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sarai0410's Reviews (404)
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adventurous
funny
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:
Yes
While I'm not as well versed in Egyptian mythology as I am in Norse and Greek, I've always found the history and culture of Ancient Egypt fascinating, so I was ready to dive into another Riordan interpretation of mythology. The strongest bits of this story were the relationship between Carter and Sadie and their individual personalities. I enjoyed their interactions as practically strangers at the start of the book and how that developed into a more solid sibling relationship towards the end.
The overall story felt more mature than the PJO series, which I actually really liked and ultimately made sense for the characters: with Carter being raised by his dad, traveling the world, and not experiencing a traditional childhood, it made sense that his actions and personality are older than his age; the same could be said for Sadie, being raised by her grandparents. While there were still the classic 'silly goofy' times/references I've come to expect with a Riordan novel, the plot felt more high risk and I think we felt that risk at the end.
I'm super behind in enjoying Riordan's novels, but I am loving getting to do so now.
The overall story felt more mature than the PJO series, which I actually really liked and ultimately made sense for the characters: with Carter being raised by his dad, traveling the world, and not experiencing a traditional childhood, it made sense that his actions and personality are older than his age; the same could be said for Sadie, being raised by her grandparents. While there were still the classic 'silly goofy' times/references I've come to expect with a Riordan novel, the plot felt more high risk and I think we felt that risk at the end.
I'm super behind in enjoying Riordan's novels, but I am loving getting to do so now.
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dark
funny
mysterious
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:
Yes
Having really only picked the book up because I thought the title was funny (who need synopses anyway?), I was very happy to find that I thoroughly enjoyed this book - and it was indeed funny inside as well! The writing style and way in which the story was told felt unique; while we technically had three main characters to follow in their journey (Cliff, Gemma, and Dorie), each perspective was done differently in both style and personality, so I was never bored of the writing. While the middle section (around 45-60%) was a little slow and could be considered drawn out, I was still quite fascinated to find where the story would take us. The humor throughout the story was amazing and I was constantly giggling with the little puns and jokes that were tossed around.
Couple spoilery thoughts about the ending:
Couple spoilery thoughts about the ending:
When we were introduced to the characters by our narrator, we were told that not all of them will be successful in their thesis/deletion. Because of this, I was expecting their failures to be more traditional and for McMasters to ensure they were deleted themselves. However, I was very happy with the way in which the 'failures' were handled - specifically with Gemma coming on as a faculty member (McMasters really does value their morals!). I liked how each character came to a different conclusion with their thesis also, nothing felt repetitive and each student had their our unique outcome and sense of purpose following their thesis'. Learning who Cliff's sponsor was, Jaeck's wife Lilliana, felt so good as well - that she had such faith in Cliff and really valued him as a son was a wonderful way to do justice for her husband. Finally, the last few pages of the book and the Dean's letter - I'm so curious to see if he actually survived or if there will be a new Dean for McMasters.
When I bought this, I hadn't realized it was the start of a series, and now I can't wait for the release of Murder Your Mate (according to the snippet at the end of the book) - I haven't found any publishing information, but hopefully we'll see it sooner rather than later.
adventurous
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:
Yes
4.5 ⭐ There is no reason that this should have sat on my shelf for so long without being read (cough cough, February 2022 BoTM..) considering how much I loved it. While the first 20-25% is a little slow in getting to the plot, I loved exploring the island of Cadence and being introduced to our main characters - once we started to learn more about Sidra and Torin, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were a big part of the story with Jack and Adi! While some of the plot lines and twists were predictable, it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. It's not often that I will pause a book that I am loving because I just don't want it to end, but I did just that with A River Enchanted in the last 50ish pages. After that cliffhanger, I am so excited to move into the sequel A Fire Endless.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I don't typically read from the Young Adult age range, I picked this up on a whim and can say that I did like it for the most part. In terms of age appropriateness, this felt way closer to Middle Grade than YA, despite the MC being 15 years old - the characters read much much younger, in both dialogue and through their actions. I enjoyed the first 35-45% of the story - the world-building and characterization at the beginning was interesting and had a good pace, but once I got to the 50% mark, the pacing changed drastically and everything became very 'telling, not showing' - also Fletcher's decision-making and thought processes felt more juvenile than any average 15 year old boy.
Overall, I think this is a good story for a (very) young audience, but more so for fantasy-beginners as many of the actions and characterization could seem cheap/underwhelming for any reader that has read more than a handful of fantasy novels.
Overall, I think this is a good story for a (very) young audience, but more so for fantasy-beginners as many of the actions and characterization could seem cheap/underwhelming for any reader that has read more than a handful of fantasy novels.
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
STEVENSON 👏 NEVER 👏 MISSES 👏
Each installment of The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries has been the easiest 5 stars for me and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is no different. Intriguing, quick-witted, genuinely hilarious and 'LOL' worthy, this novella is the perfect holiday mystery. I hesitate to say much because I think it's best to go into these books/the whole series blind for the best experience.
Each installment of The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries has been the easiest 5 stars for me and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is no different. Intriguing, quick-witted, genuinely hilarious and 'LOL' worthy, this novella is the perfect holiday mystery. I hesitate to say much because I think it's best to go into these books/the whole series blind for the best experience.
In keeping with an accidental theme—my first case involved a full stop, my second a comma—this may well be the first mystery ever solved by Comic Sans.
Some detectives, perhaps, solve crimes like fireworks: one lit fuse exploding everything at once. I solve crimes like a ten-car rear-ender on a bumper-to-bumper freeway: one car slams into another, and another and another, all the way up the line.
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I started watching Critical Role during the pandemic lockdown and quickly fell down the rabbit role into pure obsession; a decision I don't regret for even a second. I'm writing this review as the cast is close to completing Campaign 3, released their 3rd season of The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime, in production for The Mighty Nein animated series, and right before the release of their own TTRPG game system Daggerheart - The World of Critical Role was release just 4 years ago and the cast and crew have accomplished an incredible amount of things in such a short period of time, and yet their mission has shined through it all - community, compassion, and love for the game and one another.
I'll fangirl over Critical Role for as long as they are around, which will be a very very long time <3
I'll fangirl over Critical Role for as long as they are around, which will be a very very long time <3
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quiet and contemplative, Good Morning, Midnight is unique within the dystopian sub-genre in it's calm recounting of the past, exploration of what the future could hold, and gentle examination of loneliness.
Dystopian is not a sub-genre that I lean into, and truthfully this book was a cover bye for me, so I went in almost completely blind, with semi-low expectations. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters, side-characters included, were compelling and their isolation and wavering hope and happiness came through the pages. The twists at the end, while gentle and quiet, hit me hard and rounded out the book in a way I wasn't expecting.
Dystopian is not a sub-genre that I lean into, and truthfully this book was a cover bye for me, so I went in almost completely blind, with semi-low expectations. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters, side-characters included, were compelling and their isolation and wavering hope and happiness came through the pages. The twists at the end, while gentle and quiet, hit me hard and rounded out the book in a way I wasn't expecting.
We study the universe in order to know, yet in the end the only thing we truly know is that all things end—all but death and time. It’s difficult to be reminded of that… but it’s harder to forget.
adventurous
hopeful
sad
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:
Yes
Remarkable - utterly remarkable.
My lips peel back from my teeth as I look up at her, not fearless but pissed enough to do a good impression. “Oh, please, you’re just the bad guy. The villain, the evil stepmother. You’re the Wicked Witch of the East, bro.” She opens her mouth, but I interrupt, entirely unable to resist. “You’re going to look at me and you’re going to tell me that I’m wrong? Am I wrong?”
When you save someone, sometimes they save you right back.
informative
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Dinosaur Sanctuary is a 5 ⭐ series for me - every volume knocks it out of the (dino) park. Early in the series, I fell in love with the park-dinos and I am officially attached to them. I love seeing their lives and personalities evolve. I have no idea what the projected timeline is for Volume 6's English publication, but I will be (im)patiently waiting to read more.
dark
fast-paced
The surprise Maki appearance and Panda moments saved this one. Otherwise I have no idea what is going on anymore.