zoeelizabethk's Reviews (642)

Lots of great moments, and definitely enjoyable, but not my favorite in the series.

Dawnshard was such a fun story and such a treat right before Rhythm of War. It's a sea story that involves a quest for trasure :D and a spy. I also love Rysn so much. As someone who has chronic (albeit invisible) illness, so many of Rysn's feelings and decisions resonated with me as so true, and it's wonderful to see her be in charge of her own life, and not let herself be restricted by what other people think of what she should do or be.

I've been a big fan of every Lois Lowry book I've ever read. I had no idea this was coming out, but when I found out, I immediately got it out from the library. Everyone should read this book. It is a powerful, emotional, personal look at the personal histories of those who died and lived in Pearl Habor or the Hiroshima bombing. I sure had some damp eyes at times. Very beautiful book, and I plan to gift this book to quite a few people I know.

For me A Conspiracy of Kings was a little bit of a step back, just because Gen always dramically dominates when he's in control, so when he takes a back seat, it seems a little less somehow. But I loved getting to know Sophos better. There are some big things this book seems to be doing with setting up for the next two books, and even though Gen isn't at the forefront, tricks and politics still ensue. Very satisfying.

I really enjoyed Caraval, though it was darker than I expected. Lots of circus/event vibes combined with a sort of darker Westing Game premise. Scarlett got on my nerves a bit at times, but it was a very fun, enjoyable read, just what I needed as I work my way out of a reading slump. I was going to go right on to the next one, but since Tella is the main focus of that one, I've got to figure out whether I want to put up with her for a whole book first. 3.5 stars.

The Nightmare Thief is a creative whimsy-and-nightmare filled middle grade novel. I think this is a great book for younger readers that talks about confronting fear and the importance of honesty and fogiveness. I just didn't feel like it did much for me as older reader. Also, I'm a bit of wimp about creepy things (Doctor Who is about as much creep as I can handle) and I found this to be almost too creepy for me and that made me want to rush through the creepy parts or put it down altogether. So if you (or the young reader in your life) is like me, I think that's worth knowing ahead of time. For me, it was 2.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgallery and Sourcebooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, I really loved Clap When You Land. There were some tears shed.

First of all, please give me more novels in verse, becuase I've loved all the ones I've read so far, and I want more.

Based off the synopsis I think I expected most of this book to be about the sisters interacting. And that's part of it, but this is really more of a reflection (in some of the most poignent words) on grief, family, and how hard it can be to forgive family. As someone who's lost a brother, I realize that the dynamic is a little different, but so many of the things the sisters said and felt and how they acted hit me so hard because it was how I felt and struggled with while grieving, but never see talked about. Here was just one section that really struck me hard.

"As Mami & I sit in the front row,
people come up to us to pay their respects.

Such a funny phrase, pay respects.
As if suffering is a debt that can be eased

by a hug & and a head nod.
I have no need for this currency of people's respect."

Other things: I through Camino and Yahaira were well realized, and I appreciated how immersive this felt. I struggled (as a non-spanish speaker) with some of the language, but I got used to that and it faded into the background. I felt like I wanted a little bit more out of the ending, but it did its job well, and there were tears. I'll definitely pick this up again at some point and I really recommend you check this book out. 4.5 stars.

So I enjoyed A Deadly Education, but I also found it kinda boring ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm really not quite sure what the point/plot was; I felt the plot was mostly driven by the school year (sorta like HP to be honest). But it was also enjoyable to meander around the school and learn and try to figure out how things worked. I think I just enjoyed the setting and kinda drama of the book. I see why El could totally bother other people, but she didn't really bother me, I just rolled my eyes at her at times. Don't go into this for the characters or plot, but if you like school settings, monster fighting/survival, or school drama then you might enjoy trying this.

Fable was a wonderful, quick paced read. It was lot of fun, also kinda heartbreaking and dark, but I really enjoyed it. I liked Fable as a character; I thought she was a pretty good mix of being fierce and wanting to take care of herself, but also not actually sure how to survive always. I felt there were some parts that were a little rushed, and, like a LOT of pirate/water adventures, at times it felt that you go one place, then another, then go back, and so on, but it handled this better than other pirate fantasies for me. Overall I just really enjoyed how fast paced it was, and I'm definitely going to pick up the second one.

I probably should not compare this to The House With Chicken Legs, but The Girl Who Speaks Bear just did not capture me the same way. I enjoyed the book, and I think it’s a great, imaginative middle grade filled with lots of the folklore and fairytales and about the importance of family. But I guess the themes just didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t love Yanka; she is impulsive, ready to rush off to do this or another thing, and I think this contributed to some of the pacing problems I had. To me The Girl Who Speaks Bear was a little choppy (this was furthered by the frequent pauses for stories, but nevertheless I really liked this element) and I found myself ready to get to the end of this story. I would definitely give this to my kid, but it didn’t transcend age for me the way that The House With Chicken Legs did. I’ll definitely be reading Sophie Anderson’s next book though.