Reviews by librarymouse | The StoryGraph

447 reviews by:

librarymouse

The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery

3.0

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

This book is very dense and the organization makes the information and names harder to follow across chapters and years. Still, it's interesting to get a glimpse into the author's research processes and they make a good case for the man they believe to be the killer and what they believe to be his fate.

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Magic for Liars

Sarah Gailey

5.0

emotional funny mysterious sad fast-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

This was a rapidly consumable book. Some of the twists and turns were expected, others less so, and Ivy is a fun and engaging narrator. The magic system isn't very clearly defined, but that makes sense, given our narrator is not very familiar with it. I appreciated the way the book ends, in both how the main plot is resolved and how the romance plot is left open - and I like that the cat is named Alphabet.

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The Children on the Hill

Jennifer McMahon

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective 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

This was a really enjoyable and engaging read. It was eally well written, especially in how the storytelling explores how a story can be warped as it passes through multiple perspectives. Young Eric, Violet, and Iris are lovely and the pacing between the late 70s and late 2010s works really well. This is another one of those books, that while I know it's horror, it doesn't read as necessarily scary for me. The nuance of the characters was the driving force behind the book.

one thing that was Neve quite far enough explored was the kiss scene. I think it was meant to express Violet's impulsiveness seeping back through as she forsakes the medications she's being given and looks into what she thinks is Iris's past. That and the lure Violet feels towards Iris; the desire to know and be known. Just having that expressed through a kiss between characters referred to as sisters throughout the whole rest of the book was odd. Especially so when it was never brought up again. Violet having wished for a sister, and having that wish fulfilled is deeply unsettling, knowing their Gran had Eric keeping tabs on her and was using hypnosis on her. The ending of the book and the uncovering that Violet is patient S puts quite a lot of earlier events into perspective.

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Magical Thinking: True Stories

Augusten Burroughs

3.75

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

I remember having loved this book the first time I read it in high school. As an adult, I was kind of disgusted with through the author was, as depicted in these memoir essays. The interview after the book (audiobook) is a massive boon to the author, because it seems like he's disgusted with who he was at this point too. Not a fan of the volume of slurs used in this, but it is true to life of an alcoholic in New York in the 80s and 90s, I guess.

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The Collectors: Stories

A.S. King

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This was a neat collection. I particularly loved "Play House" by Anna-Marir McLemore, "La Concha" by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, and "A Recording for Carole Before It All Goes" by Jason Reynolds.

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The Tea Dragon Festival

K. O'Neill

5.0

adventurous reflective relaxing

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I hadn't realized this is a prequel to The Tea Dragon Society, until quite late in the book. It explains a lot, though. Reading this made me nostalgic for a life that's never been mine. I yearn for a life with a loving, supportive community, in a queer-normative society, where the entire village is willing to learn sign language for the sake of a single child. K. O'Neill has created such a beautiful world.
These books are beautiful. I love the grumpy little tea dragons, and the gestural drawings of chickens in the backgrounds. I want the art from this book to decorate my walls. The story is incredibly immersive, in its comforting nature, and the illustrations intensify that quality exponentially.

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Steel's Edge

Ilona Andrews

4.0

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a great addition to the series, but I want more. I've read the Innkeeper Chronicles, and I've loved this peak back at the childhoods of George, Jack, and Sophie. It also does feel like a bit of an open ending, though I guess the unmarried people introduced in the earlier book are all married off now.

The main plot starting with Éléonore's death was so sad, and got me immediately invested. It was deeply heart wrenching to see Richard's hallucination as he was near death, tearing through the forest in search of Sophie, thinking she was still little and trapped in a pit by the slavers. The simple joy Charlotte's healing powers can bring, juxtaposed with the pandemonium she's able to bring down with her powers is fantastic. Her immediate revenge against the slavers was so wonderfully calculated, and I love that they got a dog out of it. The bond between Sophie, Charlotte, and Richard by the end of the book is fantastic.
The fact that Richard permanently changed his face for a job freaked me the fuck out.

One thing I don't like about the romance plots in this series, which was particularly prominent in this book, is the use of "innately female" and "innately male" in describing looks/sounds/actions in moments of lust. It was so off-putting to me.

Content Warnings

Fate's Edge

Ilona Andrews

4.0

adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

While this was a fun addition to the Edge universe, I'm not the biggest fan of how Kaldar is characterized. His lack of respect for clearly stated physical boundaries was not something that I necessarily enjoyed reading. I understand there is an appeal for some people, and it did fit his character in terms of aligning with his own self-interest outside of issues affecting his family, but the repeated violation of boundaries and Kaldar's falling into insta-love while doing so made this not my favorite book of the series. Which is sad, because I enjoyed his character when he was first introduced. I really enjoyed Jack and George in this book! The parts they played in the cult side quest was one of the highlights of the book.

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Bayou Moon

Ilona Andrews

5.0

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad 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: Complicated

Again, another deeply consumable book. I'm procrastinating during final exams, and this is exactly what I think buzzing in my brain needs to quiet down so I can sleep. Having read The Innkeeper Chronicles, it's great to see more about how the characters introduced as adults in that series came to know each other as kids.

Content Warnings

On the Edge

Ilona Andrews

4.75

adventurous emotional funny 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: Complicated

This was very fun! More romance than action driven, but still in that deeply consumable Ilona Andrews style. I read the innkeeper chronicles before this, so I know what comes of some of them in the far future, but I'm looking forward to the immediate future very much.
There's to much in this book to succinctly summarize, so I shall repeat, this book is deeply consumable, with a wonderful depth of nuance in story, character, and setting.
Declan's character, at the beginning of the book is not likable. I like how the authors circumvented expectations with him, otherwise my rating would have been far lower.

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