Take a photo of a barcode or cover
obscurepages's Reviews (410)
Tyler Johnson Was Here is a beautiful story of family, grief, loneliness, and choosing to be strong and fight for something despite all of the odds.
I picked this book up because I felt like I've been reading a lot of fantasy novels lately. This book definitely gave me a break from all the fantasy and fictional worlds, but man, the story can definitely weigh you down with sadness.
The writing
The writing style of this book was great. The author weaves a sad and beautiful story about family and injustice, grief and loneliness. This book can truly provoke emotions from the reader and I was definitely moved.
The characters
I liked the characters just fine, but there were times when the characterizations seemed a bit off for me. Marvin's mom lacked characterization for me, so did Ivy and G-mo (and they were Marvin's best friends so I expected a bit more), plus the chemistry in a certain relationship in the book felt nonexistent and/or not convincing enough for me. I also wanted to know more about Marvin and Tyler's Dad; I liked him and his parts, and I feel like he deserved to be involved more in the story. Tyler lacked a bit o backstory too, and at the end, I'm still left with a couple of questions on my mind.
The plot
The plot was okay and was easy to follow. Though it was simple, it was poignant and it held so much significance and resemblance to the real world. My issue is that some subplots and little issues or conflicts here and there were not resolved and that irked me. I would have loved if these little details were not left hanging.
(This book review was first published on my blog.)
I picked this book up because I felt like I've been reading a lot of fantasy novels lately. This book definitely gave me a break from all the fantasy and fictional worlds, but man, the story can definitely weigh you down with sadness.
The writing
The writing style of this book was great. The author weaves a sad and beautiful story about family and injustice, grief and loneliness. This book can truly provoke emotions from the reader and I was definitely moved.
The characters
I liked the characters just fine, but there were times when the characterizations seemed a bit off for me. Marvin's mom lacked characterization for me, so did Ivy and G-mo (and they were Marvin's best friends so I expected a bit more), plus the chemistry in a certain relationship in the book felt nonexistent and/or not convincing enough for me. I also wanted to know more about Marvin and Tyler's Dad; I liked him and his parts, and I feel like he deserved to be involved more in the story. Tyler lacked a bit o backstory too, and at the end, I'm still left with a couple of questions on my mind.
The plot
The plot was okay and was easy to follow. Though it was simple, it was poignant and it held so much significance and resemblance to the real world. My issue is that some subplots and little issues or conflicts here and there were not resolved and that irked me. I would have loved if these little details were not left hanging.
(This book review was first published on my blog.)
The Vine Witch is a fun and enchanting read! What I thought would only be a typical or simple story about wine makers, turned out to be an exciting story about the magic of wine making and magic of witches.
Great writing
I adored the writing style of this book! It was elegant and mysterious, plus the visualization of certain sceneries and setting was enough to transport me into the magnificent French countryside. The author also used several metaphors to describe wine making and wine tasting, which for me truly showed the beauty and magic of wines.
Solid characters
The characters here in The Vine Witch were pretty solid as well. I loved Elena's passion for the vineyard and her determination to restore it in its glory. Plus I liked how well-developed Elena's character is. I also adored Jean-Paul and how he left his former profession to do something that truly makes him happy (wine making that is). Even the minor characters were also great and they helped keep the story fun and exciting.
As for the romance part, it was good but I feel like I needed more interaction and chemistry between the two main characters. Don't get me wrong, they did have chemistry, but I just wish they had more
Interesting plot
This book has an interesting plot indeed. At the first few parts though, I thought it would only be simple, but the story took an interesting turn—a plot twist I didn't expect—and I loved it! It's also great to see all the little details and scenes come together and make sense at the end. It was mysterious and enchanting, yet still cohesive. I also liked how there were other kinds of witches involved, not just vine witches. To me, that helped expand both the plot and the world-building.
I only hoped there was bigger fight though as the climax felt a little safe. It kept me at the edge of my seat alright, but I feel like it wasn't enough to make me hold my breath.
Overall, this was such a delight read and I really enjoyed it!
(This book review was first published on my blog as part of the The Vine Witch Blog Tour by The FFBC!)
Great writing
I adored the writing style of this book! It was elegant and mysterious, plus the visualization of certain sceneries and setting was enough to transport me into the magnificent French countryside. The author also used several metaphors to describe wine making and wine tasting, which for me truly showed the beauty and magic of wines.
Solid characters
The characters here in The Vine Witch were pretty solid as well. I loved Elena's passion for the vineyard and her determination to restore it in its glory. Plus I liked how well-developed Elena's character is. I also adored Jean-Paul and how he left his former profession to do something that truly makes him happy (wine making that is). Even the minor characters were also great and they helped keep the story fun and exciting.
As for the romance part, it was good but I feel like I needed more interaction and chemistry between the two main characters. Don't get me wrong, they did have chemistry, but I just wish they had more
Interesting plot
This book has an interesting plot indeed. At the first few parts though, I thought it would only be simple, but the story took an interesting turn—a plot twist I didn't expect—and I loved it! It's also great to see all the little details and scenes come together and make sense at the end. It was mysterious and enchanting, yet still cohesive. I also liked how there were other kinds of witches involved, not just vine witches. To me, that helped expand both the plot and the world-building.
I only hoped there was bigger fight though as the climax felt a little safe. It kept me at the edge of my seat alright, but I feel like it wasn't enough to make me hold my breath.
Overall, this was such a delight read and I really enjoyed it!
(This book review was first published on my blog as part of the The Vine Witch Blog Tour by The FFBC!)
I got an e-arc of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
As an introvert, a cat lover, and a former literary writer, I completely loved this! As an ordinary reader, I definitely adored it!
This book was fun, entertaining, and to be honest, it was quite educational, too.
The author managed to capture what was it like to be a cat and an introvert at the same time. He made it funny but also quite illuminating. I never related to anything more quickly as an introvert.
I also loved the writing style. Most of them were simple, short poems but they pack quite a punch. And of course, the pictures were lovely!
Overall, this read was enjoyable and delightful!
As an introvert, a cat lover, and a former literary writer, I completely loved this! As an ordinary reader, I definitely adored it!
This book was fun, entertaining, and to be honest, it was quite educational, too.
The author managed to capture what was it like to be a cat and an introvert at the same time. He made it funny but also quite illuminating. I never related to anything more quickly as an introvert.
I also loved the writing style. Most of them were simple, short poems but they pack quite a punch. And of course, the pictures were lovely!
Overall, this read was enjoyable and delightful!
I won an ARC of this from a giveaway a few weeks ago. It’s my first every physical ARC and I am so grateful! I thought I’d have to read the first books in the series first, but I realized this was a companion novel and it could stand alone. And so, I dived in!
This book was a nice, short read! The story weaved tales of unrequited love, dark magic, forgiving mistakes, fulfilling destinies, and families. Actual rating is 3.5 stars!
Elegant yet funny writing
From the get-go, the writing style of this book was pretty elegant and formal, and I thought I wouldn’t have a lot of fun with it, but I was wrong! There were several quirks, funny lines, and funny moments. It was serious, yes, but the author managed to insert great moments that made me laugh throughout the book.
I also love how the writing had a deeply emotional touch of unrequited love. The way the author described it—the feelings, the experience—its was amazing, and I loved it.
Great characters
I also adored the characters! Bao is just a big ball of sunshine and I want to wrap him up in a blanket and protect him from the whole world. He has so much hope for the people and so much positivity in life, you can’t help but be in awe of him.
Lan, on the other hand, it took quite some time for me to warm up to her. At the end of the book though, I was so glad to see her bloom and grow and achieve that character development!
There were a few interesting minor characters, too! Huong, Lady Yen, Commander Wei, and of course, Mistress Vy. I loved her as a villain, and for me, all her actions and logic just made so much sense.
Uncomplicated yet exciting plot
The plot of Song of the Crimson Flowers was fairly uncomplicated, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It was uncomplicated in a way that it wasn’t too complex, not too hard to follow for a YA Fantasy book. Sometimes YA Fantasy novels can get so tangled up when it comes to their plots, but this book, for me, was not like that. It was exciting in its own way and I was still so interested with the characters and curious as to how the story will take shape.
Also, apart from the main plot, the subplots will also hook you. There were elements about family, about identity, about love and marriage, about war and politics. I loved it!
Nice world-building but…
As a whole, I found the world-building nice. It was great to read about an East Asian-inspired fictional world. However, as much as I loved reading all about it, I can’t help but wish the book had a map. I haven’t read the two main books in the series, so I guess that’s why I had a little trouble imaging their nation, the kingdoms, and other relevant places in the story. It would have been nice to see a map as well just so the visualization was better.
I really enjoyed this book! I hope I get to read more of the author’s works soon!
(This book review was first published on Enthralled Bookworm.)
This book was a nice, short read! The story weaved tales of unrequited love, dark magic, forgiving mistakes, fulfilling destinies, and families. Actual rating is 3.5 stars!
Elegant yet funny writing
From the get-go, the writing style of this book was pretty elegant and formal, and I thought I wouldn’t have a lot of fun with it, but I was wrong! There were several quirks, funny lines, and funny moments. It was serious, yes, but the author managed to insert great moments that made me laugh throughout the book.
I also love how the writing had a deeply emotional touch of unrequited love. The way the author described it—the feelings, the experience—its was amazing, and I loved it.
Great characters
I also adored the characters! Bao is just a big ball of sunshine and I want to wrap him up in a blanket and protect him from the whole world. He has so much hope for the people and so much positivity in life, you can’t help but be in awe of him.
Lan, on the other hand, it took quite some time for me to warm up to her. At the end of the book though, I was so glad to see her bloom and grow and achieve that character development!
There were a few interesting minor characters, too! Huong, Lady Yen, Commander Wei, and of course, Mistress Vy. I loved her as a villain, and for me, all her actions and logic just made so much sense.
Uncomplicated yet exciting plot
The plot of Song of the Crimson Flowers was fairly uncomplicated, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It was uncomplicated in a way that it wasn’t too complex, not too hard to follow for a YA Fantasy book. Sometimes YA Fantasy novels can get so tangled up when it comes to their plots, but this book, for me, was not like that. It was exciting in its own way and I was still so interested with the characters and curious as to how the story will take shape.
Also, apart from the main plot, the subplots will also hook you. There were elements about family, about identity, about love and marriage, about war and politics. I loved it!
Nice world-building but…
As a whole, I found the world-building nice. It was great to read about an East Asian-inspired fictional world. However, as much as I loved reading all about it, I can’t help but wish the book had a map. I haven’t read the two main books in the series, so I guess that’s why I had a little trouble imaging their nation, the kingdoms, and other relevant places in the story. It would have been nice to see a map as well just so the visualization was better.
I really enjoyed this book! I hope I get to read more of the author’s works soon!
(This book review was first published on Enthralled Bookworm.)
THIS BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE. I have no words except for two: home and hope. For me, these two words perfectly embody The Last Olympian.
Here, we get to see the importance of home, of family—and not just the family by blood, but also family by choice. The ugly sides of family were shown as well, and the fact that just because someone is your family doesn't mean they're always right or always good.
There's also hope, so much hope. For the future, for the much needed change, for the environment, for the camp, for the families. It also showed us just how w should keep the hope and to never give it up. I loved it so much.
When it comes to the characters, they have grown so much here, especially Percy. From his powers and abilities, to his attitude and thinking, Percy has grown into a hero. Another amazing character development for me is Clarisse. I loved her arc throughout the series, and seeing her character in this final book is just great!
The plot, of course, was just... I don't even have the right word to describe it, but it was so well-written, so well thought of, and it's just the perfect ending to a great series for me.
(This book review was first published on Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
Here, we get to see the importance of home, of family—and not just the family by blood, but also family by choice. The ugly sides of family were shown as well, and the fact that just because someone is your family doesn't mean they're always right or always good.
There's also hope, so much hope. For the future, for the much needed change, for the environment, for the camp, for the families. It also showed us just how w should keep the hope and to never give it up. I loved it so much.
When it comes to the characters, they have grown so much here, especially Percy. From his powers and abilities, to his attitude and thinking, Percy has grown into a hero. Another amazing character development for me is Clarisse. I loved her arc throughout the series, and seeing her character in this final book is just great!
The plot, of course, was just... I don't even have the right word to describe it, but it was so well-written, so well thought of, and it's just the perfect ending to a great series for me.
(This book review was first published on Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
I'm gonna be honest. I had so much more fun with this than The Lightning Thief! And I don't know if this is because the story's more captivating or I just don't remember much of it after reading it for the first time several years ago.
Sea of Monsters was jam-packed! There are more stuff about Greek mythology (from the creatures, to the stories, to the heroes and villains, and the gods), the bigger plot and the prophecy is finally revealed to Percy, plus the characters are also a highlight (Tyson appearing and worming his way onto Percy's life, Annabeth opening up more about herself, Clarisse trusting Percy and working with him). It was all so good and every element worked well together. I also loved that it's humorous but also philosophical at the same time.
In this book, I also realized that Percy really did have the makings of a villain, or at the very least, a bad guy. He's powerful (and still has more potential in the coming years), sassy, insecure, and can also be prideful at times, has an absentee father, and is contantly being used as a pawn. What makes him different though, is he's still compassionate. He trusts people and sees kindness, and he takes the time to reflect and he admits his flaws, his doubts, and wrongdoings. I'm pretty sure we have Sally Jackson to thank for that.
Also, can I just say, that ending?! It's truly brilliant and so well executed that I still had goosebumps even though I already knew exactly what was coming. It's so good! Loved this!
(And yes, I'm still so mad that the movie adaptation changed and omitted so many details from the book. Ugh.)
(This book review is a part of Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
Sea of Monsters was jam-packed! There are more stuff about Greek mythology (from the creatures, to the stories, to the heroes and villains, and the gods), the bigger plot and the prophecy is finally revealed to Percy, plus the characters are also a highlight (Tyson appearing and worming his way onto Percy's life, Annabeth opening up more about herself, Clarisse trusting Percy and working with him). It was all so good and every element worked well together. I also loved that it's humorous but also philosophical at the same time.
In this book, I also realized that Percy really did have the makings of a villain, or at the very least, a bad guy. He's powerful (and still has more potential in the coming years), sassy, insecure, and can also be prideful at times, has an absentee father, and is contantly being used as a pawn. What makes him different though, is he's still compassionate. He trusts people and sees kindness, and he takes the time to reflect and he admits his flaws, his doubts, and wrongdoings. I'm pretty sure we have Sally Jackson to thank for that.
Also, can I just say, that ending?! It's truly brilliant and so well executed that I still had goosebumps even though I already knew exactly what was coming. It's so good! Loved this!
(This book review is a part of Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
This book just never gets old! I first read this series back in high school and my love for it never diminished.
I loved getting to know the characters once again! Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. Seeing all of them get to know each other, go on a journey, and be a team is awesome! Made me feel a little bit nostalgic, too. I also love how the writing style makes it seem like I really am in the book, going on an adventure with this trio.
Loved the plot, of course. There's a blend of magical stuff and pretty normal teenage issues, and that was great for me. There are prophecies and mythology, but there's also family issues. I'm reminded that these characters are just kids, and they'll be going through some typical human problems as well.
And of course, I couldn't help but think of the movie adaptation. It's just so different to the books, and well. Books are better, anyway.
(This book review is a part of Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
I loved getting to know the characters once again! Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. Seeing all of them get to know each other, go on a journey, and be a team is awesome! Made me feel a little bit nostalgic, too. I also love how the writing style makes it seem like I really am in the book, going on an adventure with this trio.
Loved the plot, of course. There's a blend of magical stuff and pretty normal teenage issues, and that was great for me. There are prophecies and mythology, but there's also family issues. I'm reminded that these characters are just kids, and they'll be going through some typical human problems as well.
And of course, I couldn't help but think of the movie adaptation. It's just so different to the books, and well. Books are better, anyway.
(This book review is a part of Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
Second to the last book in the series! Battle of the Labyrinth was a fun and heartfelt read—with new characters, great plot twists, and a couple of moral lessons that will really stick with the reader.
There were new characters like Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Quintus, Briares, Calypso that really left an impression on me (I mean, they already did the first time I read the book, but it felt more significant this time). Loved that we got to see more of Nico and we saw just how his character developed in this book. Now, I'm just so excited to see more of him in the next books and series. And of course, the tension between Annabeth and Percy! Our main characters are entering teenage years and here come the feelings. Percy was so daft, it's endearing.
I also love how there were a couple of plot twists that I still missed. I mean, I read this book years ago, so I guess my memory is now kind of fuzzy. But wow, Uncle Rick really never fails to surprise me. I love it!
Also, when I first read this book years ago, I never quite realized just how much of a theme the environment was in the story. Grover's journey, Pan's message, everything was so heartbreaking and enlightening as to how humans are treating and should be treating the wild, the earth.
Another theme that was a highlight for me in this book is family. With Sally meeting Paul, Daedalus with his son and his nephew, the tales about Hera and her "family", Nico and her sister Bianca, and even Rachel with her dad or Dionysus with his sons. All of these parts involved family—both the good, the bad, and the ugly—and I just really adore that.
I really loved this one. We're close to the end and I can't wait!
(This book review is a part of Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
There were new characters like Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Quintus, Briares, Calypso that really left an impression on me (I mean, they already did the first time I read the book, but it felt more significant this time). Loved that we got to see more of Nico and we saw just how his character developed in this book. Now, I'm just so excited to see more of him in the next books and series. And of course, the tension between Annabeth and Percy! Our main characters are entering teenage years and here come the feelings. Percy was so daft, it's endearing.
I also love how there were a couple of plot twists that I still missed. I mean, I read this book years ago, so I guess my memory is now kind of fuzzy. But wow, Uncle Rick really never fails to surprise me. I love it!
Also, when I first read this book years ago, I never quite realized just how much of a theme the environment was in the story. Grover's journey, Pan's message, everything was so heartbreaking and enlightening as to how humans are treating and should be treating the wild, the earth.
"The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it."
"Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."
Another theme that was a highlight for me in this book is family. With Sally meeting Paul, Daedalus with his son and his nephew, the tales about Hera and her "family", Nico and her sister Bianca, and even Rachel with her dad or Dionysus with his sons. All of these parts involved family—both the good, the bad, and the ugly—and I just really adore that.
I really loved this one. We're close to the end and I can't wait!
(This book review is a part of Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)
