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librarianlayla's Reviews (954)
3.5/4 stars.
Dark and gritty, this is a fantastic manga for those interested in apocalyptic worlds and are also fans of human mutations. It flows together with a great amount of mystery about our main characters past, and the start of an interesting journey.
Dark and gritty, this is a fantastic manga for those interested in apocalyptic worlds and are also fans of human mutations. It flows together with a great amount of mystery about our main characters past, and the start of an interesting journey.
A truly magical bookish sequel that leads us further into the world of bookwanderers!
Full of adventure, twists and turns, this series is perfect for readers aged 10 and up who enjoy magical surrealism. If you've ever wanted to live in the stories you read, this beautiful series leads you through that magical idea whilst also introducing young readers to some older classic novels. Love it.
Full of adventure, twists and turns, this series is perfect for readers aged 10 and up who enjoy magical surrealism. If you've ever wanted to live in the stories you read, this beautiful series leads you through that magical idea whilst also introducing young readers to some older classic novels. Love it.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Raw, real and inspiring. A fantastic feminist graphic novel set in 1991, a look at Riot Girls, a true story of self discovery during a turbulent time. All told through fantastic illustrations that embody movement and emotion. Couldn't put it down, loved it. Highly recommend for anyone with a rebel inside them that needs that nudge to come out.
Raw, real and inspiring. A fantastic feminist graphic novel set in 1991, a look at Riot Girls, a true story of self discovery during a turbulent time. All told through fantastic illustrations that embody movement and emotion. Couldn't put it down, loved it. Highly recommend for anyone with a rebel inside them that needs that nudge to come out.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3/3.5 stars.
The idea of a female alchemist chasing the Philosophers Stone and proving herself amongst her peers with a pinch of magical surrealism, really called to me. Sadly I felt that there was something missing.
Thea began as a very intriguing, intelligent, bold character and I'm not sure what happened but halfway in, she dwindled, and became very one note.
The depth of her co characters became far more intriguing than her own. Valentin bringing a good amount of mystery, depth and intrigue which made interactions more bearable between characters.
I still really enjoyed the premise behind it, and I think there were some really good moments and dynamics between characters. I could relate to the relationship Thea had with her Mother and I think that aspect/motivation is what held my interest most. I was just missing a feeling of satisfaction overall by the end.
3/3.5 stars.
The idea of a female alchemist chasing the Philosophers Stone and proving herself amongst her peers with a pinch of magical surrealism, really called to me. Sadly I felt that there was something missing.
Thea began as a very intriguing, intelligent, bold character and I'm not sure what happened but halfway in, she dwindled, and became very one note.
The depth of her co characters became far more intriguing than her own. Valentin bringing a good amount of mystery, depth and intrigue which made interactions more bearable between characters.
I still really enjoyed the premise behind it, and I think there were some really good moments and dynamics between characters. I could relate to the relationship Thea had with her Mother and I think that aspect/motivation is what held my interest most. I was just missing a feeling of satisfaction overall by the end.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This had an eclectic group of short stories all themed with dark undercurrents. Some of those unfortunately didn't resonate with me, be it due to storyline or writing style.
But if I had to pick a stand out, for me it was See A Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire. It was funny, unexpected and relatable.
Fans of quirky, kooky and spooky short stories may find a hidden gem or two amongst this collection. From tooth fairies, to ghosts to unicorns, there is a story for everyone.
This had an eclectic group of short stories all themed with dark undercurrents. Some of those unfortunately didn't resonate with me, be it due to storyline or writing style.
But if I had to pick a stand out, for me it was See A Fine Lady by Seanan McGuire. It was funny, unexpected and relatable.
Fans of quirky, kooky and spooky short stories may find a hidden gem or two amongst this collection. From tooth fairies, to ghosts to unicorns, there is a story for everyone.
Fast paced action, greater stakes, twists, turns and fiery passion.
I have loved this series from the start and adore the world that Laurie has created. It is so rich in it's history, it's various cultures, languages, races. I could not put this down.
Fans of works such as Lord of the Rings, World of Warcraft and Hunger Games will enjoy this series.
I have loved this series from the start and adore the world that Laurie has created. It is so rich in it's history, it's various cultures, languages, races. I could not put this down.
Fans of works such as Lord of the Rings, World of Warcraft and Hunger Games will enjoy this series.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This had all the makings to be a magical adventure, perfect for middle grade readers, however I felt that it was missing something. There were moments when the flow of the story was a little jagged and at times terminology ect seemed to exceed what I would expect a 9 year old girl, in modern times, to use.
That all being said, I did appreciate that Adi was presented as being on the autism spectrum and that there were themes of depression, grief and recovery throughout. The characters were diverse, sometimes wacky but mostly wonderful. I do think that the idea behind the story was lovely and had great potential, however, the writing style just didn't click with me.
This had all the makings to be a magical adventure, perfect for middle grade readers, however I felt that it was missing something. There were moments when the flow of the story was a little jagged and at times terminology ect seemed to exceed what I would expect a 9 year old girl, in modern times, to use.
That all being said, I did appreciate that Adi was presented as being on the autism spectrum and that there were themes of depression, grief and recovery throughout. The characters were diverse, sometimes wacky but mostly wonderful. I do think that the idea behind the story was lovely and had great potential, however, the writing style just didn't click with me.
This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions, most of them negative unfortunately.
I was drawn to this book because as a female black gamer, albeit mixed black, I was so interested to read a book about not only a female black gamer, but game developer too! I was so excited diving in, to have a book that represented us, until within the first few chapters, I realised I wasn't counted among 'us'. For context I am a light skinned black person, and the ever present 'am I black enough' question runs through my mind almost daily. Am I enough of anything, to be someone. To be who I identify as. Now there is an undercurrent of inclusivity, one of the main characters is also mixed and she raises that question, however, it is overshadowed by comparative terms such as implying that both Zendaya and Rihanna are light skinned black people. They are, in my opinion, not. Making Zendaya an example of the lightest skin tone a black person can have, is so hurtful to those of us who are lighter skinned. It says that we do not count, that we are, outcasts. Belonging nowhere. And it's hurtful. When I read that sentence, I had to sit the book down and take a second or two. I am a shade lighter than Zendaya, implying she is the comparison for lighter skinned black people just invalidated my, and so many other's, existences. So if this is something that could potentially trigger you, then I would not recommend reading this book. I persevered because I really hoped it would get better, but I have never had to put down a book so frequently because of how bad it made me feel about myself before.
There is also the brief inclusion of a trans black person, who is honestly just mentioned as perhaps a token point in the story, and I was greatly disappointed that their character didn't appear anything more than that. Throwing in the inclusion of a black trans person without further developing their character and their contribution to the story, feels unnecessary. We hate the inclusion of 'token black people' in stories to make them look more inclusive and the same should be for trans folk. Including domestic abuse, or at least the threat of domestic abuse against this character, and then nothing else about them. Which disappointed me greatly, I wanted to know that they would be ok, I wanted to know that there was light for this character. And their online username was brought up twice more afterward, in passing, and nothing else.
And Malcolm, toxic Malcolm. If I hadn't persevered and stuck this story out to the end, I would never have seen the point of this character. He was just awful. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for a villain, but there wasn't anything about him to like. He just screamed red flags from start to finish.
Having said all this there are some really important narratives throughout the story that need to be out in the world. Police brutality, the unfair justice system in the US towards persons of colour, casual racism and cultural appropriation were all really important themes. So many nuances of being the 'token black person' in scenarios.I think the last quarter of the book was the most interesting, as it included the most of what I had picked this book up for - black gamer girl excellence in a virtual reality world. I really loved the world she had created, the cards with their history and meaning and the sense of community she had strived for. I appreciated as well that eventually Keira saw the light when it came to her boyfriends skewed ideology and actions. I'm sure that those who don't have issues with self identity will love this story, however for me whilst it seemed all inclusive on the surface, there was just too many off hand implications that really left me deflated.
I was drawn to this book because as a female black gamer, albeit mixed black, I was so interested to read a book about not only a female black gamer, but game developer too! I was so excited diving in, to have a book that represented us, until within the first few chapters, I realised I wasn't counted among 'us'. For context I am a light skinned black person, and the ever present 'am I black enough' question runs through my mind almost daily. Am I enough of anything, to be someone. To be who I identify as. Now there is an undercurrent of inclusivity, one of the main characters is also mixed and she raises that question, however, it is overshadowed by comparative terms such as implying that both Zendaya and Rihanna are light skinned black people. They are, in my opinion, not. Making Zendaya an example of the lightest skin tone a black person can have, is so hurtful to those of us who are lighter skinned. It says that we do not count, that we are, outcasts. Belonging nowhere. And it's hurtful. When I read that sentence, I had to sit the book down and take a second or two. I am a shade lighter than Zendaya, implying she is the comparison for lighter skinned black people just invalidated my, and so many other's, existences. So if this is something that could potentially trigger you, then I would not recommend reading this book. I persevered because I really hoped it would get better, but I have never had to put down a book so frequently because of how bad it made me feel about myself before.
There is also the brief inclusion of a trans black person, who is honestly just mentioned as perhaps a token point in the story, and I was greatly disappointed that their character didn't appear anything more than that. Throwing in the inclusion of a black trans person without further developing their character and their contribution to the story, feels unnecessary. We hate the inclusion of 'token black people' in stories to make them look more inclusive and the same should be for trans folk. Including domestic abuse, or at least the threat of domestic abuse against this character, and then nothing else about them. Which disappointed me greatly, I wanted to know that they would be ok, I wanted to know that there was light for this character. And their online username was brought up twice more afterward, in passing, and nothing else.
And Malcolm, toxic Malcolm. If I hadn't persevered and stuck this story out to the end, I would never have seen the point of this character. He was just awful. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for a villain, but there wasn't anything about him to like. He just screamed red flags from start to finish.
Having said all this there are some really important narratives throughout the story that need to be out in the world. Police brutality, the unfair justice system in the US towards persons of colour, casual racism and cultural appropriation were all really important themes. So many nuances of being the 'token black person' in scenarios.I think the last quarter of the book was the most interesting, as it included the most of what I had picked this book up for - black gamer girl excellence in a virtual reality world. I really loved the world she had created, the cards with their history and meaning and the sense of community she had strived for. I appreciated as well that eventually Keira saw the light when it came to her boyfriends skewed ideology and actions. I'm sure that those who don't have issues with self identity will love this story, however for me whilst it seemed all inclusive on the surface, there was just too many off hand implications that really left me deflated.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Quirky, fun, full of sarcastic wit and good intentions. It's Your Funeral is a unique way to look at the afterlife and how to deal with one's own death.
The momentum can be a little stoppy and starty, and Marnie isn't always a very likeable character. But the other characters bring light and laughter, and really were the heart of the story.
Quirky, fun, full of sarcastic wit and good intentions. It's Your Funeral is a unique way to look at the afterlife and how to deal with one's own death.
The momentum can be a little stoppy and starty, and Marnie isn't always a very likeable character. But the other characters bring light and laughter, and really were the heart of the story.
A phenomenal, action packed, heart wrenching sequel that I struggled to put down.
I honestly was so worried that the momentum from the first book might be lost on the sequel as I loved it so much, but these authors brought their A games once again.
Thrilling, emotional and filled with fire - a five star read all around. I cannot wait for the final installment, do not sleep on this series. Les Mis in space has never hurt so good.
I honestly was so worried that the momentum from the first book might be lost on the sequel as I loved it so much, but these authors brought their A games once again.
Thrilling, emotional and filled with fire - a five star read all around. I cannot wait for the final installment, do not sleep on this series. Les Mis in space has never hurt so good.