Eugenie
"thewhisperingstars", "Versienne"
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please keep in mind that I am a minor.
thank you for visiting.
about
she/her | writer on Wattpad, founder of Writerthreads.Avid reader and Grade 8 pianist.
works
Completed novella: Sweet Like Arsenic (B. Barnes) — read it on Wattpad hereWIP: The Redemption of Fletcher Cheung — read it on Wattpad hereNote: I only accept non-exclusive contracts.
a temporarily discarded work in progress:
Hellion
book blog
1. MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2020*
(books I read in 2020, might not have been released in that year)
1/1/212020 was a chaotic year for me, and I survived by reading so many books! I somehow managed to read 90 books this year (it's not a lot compared to others, but still!!) Tap on the title to read about my top four books of 2020 and what I thought about them.Booklist: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, The Folk of the Air Series by Holly Black, Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly, Educated by Tara Westover.
my favourite books of 2020
<1/1/2021 >
The Folk of the Air Series by Holly Black
The Folk of the Air Series consists of three books: The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing. I read them all in a week!I would give the world-building, magic system and character development a solid A star. The fae world is beautiful and I love the idea of having a pair of adopted mortals living in it. It's also very interesting to see how the fae would treat these mortals and how they react to things from the mortal world (like bubble tea!)Although the characters aren't the most likeable, they're relatable because they have flaws. Cardan is a cruel prince (duh), Jude chooses to stand up for herself while her sister just wants to fit in with their fae peers. Jude and Cardan's hate to love relationship is really interesting and well developed.This series is definitely a page-turner and I love the plot of the first two books, but I think the last was a bit rushed. I adore Holly Black's writing and I love the beautiful companion book, How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
"Astra inclinant sed non obligant."
("The stars incline us, they do not bind us.")
Oh my God, this book was amazing! I love the diverse personalities of the characters and how well they were developed, as well as the romantic relationship between Juliet and Roma. It is a loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in Shanghai in the 20s, where foreigners lived with the Chinese. As somebody who's actually Chinese, I've never read a mainstream YA fantasy based in China and I love how accurate everything was.Chloe Gong is a talented writer with beautiful prose and story development, and I can't believe that she's just a university student! HOLY CRAP I WANT TO WRITE LIKE HER.I loved this book and I can't wait for the sequel to be released this year in 2021, partly because the ending destroyed me.
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
“They were not pretty, these women. Pretty did not begin to describe them.
They were shrewd. Powerful. Wily. Proud. Dangerous.
They were strong.
There were brave.
They were beautiful.”
Feminism combined with magical elements, based on a fairytale that favours the beautiful and kind.This story is based on the aftermath of the Brothers Grimm's version of Cinderella, on one of the stepsisters who cut off part of her feet to fit the shoe. But that stepsister, Isabelle, IS A BADASS. She fences, she's smart, and she's brave. I can't reveal much without spoiling, but the general plotline is Isabelle learning to value herself for who she is. Isabelle struggles as an independent woman in a world where women are nothing if they're ugly, and she responds to this world by acting as a villain.There are magical elements in this story: Fate and Chance masquerade as mortals in Isabelle's lives and battle each other, hastening the plot and Isabelle's actions. The best scene is brought by Chance when he invites Isabella to see a play about all the important female history characters There is also a simple romantic subplot that I think is unnecessary but is only there to cater to readers who only read these sorts of books for romance.This book is perfect if you can overlook some unnecessary developments and just appreciate the feminism, the beautiful redemption arc, and all the badass women who fight for themselves. The Brothers Grimm's Cinderella is nothing compared to this.
Educated by Tara Westover
I usually don't read memoirs. I used to hate them (I still do). But this book blew my mind. It's definitely a page-turner and I couldn't stop reading. Yep, it was that good. I feel like I'm not qualified enough to review this dramatic book, so I'll let Bill Gates do it. (It's the shortened version, but you can read the whole review here.)"Tara was raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho. Her dad had very non-mainstream views about the government. He believed doomsday was coming, and that the family should interact with the health and education systems as little as possible. As a result, she didn’t step foot in a classroom until she was 17, and major medical crises went untreated (her mother suffered a brain injury in a car accident and never fully recovered).Because Tara and her six siblings worked at their father’s junkyard from a young age, none of them received any kind of proper homeschooling. She had to teach herself algebra and trigonometry and self-studied for the ACT, which she did well enough on to gain admission to Brigham Young University. Eventually, she earned her doctorate in intellectual history from Cambridge University. (Full disclosure: she was a Gates Scholar, which I didn’t even know until I reached that part of the book.)Educated is an amazing story, and I get why it’s spent so much time on the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It reminded me in some ways of the Netflix documentary Wild, Wild Country , which I recently watched. Both explore people who remove themselves from society because they have these beliefs and knowledge that they think make them more enlightened. Their belief systems benefit from their separateness, and you’re forced to be either in or out.Tara’s process of self-discovery is beautifully captured in Educated. It’s the kind of book that I think everyone will enjoy, no matter what genre you usually pick up. She’s a talented writer, and I suspect this book isn’t the last we’ll hear from her. I can’t wait to see what she does next."
These are my top books of 2020! I hope you'll enjoy them just as much as I do. If you liked my reviews, follow me on Goodreads here! Have a great day ♡