librarianlayla's Reviews (954)

Fast paced and a little dark, Enola Holmes reads as original Holmes did and is a pleasant refresh for younger readers.

I enjoyed Enola and her determination as well as the grit of the storyline.

Perfect for teens interested in mysteries that err on the historical side.

I had high hopes for this historical fiction, however I found the execution to be lacking.

The story itself seemed to struggle from an identity crisis, at times history book, at times tourism brochure, at times whimsical time travelling fiction. The different genres didn't meld seamlessly and made the story feel disjointed. The poems sometimes lacked polish and rhythm. And there was a part in the book that described a woman holding a sword and a spear and yet in the accompanying picture, she was holding two swords aloft - and that inaccuracy niggled me a little as the book is really pushing for historical accuracy.

I enjoyed the characters and their amusing antics, they had great potential. It was just the execution of it all that let the story down. Great potential and with some work, I feel could be a great historical fiction series for young readers.

From the first page I was hooked.

Matt's journey with depression and anxiety mirror's mine in so many ways that it was hard not to resonate with his words. This book is helpful to those who do suffer as well as those who don't. It gives insight into an illness that whilst is getting more recognition than it has in years, is still very misunderstood.

I cannot recommend this enough. It made me feel less alone.

TW for - sexual assault, self harm, physical abuse, substance abuse and torture.

This book has left me reeling - I adored it!

Filled with emotion and twists and turns, The Prison Healer was everything I wanted from it and so much more.

I really appreciated that they focused on the survival aspect of the story, and less on the budding romance. Whilst it is still there, it feels more like an additional sprinkle, rather than the whole recipe. There is so much raw emotion packed into this story, of survival and perseverance but also of compassion and resilience. It's a real page turner with some truly dark moments, but there is always a thread of hope weaved in.

And that ending - part of me knew it was coming but it was so well written that it hit hard. It has left me begging for the sequel.

Fans of high stakes trials, books with a slightly medical feel with just a dash of magic and romance will really love this book.

**Trigger warning for depression, suicidal thoughts, self harm, abuse and trauma**

"Read what you love, not what you feel you 'should' read."

As someone who has only recently started their journey into the Librarian world, a dream for me since childhood, I was so eager to read about someone else's journey and Allie does not disappoint.

There are a lot of parallels between Allie's journey and my own that really made this book resonate with me, as a survivor of trauma, attempted suicide and as someone who battles depression and anxiety - it was so refreshing to read an honest account of her struggles and know that I was not alone. She highlights a lot of the struggles that libraries of today are facing, both pre and post Covid and offers an insight into the work of Librarians that often goes unnoticed.

Filled with emotion and determination, this is one of the best works of non fiction that I have read to date. Allie's relatable and passionate story is one that all book lovers should read, not just those of us who have been granted the keys to the Library kingdom.

If I could recommend one non fiction book to read to book lovers, I would recommend this.

4.5/5 stars.

I did struggle with the beginning of this book, it felt like being dropped into a world that you should already be familiar with rather than a first book world. But as I got to grips with the terminology, the orders and the history, I became really engrossed in the story and the magic system.

The characters are well fleshed out with well rounded flaws and motivations. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot. The dark edge to the story was a constant companion.

Looking forward to what the next book will bring.

Creepy, fast paced and maddening.

I must admit that I spent the first half of this book just generally being angry, I found it difficult to relate to the main character and found her vain, fickle personality grating. But more so than that, the misogynistic, racist men that heavily detailed the book, infuriated me. Which I know is accurate and relevant to the time in which the book takes place, but as I was having trouble finding any redeeming quality in the main character, I was just overtly angry for the first half.

The story itself is very well written, keeping the reader on their toes. It is beautifully alliterative and paints a dark and morose setting. Which I adored, and I did, come the end, feel myself rooting for the characters. Hence my 4 star rating, it is a good book, I think I just found some of the characters too close to home and that grated on me personally - which has absolutely no reflection on the author's capacity to spin a spooky tale.

Overall a book that I think those who love dramatic heroines, creepy haunted mansions and historical science would appreciate.

Spooky and action filled, I adore this series so much. Part of me really hopes that this isn't the end of Cassidy Blake's story as I feel she has come so far but still could also go further. I'm not ready to let these characters go.

2.5/3.

Thrillers aren't usually my thing, so I'm sure that those who love them will probably think higher of this book but I found it lacking.

The characters had little to no depth to them. I found the main character quite boring, I wanted more from someone who had had quite a tragic life. I wanted to feel something for her, but sadly felt nothing. I didn't feel chilled at all by any of the events as they unfolded and found it rather bizarre to include dialogue of a character that held no real substance to the story and had no conclusion.

Overall I wanted more twists and turns, I wanted more depth to the characters and I wanted to be left on the edge of my seat. And sadly that didn't happen.

Gritty, dark and hopeful.

If you are looking for a dark, sci-fi dystopia novel, with badass characters and an underlying love story - then Gearbreakers is for you.

The story doesn't focus on the love story, it focuses on survival and revenge but is full of sparks.

Really gripping, and I cannot wait for the sequel.