A school for girls closes down due to a strange disease affecting the people and creatures on the island. Will they be able to stay alive?
3.5 stars, tw body horror, lots of death
This novel had vivid imagery, interesting plot, and decent characters. The Raxter disease was really interesting and very well done. As I read, the pieces of the puzzle began putting themselves together. This would be 4 stars if it wasn’t for the end, which I felt was not as satisfying as I would have liked. It left of with a lot of questions unanswered, which I wouldn’t have minded but the biggest thing that disappointed me was what occurred with Byatt. I feel as though it could have ended without so many questions in regards to that character. However, I do understand open endings allow for the reader to imagine what happens next. I just almost wish there was a littttle bit more. But a great novel nonetheless.

A short, kids graphic novel, about a sprite and her desire to help a gardener grow their garden. The art is incredibly stunning, I would love some of these frames as prints or posters. The story is very brief, with not much plot, challenges, or deep personality for the characters (besides being cute and wholesome). However for this length I don’t think that could have been added. Very wholesome children’s book I would definitely recommend to anyone, even if just for the art alone!

Mythology, monsters, and magical middle schoolers (oh my!)
It is such a rare treat to find a book that makes you smile and laugh but is also action packed adventure. All of the characters are all unique with their own characteristic actions and dialogue. The scenes were also vividly described with incredible detail. And all of the above with a dash of humor as we see the world through the lens of young Percy Jackson. It was also quite difficult for me to predict future events, even with the oracles prophecy. I also enjoyed that every event tied into the ending in a meaningful way. It was a lot of fun from start to finish and easily one of my favorite books I have read. With the book being almost 20 years old (crazy) it somehow doesn’t feel dated, and while the target audience is much younger than I am, it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. I can’t wait to continue reading the rest of this series.

I first read this book over 10 years ago, and it had quite an impact on me. It helped me learn to fall in love with reading, something that has been such an important part of my life ever since. I will end this review from a note from high school me:
“When I first held The Lightning Thief in my hands, because it was one of my sisters ARP books, and she had showed me the funny chapter titles. Holding the book in my hands, and laughing at the funny names, I was ever so curious to what “Chapter 1: I Accidentaly Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” was about. I had no clue that the book I was holding would change my life. And I swear to you on River Styx it did.” :’)

Curious Coraline discovers a door which leads to unimaginable horrors she must cleverly escape.
This book is incredibly well written. It does a great job describing the perspective of an adventurous young girl. I like the quirky oddities that this book has in its world and the descriptions truly make everything feel vivid. As the author said in their closing note, absolutely nothing can be taken away from this work, it is quite concise as it is, every element tying together with no useless fluff. This work has been and is bound to be the inspiration for many works of literature and art for a very long time.

4.5 stars. I Am Legend is a legendary short story of a lone man surviving against a pandemic of vampires. This book is renowned in story, having inspired much of the vampire, zombie, and apocalyptic media we love today. It also has an incredibly powerful tone, the short story also having been an inspiration to horror writers like Steven King. The commentary, especially with the ending, is what really made the book worth the read for me. All of this to say, if not for the story itself, the books historical importance makes it a worthy read.

I originally added this to my to read list after recognizing the title from the 2007 movie with Will Smith, which I remember enjoying. They share some small commonalities but ultimately are very different. In the book, the main character Robert Neville is harsh and unlikeable, but reasonably so. He has been alone for three years, fighting to survive. The violence is this book is interesting, described not in excruciatingly gorey detail but in an unemotional and practical manner. Everything has to be unemotional and practical, that is the only way to survive such an existence. But humans are emotional beings, and Neville is only human.

More than just an apocalyptic science fiction novel, this book makes the reader consider the human condition. How do we deal with the strongest of emotions such as grief, loneliness, and despair? How do we survive?

Also the audiobook by Blackstone Publishing was one of the most dramatic audiobooks I have ever listened too. Intense at times, but the narrator really brought Neville to life with his acting.

Liked:
Diversity. Strong queer rep with healthy discussion of bi phobia. Trans and POC characters.
Character voice. I felt all the characters were distinct in personality and voice, which was also supported by the great audiobook performance.
Bickering romance. It makes me grin idk what to say.

Disliked:
Miscommunication trope. Sure, it is realistic for high schoolers to miscommunicate but it’s frustrating!
Length/pacing. Related to above, I felt like some of the drama and whiny internal monologues went on too long.

A story about a kids experience with grief, ghosts, and learning who you are.

First off, I recommend you to read this book. Yes, everyone. It is so well written with realistic characters, kid ghost hunting, and a beautiful strong emotional journey. It has also won several awards for children’s literature, and while that may be the target audience, I think it’s reach is much farther than just youth.

If you are going to read this book, I’d encourage you to read it without reading the goodreads synopsis or even the rest of this review. I will remain vague to be “spoiler free” but I think not knowing what this book really means is part of the intended journey of reading it (as even the author said in his closing note).

This book is starts with the loss of Bug’s uncle and it’s depictions of grief are raw and heart wrenching, not enough to render tears but enough to feel a heavy sadness, similar to how Bug felt. Then the ghosts appear and things get interesting. We also learn more about Bug’s friends and family. All the characters feel real, in a way that almost makes me feel like I’m reading a memoir or a child’s diary (especially highlighted with kids doing and saying very young kid things). And in the final chapters I cried, but it wasn’t due to sadness. It was relief and pride and happiness and maybe a little bit of my own sadness, how I wish I could have experienced something similar, how I wish everyone who walks down a similar path could experience their journey like Bug. But also how I am also happy that while my journey looks very different from Bugs, we both have found our way down the path of being ourselves.

I am so thankful to the author for writing this book. It may be written for young preteens but I think it expands much farther beyond that age range. This is not childish at all, instead offering a place for the readers inner child to feel and heal. I also appreciate this book for describing something so hard to put into words. I think the world would be a better place if everyone and their child read this book and understood, even a little bit, what it means.

Cute gay baker boys. Beautiful art, typical plot.
I really loved the art, it made me smile! However, the main character and the romance left something to be desired.

I also loved Hector, but Ari, not so much. I think it lacked visible personal development from Ari, who starts out as a doormat for his friends who he desperately wants to please, pushing away his parents to do so. In the end, I didn’t see large change, yes he is no longer a doormat to his friends but maybe he is to someone else, but we aren’t sure because it isn’t clear either way.

I wasn’t even sure how the romance happened. There was not much more than a lot of time spent together, so I would have loved some smaller moments like accidentally flirty dialogue or accidental hand touches while they work.

The pacing also felt weird. I don’t mind the slow start and developing friendship but again, I would have enjoyed more romantic moments. Everything past the romance felt super rushed and therefore didn’t give enough space for an emotional impact or any meaningful reflection on how those events changed the characters.

Definitely a fun read, especially with the art, but not super memorable.

Wow! Quite a memorable mystery, no wonder this has become one of the most best selling books of all time, as well as an inspiration for writers and adaptations.

The writing: Written from a distant 3rd party viewer which switches between all of the characters, there is little revealed about the characters besides their actions, dialogue, and the occasional internal thought. This made it hard for me to follow on occasion, since with ten characters there is lot going on and little personality displayed at first. Of course, this is logical as Christie writes in this specific way to keep certain things secret until they are revealed. More truths come to light as the reader learns about each of the characters, their characteristics revealed slowly as things unravel into chaos. I also came around to enjoy the heavy dialogue, it felt like a play or movie, even if it sometimes reminded me of what an Among Us meeting might sound like in the fourties’.

The ending: I had some suspicion that this would be a hard mystery to solve and that surely turned out to be true. I followed along in my notes as the many characters tried to piece together who was the perpetrator. As the investigators at the end said, it seemed impossible! Christie does a great job revealing lots of information, from internal thoughts, to reviews of what has occurred, even the riddle hinting at what might be the cause of the future deaths. However, the true mystery lies in what is not said. I think the many mysteries I have read made it become more obvious who it was towards the unveiling, but right up until the end I had no certain clue. I was positive that I would be frustrated with the solution but the truth is (while maybe unrealistic, though most fictional murder mystery novels are) the clues were all there, just in the form of unwritten words.

The verdict: I encourage you to read this and try your best to solve it before the final chapter. Once everyone is on the island and the stage is set, it is quite thrilling until the very end. While as I said, it was hard to follow in the beginning and I was disappointed to not have guessed the ending, I can’t give it any less than 5 stars for her ingenious work planning and writing the mystery out in such a way. Highly recommended.

Usually I start with a summary but in this case, the title says it all.

I will preface this rating and review by saying that I rate my books not based on quality alone but also on my enjoyment of the read. This was a well written book, with great characters and writing that is, at times, poetic. However, this book is also the literal embodiment of anxiety and loathing. The truth is, it was good, but it did not make me feel good.