February Wrap-up

It's that time again! February has gone so quickly for me and I can't believe it's almost spring! As the evenings get lighter and the days get (ever-so-slightly) warmer, let me catch you up on what I've been reading lately. It included an old favourite, a new anticipated release, my first ever buddy-read and more...

The Atlas Complex

Olivie Blake

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

"In this stunning finale, it's a race to survive as the Society recruits are faced with the question of what they're willing to betray for limitless power - and who will be destroyed along the way."

I loved this book. I'm a massive fan of the Atlas series and this finale was no exception. We delved deeper into the characters' minds than ever before and the ongoing character arcs were beautifully finished. I would've liked a little more action but the twists towards the end were truly shocking and finale-worthy. A brilliant and emotional climax to a much-beloved series!

To read my more in-depth thoughts about this book, you can check out the dedicated review on my blog here.

Lore Olympus: Volume One

Rachel Smythe

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

"Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love - witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology's best-known stories."

Let me preface this by saying I'm already a pretty big fan of Lore Olympus. I read the webcomic for a few years, and only stopped because I forgot about it and then got too far behind. So I was really excited to finally purchase the first volume in physical form and relive that story.

I love the art in this book, it's simply just gorgeous and the colours are so vibrant; it's pretty to look at and I appreciate that! But I also really enjoy the story. I do love greek mythology (call it my Roman Empire if you will) and I especially love any sort of greek gods/goddesses retelling, and the tale of Hades and Persephone is certainly a favourite for the romantic in me.

There isn't loads that happens in this first volume, which is a given since there's probably going to be about 10-12 volumes once it's completed, but it's a great introduction to the story and characters, and I can't wait to see it all develop in the next volume.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

"Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry."

My first ever buddy read!

I read this book with a friend of mine using StoryGraph's Buddy Read feature, which was a new and really fun experience - I would totally recommend it! Anyway, as you all probably know, this is the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I read the first two a few years ago, but for some reason never got around to Mockingjay. And it certainly impressed! Mockingjay is my least favourite of the films, because I think the plot is more boring than the others... but I didn't feel bored whilst reading this at all.

Suzanne Collins has such a skilful writing style - she keeps things fast-paced to keep you engaged, but still has enough time to stop and focus on the details, which makes the settings and characters feel more real. For example, district 13 is supposed to be stark and boring, but I was still enjoying being there.

Obviously having seen the films, the plot wasn't much of a surprise to me, however I do think it's a really good ending to the trilogy and one that rightfully focuses more on the characters and how the games have affected previous victors.

There's a reason this series is so popular!

You and Me on Vacation

Emily Henry

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Two friends. Ten summer trips. Their last chance to fall in love."

So I finally read an Emily Henry book - and I really enjoyed it! This was a really cute friends-to-lovers with a past and present storyline unfolding at the same time.

Poppy and Alex were really lovable characters and had great chemistry. I was fully rooting for them to get together! But I think the thing I loved most about this romance was that the relatability didn't impact the quality. Too often I see romance books fall into the trap of cringe in trying to make their characters imperfect and quirky. But for once the characters had flaws in a way that didn't come across as try-hard or annoying, instead they just felt like real people!

I also just loved the plot. The entire book almost solely taking place on vacations made me feel like I was on vacation! The settings were really beautifully descriptive with great imagery and fun details. It was just great fun to read.

I'll now admit that everyone was right and Emily Henry is a really good author - I'll definitely be reading more from her!

The Atlas Six

Olivie Blake

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (reread)

"The world's best young magicians accept the opportunity of a lifetime. Six are chosen. Only five will walk away."

One of my favourites, this book needs no introduction (but I'll give you one anyway). The best six young medians (magic-wielders) are recruited into The Alexandrian Society every decade. This year's crop includes two physicists who can alter all forces to an incredible degree, a naturalist with immense untapped power, a femme fatale telepath with a gift for learning secrets, a empath who can influence people in seconds, and a man who can see the quanta that make up the world. For the next year they will live together, study together, and perhaps love together. But only five of them will move onto initiation. It's a (literal) battle for their lives...

As you may well know by now, I adore this series, but especially the first book. I just love the slow unfolding of character introductions, relationships and the secrets of the Society. The writing style is also incredibly beautiful (but very wordy, so may take some getting used to) and I honestly think it's a perfect book. Characters, plot, writing - for me, The Atlas Six has it all.

If you enjoy dark academia, magical powers, secret societies and messy characters, this is certainly one for you!

I also discussed my love for this series in my 2023 wrap-up, so if you want a little more info you can read that here.

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Well that's the end of my February wrap-up. I had a great month of reading where I read some amazing books and also got back on track with my reading goal. Let me know in the comments what you read in February!