crusoe's reviews
201 reviews

WildSpark by Vashti Hardy

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adventurous emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

The personifate remind me a little of the Daemons from His Dark Materials and I would say the world-building is about as good as well! While the characters occasionally fall into stereotype (especially Cora), their relationships are endearing. 

The world-building is definitely it's strongest part: this book could've been an instant classic if the story had been just a tad sharper, a tad cleverer. I was fully expecting
Edwin to be Prue's brother since it was unclear at the beginning whether souls take their original voice and there were some plotpoints that hinted at it
I think what ended up happening was a better way to deal with the topic of grief and letting go but I was disappointed that the plottwists that did happen were only very lightly hinted at. 

The clear inspiration
(wendigoos)
behind the villainous personifate machines at the end also makes me take my rating down. 

That said, I did enjoy this book. It was a very comforting read and it's great to give to fantasy loving middleschool kids. 
She Gets the Girl by Alyson Derrick, Rachael Lippincott

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I finished she gets the girl in a day; these chapters are like eating popcorn, it's hard to stop! 

I think books by this author fall into the same category as Albertalli books in the sense that they're very comforting to read but not all that deep. The main characters were cute, I liked their character development and the activities they take on together but I do think their romance went from slowburn friendship to head over heels rather fast near the end. All in all, a nice read!
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Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
I really wanted to like this book, and truly it's not bad but I had a hard time getting invested in the characters and story. That's why I'm dropping it. 

I like sci-fi, I like romance, but I don't think these aspects of the story lift each other up and the marketing was more focused on the romance which ended up taking a backseat to the sci-fi and mystery. 

I like Kiem's and Jainan's characterization and their dynamic is okay but seeing Kiem go out of his way for Jainan only for Jainan to read this as him causing trouble for Kiem was extremely frustrating. The world-building also just did not speak to me much and I had a hard time keeping track of all the important side characters. 
Down Under: Travels in a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

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funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

Reading a Bryson book is like eating cheesecake for me: I shouldn't do it too often but once in a while it's exactly what I need. 

I don't think Down Under is as evocative as Bryson's other work and it has some points of repetitiveness. (There's only so many times you can talk about arid landscapes and small town museums before it becomes stale.) But generally speaking it was a fun ride. 
Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I like the emphasis on how not having any kin in the clan makes Fireheart feel. It can be frustrating to constantly read about Fireheart's indecision regarding Tigerclaw and Greystripe but luckily there's more going on in the story. I think this part sets up a lot of important plot points for later on in the series. 
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World by Haemin Sunim

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inspiring reflective relaxing fast-paced

3.0

This book qualifies for the championship 'open deuren intrappen' (kicking in open doors) as we say in the Netherlands. I understand why it is popular because the succint advise and pretty art give it a broad appeal. The advice given is solid enough, however, it's especially good for those who have never given a critical thought in their life to their self-development. 

That said, it made for a relaxing read. 
Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It is true: Warriors really is middle grade game of thrones. 

For me, this book was a great nostalgic read and I will be rereading the other books of the first series in the future. I love how distinct the behaviour and looks of each of the main characters is; you get a really good sense of their character. However, one issue I have is that the plot is very dense. A lot of things happen in a very short time which does not give the plot much room to breathe. That said, I am still smitten with this series and I'm looking forward to experiencing it all over again. 
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Dracula by Bram Stoker

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

It is easy to see why this is a classic! Not only does it surmise all the popular tropes we now attach to vampires but the story is genuinely tragic and compelling. 

Considering the many reviews that comment on the writing style; the style of diary entries and newspaper articles being hard to read, choosing to experience it ad an audio book was a good choice. Mike Bennet gives a nice dramatic tone to each of the characters which makes for a very pleasant reading. 
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Mapmakers and the Flickering Fortress by Cameron Chittock, Amanda Castillo

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Mapmakers as a series isn't perfect and at the end of the series, there are several plotholes that have not been filled and storythreads that haven't been resolved. That said, I adore it!

The art is still amazing and -even though Ripley would have benefitted from more character development- I love the characters and their personalities. 

The twist at the end
of the nightcoats making their own maps
was very solid and I like that Lewis had a chance to contribute more to the story and it's solution because he had been sidelined a bit in the previous installments. Sad that it's over, but I'm glad I got to experience this story, it's something special. 
Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo

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challenging emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Ballad for Sophie is an absolutely beautiful graphic novel and I'm glad my bookclub chose this one because otherwise I might have never read it. 

I like how, although Samson was an important motivation to do what Julian has done throughout his entire life, in the end, Samson himself was not someone who is most important to him. (Samson himself does not have a chapter like other characters might.) 

The panels are also absolutely beautiful and evocative even if it felt like the characters were sometimes very off-model.