Member Reviews
I am so thankful for this chapter sampler. It is full of many books I have heard people talk about and wanted to give them all a chance and this was a great way for me to do so without committing to spending money when I wasn't sure if a majority of these would be for me but nevertheless I was still intrigued. It does seem that most of these ended up not being for me. However I did find a few that after reading the sampler I'm still interested in. One thing that I did not like about this sampler is that it skipped chapters. One book started on chapter two and another skipped chapter two but had one and three. It left me feeling very confused.
I enjoyed reading this sampler of upcoming 2021 spring releases! Personally, I’m really excited for Darling, Me (Moth), Ace of Spades, and The Ones We’re Meant To Find. I had not previously heard about May the Best Man Win and Blade of Secrets, but I was intrigued by them! I will definitely be adding many of these to my TBR and look forward to reading them in the spring. Thank you so much to Macmillan for the opportunity to read this sampler of Spring 2021 releases!
This sampler was amazing! They had me so hyped up for the books included in this pack and I will most definitely be purchasing some of these titles!
Ace of Spades: I was so surprised by the first three chapters. I went in expecting something completely different, but I guess that speaks to not judging a book by it’s cover. The description of the school immediately drew me in. The characters are already being delved into, and I definitely want to learn more about them. And the mystery that is beginning to be introduced at the end of the third chapter has me wanting to read more. I will no doubt be picking this book up as soon as possible. Rating: 5 stars
Blade of Secrets: I’m sure this book is for someone, but that person is not me. Fantasy in general is not my genre. The weapon creation and use of magic did not interest me. I will say that I appreciate the inclusion of anxiety within a fantasy book. But overall, I do not see myself picking this book up. Rating: 2 stars
Darling: My favorite part was the set up to the mystery. Everything else felt very average for the beginning of a book. Maybe this is because the sampler started with the second chapter instead of the first, but there was not anything to draw me in. The description of the book still interests me, so I will likely pick it up. Rating: 3 stars
Gear breakers: Another sample that just wasn’t for me. I am just not a huge fan of sci-fi. With that being said, this is one of the better sci-fi introductions I have read (which is not many). Rating: 3 stars
May the Best Man Win: One of my favorites from the sampler. This had been on my radar for awhile, but now I know that I need to read it. Both characters seem complex, and I really enjoyed the interaction that they had. The idea of fighting for homecoming court is not new, but I have trust that this will be unique. Rating: 5 stars
(Me) Moth: I love this new trend of writing stories in verse. This is already so beautifully written. I read a lot of stories covering grief, but the voice that this narrator provides us sure to make it unique. I am dying to read more of this. Rating: 5 stars
The Ones We’re Meant to Find: My first feelings towards this sampler was confusion. There was a lot introduced within the first couple pages which made starting this book a little overwhelming. But as I continued and began to understand what was going on, I was drawn into the story. I am definitely curious to continue on. Rating: 4 stars
The Sea Is Salt and So Am I: This is easily one of the best beginnings to a book I have ever read. The flooding, small-town Maine setting is both gorgeous and ominous. It introduced characters and their relationships with one another perfectly. And left a little mystery with some questions that have yet to be answered. I will be picking this up as soon as possible. Rating: 5 stars
I am so so excited for some of these. I already read the snippet for Ace Of Spades so my review is over there as well but these others all look so intriguing as well!
I love reading samplers to see if I like the writing style and overall vibe of the book, and since this one had some of my anticipated releases in it, I couldn't resist checking it out.
I had already read the excerpt of Ace of spades, but it's just such a gripping and mysterious opening! I'm ready for a twisty dark-academia thriller, and I'm pretty sure Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé will deliver just that!
I was really excited for Blade of secrets but after reading the excerpt I felt a bit hmm. I felt like the writing was pretty surface level and while the main character was having a panic attack, I just couldn't feel it? Since it was the first chapter I'm definitely not giving up on that book, though. I just hope it'll be able to give me some more emotions!
Darling is another book I'm really looking forward to, but this sampler was pretty confusing. I really didn't have a clue what was going on, but I'm assuming that if I read more (+ the first chapter that wasn't included in the sampler) it'll fall into place!
My excitement for Gearbreakers has just doubled. The writing style was so gripping and I can't wait to read more because I'm pretty sure this will end up being a book I adore!
May the best man was exactly what I expected. It'll probably end up being a book dealing with serious stuff, yet still one that makes you laugh. I really can't wait until it releases!
Me (Moth) wasn't a book on my radar and while I don't really like books written in verse, I really thought the writing was gripping. Might try it out!
I have an arc of The Ones we're meant to find waiting for me but it already starts off so well! Literally cannot wait to continue it soon!
And lastly, The sea is salt and so am I. I'm totally in love with this title, it just has something about it, but the concept is not really something I'm interested in. Reading the excerpt was interesting, but I'm pretty sure I won't be picking up this book.
This was so much fun and definitely made me even more excited for some of these releases!
I’m so excited for these books! I really enjoyed the excerpts for MAY THE BEST MAN WIN and BLADE OF SECRETS, and I can’t wait to read the full books.
I love these digital samplers because they offer just enough of a taste of the novels inside to get a sense of whether I'll like the writing style or not - which tells me a lot about whether I'll like the novel or not. I always like to see which upcoming books that have caught my interest seem to be worth requesting or buying, which aren't, and which completely unexpected books that were'nt even on my radar are must-reads. This time, the unexpected standout is Me (Moth).