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emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Emily St. John Mandel's writing and how well-woven her stories are. There is the perfect mix of dark in her realistic dystopians. I also enjoy how her books blend into one another. I'm going to have to go back and do some rereading just to find all the little Easter eggs.
This story is something altogether unique and holds a great power to it in just initiating thought. It really did make me look introspectively, which doesn't happen to me a lot when reading fiction. So major kudos for that.
While I absolutely enjoyed this read, I will say that it was maybe still just a bit overhyped and so, even though I really enjoyed it, I found myself saddened that it wasn't a 5-star read. I honestly can't quite even put my finger on why. I just didn't hit hard enough? That may partially be due to the fact that I read Sea of Tranquiity prior to this one and that one just totally blew me away. Regardless, this is still 100% worth reathing. The writing in this book is just fantastic and I appreciate every word. The character work is also really well-done. Few of the characters are really written about thoroughly, but still each and every character feels intensely real. I don't know how she does that when some of them only exist for a small handful of pages. It's a realistic society with interlocking cogs that just makes sense. Even the crazy feels right.
There is a lot in this narrative that just made me think. About humanity, about how we value life and other people, and about how much we honestly take for granted from day to day. Beautiful, lyrical, and warranting of a reread.
This story is something altogether unique and holds a great power to it in just initiating thought. It really did make me look introspectively, which doesn't happen to me a lot when reading fiction. So major kudos for that.
While I absolutely enjoyed this read, I will say that it was maybe still just a bit overhyped and so, even though I really enjoyed it, I found myself saddened that it wasn't a 5-star read. I honestly can't quite even put my finger on why. I just didn't hit hard enough? That may partially be due to the fact that I read Sea of Tranquiity prior to this one and that one just totally blew me away. Regardless, this is still 100% worth reathing. The writing in this book is just fantastic and I appreciate every word. The character work is also really well-done. Few of the characters are really written about thoroughly, but still each and every character feels intensely real. I don't know how she does that when some of them only exist for a small handful of pages. It's a realistic society with interlocking cogs that just makes sense. Even the crazy feels right.
There is a lot in this narrative that just made me think. About humanity, about how we value life and other people, and about how much we honestly take for granted from day to day. Beautiful, lyrical, and warranting of a reread.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars.
This is the second in a trilogy, but really can act as a standalone for the most part. Still, I recommend reading Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves if possible before diving in.
There was a lot to really like about this book, including a some great action sequences and some good character interactions. Like the first in the series, there is some fantastic world-building and the introduction to another interesting planet. The political ins-and-outs can get a little confusing now and again, but the overarching story is easy enough to follow.
Unfortunately, I got dragged down by the pacing and lost my steam a few times while reading. This resulted in read that took me nearly 2 months (I typically finish physical reads in 7-10 days). I didn't connect to the characters as well for whatever reason, and I struggled through the middle chunk of the novel. I temporarily soft DNFd and circled back to it after reading a few other things to see if it was just my mood at the time, but I still did have to power through for a bit. I will attribute some of this to second novel syndrome as this for some reason does happen a lot to the middle books of trilogies.
However...I will say that my interest in the series was amped back up again by the final 1/4 of the plot and I am definitely going to be reading the finale of the trilogy. This baby ends with a kick and I need to know how this is all going to work out in the end.
This is the second in a trilogy, but really can act as a standalone for the most part. Still, I recommend reading Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves if possible before diving in.
There was a lot to really like about this book, including a some great action sequences and some good character interactions. Like the first in the series, there is some fantastic world-building and the introduction to another interesting planet. The political ins-and-outs can get a little confusing now and again, but the overarching story is easy enough to follow.
Unfortunately, I got dragged down by the pacing and lost my steam a few times while reading. This resulted in read that took me nearly 2 months (I typically finish physical reads in 7-10 days). I didn't connect to the characters as well for whatever reason, and I struggled through the middle chunk of the novel. I temporarily soft DNFd and circled back to it after reading a few other things to see if it was just my mood at the time, but I still did have to power through for a bit. I will attribute some of this to second novel syndrome as this for some reason does happen a lot to the middle books of trilogies.
However...I will say that my interest in the series was amped back up again by the final 1/4 of the plot and I am definitely going to be reading the finale of the trilogy. This baby ends with a kick and I need to know how this is all going to work out in the end.
dark
medium-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:
Yes
4.5 stars.
A well-written witchy debut told in three weaving timelines. A good page-turner of a read with good atmosphere and interesting characters. A highly feminist novel with some good historical content.
The witchy content was perfect, focusing on nature and the resources available for healing. If there was any portion of the book I would have specifically enjoyed seeing more of it would have been these particular endeavors.
The characters are strong and resolute, though they do start off somewhat weak. I very much enjoyed following their character arcs and watching them break free of the bonds they were being held in. They were all clever, smart, and resourceful women with good hearts and lots of determination.
The three storylines are very well timed and woven together. There is a lot of talent to this writing and the construction of the novel. It does not read like a debut and shows intense promise for future novels from Emilia Hart. She will be one to watch.
A well-written witchy debut told in three weaving timelines. A good page-turner of a read with good atmosphere and interesting characters. A highly feminist novel with some good historical content.
The witchy content was perfect, focusing on nature and the resources available for healing. If there was any portion of the book I would have specifically enjoyed seeing more of it would have been these particular endeavors.
The characters are strong and resolute, though they do start off somewhat weak. I very much enjoyed following their character arcs and watching them break free of the bonds they were being held in. They were all clever, smart, and resourceful women with good hearts and lots of determination.
The three storylines are very well timed and woven together. There is a lot of talent to this writing and the construction of the novel. It does not read like a debut and shows intense promise for future novels from Emilia Hart. She will be one to watch.
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars.
This series continues to engage. It is a good merging of nonfiction and fiction with some great elements of history beyond England. The series has been different from most of her books as it has focused on a more commonplace family, but this installment does veer a bit more toward the typical plot lines of her novels as it does bring in more of the English royal history while merging some very interesting pieces.
Though the plot can move a bit slowly in some places, there is still the charm of a typical Philippa Gregory novel. Her character work is fantastic and the emotions evoked by her writing run the gamut. The family saga continues to be interesting and she has added additional characters so that the story now includes four generations. Gregory also manages to create quite the villainous character in Livia. She may be one of the best characters in the book and I loved to hate her. Gregory has slowly been building her awfulness and it reaches peak meddler in this novel.
The ending takes place in a way that leaves things potentially open for further novels in this series and I would be very interested to see where the story can go. I feel like there is quite a lot of potential remaining and a lot of character arcs that I need to see furthered. This was possibly my favorite in the series so far, so I am now hungering for more.
This series continues to engage. It is a good merging of nonfiction and fiction with some great elements of history beyond England. The series has been different from most of her books as it has focused on a more commonplace family, but this installment does veer a bit more toward the typical plot lines of her novels as it does bring in more of the English royal history while merging some very interesting pieces.
Though the plot can move a bit slowly in some places, there is still the charm of a typical Philippa Gregory novel. Her character work is fantastic and the emotions evoked by her writing run the gamut. The family saga continues to be interesting and she has added additional characters so that the story now includes four generations. Gregory also manages to create quite the villainous character in Livia. She may be one of the best characters in the book and I loved to hate her. Gregory has slowly been building her awfulness and it reaches peak meddler in this novel.
The ending takes place in a way that leaves things potentially open for further novels in this series and I would be very interested to see where the story can go. I feel like there is quite a lot of potential remaining and a lot of character arcs that I need to see furthered. This was possibly my favorite in the series so far, so I am now hungering for more.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
4.5 stars.
Alright Jackson Ford, you're 2 for 2 with me. The writing in this series is a fantastic blend of action-packed snark. Teagan Frost continues to be a really great and fun character and having a 4-year-old as the bad guy? Awesome.
There is so much going on in this plot that it is nonstop high stakes. There is a lot packed into the narrative and the tone of the story shifts and swerves along with the events. I found it pretty impressive how well the writing kept up with the continuous shift of emotion and managing to match each character's actions realistically with their emotional states. Speaking of, I loved the imperfection in the characters. Teagan is great and I really enjoy her slapdash nature and smart mouth, but she definitely has some personal work to do. She's one of those likable unlikable characters and she makes the series. The humor created from Teagan's wild personality also melds incredibly well with the rollercoaster of action and somehow just keeps everything balanced.
There is a lot of craziness and everything moves at a breakneck speed. It's a bit of an adrenaline ride. This is a super enjoyable read, but be prepared. As with the first installment, this sequel ends on a honey of a cliffhanger.
Alright Jackson Ford, you're 2 for 2 with me. The writing in this series is a fantastic blend of action-packed snark. Teagan Frost continues to be a really great and fun character and having a 4-year-old as the bad guy? Awesome.
There is so much going on in this plot that it is nonstop high stakes. There is a lot packed into the narrative and the tone of the story shifts and swerves along with the events. I found it pretty impressive how well the writing kept up with the continuous shift of emotion and managing to match each character's actions realistically with their emotional states. Speaking of, I loved the imperfection in the characters. Teagan is great and I really enjoy her slapdash nature and smart mouth, but she definitely has some personal work to do. She's one of those likable unlikable characters and she makes the series. The humor created from Teagan's wild personality also melds incredibly well with the rollercoaster of action and somehow just keeps everything balanced.
There is a lot of craziness and everything moves at a breakneck speed. It's a bit of an adrenaline ride. This is a super enjoyable read, but be prepared. As with the first installment, this sequel ends on a honey of a cliffhanger.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
T. Kingfisher does it again. I just love how well she writes the creepy and absurd. This whole novel is straight out of left field and it is freaking marvelous. Gothic atmosphere on point. Evil grandmother, haunted house, vultures, and a female scientist protagonist with body positivity? Who writes this kind of genius? T. Kingfisher. Every time.
The narrative is a magnificent blend of horror and humor. Sam is a great protagonist and I love her buggy background. Everything about this book felt unique and interesting. There is some mild predictability to the plot, but I actually didn't mind that. And Sam's continuous search for a scientific or medical explanation to everything had me nodding with understanding while at the same time basically yelling at her to wake up and figure it out. Putting normal people in paranormal situations is just Kingfisher's forte.
Super fun and quick read. A great ride.
The narrative is a magnificent blend of horror and humor. Sam is a great protagonist and I love her buggy background. Everything about this book felt unique and interesting. There is some mild predictability to the plot, but I actually didn't mind that. And Sam's continuous search for a scientific or medical explanation to everything had me nodding with understanding while at the same time basically yelling at her to wake up and figure it out. Putting normal people in paranormal situations is just Kingfisher's forte.
Super fun and quick read. A great ride.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Horror written with the flavor of Daisy Jones and the Six, this book was a roller coaster of terror and fun. Told via a mix of multimedia, the tale follows the crew of a reality ghosthunter show, something that is not typically my fare but definitely worked. I was gripped and entertained throughout the read and did not want to put this down. I appreciated the addition of the skeptic to the main crux of the plot and how well the characters were balanced in an array of "believe" levels. The plot moved rather quickly and included a couple of good jump scares and some fantastic atmosphere.
So why isn't this a 5-star read, you ask? The ending. It's hard to get a good and solid ending in a horror novel of this type, so it's pretty understandable that this will be hit or miss with readers. For me, it just felt a little too abandoned. The ending had some fantastic qualities to it and I absolutely enjoyed where the plot headed, but it felt like it ended too suddenly and really needed another chapter or two to fully wrap itself up well.
Regardless, this baby was entertaining, intriguing, and perfectly spooky. I very much enjoyed it. HIGHLY recommend the audio for the full atmospheric effect. It is amazingly done with a full cast and some fantastic effects.
So why isn't this a 5-star read, you ask? The ending. It's hard to get a good and solid ending in a horror novel of this type, so it's pretty understandable that this will be hit or miss with readers. For me, it just felt a little too abandoned. The ending had some fantastic qualities to it and I absolutely enjoyed where the plot headed, but it felt like it ended too suddenly and really needed another chapter or two to fully wrap itself up well.
Regardless, this baby was entertaining, intriguing, and perfectly spooky. I very much enjoyed it. HIGHLY recommend the audio for the full atmospheric effect. It is amazingly done with a full cast and some fantastic effects.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars.
Climate fiction meets Where the Crawdads Sing. Atmospheric writing captures the dystopian setting of flooded Florida amidst climate changes that have extended and hardened the annual hurricane season. The majority of the plot follows young Wanda, named for the hurricane she was born during, as she makes her way in the near apocalyptic setting.
A good survivalist story and climate fiction exploration, but the magical realism component just didn't work for me. It felt a bit extraneous and really wasn't very well explored. If this piece had been removed from the plot, I think the resulting literary fiction style novel would have been much stronger. That aside, the writing is good and there are some wonderful explorations of human relationships and the ways in which we adapt. The prose can be incredibly beautiful and the story is well-explored. The pacing can be a bit slow and the events mildly repetitive during the middle section of the book, but there are quite a few momentous occasions that keep the narrative revived and drive home the humanity at the center of the tale.
An interesting read for certain and a mostly realistic examination of the potential effects of climate change.
Climate fiction meets Where the Crawdads Sing. Atmospheric writing captures the dystopian setting of flooded Florida amidst climate changes that have extended and hardened the annual hurricane season. The majority of the plot follows young Wanda, named for the hurricane she was born during, as she makes her way in the near apocalyptic setting.
A good survivalist story and climate fiction exploration, but the magical realism component just didn't work for me. It felt a bit extraneous and really wasn't very well explored. If this piece had been removed from the plot, I think the resulting literary fiction style novel would have been much stronger. That aside, the writing is good and there are some wonderful explorations of human relationships and the ways in which we adapt. The prose can be incredibly beautiful and the story is well-explored. The pacing can be a bit slow and the events mildly repetitive during the middle section of the book, but there are quite a few momentous occasions that keep the narrative revived and drive home the humanity at the center of the tale.
An interesting read for certain and a mostly realistic examination of the potential effects of climate change.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
An extremely well-written account of serial murders of members of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma during the 1920s. Yet another testament to the sheer lack of the American educational system in terms of history of their own peoples as I had no idea about any of this information. This account is both intriguing and appalling. So much corruption and unfair treatment of human beings. Unfortunately a true exploration of the greed this nation was built upon and the ugly ways in which Native Americans have been treated. Excellent nonfiction and an eye-opening account. Highly recommend the audio version.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lovely contemporary romance from Lia Louis that examines the personal nature of grief. Gently written and a nice slow and naturally developing plot that follows heartbreak, friendship, and love. Heartwarming story that isn't full of fluff and contains a protagonist who feels unapologetically real.
There is a bit of P.S. I Love You flavor to the narrative, but with its very own style and creative exploration. There was a lot of heaviness to the plot, so don't expect to go into this one as a rom-com. There are moments of levity in the banter, but the narrative is more seriously centered and things move at a slow burn.
Lia Louis is great a character creation and her cast in this novel works together quite well. Even the majority of the secondary characters have a good amount of personality and individual flavor to them. It's easy in a book containing a friend group for the characters to blur together as a solid mass, but that doesn't happen here.
An enjoyable and contemplative read that I flew through in two days. Quite well constructed. Not your usual contemporary romance fare, but something special all on its own.
There is a bit of P.S. I Love You flavor to the narrative, but with its very own style and creative exploration. There was a lot of heaviness to the plot, so don't expect to go into this one as a rom-com. There are moments of levity in the banter, but the narrative is more seriously centered and things move at a slow burn.
Lia Louis is great a character creation and her cast in this novel works together quite well. Even the majority of the secondary characters have a good amount of personality and individual flavor to them. It's easy in a book containing a friend group for the characters to blur together as a solid mass, but that doesn't happen here.
An enjoyable and contemplative read that I flew through in two days. Quite well constructed. Not your usual contemporary romance fare, but something special all on its own.