OYENTE

Erin Rogoff

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Once upon a Broken Heart Audiolibro Por Stephanie Garber arte de portada

Antihero Jacks Stole My Heart!

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-26-24

There are so many things I liked about this book that it’s hard to give all the details, but here’s just the beginning of what I love most about this book—

I love that this book gives vibes of antihero romance, where the villain gets the girl.
I admire Evangeline’s loyal personality (although misplaced, if only at first, in the wrong romantic interest), and her features (from bright blue eyes to rose-gold hair) which bring out a uniqueness as a character meant to be remembered.
Not all tragic backstories for the heroes or heroines in a book are memorable, because many sound the same, but I liked Evangeline’s stories and memories of her book-loving, adventuring parents. I was sad, on her behalf, that they’re dead, but I love how she remembers them so lovingly.

Corny as this might sound, I fiercely love and adore Jacks as a literary crush and favorite character. I’m a sucker for antiheroes, whether it’s a mafia romance novel or a young adult fiction novel with a young adult bad boy who’s broody and hot as the day is long. No, I don’t usually develop crushes on any guy who’s blonde-haired and blue-eyed, but Jacks is a surprising exception, but not really—does that make sense? The characters felt real for a fictional world, and that might sound ridiculous to some, but the characters fit well in the world, and the world caters to those of a fantastical, magical sort—I love that!

In reading this book, I felt a grandiose amount of excitement and uncanny intrigue for the plot of the book and ways it all fit together, and I felt complete and total fascination for Jacks as a character. I want to say the whole book was my favorite part, but there are two exceptions, for the silliest and minor of reasons. I’ve said before in past book reviews that I can’t stand the sight or sound of ripping fabric. It’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. There were two scenes describing torn dresses, and those scenes were so detailed that I could see and feel and hear the ripping of fabric, which made my skin crawl and blood curdle. I know, it’s silly, but those two scenes were my least favorites despite this book considered a favorite wholly—kudos to Stephanie Garber, who’s written a new favorite novel of mine!

There was a particular scene that drew my attention… and had my dad thinking I needed to go back to therapy. I was listening to the audiobook without headphones, and when Evangeline met the vampires with Jacks, the vampire Chaos said anyone who was chained up in his dungeon was someone who wanted to be there. I shouted, “Holy stars above, it’s a sex club for vampires!” I’d completely forgotten my dad was home but realized I made a huge mistake when he began questioning me about what I was currently reading, so I was embarrassed beyond belief but also extremely amused post-event, ha-ha!

The one thing I disliked about Once Upon a Broken Heart was that despite it having been released to the literary-loving masses back in 2021, I never jumped on the bandwagon of gushing adoration for it until 2025 (shame on me for waiting so long!). Forgive me, Stephanie Garber, and let me make it known I love Once Upon a Broken Heart with a fierce passion that has yet to be quenched! I want more, and I’m so happy this is a series and not a stand-alone novel!

This book was a definite page-turner; I finished reading this within a twenty-four-hour time span before discovering I was upset there’s no movie adaptation depicting every little detail within the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. I appreciated the quickness, but I was also left in an aww moment after realizing the book was over. I’m happy I already had the second book in the series, but my ADHD brain switched attention to another book, so I didn’t immediately read the sequel.

If I was the author of Once Upon a Broken Heart, in place of Stephanie Garber, there’s very little I’d alter to make this book better, but there are a few things that come to mind… One, I’d take out the few scenes of Evangeline blaming herself for mistakes she had no control over but took ownership of and would instead have a scene of Jacks tend to her emotional needs and prove she has nothing to blame herself over, making him sound less like a self-obsessed sociopath and more human than he would ever want to reveal to anyone else; and two, I’d have Evangeline and Jacks feel a connection developing in the first book, more than just striking up a deal and, in some way, be bound to one another.

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber is one of those sorts of books that’s better if you go in blind and thank the literary gods for doing exactly that! Evangeline Fox is quite a heroine with a tortured heart, but I don’t see her as a basic young adult fiction character for having a tragic backstory. I love an antihero romance, where the villain gets the girl, and Jacks is an antihero I’d easily fall for! Although some might see him as a bit of a sociopath with little emotion or connection to another, I tend to fall for that anytime I read a book; whatever your opinions of Jacks are, I adore him quite seriously, and I’d leap at the chance to meet him if he were a real person, more than just a fictional character for readers to obsess over—ha-ha!

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Carmilla Audiolibro Por Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu arte de portada

I love this book so much I want to cry!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-07-24

There is so much about this book I like, but the things I appreciate most about Carmilla are the history behind this novel, the story’s lesbian romance undertones, and how the beautiful Carmilla can be interpreted either a vampire, or bipolar representation, or both and neither at the same time. Here’s my logic on that front—
Carmilla hates the sound of church music, which played during a funeral overheard by herself and Laura on a walk around the grounds of Laura’s family’s castle. The mysterious Carmilla looked like she was in pain and rage all at once, and she begged Laura to hold her until the feeling passed and music stopped—vampire girl vibes!
Also, with Carmilla needing Laura to hold her back from rage and unleashing all her wrath, I interpreted that as Laura being sanity that holds a bipolar Carmilla back from taking out her rage on others. I don’t remember my manic episodes when my disorder was at its worst (of which I’m grateful not to recall), but I know my family helped shatter my bipolar rage by distracting me, which we referred to as “breaking the connection.”
—So, long story short, I related to Carmilla, in some way, when she needed that connection to the sound distracted/broken. I don’t think bipolar disorder was understood back then or even had a name, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn author Sheridan Le Fanu had known someone with bipolar disorder and used that mania to become a part of Carmilla’s behavior as a character, which built on the foundation of Carmilla becoming my favorite character.
Although these characters are fictional, I could experience their emotions through the pages of the book as I read it, and that only enhanced the gothic beauty of Carmilla. I don’t think it matters how unrealistic vampire-like beings, or these characters, are… because all I felt in reading this book was harnessed passion, pain, and desperation—feelings that are very, very real. I felt heartbroken after the book ended, because there was nothing more for me to read, and I know of no movie adaptation that exists and live up to the high bar Carmilla sets literary-wise.
My favorite part in reading Carmilla was the whole book! I loved it from beginning to end and was tearful after I finished it, because Laura was melancholy and went fitfully sleepless a long time after Carmilla’s demise.
Carmilla’s demise affected me, but not in the way you might think it would. Instead of delighting in Carmilla’s death, I felt she truly loved Laura, or how I interpret her feelings to be, and once Carmilla had a stake through the heart and died, Laura was never the same. When Laura heard Carmilla’s voice at night, or whenever Laura traveled, I felt pain of lost love, desire to be together again, and I pondered the likelihood of Laura descending into complete madness.
This book didn’t make me laugh, but it had my heart breaking repeatedly, and I shed more than a few tears when I finished the book, because I definitely wasn’t ready to say farewell to the dark love story between Laura and Carmilla.
This book was undoubtedly a page-turner from start to finish, as I read this book in a three-hour timespan. There was nothing I disliked about this book, other than Carmilla’s demise, but I appreciated the vampire lore author Sheridan Le Fanu described in great detail, and I absolutely loved the gothic lesbian vibes this story gave. Even though I’m not in a bisexual phase anymore, I can still appreciate lesbian love stories, of which this gothic lesbian love story is at the top of my all-time favorites list!
If I was the author of Carmilla in place of the incredibly talented Sheridan Le Fanu, there’s just one thing I’d alter to make this book better… I’d have Carmilla the character somehow prove herself as different than the demonic vampires are thought to be, and I’d have a scene where Carmilla bites Laura, and they’re to enter undead eternity together. I think everyone deserves something of a happily ever after, and I wish this book was more lighthearted or a bit forgiving, if only in that regard.
Besides writing down another list of all the many things I love about this book, beyond the list I have running in my journal (which has surprisingly taken up a near three pages in full!), I loved my discovering just how much I enjoy gothic lesbian love stories. How is this book not more known than the classic Dracula by Bram Stoker? This book was perfect in every way! To all my lesbian friends, to all gothic romance readers in the world, to all who love tales about vampires and supernatural olde world lore, you all need to read this book as soon as possible, because if you haven’t already done so, you’re truly missing out! This book is darkly beautiful in all the best ways, forbidden love is more than merely mentioned, you can feel the passion Laura and Carmilla have for each other yet are forbidden to act upon, and I found myself enjoying the conquering-inner-monster vibe that Carmilla gave off upon listening to church music. I’ve been reborn into my faith for a while now, yet I’ll take my love for this book to my death and possibly after, too.

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PETRIFIED Audiolibro Por Matt James arte de portada

Wow! I Want More in This Series!

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-03-24

What did I like most about this book…? That’s hard to pinpoint to specifics, but I really appreciated the sci-fi feel in this novel besides the horror aspects. Honestly, after reading so many horror fiction novels, I felt my mind venture into a darkness I didn’t like, so the sci-fi vibes in this novel brought me out of that mental state of depressing horridness. I liked how this was a change, sci-fi amid an end-of-the-world plot. More specifically, I heartbreakingly appreciated the sacrifice Hope’s parents gave to ensure her safety, drawing the monsters’ attention away from Hope hiding in the Winnebago and thus ensuring she remains alive. Other than that, I loved the kindness of Hope, how she let the kind couple inside and ran into the woman’s arms for comfort. That was heartfelt, and it gave me hope that Hope finds peace within herself as she grows throughout the series.

I didn’t know a favorite character by name, but I liked the lady Hope described as the kind woman at the end of the novel. When Hope let the couple into her hiding spot, she hid, but the kind woman spotted her and held out her arms to hug Hope. I found myself somewhat emotional, because I don’t believe in the inherent goodness of most humans, but the kind woman is one of the few who could possibly be one of those exceptions, and I liked that.

I didn’t have a favorite part in this novel, but I felt the characters were relatable and kind to the core in the best ways possible. It’s a rarity, but the cast of characters in this novel give me my own sort of hope for literary mankind, disturbing as the monsters are—and really, what on earth are they?!

The only thing I disliked about this page-turner of a novel was that I couldn’t find it anywhere on GoodReads! If anyone has a link, please share it in the comments section, OK? Also, this book ends with Hope having hope again, if only in a child’s viewpoint, but it was beautiful that she’s still quite innocent of the world despite the horrific losses she’s endured so far.

If I could recommend this novel to anyone, I’d tell my friends who’re huge fans of The Walking Dead to read this novel, if not the whole series. It’s intriguing, and I want to know so much more about the monsters, how they came to be, and what they’ll do to mankind. I’m not sure what happens in the future of this series, but I’m definitely going to read all of it soon!

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