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ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)
3.5 stars.
A good debut novel. There are some flaws, but the bones are good. The writing is fun and the story is creative with an interesting mythical/paranormal element. Full review to come.
A good debut novel. There are some flaws, but the bones are good. The writing is fun and the story is creative with an interesting mythical/paranormal element. Full review to come.
4.5 stars. Magical, creepy, and oh so weird. Everything I love about Neil Gaiman's works. Full review to come.
4.5 stars. I just adore Charlie N. Holmberg. Her stories are fun, imaginative, and easy to settle into. This is a great duology so far and I'm ready to slide right into the sequel. Full review to come.
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4.5 stars. Jenny always has a unique voice and the ability to vacillate between the serious and the seriously ridiculous. I love her humor and the way her mind works. This is a bit different than her previous works, but I still very much enjoyed. I listened to the audio, which I highly recommend as it is narrated by the author and does include a bit of extra content at the end. Plus, Jenny just brings a little something extra to the table when you listen to her telling you crazy stories about...well...mostly penises. And rats. There are also rats. And dog condoms...for their feet (get your mind out of the gutter).
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
This is the finale of a trilogy focusing on three different magically tinted women in historical France. The first installment follows The Vine Witch, the second The Glamourist, and now we get the story of Sidra, the Jinni conjurer who is being hunted by someone from her past for a secret she holds and a murder she may have committed.
Had I read this as a standalone, I likely would have given it a lower rating. Though each installment in this trilogy can read as an individual novel, this one really needed the character connections formed in the previous books to give it a boost.
The first portion of the book felt like it moved too fast, with events being rushed and scenery changes lacking a bit of a comfortable transition. This somewhat jerky movement of the narrative happened a few times during the plot, making it feel like the bones of the story were well established, but the blending work of the writing was maybe rushed and not given enough time for the author to fully flesh out. While the writing was still good and the story was intriguing, it didn't really seem to be the same quality of composition as I had seen in the first two books.
That fast movement did have another effect. Though truly a full novel in length, something about this made it feel more like a novella. The pacing was fast, but there was something else at work that I can't quite put my finger on. This feeling was not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't feel like we got to explore as much of Sidra's life as we had the primary protagonists of the other two books. Because of this, I think I had a hard time connecting to this story as well as I had with her other works. There was a clear conflict that should have felt very tense, but I just didn't have a good investment with Sidra as a character so it felt a little flat. It may have been mostly to due with my not really seeing her as a sympathetic character, so this may not be an issue for other readers.
I loved Smith's creativity and ability to create a very atmospheric setting. She has a knack for making her scenery feel nearly tangible and her supporting characters always have just enough uniqueness to them to feel real without feeling over the top. Some of the plot pieces did feel a bit overly convenient and there was an odd piece in one of the ending sequences where a side character seemed to drop off the map for a bit of the story, but otherwise things moved pretty comfortably and the story felt believable.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this series. It was fun and imaginative and Smith's writing was just so great at being descriptive. Her books are easy, fast reads with good characters and magical twists that make things even more interesting and unpredictable.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Had I read this as a standalone, I likely would have given it a lower rating. Though each installment in this trilogy can read as an individual novel, this one really needed the character connections formed in the previous books to give it a boost.
The first portion of the book felt like it moved too fast, with events being rushed and scenery changes lacking a bit of a comfortable transition. This somewhat jerky movement of the narrative happened a few times during the plot, making it feel like the bones of the story were well established, but the blending work of the writing was maybe rushed and not given enough time for the author to fully flesh out. While the writing was still good and the story was intriguing, it didn't really seem to be the same quality of composition as I had seen in the first two books.
That fast movement did have another effect. Though truly a full novel in length, something about this made it feel more like a novella. The pacing was fast, but there was something else at work that I can't quite put my finger on. This feeling was not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't feel like we got to explore as much of Sidra's life as we had the primary protagonists of the other two books. Because of this, I think I had a hard time connecting to this story as well as I had with her other works. There was a clear conflict that should have felt very tense, but I just didn't have a good investment with Sidra as a character so it felt a little flat. It may have been mostly to due with my not really seeing her as a sympathetic character, so this may not be an issue for other readers.
I loved Smith's creativity and ability to create a very atmospheric setting. She has a knack for making her scenery feel nearly tangible and her supporting characters always have just enough uniqueness to them to feel real without feeling over the top. Some of the plot pieces did feel a bit overly convenient and there was an odd piece in one of the ending sequences where a side character seemed to drop off the map for a bit of the story, but otherwise things moved pretty comfortably and the story felt believable.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this series. It was fun and imaginative and Smith's writing was just so great at being descriptive. Her books are easy, fast reads with good characters and magical twists that make things even more interesting and unpredictable.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
A novel presented in a series of small vignettes. This was just average for me. There were some good pieces, but overall I was left mostly just okay with it all. The writing is decent, but the approach just didn't grab me as anything special. I didn't not like it, but I wasn't particularly moved either. I wanted something more fleshed out. I can understand why some would give this 5 stars as I think it really does depend on your reading tastes.
4.5 stars. Another cute graphic novel. I might be getting the hang of these things. Full review to come.
4.5 stars. I like my dystopians creepy and this delivered. The language can be a little pretentious, but overall I had a good time. * Full review to come. *
4.5 stars. This is a great YA contemporary that takes on the topics of self-awareness, identity, bullying, racism, bigotry, homophobia...I'm pretty sure you could add another handful of items here. This is a hard-hitting novel presented in a comfortable way.
I had a hard time settling into this narrative at first. The main character (Felix) is very accessible, but the writing style rubbed me the wrong way for a bit. I'm not exactly sure what the issue was, but the voice just felt a bit grating for parts of the novel. Also, I don't necessarily consider myself a prude, but the use of profanity felt excessive as did the references to substance use in teens. I'm not naive enough to assume that these things are not realistic, it just seemed to be too in your face and pulled me out of the narrative a bit. However, this really was a minor issue overall and I was able to move past it for the most part.
The pacing for the book is a little slow, but it worked and allowed me to really get to know Felix and his thoughts and feelings. Understanding the questioning of identity is something unfamiliar to me, so this was a good exposure to the experiences of others different from me and really had me thinking about the possibilities of identity and how it affects individuals in their day to day lives. I think I am a product of my age and this book was eye opening, but would have definitely been even more impactful had I read this as a teenager. I could identify with the pieces about trying to find out where you belong, and understanding and becoming comfortable with expressing more intimate emotions. Basically, all that to say that this is a great coming-of-age story that would be helpful in the hands of young adult readers.
The diversity of the characters is done incredibly well and I appreciated the ability to really consider Felix's peer group as a mixed whole. This was nicely realistic and also allowed the narrative to address several different points of view, evaluating common prejudices and tearing them down.
This is a difficult story to read from an emotional standpoint, but it is well worth the pain. It is beautiful and moving, but also just heart-wrenching. It's a good lesson in the golden rule...treat others in the way you would like to be treated. Kacen Callender gives the reader a lot to learn here and I am glad that I was able to experience it.
I had a hard time settling into this narrative at first. The main character (Felix) is very accessible, but the writing style rubbed me the wrong way for a bit. I'm not exactly sure what the issue was, but the voice just felt a bit grating for parts of the novel. Also, I don't necessarily consider myself a prude, but the use of profanity felt excessive as did the references to substance use in teens. I'm not naive enough to assume that these things are not realistic, it just seemed to be too in your face and pulled me out of the narrative a bit. However, this really was a minor issue overall and I was able to move past it for the most part.
The pacing for the book is a little slow, but it worked and allowed me to really get to know Felix and his thoughts and feelings. Understanding the questioning of identity is something unfamiliar to me, so this was a good exposure to the experiences of others different from me and really had me thinking about the possibilities of identity and how it affects individuals in their day to day lives. I think I am a product of my age and this book was eye opening, but would have definitely been even more impactful had I read this as a teenager. I could identify with the pieces about trying to find out where you belong, and understanding and becoming comfortable with expressing more intimate emotions. Basically, all that to say that this is a great coming-of-age story that would be helpful in the hands of young adult readers.
The diversity of the characters is done incredibly well and I appreciated the ability to really consider Felix's peer group as a mixed whole. This was nicely realistic and also allowed the narrative to address several different points of view, evaluating common prejudices and tearing them down.
This is a difficult story to read from an emotional standpoint, but it is well worth the pain. It is beautiful and moving, but also just heart-wrenching. It's a good lesson in the golden rule...treat others in the way you would like to be treated. Kacen Callender gives the reader a lot to learn here and I am glad that I was able to experience it.