird vacuum. Our main character, Olive, could be so awkward it was physically painful at points. But it seemed to do it for Adam, so I guess that’s what really matters.

    I appreciated that there was actual plot substance around the romance, rather than the only focus being on the love story. Romances that strictly focus on the relationship drama feel very unrealistic. The real world involves friends and work and travel and so much more than a romantic interest. I felt like we got a great balance of the real world and the romance in The Love Hypothesis.

    The one area I disliked was the narration. It was supposed to be third person but there were random moments we seemed to jump into Olive’s POV. I’ve already returned my copy to the library, so I don’t have a specific example. But it was like her thought got cut off and she would mentally stutter. Personally, I prefer that type of stream-of-consiousness to come from a first person POV. Since we only followed Olive, it could’ve worked. That being said, I think this might be an instance where I like the movie over the book.

    Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

  • Katabasis by RF Kuang

    No spoiler overview

    Katabasis is an incredible exploration of the hero’s journey. I felt like this story was an activity in taking a step back to look at what life is about, and why we go through the messiness of life. Similar to Babel, this book is heavy on allusions. I don’t feel stupid for not knowing them all, but makes me curious to explore more. Classic to Kuang, there are lots of twists and turns to keep a reader on their toes.

    Rebecca Kuang has a knack for writing stories that make you want to learn more and come up with your own hypothesis. While it wasn’t perfectly executed, Katabasis got me thinking, which I always value. Afterwards I reflected on the cost of ambition, the impact of kindness, and the things that really matter in life.

    Full review

    There’s so much to unpack from this book. I think I could reread this several times and still find more. On my first read, one of the major points that stood out to me was the feminism (maybe that should be in quotes). The scene between Alice and the female advisor after she was abused really stuck with me. This advisor claims to be a feminist who paved the way for other women in the field to excel. Instead of doing what she could to help further Alice’s career, she took it as an opportunity to stand on a soapbox. Alice wasn’t in the right with her negative attitude toward this woman either. But how different would things be if she’d helped Alice instead?

    I will say, the romantic angle of this book caught me of guard. Alice and Peter have a very typical rivals-to-lovers arc, but in the weirdest setting (finding love in a hopeless place to the max). The romance didn’t detract from the overall story for me, but it did not feel the most natural. The major breakthrough moment, when Peter is sacrificing himself for Alice, felt like it came out of nowhere. We didn’t get a lot of emotion until that point which would’ve taken the reader along a little more.

    Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

  • People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

    People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

    No spoiler overview

    While this has many of the elements that typically make up a good romance, this was not my favorite. I’ve read most Emily Henry books, and I love most of them. People We Meet on Vacation is toward the bottom of the list, though (nothing will top Book Lovers when it comes to Emily Henry for me). I found that there were too many loose ends for a romance, when I want things wrapped up nicely at the end.

    Full review

    Call me old fashioned, but I like for my romance to have a good ol’ external factor keeping the love interests apart. Not sheer stupidity. The miscommunication trope is my least favorite on the face of the earth, and that’s pretty much all this book is. So many of their issues (with each other and themselves) could’ve been resolved by good discussion with friends, family, or therapist. 

    Rachel as a character confused me. At first I was happy we had a friend who was outside of things, who could hopefully help Poppy find clarity. But she didn’t help with anything, other than being a connection to her therapist mother. 

    So what did I like. I will say that Henry built suspense around “the incident” pretty well with the flashbacks. It kept me curious about what had happened, and what was going to happen with our idiots. I also liked that the guy from her high school apologized, helping her realize the story she built up might not be real. And I was glad Poppy apologized to Alex’s ex for all of the stringing along, because that was messed up. I really appreciated the boss recognizing that she needed something different, and helping her find a next step.

    I often read romance as a reminder of joyful things, to get a sense that everything will turn out ok in the end. Unfortunately, People We Meet On Vacation ended unresolved and unsatisfying.

  • Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

    Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

    Ok yes, I read Wuthering Heights for the first time ahead of the 2026 movie adaptation release. I want to say it’s because I told myself I would read more classics this year. But it’s mainly because I wanted to join in the conversation and know what everyone was talking about. 

    This one took me a while, over two months, to get through (my average time to finish a book is 17 days, according to StoryGraph). A huge part of that is because the characters are just so unlikeable. They’re all so horrible to each other, for seemingly no reason. I’ve always had a hard time reading books when I find the characters unlikeable. I knew there were going to be some gems within this book though, so I pushed through.  

    There’s a lot already being said about the book that I agree with, so I won’t repeat what’s out there. Generally:

    • I don’t think this is a romance. This is a very dark story, with lots of layers (of which romance is one).
    • There’s some stunningly beautiful writing. 
    • Movie Heathcliff should definitely have been a person of color because it changes the whole story. (I still haven’t seen the movie but I’m working on it…)

    I agreed with most of what Brittany Broski had to say about it in her podcast and I’d say it’s worth a listen. Brittany articulates a lot of my feelings about how Emily Brontë fits so much into this story.

    One thing that I keep reflecting on which I haven’t seen a lot about is how Heathcliff and Nellie have so many parallels. They’re both born in the lower class but raised along with the upper class, well educated and with sharp minds. They both seek to manipulate those around them to get their ideal outcome. And they both are harsh judges of those around them. Heathcliff seems to recognize this, and considers Nellie one of the closest people to him. But Nellie is determined to distance herself as much as possible from Heathcliff. 

    Nellie wants to believe she is a good person, but she’s also gotten twisted by external circumstances. She says some really cruel things about the people around her. She’s just as intent on making people do things the way she wants, it’s just that her tactics aren’t as direct as Heathcliff’s. 

    Instead of empathy and reflection on the external circumstances, Nellie believes that Heathcliff is acting wholly from the evil in his heart. Don’t get me wrong, he definitely is not a good person. But he didn’t become this way for no reason. It makes me very sad. The story would have been very different if anyone in this book had shown a little bit of empathy early on. For me, Wuthering Heights is a good reminder that the way we treat those around us can have a bigger impact than we think.

  • Heart the Lover by Lily King

    Heart the Lover by Lily King

    No spoiler overview

    Heart the Lover is a short and quick read, but it packs a punch. A beautiful story that eloquently captures all the little moments that make up big emotions. It follows one woman and her journey to freeing herself in an adult coming-of-age.

    Full review

    King so well captured the duality of college for me. This freedom that you can do whatever you want, become whoever you want while you’re there. But on the flip side, the looming fear of real life and adulthood and responsibilities that impact all your decisions. Casey finds freedom, while Yash sinks deep into the fear. You want their love to be enough to get them through it, but also recognize that they both have a lot of work to do to become themselves. Yash could only ever write in other people’s words, and Casey could not find any words at all. Unfortunately it took a deathbed for them to get through to each other.

    Part I had me nervous for our narrator. She quickly lost herself in these boys, so much so that we only know their nicknames for her most of the book. And then of course there’s the end of Part I. I had to put the book away for a few days before I could work up the courage to keep going. I was so worried that the pregnancy was going to destroy her life, and she’d be pining after Yash the rest of the time. (What does it say that that was my expectation? Pretty sad.) 

    And then, of course, there’s Sam. Can’t say I felt very bad for him in Part I. For a while I thought the first page (“You knew I’d write a book about you someday.”) was about Sam, and I was not excited about that. Their relationship sucked, and he sucked, which makes so much sense when you meet his family and they suck even more. I know he was trying to do his best. I can understand the part of him grappling with his strict religious views in relationships. But it doesn’t excuse his behavior to Casey.

    Even while I say that, I can understand why Yash wasn’t willing to easily let go of Sam’s friendship. Deep down Sam wanted to be a good person, and he had to work through some stuff off-page to get there. I’m glad he got some redemption in the end, that he and Casey resolved things, that he’s still Yash’s friend. 

    I am so incredibly glad Casey went on to have a good life. She wrote, became an acclaimed writer, had her own family, found a love that took all of her. There are still some valleys in her life, but it’s overall good. It hurts that it wasn’t with Yash, but she deserved the life where she can be herself and not just a pet name! And the guy who shows up for her at the airport even when she isn’t expecting it!  

    The end was devastating. Between her son, Jack, and Yash, I would have lost it if I was in her shoes. Thank goodness she did tell Yash about their daughter, that provided some needed closure for the story (and for her, I think).

    I think Yash is going to look after Jack. I think the feeling Casey had while looking at him at the end was Yash, maybe also her mom, letting her know that they’ll protect him.