dbguide2's Reviews (863)

I was so so excited for this book because the premise of it sounded so fascinating. Modern Labyrinth, reality TV show, super cool, right? I did, however, completely forget about this book for a while. That wasn’t the reason I didn’t finish it, though.

I did really really like how they blended the modernity with the mythology. It was a cool idea, just not well thought out re characters. But just like the previous dnf, it was the characters that annoyed me to no end. I managed to get to a whole 30% before I realised that even though I liked reading it, I wasn’t enjoying it.

There’s also some instalove and I’m not much of a fan of that. I do think instaloves can be written well, but I didn’t feel like this for this romance. Ariadne also seemed to be a ‘not like other girls’ girl and I’m not so interested in that. And I know I didn’t read much of Theseus, but I really felt like he was boring, as was Ariadne for me.

There was also the problem of them trying to blend the modernity with the mythology just too much. Like swapping the iconic the face that launched a thousand ships line for a wink that will launch a million GIFs. I think it was by the …his emptiness stowed away like he’s closing a pop-up window on his browser that I knew I had to leave before I went into another reading slump.

I really like Christine Riccio as a booktuber – even though she can definitely be a bit ‘much’ at times (but then again I’m also very ‘much’ at times so ). I haven’t read Again, But Better – her first book – but I heard that didn’t receive high praise. And now after trying to read Better Together, I know I won’t want to read Again, But Better.

It was just all around bad. From characters who definitely should’ve spent more time in the drafts to a plot that most definitely should’ve also been worked on more. The twins, Siri and Jamie, were two very boring and annoying characters. I didn’t get this far, but other reviewers mentioned that they’re named after the Lannister twins… and I’m guessing you know them. So, yeah, that was interesting to read.

Siri has this awful ‘habit’ (is it that or is it just bad writing?) where, instead of swearing, she’ll say the weirdest things. Like ‘excrement’ instead of the ‘s’ word, ‘underworld’ and not ‘hell’ and it’s like… you could just have the characters say they don’t like to swear and have them not swear on page, it’s totally fine. You don’t have to have this super weird thing of making it a ‘quirky’ characteristic – when it totally isn’t! This kept happening so often in her chapters and it really just put me off so much. There’s literally this line that reads “Are you intercoursing kidding me?” And I honestly never want to read that again be because it’s just so wrong.

Apparently Jamie is meant to be funny because she’s a stand-up comedian? I did not see it in the slightest. And I’ve watched some stand-up comedy and obviously every comedian won’t be every person’s cup of tea. From the little bit I read of Jamie’s set, I definitely wouldn’t be a fan.

I didn’t get so far into the book to get much of the but I know I would’ve (maybe) liked it because I do love the comps (Freaky Friday meets The Parent Trap). Like cool, cool, great. Just not with these characters.

I stopped reading before 20% – which is usually my standard ‘if I’m not interested by this point, I put it down’ percentage. This looked interesting from the synopsis and it sadly went down from there.

Honestly, I just wasn’t interested in anything that went in the little bit that I read. Not in the characters, the tiny bit of starting plot I got, not even the premise of thieves could get me interested. Like I can’t even tell you anything about the characters because I couldn’t get myself into wanting to know more about them.

I do get upset when I realise I’m not interested in a book but then again sometimes you don’t click with a book. But also I’m glad that I realise when I’m truly not into a book and leave before I have to force myself to finish it.

 I was annoyed with this book because it did that thing!! Where the synopsis LOOKs really super good and then it falls along the way and I’m left trying to think if I’m bad at picking books or if the books are bad at picking me.

I could barely connect to ANY of the characters. I found them so unlikeable and there were so many problematic elements, which was a big reason why I didn’t like them. I can deal (and probably even like) unlikeable characters, but this was on another level. Like even when I decided to dnf and skipped ahead a bit (to see if there’s something that would interest me), there was nothing. 

Another book where it looked good and then it wasn’t. I think I started liking it but it didn’t read like a middle grade book. I know it’s historical fiction but I feel like there should be a better balance. I did feel a little bit for Cap, but I guess not enough to keep me interested. Funnily enough, it wasn’t even the fact of the book being a historical fiction that put me off, just that I didn’t connect to the story/characters. 

 I was like more than a hundred pages inti the story when I realised I wasn’t interested anymore. Don’t you hate it when that happens? I liked it, but it didn’t feel quite like the middle grade fiction I’m used to. Freddie, the main character’s best friend, was funny and I could see myself carrying on with the book just for him. 

Every time I read the synopsis I got reinvigorated for reading the book and I loved it. I loved that and I wish that would happen with more books! There wasn’t a moment that dragged in the book and I kept wanting to read and read, so I am so ready for the sequel.

I kept getting invested in Fable’s journey. From her counting her coppers and planning to get more (I’m that weird person who wants nothing to do with Maths but really likes fictional currencies), to waiting for her to realise that the ship and the crew is the one she’s meant to be on. I also became invested in her personality and her story (so much of her story), rooting for her to win and show everyone who thinks she can’t do it.

I thought like she might have been exaggerating about her dad or that she was too young to remember (how he treated her) but then more things started appearing about her dad and then I was like ‘oh wow yeah he is awful.’ I hope (for the next book) that she further distances herself from her dad, really makes her own mark on the world and stops focusing so much on her dad and trying to please him. And if she punches her dad? I’m all for that.

I loved how there was this big emphasis on trust and Fable not being able to trust anyone and I wrote early on in my notes – will she meet someone she can trust – and she begins to find that with the crew. I loved reading about the crew and their personalities and early on in the book and I hoped they wouldn’t disappear, and I was so happy when they didn’t.

I thought it was cool how they sneaked in fantasy elements but it wasn’t totally fantasy – like the gems sing to Fable, allowing her to find them easier and how she can tell what type of gem it is by looking at it. I hope that in the next book they’ll delve more into her being a gem sage and what that all entails

Ending the review off with a happy review! Avant-Guards is definitely one of my favourite graphic novels now and I’m wanting to read the other issues! I loved every aspect of this and enjoyed every minute I spent reading it.

The characters were so much fun and I wanted to read it again and again to spend more time with the characters. Or just have a cute animated series that’s just them being all cute and having fun team times. They all had such fun personalities and I just loved them all.

Olivia is adorable and I can definitely relate to her. While I could possibly count her as my favourite, the entire team are all my favourites. If you’re looking for a cast you could probably all love, then this is the book for you!

The gorgeous graphics in this are the only reason why this is 2 stars and not 1. It was another confusing story and while I was interested in Nina, our main character, at first, that interest sort of fell away because (to me) she felt like she was constantly moving between emotions and character motivations a bit? And I’m not trying to sound like it’s Nina’s problem, because I think it was probably me that just didn’t connect with the characters. At all.

As much as I didn’t connect with the characters, it was also the plot that really put me off. I felt that they just shoved us into the world in like, mid-season of the series and we’re forced to play catch-up with everything.

I liked the magic they showed and definitely how the magic and magical characters were shown through the illustrations. Maybe if they had more focus on the magic, I would have been more into the book?

Middlewest was an interesting little graphic novel and I understood like 10% of it. I thought it a bit weird that they just jump in with the fox? No explanations as to why he speaks or how he knows the main character. Does he even have a name? I don’t even know if I like the fox. He seems mysterious, as if he knows more than he’s letting on.

I did like the story – the main character was cute in that ‘pick him up and squish him type of way.’ The other characters were fun to read about – except his dad. He’s a bad dad. Unfortunately, nice graphics and fun characters aren’t enough. But I still want a fox.