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Reni Reviews

Fake Dates and Mooncakes

Finished: 15th July 2025

Genre: YA Romcom

May be for you if you like: Chinese culture and food, bad puns, K-Pop, Crazy Rich Asians, unlikely lovers, baking, strong family bonds, fake dating

Synopsis

Meet Dylan Tang: he juggles school and delivery runs for his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Winning a mooncake competition could bring the publicity they need to stay afloat. Enter Theo Somers: a charming, wealthy customer who convinces Dylan to be his fake date to a family wedding full of crazy rich drama. Their romance is supposed to be just for show . . . but soon Dylan’s falling for Theo. For real.

With the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being distracted by rich-people problems. Can he save his family’s business and follow his heart – or will he fail to do both?

Review

I really loved this book! I was a bit hesistant to read it at first, because I'm not the biggest fan of fake dating as a romance trope and the premise around the fake dating sounded dumb to me - and to be honest, it still is pretty stupid lol. Nontheless, I stuck around for the baking competition aspect of the story (I'm a passionate baker).

I will say that the book leaned way more into the fake dating portion, and the bake off was a bit rushed at the end to just get this resolved, which was a bit disappointing to me personally. However I did like the fake dating aspect surprisingly well, because it wasn't this old "We both think we're faking when we're not"-spiel; Dylan and Theo were pretty obviously in love. Their issues came more from their different socioeconomic backgrounds, so it felt all pretty believable. The lavish wedding and high society shenaningas felt pretty accurate (to me, a poor lol) and fun, and it was overall just a nice swoony love story that gave me the feels.

Dylan was a cute lead whom I could personally relate to with his snarky sarcasm and love for food and animals, but his love interest Theo really stole my heart - he is a walking green flag with a big heart and a lot of care for those he loves. They are such a cute pair and I liked that they just... liked each other. No drama between them (just Theo's family) and no shitty hamfisted fight - just two boys trying to navigate their feelings in a society that values money and reputation more than genuine love. I loved them both so much. The side characters were great too - from Dylan's aunt Jade to Theo's cousin Terri (she has my WHOLE heart okay) and his butler (yes, there is indeed a butler) and aside from one guy there was nobody I didn't love.

I enjoyed the narration style very much too as it was sprinkled with quibs and sarcastic one-liners that are very quotable, but also had genuinely heartfelt moments. I especially liked the cultural aspects and the implementation of Chinese folklore and language!

So yes overall this was a very enjoyable read, even though the marketing was a tiny bit misleading in regards to the baking competition - buuut it was still there so it's fine. The positives definitely outweigh that one negative, so: Keep calm and bake mooncakes (or just eat them) - and read this novel!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

One of Us Is Next by Karen McManus

Finished: 8th September 2024

Genre: YA Mystery

May be for you if you like: The Lying Game, multiple POV, character driven stories

Content Warning: Cancer scare

Synopsis

It's been a year since the events of One Of Us Is Lying, but nothing has settled for the residents of Bayview- not now that someone has started playing a sinister game of Truth or Dare.

Choose truth? You must reveal your darkest secret. Choose dare? Well, that could be even more dangerous. Even deadly.

When the game takes an even darker turn, suddenly no one at Bayview High knows who to trust, but they need to find out who is behind the game, before it's too late.

Review

Unpopular opinion alert: I liked this way more than the first book of the trilogy. This was quite surprising because I actually didn't even think of reading this - the first book wrapped up quite nicely and didn't need a sequel in my opinion. This opinion still stands, and yet I'm glad to have read this book!

It does my favorite sequel thing: Having new characters be the protagonists, with the old protagonists as support. In this book, this was especially delightful since it meant spending less time with Nate and Bronwyn, yay! Instead, her younger sister Maeve takes the lead alongside her friends Knox and Phoebe - and they do make much more interesting characters. Especially Maeve was my favorite because I could relate to her so much - she is smart and sassy, and also scared of being terribly sick. Phoebe works in the same café as our beloved queen Addy and she's a bit ditzy at first but very sweet.

The Truth or Dare game was much more intriguing to me than solving Simon's murder, as it had much higher stakes for the protagonists and impacted everyone in the city equally. The solution surprised me a lot this time and it felt pretty satisfying.

The writing style was again pretty fast paced, humorous and gripping. Overall, this was a good YA mystery novel that focused a bit more on the protagonists' lives.

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Other Titles in the Series

One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Back

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Reni Reviews

Selfless - The Social Creation of "You" by Dr. Brian Lowery, PhD

Finished: 7th July 2025

Genre: Nonfiction

May be for you if you like: Psychology, sociology, human relationships, human identity

Synopsis

There’s nothing we spend more time with, but understand less, than ourselves. You’ve been with yourself every waking moment of your life. But who—or, rather, what—are you? In Selfless, Brian Lowery argues for the radical idea that the “self” as we know it—that “voice in your head”—is a social construct, created in our relationships and social interactions. We are unique because our individual pattern of relationships is unique. We change because our relationships change. Your self isn’t just you, it’s all around you.

Review

I'm a researcher primarily concerned with the topic of identity and the construction of "self", as well as a stout admirer of Dr. Brian Lowery, so his book was basically a "must-read" for me. As a so-called essentialist, I don't particularly agree with every claim this book makes, but it was an invigorating read nontheless.

Lowery offers a fun perspective on what it means to be a "self" - what does it mean to be not just a person, but really you. What or who makes you you? Well, he argues for the stance that you are made by the people around you, that you exist because you exist around other people - and to an extent, this stance is neither new nor shocking (every social psychologist will agree - even essentialists like me), but Lowery takes it to a sort of "extreme" that was challenging for me. It was challenging, but also extremely fun and inspiring.

He references major historical or (pop-)cultural people and events through his lens, which offered entirely new perspectives for me. He deconstructs categories like race, gender or nationality and explains how it's possible that these aspects or so wildly controversal today - in a way, his book was a bit ahead of its time when it was published in 2021.

The best aspect of this book is the very clear, precise and even entertaining way Lowery narrates his ideas - this book is written for everyone to understand, and I'd recommend it for the general public even moreso than fellow psychologists.

If you're interested in yourself and society at large, I'd recommend becoming a "self" that has their ideas shaped and added into by Brian Lowery!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

Finished: 1st July 2025

Genre: Murder Mystery

May be for you if you like: 1st Person POV, boarding school settings, class commentary, satire, diverse characters, A Good Girls Guide to Murder, Pretty Little Liars

Synopsis

When Hugh Henry Van Boren, one of the most popular and richest kids in Jess Choudhary's school, is found dead, the student body is left reeling and wondering who the murderer could be... Jess, a student under strict instructions to keep her record clean or risk losing her scholarship, finds herself at the centre of the investigation when it's revealed that Hugh died in the exact same way as a character in a short story she wrote.

And then Jess receives an anonymous text thanking her for the inspiration. With time running out, Jess knows if she doesn't solve this mystery she'll finally have something in common with Hugh Henry - She'll be dead too.

Review

I'll be honest, this is a clear case of "Don't judge a book by its cover" for me, for I almost didn't read this book because the cover looks so cheap and low-effort, I assumed the book must be, too. However, this is one of the best YA murder mystery novels I've read in a long time, if not the best overall - so let's get into it, shall we?

The Story

appears to be rather surface level at first: Our protagonist goes to a fancy rich people boarding school - and of course, she's an outcast because she's one of the few poor scholarship students. When the richest boy is murdered in a way that imitates Jess' short story, she has to investigate the case to clear her name and save her life. The influential secret Regia Club, a group of powerful students who often challenge their fellow classmates to dangerous dares, is also involved. So far, so good.

But MAN that execution! This books is just packed with (actually relevant) commentary of classism, racism, elitism as well as feminism and LGBTQ+ issues - without ever feeling preachy or patronizing. Furthermore, it satirizes the entire genre of YA murder mysteries and challenges common tropes.

The side plots uncover more about the side characters, and literally everything gets a satisyfing resolution in the end. Even though I guessed the murderer correctly rather soon, the reveal still felt satisyfing due to the explanation of motive, and the culprit's link to Jess.

The Characters

are a 100/10! Jess is an amazing protagonist, who is snarky, sarcastic, and a bit of an outcast due to her standoffishness (which she doesn't lose completely in the end, which was cool!). She grows quite significantly over the course of the novel and gets over her feelings of inferiority due to her scholarship status. I was so proud of her in the end. Also, it was amazing having an Indian lead for once!

So, the rest. Let's start with Tommy, who is the victim's best friend, a knitter, a suspect, a detective - and Jess' crush. He was so cute and endearing and I love him. Jess' nemesis Summer is also a scholarship student, and she's even more ambitious and standoffish than Jess. She's also a prime suspect because she wrote the story together with Jess, so they team up - unwillingly at first, but I loved their relationship progression so much. Clem is Jess' only friend in the beginning, and she's very much giving "Disney-esque best friend character to the plain lead" because she's rich, an environmental activist, and wears mismatched socks. She's Hugh's girlfriend and thus very interested in solving his murder. There are some other characters like the Applewell twins, Eddy, Millie and Hugh himself, but I feel like I've been talking too much already, so I'll leave it at: I liked them all and they were all multifaceted!

Special shoutout to Mr. Willett, the private detective, whose only job was running around and spouting cryptic nonsense. Loved this persiflage of the all-knowing detective!

The Worldbuilding

felt believable, as the private boarding school was characterized rather nicely. I never forgot where I was and why things were happening the way they happened, so that was very nice!

The Narration

is simply incredible. Jess' recounts her story with so much wit and humour that I will quote this book for ages. The occasional foreshadowing due to the narrator's retrospective outlook brought something suspenseful to the story, but also highlighted how Jess herself views some things differently now and how the truth changes with hindsight. Absolutely delightful.

Final Thoughts

No thougts, just the appeal to read this!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang

Finished: 7th September 2024

Genre: YA Romance, Coming of Age

May be for you if you like: Academic Rivals to Lovers, POC leads, character driven stories, miscommunication, good girl finally snaps

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Sadie Wen is perfect on paper. It’s a reputation she’s fought hard to earn at the highly prestigious Woodvale Academy, and one she’s determined to maintain until graduation. The trick to keeping her model-student-smile plastered on her face at all times? She channels all her petty frustrations into her email drafts. One for the math teacher who refused to round her eighty-nine-point-nine percent up to ninety; one for the girl who blatantly copied her science project and took the credit for it. But most of her vehemently-worded emails are for her smug, infuriating co-captain, Julius Gong, who’s been the sharpest thorn in her side ever since they were kids. Sadie never meant for these emails to get out ... but now her whole life is about to change...

Review

Aaaah I LOVED this book! Sadie is the perfect character for me to identify with - she puts a lot of pressure on herself to be perfect in all aspects of life: She strives for perfect grades, perfect athletic results, and as student captain, she's determined to be liked by everyone. In other words - she's a massive people pleaser who needs external validation like air. And that is so funny because Sadie (said with love) is a petty bitch with a sharp tongue lol.

She channels her pettiness into emails addressed to everyone who's ever wronged her, without sending them of course. Honestly, I wish 17 year old me had been that creative.

When those emails are leaked though (and I liked that finding out who sent them was a B-plot for the book, it added some mystery!) Sadie's repuation is about to crash and burn, so she tries to repair it. One aspect of this is working together with her arch nemesis, Julius Gong.

And man. This book has PERFECTED the academic rivals to lovers trope. Sadie and Julius have a long history of a constant battle between the two, and they are actual equals! They both are so snarky towards each other, it's hilarious - and I especially loved how they continued to be rivals even after burying the hatchet!

This book is fun, reflective and hopeful for every perfectionist people pleaser out there - so please read it!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

Masquerade by Calum McSwiggan

Finished: 18th June 2025

Genre: Romance, Queer Romance

May be for you if you like: Time loop stories, prom, a diverse cast, movie references, petty rich kid drama

Synopsis

Prom is supposed to be the night you remember your whole life. But for seventeen-year-old Zach, it's about to become his whole life - after a kiss from a masked stranger, Zach finds himself stuck in a time loop, endlessly repeating the same day.

Zach thinks that the only way to break the cycle is to work out the identity of his mystery admirer. But when everyone around him is wearing masks of one kind or another, how can he ever find out who his true love might be?

Review

Groundhog Day... but make it gay and very cute! As a sucker for time loop stories and romcoms, I just knew I had to read this novel - and I actually got way more out of it than initially anticipated!

Even though Zach is the protagonist and his quest to find out the identity of his mystery kiss is pretty important, it's not the main plot of this book: We have to repair a friendship, play Cupid for Zach's friends, make someone realize their true potential, save someone else's reputation, unveil a conspiracy for internet virality... and steal a few cars. Well, steal one car multiple times! Don't worry though, we do eventually find out who Zach's masked mystery man is - and I personally thought the reveal was rather unexpected! I liked how the novel played around with conventions, and the ending was really satisfying.

Another thing that's worth pointing out is the way the "supernatural" element of the time loop is implemented into the world - I personally haven't seen it be treated like that before! I absolutely enjoyed the idea of some kind of "normalisation" of the unexplainable.

The cast is extremely diverse, with just about every letter in LGBTQA+ getting represented (we have a token straight character too lol) as well as many POC! They are also very lovable, with different quirks and personalities, so you're bound to root for each of their successes individually and as a whole! My personal favorite was the PE teacher, Miss Madzikanda, because those kids really put her through it and I could relate to that so much lol.

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

Finished: 13th June 2025

Genre: Murder Mystery

May be for you if you like: True Crime documentaries, character driven stories, reality TV, family drama

Synopsis

IT WAS A CASE THAT GRIPPED THE NATION

LUKE RYDER’S MURDER HAS NEVER BEEN SOLVED

In October 2003, Luke Ryder was found dead in the garden of the family home in London, leaving behind a wealthy older widow and three stepchildren. Nobody saw anything.

Now, secrets will be revealed – live on camera.

Years later a group of experts re-examine the evidence on Infamous, a true-crime show – with shocking results. Does the team know more than they’ve been letting on?

Or does the truth lie closer to home?

Can you solve the case before they do?

Review

I'm torn. I wolfed down the book in around five to six hours (which is pretty fast for me, ngl) because the innovative narrative structure and inter-media usage is absolutely stellar and I loved every second of it! On a narration, or rather, presentation level, this book is absolutely amazing!

My issue lies with what the book is narrating though. We watch a real-time play by play of a group of crime experts trying to solve a cold case, and it soon becomes clear that everyone involved has some skeletons in their closet as well, and is also conveniently tied to the case somehow. And honestly, the in-universe explanation for that not so coincidental coincidence actualyl makes a lot of sense, so I'm not mad about the concept itself - we're watching reality TV after all. My biggest issue was with the secrets the characters had though - some were absolutely pointless and some were so hamfisted and melodramatic it was downright stupid and annoying.

The resolution seemed pretty obvious to me from the start, so at least I can confidently say "Yes, I can solve the murder before them" lol - and usually I don't mind when I guess the killer correctly from the beginning onward, but the execution just bothered me. The entire last quarter of the book felt like the author just wanted to get it over with.

The characters are okay, but we don't really bond with them too much, as we only learn snippets of each of them. Also, some of them were just bland and/or asshats, so rooting for them was hard. I will commend the author for her diverse cast though!

All in all, this is a good book. The presentation is a 100/10 for me, the actual story just wasn't my cup of tea I guess. I'd still recommend it for anyone who's into true crime shows or podcasts, and for people who enjoy a good family drama. Even if the story isn't it, the presentation is absolutely worth checking out!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

The Princess and The Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Finished: 8th June 2025

Genre: Romance, Comedy

May be for you if you like: Fashion, cheese, puns, princesses, idiots to lovers, mistaken identity, great character dynamics, LGBTQ+ rep

Synopsis

Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert. But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?

Review

Wow, I did NOT expect to love this as much as I do! I literally just finished it and had to come on here to yap about it. This graphic novel has it all - gorgeous artwork, amazing humor, brilliant characters, a sweet story... it's literal perfection on paper!

Camembert is a woman with a big heart and a sense of humor - while also being stupid as shit (affectionately), much to the trouble of poor Feta. Brie is the gorgeous princess who's into activism and cheese. Her best friends, Ricotta and Gorgonzola, are mayhems and share on braincell. I just. I love them.

And the humor is SO great - it's actually funny and not just weird cheesy (get it? Do you get the joke, about humor being cheesy sometimes, and the book is full of actual cheese, do you get it? Anyway) with tons of references to popular memes and current events and just everything. I adored the continuous cheese puns sprinkled in, especially Cheddior lol.

The story itself plays out like a Shakespearean comedy in the best sense of the words, and the resolution was so satisfying. There was focus on activism, tragedy, hardships - as well as love and friendship.

The artwork is nothing short of gorgeous - it's detailed, beautfiul, expressive, colorful... it, too, is perfect. You can see for yourself down below!

This is the perfect read for anyone, seriously. It's the best thing I've read this year!

Art Appreciation

All my babies together (left to right: Camembert, Brie, Ricotta, Gorgonzola)

Camembert being an idiot lol

Scheming besties

The kiss 🩷

The complementary color scheme??? Please I can't. They are so pretty.

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Artstyle: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais

Finished: 8th June 2025

Genre: YA Romance, Coming of Age

May be for you if you like: Deaf representation, ASL, good communication, actually reasonable protagonists, complicated family dynamics

Synopsis

Torn from her Hard of Hearing school when her mother's job takes them across the country, Deaf teen Maya must attend a hearing school for the first time since her hearing loss. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating. When her new friends and classmates start pushing into Maya’s thoughts about what it means to be Deaf, it clashes with her idea of self-worth and values. Looking past graduation towards a future medical career, Maya knows nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will derail her pursuits or cause her to question her integrity.

Review

I lost my hearing to meningitis in 2020, when I was already an adult, but finding novels about Deafness or with Deaf/deaf characters is such a hassle. So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this novel! And what can I say, I loved it! Let's dive into it a bit, shall we?

The Story

is a standard coming-of-age story: Maya moves to Colorado during senior year of high school and is less than thrilled about it. There, she meets new friends, new enemies, and new romantic prospects. She thinks about what she wants to do with her life - college, work, jobs etc.

Maya is also Deaf, having lost her hearing to meningitis when she was thirteen years old. This aspect plays a huge part in the story and affects not only her, but others around him. The main conflicts of the story aren't about romance, or school, or rivalries - it's about being Deaf in a hearing world, about existing in a world that exists around you, but not with you.

And that execution was so great, it actually made me cry twice. I just could relate sooo much to Maya, her struggles, and the way she navigates people and the world. This novel gives you a place to relate to when you're Deaf, and it gives you a glimpse into what it means to be Deaf if you're a hearing person. I think this is super important.

The Characters

are great, full stop.

Maya, the protagonist, is not "only" Deaf. She is smart, observant, ambitious, and obsessed with food. She's also rather standoffish and confident, which I admire her for (I'm a bad advocate for myself with hearing people, even as an adult). She wants to go into the medical field to help kids with Cystic Fybrosis - inspired by her little brother, Connor. She also displays a lot of insecurities and doubts regarding herself and her Deafness, so she isn't just a "Deaf Superwoman" or something. Honestly, watching her interact with her environment was so great - I was continuously proud of her. She is a great protagonist.

Her hearing friends, Nina and Beau, are also amazing. Nina is introduced as Maya's "peer mentor" and I was worried that she's gonna be a fake friend, or popular mean girl, or anything like that, but Gervais does without that cliché. Instead, Nina is a bubbly, intelligent and equally ambitious girl who loves history and dancing. She also learns ASL for Maya which is so sweet, I loved her.

Beau is Maya's love interest, and he is a sweet bean. He royally messes up sometimes, like being surprised that Maya can verbally speak or pushing cochlear implants on her, but he's genuinely trying. He's the first to learn ASL, he accepts that Maya prefers to be nonverbal, and he's just sweet all around. I like that he's flawed and not just the picture-perfect boyfriend, and that he has his own struggles as well.

Some side characters are a bit cliché, but also important. Jackson is an ableist asshole, but yeah, those people exist and they deserve to be called out even in novels.

The Narration

is special, mostly because the ASL is actually written as ASL, not English. So people unfamiliar with the language can get a very small glimpse into it, which I found amazing!

Otherwise it was very nice, as well. The dialogues felt believable, the descriptions were nice and the language was overall nice to read.

Final Thoughts

I really, really loved this book, and if you're a hearing person, please read it! It had a cute love story, a satisfying resolution to each character, and interesting, not run-off-the-mill conflicts. And, it had a lot of Deafness, which is important and needed and I wish to read more books like this one.

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

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Reni Reviews

If We Were Gods by Lara Große

Finished: 7th June 2025

Genre: Fantasy

May be for you if you like: Interesting magic systems, dark academia, LGBTQ+ representation, morally grey protagonists

Synopsis

What is there left to fear if we were gods?

Olivia Dušková finally made it to the Arcane Academy, the most prestigious institution to become an Arcanist. In a class of the five most talented students, Olivia studies under professor Goodwill to explore the Arcane Levels. However, things soon escalate as it becomes obvious that the professor encourages the group to seek out the Forbidden Arcane Levels - which, according to legends, hold the secret to an eternal life. Will they rise up to become gods, or fall to the ground?

Review

I've considered buying this book since release, and then finally talked my friend into talking ME into buying it lol. And what can I say, I don't regret it in the slightest.

The Story

is pretty standard dark academia stuff: The main characters are ambitious and gifted students who bend the rules to achieve their goal - in this instance, it's bending the fabric of reality itself to discover the secret to an eternal life. Their professor is in on the scheme and supports them, but things soon get rather serious for the group.

The story actually begins at the end, with the protagonist on trial for murder, and then she recounts the events up to this point, which is the actual story. I've had some difficulties getting into it at first, and it took me a long time to finish the book because it had a tendency to be slow at times, but ultimately, I was pretty intrigued by the whole thing. The twists were well-executed and didn't come completely out of left field as to make it feel cheap, so it was good. Especially the last quarter or so had me on the edge of my seat!

The Characters

were pretty diverse, but ultimately all a tad unlikeable to me - which did fit the vibe the author was going for, so it isn't a critique point for me. Our protagonist Olivia is ambitious, intelligent and a natural talent and what she does - she's also a habitual liar who invented a whole backstory for herself to not expose herself as poor. It was honestly pretty stupid and the resulting drama was waaaay too much, considering the high stakes they had going on lol.

The others in the group were all good too, but some were set up to be way bigger characters than they actually turned out to be, while one character turned out to be the actual center of the book's... universe, basically. That's fine, and it's totally great that didn't turn out to be the protagonist, but the execution itself was... kinda meh. Olivia's main love interest was the know-it-all Milo Sinclair, who is presented as an arrogant genius and he honestly doesn't have much else going on for him. Then we have Tamara who is liked by everyone, Nasir who thinks he's too good for everyone, and the twins Saxa and Oscar Norheim, who struggle to upkeep their family's reputation. As I said, I didn't particularly like any of them (save for Oscar) but they fit the vibe of the novel, so I'm happy with them.

The Worldbuilding

was amazing and the best part of the novel in my opinion. The magic system is pretty unique and inventive. It combines science and magic, and let's the Arcanists bend reality to their will. To do this, they have to collect runes from the Arcane Levels, of which there are eighteen of increasing complexity. The last Arcane Levels are forbidden as they hold power over the essential structures of the world (life, death, memory and such) while the upper levels hold runes pertaining to basic stuff like the elements. It's great, the explanations through the university setting felt organic, and it was just all around good. I liked it a lot!

Final Thoughts

Though I had some minor complaints about this book, it was ultimately a great read. Especially for people with an interest in dark academia and intriguing magic systems, this book is a winner!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁

[reni-reads]

Reni Reviews

Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy

Finished: 2nd October 2024

Genre: Mystery, Murder Mystery

May be for you if you like: Dark academia, morally grey protagonists, Riverdale

Content Warning: Mischaracterization of mental illnesses

Synopsis

The students at Morton Academy are high-achievers, selected based on academic excellence. So when a series of murders target the school's best and brightest, the pressure is on. Failure is fatal...

Liz, Taylor, Kat, Marcus and Cole all set out to discover what exactly is going on. Is it the secret society that they have sworn allegiance too? The history of a cult that plagues Morton Academy? Or even a greedy teacher? They need to find the truth...and quickly.

Review

I was soooo excited for this book! I eat up murder mysteries and dark academia, so I thought a combination of those things can't fail!

Oh, how wrong I was.

This book felt like a season of Riverdale, to be honest. Everything was super over the top. We have this academy where only the brightest students go. Okay. Then there is a secret society for the absolute top. Also okay. But that secret society turns out to worship an actual skeleton??? The teachers are grossly incompetent or disengaged from everything as well, so the setting basically didn't even matter that much.

The main cast was interchangeable tbh. They were all stuck-up, pseudo-intellectual and just outright annoying. They all seemed suspicious of the murders because they are all just unlikeable twats. The resolution to who the actual killer was... downright ableist, not gonna lie. I was infuriated with the resolution. Also, the execution felt like out of a bad Netflix movie (or, again, Riverdale) and made me cringe.

The only thing I'll give the author is that she has a nice, fast-paced way of narrating her story, but that's about it. This book just wasn't for me.

Rating: 🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁

[reni-reads]

Reni Reviews

You Bet Your Heart by Danielle Parker

Finished: 1st September 2024

Genre: YA Romcom

May be for you if you like: Academic rivals to lovers, POC lead characters, discussion of family trauma, type A protagonists

Synopsis

Sasha Johnson-Sun might not know everything—like how to fully heal after her dad’s passing or how many more Saturdays her mom can spend cleaning houses. But the one thing Sasha is certain of? She will graduate this year as Skyline High’s class valedictorian.

At least, she was sure before the principal calls Sasha and her cute, effortlessly gifted ex–best friend, Ezra Davis-Goldberg, into his office to deliver earth-shattering news: they’re tied for valedictorian and the scholarship attached…

This outcome can’t be left to chance. So, Sasha and Ezra agree on a best-of-three, winner-take-all academic bet. As they go head-to-head, they are forced not only to reexamine why they drifted apart but also to figure out who they’ve become since. With her future hanging in the balance, Sasha must choose: honor her family’s sacrifices by winning (at all costs) or give her heart a shot at finding happiness?

Review

Let's cut to the chase: This book was right up my alley! Sasha is basically me at 18 lol - stubborn, an overachiever, dead father trauma, and excited about cute stationary - so it was extremely easy to relate to her as a person, and her specific struggles. Being a senior in high school is hard for anyone; balancing grades, friendships, relationships, and family issues just sucks okay. It sucks especially for Sasha, who imposes so much pressure on herself to be perfect all the time as a means to cope with her father's passing. This book touched upon this so gently and with quite a bit of humor as well - you can tell that Danielle Parker is a (former?) teacher who probably saw a lot of students struggle like this.

Ezra, Sasha's ex-bestie, academic rival and potential love interest was a pure cinnamon roll and as such a great foil for our closed-off protagonist. They had an amazing dynamic and and their (re-)connection over the course of the novel felt very organic. However, I will say that I somehow didn't quite catch the reason for their initial falling out in childhood, so that part was super lost on me. Could have been a personal issue though lol.

One thing I want to highlight explicitedly is the representation: Sasha is Blasian and Ezra is a Black Jew, and Parker paid tribute to the cultural aspects and dynamics that arise within these contexts. A lot of novels attempt good representation, this book actually delivers it!

The narration was pretty nice too, as it felt authentic and didn't fall into this weird cringezone of "adult tries to write about young people but doesn't know anything about young people".

All in all, it made for a swift, engaging and entertaining read with a little bit to be desired. Nontheless, I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a good YA romance and who believes they have to get external validation from grades (you don't!).

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Other Books by The Author

Love on Paper

[reni-reads]

Reni Reviews

Lord Peter Wimsey 10 - Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

Finished: 10th June, 2023

Genre: Murder Mystery, Whodunnit

May be for you if you like: Agatha Christie, workplace drama, class commentary, The Office

Synopsis

When executive Victor Dean dies from a fall down the iron staircase at Pym's Publicity, a posh London ad agency, Lord Peter Wimsey goes undercover to investigate. Before his tragic demise, the victim had tried to warn Mr. Pym, the firm's owner, about some scandalous behavior involving his employees.

Posing as a new copywriter, Wimsey discovers that Dean was part of an unsavory crowd at Pym's whose recreational habits link them to the criminal underworld. With time running out and the body count rising, Wimsey must rush to find the truth before his identity is discovered and a determined killer strikes again.

Review

This was my very first book in the Lord Peter Wimsey series! I had to read it for a seminar on detective fiction, and it's one of those books that showed me that, yes, professors occasionally have good taste!

The Characters

Sayers' protagonist is an amateur sleuth who is also a lord - and for this novel, said lord cosplays as an ordinary worker to solve a case. The premise is already hilarious, and the execution doesn't falter! Lord Peter Wimsey takes on a new identity and tries to mingle with his new coworkers - and we have them all: the overly ambitious type A-guy who haunts you about deadlines, that one guy who got hired just because, the two tattletales, the one competent person who has to do everything alone... yes. Office culture at its finest, and Lord Peter has some issues navigating this minefield.

Lord Peter himself is a quaint character - as a lord, he's rather out of touch with "regular" affairs sometimes, but he's also very sensible and grounded. His best friend and brother in law is a common policeman, and their dynamic is just awesome. Peter doesn't look down upon people based on status, but he will look down on you for being an idiot lol. I loved all the characters greatly.

Story and Setting

The author had worked at an advertising agency herself before, so the processes and ideas behind it are very entertaining to read and (I suppose) factually correct. Since I'm reading this book 95 years afer its publication, I cannot attest to the accuracy of course, but it is extremely interesting to get a glimpse into a business that is still extremely relevant today, but operates under completely different circumstances!

The crime itself was also great. It started with a simple murder and soon spiraled into a whole mess of drug cartels, blackmail, fake identities and whatnot. The escalation curve wasn't too extreme, so it did feel pretty organic. I loved how it all tied back to the advertising agency in the end and how the resolution played out.

The Writing Style

Dorothy L. Sayers has that typical British wit and snark to her writing that I adore, and she makes it come out through her characters in a great fashion. Furthermore, her style is pretty fast-paced and not overly complicated or flowery, so it's pretty good for a relaxing read.

Final Thoughts

This book is great! If anyone of you is super big into detective fiction but somehow managed to miss Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter series, please check it out! It's definitely worth it!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Other Titles in the Series

Whose Body? - A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery 1

Strong Poison - A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery 6

Five Red Herrings - A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery 7

Have His Carcase - A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery 8

Gaudy Night - A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery 12

[reni-reads]

Reni Reviews

I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee, translated into English by Anton Hur

Finished: 5th January, 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

May be for you if you like: Talk about mental health, Korean society, therapy, self-discovery

Synopsis

Baek Sehee is a successful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeing a psychiatrist about her - what to call it? - depression? She feels persistently low, anxious, endlessly self-doubting, but also highly judgemental of others. She hides her feelings well at work and with friends; adept at performing the calmness, even ease, her lifestyle demands. The effort is exhausting, overwhelming, and keeps her from forming deep relationships. This can't be normal.

But if she's so hopeless, why can she always summon a desire for her favourite street food, the hot, spicy rice cake, tteokbokki? Is this just what life is like?

Review

An important preface: The author is Korean, and I am not - I'm a Slavic person, so naturally, my opinion is colored by a cultural disconnect.

I'm honestly torn about this book. On one hand, I commend the author's bravery for putting her authentic self into a book for all the world to see. On the other hand, I'm not sure this was for me. Baek Sehee struggles a lot with feelings of inadequacy in regards to about anything: Her job, her friendships, dating, and her looks. Especially the last aspect is very important in the book, which is understandable given how much emphasis South Korean society puts on a certain beauty standard. However, a few passages come across as her judging other people, which I didn't like all that much. It's very honest, but I didn't like it. Furthermore, her therapist's advice often consisted of "Well have you tried just not thinking this thing?" or prescribing a new drug, which is not something that would go over well in Western therapy approaches. Again, this might just be a cultural clash.

So, for what it was advertised, it didn't really do it for me. I saw it as an interesting glimpse into the struggles of a woman of a different culture, and as such, it was fine.

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁

Other Titles in the Series

I Want to Die But I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki

[reni-reads]

Reni Reviews

One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

Finished: 14th August, 2024

Genre: Mystery

May be for you if you like: Pretty Little Liars, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, multiple POV, character driven stories, mysteries

Synopsis

Five students go to detention. Only four leave alive.

Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule. Sports star Cooper only knows what he's doing in the baseball diamond. Bad boy Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime. Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life. And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won't ever talk about any of them again. He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it's no accident. All of them are suspects. Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you'll go to protect them.

Review

Sooo after years of putting it off, I've finally decided to read this novel! I don't know why I've never read it before, but I'm glad I did, because it's actually good. The premise isn't groundbreaking at all, since YA murder mysteries have been around forever, but the way the story is executed is really ingenious and surprising.

We start off in a classic "Breakfast Club" situation where a diverse group of people who normally don't interact are forced together. However, instead of bonding with each other, one of them ends up dead and the others end up as potential murderers (and POV characters). The victim, Simon, hosted a gossip app and threatened to reveal the characters' darkest secrets, potentially ruining their futures, so everyone is a potential suspect. The book follows each character trying to navigate the investigation. Everyone seems suspicious to a certain degree and there are a few red herrings, but I will admit that I guessed the culprit pretty early on. That doesn't take away the fact that the choice of murderer wasn't clever, because it is. It was a bold move for a YA novel, in my opinion.

The characters are rather stereotypical and their secrets reflected this as well, so that felt a little disappointing. Cooper and especiall Addy undergo a great change and develop quite nicely, so they were my favorites by a longshot! They are a lot more faceted and nuanced than the premise lead on.

Unfortunately, the story focused a lot on Bronwyn (if anyone deserves the protagonist status, it would be her) and her budding relationship with Nate. Separately, both characters didn't catch my interest at all. Bronwyn is the stereotypical overachiever whose only trait is "smart", while Nate is the stereotypical badboy-who-is-actually-good-but-has-family-issues. And together, they were borderline insufferable, not gonna lie. I didn't care for their relationship at all and I was quite annoyed that it took up a big chunk of the novel.

So overall I liked the book. The mystery is engaging and has a satisfying resolution, and I liked 50% of the main cast. Some side characters were likeable as well, so yeah. It's always a shame when you don't care for the protagonists though, which was the case for me. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good YA mystery with Good Girl's Guide to Murder vibes, but a more character-driven spin!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Other Titles in the Series

One of Us Is Next

One of Us Is Back

[reni-reads]

Reni Reviews

Love Points to You by Alice Lin

Finished: 27th May, 2025

Genre: Romance, Romcom

May be for you if you like: Otome games, art, rivals to lovers, music, bi4bi romance, ace rep, family subplots

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Lynda Fan has the skills and the drive to get into the Rhode Island School of Design—but not the money. Her parents are too busy paying off her stepsister's violin lessons to help Lynda get into art school. So when her rich and arrogant classmate, Angela Wu, offers to hire Lynda as a character designer for an otome game—a love story-based video game—she jumps at the opportunity.

Lynda isn’t exactly a romantic, but in pursuit of her dreams, she discovers things she never knew about herself while also finding love with every heart she draws.

Review

This is one of the cutest romance novels I've read in a long time!

The premise had me hooked from the start, and I got even more than I expected! The story focuses a lot on art as a general topic - current art "culture" with online presence and fame, pressure to get into a good school, rivalry, the different options you have with art, and so on. It was great! While I'm myself am no artist, I do have my favorite artists, as well as several friends with an art background, so this angle was super interesting to me. The best thing was the focus on otome games though - even though the protagonist herself isn't much into otome games, her best friend Bora, her sister Josie, and (obviously) Angela are, and the way they talk about it is soooo relatable to me, as I love otome games myself lol. Especially Angela had so many great quibs about otome games, and my personal favorite was: "I play as if I'm Cupid shooting my arrow." because YES that's what I love about any romantic media (such as this book)!

The otome game storyline is a bit delegated into a background story as Lynda's relationship with Angela becomes more relevant - her complicated family dynamic becomes increasingly important too. While I didn't mind it too much, as I was very interested in Lynda's family life, it did disappoint me a little bit. I would have liked more focus on the otome game aspect of it all, since it's the hook of the novel. Overall, the story is very sweet and enjoyable though, with good pacing and developments throughout!

The characters were all well-developed and feel very authentic. Everyone has their flaws, and everyone undergoes believable development!

Lynda, the protagonist, is very practical, determined - and judgemental of anyone who isn't as driven as her. Her resulting lack of empathy annoyed me on occasion but it made sense given her backstory - and she does change a bit! Angela is a great foil for her, because she (even though she's supposed to be an arrogant type-A person) is very reflective and aware of her own faults, while also being endearingly romantic.

The side characters are all great as well - Bora, Lyn's best friend, is a spunky and fun character who tells Lyn off when needed, but she also has her own hobbies, wants and interests and didn't only exist to be a best friend character. My favorite character was Lyn's stepsister Josie - a talented violinist who struggles to find her way amidst pressure and expectations.

There are some other characters (mainly family members) who add some more depth. Overall, the cast is really great with several highlights!

So yeah, I absolutely loved this book, and I think everyone who is into romance and slightly into art or otome games will greatly enjoy this!

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

[reni-reads]

Reni Reviews

XOXO by Axie Oh

Finished: 26th August, 2024

Genre: Romance

May be for you if you like: K-Pop, music, unlikely couples, female leads with agency, regular girl/celebrity romance

Synopsis

Jenny didn’t get to be an award-winning, classically trained cellist without choosing practice over fun. That is, until the night she meets Jaewoo. Mysterious, handsome, and just a little bit tormented, Jaewoo is exactly the kind of distraction Jenny would normally avoid. And yet, she finds herself pulled into spending an unforgettable evening wandering Los Angeles with him on the night before his flight home to South Korea.

With Jaewoo an ocean away, there’s no use in dreaming of what could have been. But when Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her ailing grandmother, who does she meet at the elite arts academy she’s just been accepted to? Jaewoo.

Finding the dreamy stranger who swept you off your feet in your homeroom is one thing, but Jaewoo isn’t just any student. Turns out, Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world. And like most K-pop idols, Jaewoo is strictly forbidden from dating anyone.

When a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo’s worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

Review

I'll be honest, I started reading this book at the behest of my coworker. I was new at the job and wanted her to like me, so I reluctantly bought it, not expecting to be a huge fan, since I wasn't a romance reader at that time. Well, this is the book that turned me into a romance reader lol.

I liked everything about it, but let's dive into a bit more detail, shall we?

The Story

is honestly super goofy and reads like a fanfiction, but I mean that as a compliment here. It has just the right amount of suspension of disbelief to be enjoyable, and just enough realism to be identifiable for readers.

We have the classic "ordinary girl falls for a celebrity"-romance, but the development is actually pretty cool. At the music academy, everyone is a gifted musician, so the band doesn't stand out too much - however, the massive drawbacks from being a celebrity (or dating one) are also nicely represented.

The relationship issues Jenny and Jaewoo face really are more external, so we are spared these unnecessary, constructed couple fights just for the sake of drama.

The story's development and pacing is engaging, but not overwhelmingly fast. It's really comfortable.

The resolution was pretty bold for the genre, and I loved it!

The Characters

are amazing! Jenny is a female lead with actual agency, a personality, and goals beyond "kiss the cute boy" lol. She is smart, witty, somewhat reserved, but also a dedicated friend and (grand-)daughter who faces the very relatable struggles of wanting to find her own path and satisfying her mother's wishes. She grows so much over the course of the novel and I really loved watching her. By the end, she felt like a friend whom I could be proud of.

Jaewoo can be described in two words: green flag! He initially appears to be aloof, intelligent and dedicated to his band, but he's also charming, funny and a little bit dumb. He is a good foil for Jenny, with his own ambitions not getting out of his sight, and they just bring out the best in each other.

The side characters were all great. Jenny's halmoni was so cute and charming that I really wanted her to adopt me!

My personal favorite however was Sori, Jenny's arrogant, conceited roommate at the academy. She was the worst - until she wasn't.

To make it short: I loved everyone in the cast.

The Worldbuilding

is great. After a brief excursion into Jenny's American life, we travel to Seoul to attend the academy with her. Having been to Seoul only once in my life, I did feel like returning there for a while. The scenery felt very alive and authentic.

The Narration

is light - not too fast, not too slow. Not too flowery, not too boring. Very fitting for the genre, and it made reading the book very relaxing and entertaining.

Final Thoughts

What can I say? I loved it. If you want to swoon and giggle and kick your feet, read it!

XOXO - Reni

Rating: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Plot and Storylines: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Characters and Relationships: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Writing Style and Narration: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Setting and Worldbuilding: 🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁

Entertainment: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Other Titles in the Series

ASAP