readingwordsmith's Reviews (203)

Synopsis:
Midnight Sun is a sequel book to the Twilight Saga. It follows the events of Twilight from Edward’s perspective. I don’t want to say too much for those of you who haven’t read the original four books. Basically, it follows a supernatural vampire who meets and falls in love with a human girl.

Spoiler-Free Review:
While I originally thought this book might be very similar to Twilight, I was surprised! This book really shows Stephenie Meyers growth as a writer and was a much more compelling start than Twilight was. It was exciting to see how events played out from Edward’s perspective and understand the inner workings of his mind. The characters were defined in greater depth and I liked seeing what Edward found attractive about Bella. I won’t go over the plot because it’s pretty similar to Twilight, but the execution of this book was better in my opinion.

Synopsis:
Since this is a sequel, I'll keep it brief. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard follows a teenage girl named Mare Barrow (also known as the Lightning Girl). This book picks up at the end of Red Queen, as Mare, Farley, Shade, Cal, and co. start off the book by searching for the Newbloods. The book follows their adventures in finding other Red's who have special abilities leading up to the climax near the end of the novel.

Spoiler-Free Review:
This book sets events into motion events that will have long-reaching effects. The beginning of the book felt a bit repetitive to me personally, but this improved over time. It was really interesting to see what other abilities the Newbloods could have and understand how people in this world perceive what happened at the end of Red Queen. What I've really loved seeing in this series so far is how morally gray most of the characters are. There are no entirely good or entirely evil characters and I think that is something that really draws me into a story and makes it realistic. The progression of the story felt a little bit rushed at the end (but that could've been related to the speed I read it at). What I will say was that I did not expect to eliminate one of the main antagonists of the series so quickly. The ending of the story was a bit heartwrenching and I really felt for the main characters, especially Farley. The book ended on an adrenaline-filled cliffhanger. It sets events into motion events that will have long-reaching effects into the next books in this series and I honestly can't wait to continue on.

Official Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett has three distinct perspectives from the viewpoints of the characters: Minnie Jackson, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and Aibileen Clark. It takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement. It basically studies the relationships that white and black people have during this time period and specifically how white families treat black maids and other servants or "the help."

Before diving into my review, please note that it is based on my opinion of the book. As you consider my thoughts, remember that you are allowed to have different feelings about this book. If you haven't read it yet, feel free to pick up a copy and form your own opinion on it.

Content Warnings: Domestic abuse, violence, racism.
Note: This book deals with mature themes and topics.

Review:

Overall, the Help was a pretty interesting read, although it did take a while to get into the story. I found the three main leads to be very compelling, especially the two maids: Aibileen and Minnie. The beginning of the book involved a lot of set up for the story, giving an insight into life in 1960s, Mississippi. I thought this was very helpful for people trying to immerse themselves into the story and especially for international readers who may want to try reading this book.

The book initially lacked a plotline which made the early part of the book feel a bit dull and uninteresting. Somewhere near the midpoint of the book, the main plot of the book is revealed and the story really begins to pick up. Having the main character, Skeeter, be a writer doing research for a book was an ingenious way of highlighting the mistreatment and injustices that black people have faced throughout history and especially in the 1960s. I didn't really care for the romantic subplot between Skeeter and Stuart, but I'll get into that more later. I'm not sure how much the domestic abuse plotline really added to the main plot of the story. However, I think it accurately portrayed the idea that even really strong women can feel trapped and defeated by abuse, the continual pattern of abuse, and how victimized women often don't realize how bad their situation is.

Alright, now onto the characters. I think of the three main perspectives that we get in this book, Skeeter's is the one that I was least interested in and the one I thought was least original. I feel like many books show this familiar storyline of a white person learning about the racism and injustice that exists in their society and then deciding to take action to change things. What I found appealing about Skeeter's perspective was the fact that Stockett kept things realistic.

As Skeeter starts to learn about the segregation and Jim Crow laws and begins hearing the maids' stories, she is disturbed but does not automatically change into a new person overnight. She continues to hold many of the same southern beliefs that have been ingrained in her by her family and society as a whole. I personally didn't like her romance with Stuart very much and I was disgusted by his character but I also felt pity for him. Skeeter's lying made the relationship drag on for too long when it was clear they were not suited to be together.

Aibileen's perspective was pretty interesting and specifically in her relationship with the Leefolts. The bond that she shared with Mae Mobley was absolutely precious and adorable. I loved how Aibileen decides that she wants to teach the Leefolt children the idea that white and black children are equally as valuable or important. She finds of incorporating these lessons into the games she teaches them and the stories she tells them in the hopes that maybe they will grow up to be different from their parents. Elizabeth Leefolt is presented as a cold, heartless person and mother who is always guided by her best friend, Hilly Holbrook's actions. She doesn't appear to love or really care about her children at all and always focuses on very superficial things like having her hair nicely styled.

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In my opinion, Minnie Jackson has the most interesting character arc in this book. At work and in most aspects of her life, she is a bold and outspoken person which often leads her into trouble with her white employers. At the beginning of the story, she is working for an elderly woman named Mrs. Walters but due to a set of circumstances, soon loses her job and is falsely accused of being a thief. After a long, desperate search for work, Minnie is finally hired by a new person in town named Celia Foote. This presents its own unique challenges as Celia is unlike any other white woman that has previously employed Minnie. Minnie's story also involves domestic abuse which at first did not seem to fit her character arc. However, I realized over time that the author purposefully meant for possibly the strongest female character in the book to be the one who suffered through the abuse. It really shows that no one is safe or protected against violence and abusive behavior. Also, Hilly Holbrook was an absolutely horrible character and she got everything she deserved in the end.

Spoiler-Free Review:
Dark City by Anna Mocikat is action-packed and takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. It follows main characters: Colton, Jean, Eurydice, Eric, Bombshell, Vincent, and Louis.

The book contained many interesting Sci-Fi aspects that I found to be really enjoyable. I especially liked the contrast of the desolate, post-apocalyptic world with these enhanced cyber-machines and people. It really felt like what a potential post-apocalyptic world might look like if it existed in reality.

The supernatural elements of the books like the presence of vampires and demons added a fantastical element to the story. This was done in a way I haven’t really seen before in other books, making the story unique in that aspect. I really enjoyed seeing how these elements interacted throughout the story.

The characters were pretty intriguing and I like how they were all connected to each other in some way. Throughout the entire story, I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who or what Vincent was and why his people were the enemies of the Dark Ones. Eurydice was compelling villain, she was well developed and multi-dimensional. While she is evil, her romance with Vincent and the little cracks in her armor present her as a multi-dimensional character.

While Colton is toted as this big hero in this book, he is far from being perfect. He is dealing with different issues in this book, particularly his declining health. It was great to see the weaknesses in a hero who is considered to be practically invincible. His identity reveal was shocking and worth the wait as I felt attached to his character.

Bombshell was a cyborg female character who nearly always said something that lightened the mood. Her character was like a bit of fresh air against the gloom, grim mood of the story. I think she is also the first cyborg main character I’ve read about. I loved that she experienced real human emotions, instead of being cold and emotionless as technology and robots are usually portrayed.

The plot of the story was a bit predictable, especially at the beginning which I disliked. The story is also a bit tricky to get into, but after a few chapters it really starts to get interesting. Several events happen throughout the story that propel the plot forward, but for the most part these feel natural and not overly forced. I loved and diliked the cliffhanger at the end of the story. It was a good tactic to end the book while keeping readers engaged, especially since Dark City was the second book in the series. However, I just wanted to read on and finish the rest of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book pretty well. I thought that the plot was a bit predictable, but I really enjoyed the world and the characters. I think my favorite part of the story was probably the mix of the fantastical/supernatural elements with the Sci-Fi ones.

If you’re looking for a Sci-Fi story with compelling characters and an interesting world, this book is for you.

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Cyberpunk
Author: Anna Mocikat
Publication Date: 17 September 2020

Synopsis:
King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard is the third book in the Red Queen series. The book starts off at the point that Glass Sword left off at. Mate has just been captured by Maven and for most of the book is held as his prisoner. As the main characters plotlines diverge in this book, there are three perspectives in this book instead of the usual single perspective. We get POV chapters from Mare, Cameron, and at around the 50-75 percent mark from Evangeline too. As the characters all begin to prepare for an inevitable Civil War, will Mare be able to survive the silent stone and the even deadlier king who holds her trapped?

Slight Spoiler Review:
I think this was the most painful book to read yet in the Red Queen series. I could really feel Mare’s dwindling hope of escape or rescue as the book goes on and it made it hard to read.

I loved the fact that the story ended up being told from multiple perspectives. It was interesting to see how Mare was faring being trapped in Maven’s court and always on the brink of death, while Cameron and the Scarlet Guard were planning their next moves. I really enjoyed and was surprised by the fact that Cameron got her own perspective in this story. It helped me get to know and like her better and I appreciated the fact that Aveyard did this. It broke my heart but also made me glad to see that Cameron was finally reunited with her brother after spending most of Glass Sword wanting to find him.

The only perspective I was a little confused about initially was Evangeline’s. I just hate that we got so little of the events from her perspective but here’s hoping there’s more of it in War Storm. I understand the purpose behind why and when her perspective was introduced, I just wanted to see more of it.

It was quite interesting to see the Scarlet Guard in Piedmont and learn more about the newbloods at the end of this book. I like that Mare was finally able to meet some people who were really like her and understand her ability as an electricon.

Maven is absolutely tyrannical and the fact that he is now teamed up with the Lake Landers is frightening. But, I am relieved that at least the Scarlet Guard have new allies too.

Actually, I’ve noticed in all the Red Queen books that it takes a while for the plot to become interesting. The last ten chapters of the story are always the most exciting and gripping for me. I really want to start reading War Storm right now, but also I am afraid that the finale to this series will disappoint.


Overall, while I enjoyed this book thoroughly, there were some parts that had me questioning things. I didn’t like how limited the third perspective was in this story and how much of the book Mare spends being tortured (although I do understand why Aveyard chose to carry out this plot point).

I liked having multiple perspectives and the character growth that happened in this story, but honestly, I felt the plot was a bit lacking until the end. I really want to start War Storm now but I am also afraid that the finale to this series will disappoint me.

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
Genre: YA Fantasy
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: Harper Collins

My Ratings for each Novella:

1. Son of the Dawn- 3.5 stars
2. Cast Long Shadows- 4 stars
3. Every Exquisite Thing- 5 stars
4. Learn About Loss- 3 stars
5. A Deeper Love- 3 stars
6. The Wicked Ones- 4.5 stars
7. The Land I Lost- 5 stars
8. Through Blood, Through Fire- 4 stars
9. The Lost World- 4.5 stars
10. Forever Fallen- 4.5 stars

Overall Bind-Up Rating: 4 stars