corabookworm's Reviews (264)

Really lovely book with a lot of cool drawings, super interesting information, and weird mushroom facts. The only thing I'd want from this book is more (more drawings/visual explanations, more sources cited, more detailed information), but considering this is a pocket guide, I think it's pretty darn good! If you want to learn about mushrooms but don't love long, boring nonfiction, definitely give this book a try.

Re-Read #1:
I think I adored this book even more the second time. The emotion that the authors manage to pack into every word is astounding, and even though I knew what was gonna happen, I was filled with fear and anger and heartbreak and hope. I also understood the story so much better this time and it had an even bigger impact on me—the concept is just so cool, and all the little teases at battles and events and assassinations and inventions were fascinating. I can’t recommend this book enough. Fierce, broken Red and wicked, hungry Blue own my heart forever <33 

poetry about anger and femininity and queerness and love always hits different. trista mateer’s poetry ripped me open and stitched me back together again. a quick and beautiful read perfect for fans of amanda lovelace.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I had incredibly high hopes going into it (which may have been my mistake), and the beginning of the story seemed to live up to these expectations. The tech/fantasy combo was well-executed, there was interesting worldbuilding, and some of the characters were very unique. But something about this book didn't quite click with me, and I think I've identified the main reasons.

This book stars three characters--Elena, a princess who must learn to hold fire before her coronations, Leo, her father and the morally-iffy king, and Yassen, a former assassin serving the crown. The story follows the three of them as the King hunts for the Prophet, essentially a mysterious someone destined to destroy the world, and as Elena's coronation rapidly approaches and the political stakes grow.

At first, the perspective of the older king really intrigued me. It's not typical that we get a parent POV in YA fantasy, so I was eager to see how it would work. But it mostly confused me. I felt like I was supposed to see Leo as a bad guy, and while some of his actions were very evil, I never really got the "power-hungry" vibe he kept being advertised as.

On the other hand, I really appreciated some of the other characters. Seeing Elena and Ferma both portrayed as strong women with political power and physical strength was AMAZING, And Yassen and Samson were both interesting characters with complex backstories, which I appreciated. However, this cast of characters gets cut down a lot over the course of the book, and at the end it's just Elena and Yassen, which was.... fine. I cared about them enough to see what happened to them, but I felt as if the story was MUCH more character-focused than it should have been. The romance that I was supposed to be super invested in felt flat, and didn't really add much to the story for me.

I had other small issues, mostly with the pacing and the strange switch in tone/subject as the plot moved forward. BUT. I truly believe this book had potential. The writing was good, the story was interesting, and the political intrigue and worldbuilding were both well-developed. Hopefully this review makes sense, I stayed up late to (finally) finish the book.

In conclusion: This story did not click for me, but it's not by any means a bad book :)

So, to preface this: I may have a ✨slight✨ obsession with Joan of Arc right now. (Just a little one. Tiny. Has not Consumed Me™️ in the slightest.) So I found this book at the bookstore and went into it knowing NOTHING. Read no reviews, barely skimmed the summary. I had zero expectations, but if I’d had ANY, this book would’ve surpassed them.

Katherine J. Chen packed this historical fiction full of vibrant, flawed characters, the most real among them Joan herself. Chen's version of Joan is driven by determination and fury, bubbling with bravery and brimming with intelligence. She is hardworking, strong, naïve, bold, and above all else, she is good. She helps people, she loves people, she claws her way to victory, she tries over and over again, she makes mistakes. She is hurt, betrayed, loved, and respected. Seeing Joan taken down from her saintly pedestal and fleshed into a real person, a character spilling over with human emotion and actions, meant so much to me. 

One thing I found interesting about this novel (and noticed complaints about in Goodreads reviews) is how weak the religious themes actually are. In this novel, Joan does not see angels. She is not guided by God. Rather, she is naturally strong and skilled, and she uses religion as a tool—a way to be heard and understood despite being a woman. And she doesn't stand on the sidelines of battles waving a banner—she fights. Katherine J. Chen took a saint and made her a warrior. If you're looking for something that focuses on the religious aspects of Joan's story, I'd choose a different book. 

Beyond that, this book was fairly accurate to history, as far as I know. It focuses a lot on Joan's life before she fought for the King and on her time at Court, creating a vivid image of what life in France was like for various people at this time.  Every twist and turn of the story had my heart either cracking or singing with joy, and the ending felt like a punch in the gut (in a good way. kinda). I am so beyond impressed with this story and these characters, and every emotion Chen made me feel. If you like historical fiction, or strong and capable main characters, or women with swords, please please please read this book. <3

This book was even better than I'd hoped--a lighthearted, well-written mystery with lovable characters, animal sidekicks, and fascinating magic. I loved every minute of the audiobook, and the story itself was incredibly well crafted. I can't wait to read more of Darcie Little Badger's work.

 In The Feast Makers, H.A. Clarke weaves together a bold, odd, and absolutely delightful conclusion to the Scapegracers trilogy.

When Sideways found their coven among the "popular girls" at their school, they never could've guessed what would happen next—witchhunters, curses, friendship, possibly falling in love... and now, the witch covens (and their enemies) gathering in town for a vicious witchtrial. As Sideways and their friends navigate through the complicated tangle of their past and future, danger once again lurks right around the corner.

I have so many things to say about this book.

First: the writing style. While it did take me a minute to catch the flow of the writing, when I did, I absolutely loved it. You can clearly see the author finding their voice throughout this series, and now they have. The writing has an odd, almost disjointed feeling, which adds to the eerie, not-quite-but-almost-horror vibes of the story and perfectly captures Sideways' personality. I LOVED IT. Unique and beautiful and absolutely delicious.

Second: the characters. I can't put into words how meaningful it is to see queer representation like this in YA books. These queers are messy and feral and confident and WEIRD and they love each other so unconditionally it makes my heart hurt. (Also, I saw this in another review and completely agree: We need more butch lesbians in YA?? Where are they??? Especially genderqueer ones??? Sideways is so cool???)

Third: the plot. This was the only part that was even close to iffy for me, and that was just because it's more character-focused than I usually enjoy. The real conflict is hinted at throughout the book, but Sideways has other, pressing emotional issues, and the story doesn't really pick up until the end, which was a bit rushed. But honestly?? The tension slowly building in the background made me sit even further on the edge of my seat, and the unique take on a "coming of age" story meant a LOT to me. So its worth it. Every word.

Apologies if this review is a little incoherent, I'm fighting off a cold right now and trying to make sense of my thoughts. All you really need to know about this book is that it's unique and bold and I adore all of these characters with all my heart. I already want to reread the whole trilogy. If you're looking for something that captures both the whirlwind adventures of being a witch AND the emotional chaos of being a queer teenager, this is the book for you.

AHHH

This book was absolutely INCREDIBLE, full of beautiful writing, lovable characters, and nonstop plot twists that left me reeling. I need the sequel IMMEDIATELY. <3