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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
I wasn't sure about this book but there are parts that made me laugh out loud (who doesn't love a monkey?). It was cute and I am curious to see what happens next.
2 1/2 stars.
This author has a formula which she basically follows for all her books. There was nothing new here but it was an reasonably entertaining romp.
This author has a formula which she basically follows for all her books. There was nothing new here but it was an reasonably entertaining romp.
Complex it isn't, and certainly not all that well-written, but I found myself enjoying it nonetheless. I'm not really sure why. The characters weren't engaging, and the story itself was kind of bare bones. I guess I'm a sucker for farting monkeys who compulsively give people the finger.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was not a literary masterpiece, it was predictable and a little silly, but every now and then a quick, light-hearted read is good for you. I thought there were some funny parts and the presence of the character Hatchet made it all the more fun. If you aren't a literary snob and want a one-day mindless read, this might be for you.
Well that was a thing.
I tried reading the Stephanie Plum books and while fast-paced and funny, they just really weren't my thing. Too much casual sexism, not my preferred writing style, etc. But I really wanted to like this one because the supernatural elements are totally my jam. I am here for the premise - track down the stones of the seven deadly sins? Awesome. Baker main character? It's like a cozy but more exciting.
It's just so...not great. Not terrible. But not great. I do think monkeys giving people the finger is hilarious, so I'm the right target audience for that little oft-repeated tidbit. I like the cat. Gloria's spell book was very funny. But the guys? All awful. The "insta-attraction but be careful because we can't do anything about it" up against Diesel's whole "aww of course you want me even though we met 2 seconds ago" attitude. Blegh. My least favorite trope and that's really the main plot no matter how much the plot pretends to be something else. The pacing was all over the place and the dialogue was fairly wooden.
That said, I read it in one sitting and I'll probably read the second one before giving up entirely, so I bumped 2.5 stars to 3.
I tried reading the Stephanie Plum books and while fast-paced and funny, they just really weren't my thing. Too much casual sexism, not my preferred writing style, etc. But I really wanted to like this one because the supernatural elements are totally my jam. I am here for the premise - track down the stones of the seven deadly sins? Awesome. Baker main character? It's like a cozy but more exciting.
It's just so...not great. Not terrible. But not great. I do think monkeys giving people the finger is hilarious, so I'm the right target audience for that little oft-repeated tidbit. I like the cat. Gloria's spell book was very funny. But the guys? All awful. The "insta-attraction but be careful because we can't do anything about it" up against Diesel's whole "aww of course you want me even though we met 2 seconds ago" attitude. Blegh. My least favorite trope and that's really the main plot no matter how much the plot pretends to be something else. The pacing was all over the place and the dialogue was fairly wooden.
That said, I read it in one sitting and I'll probably read the second one before giving up entirely, so I bumped 2.5 stars to 3.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book is wicked BAD, wicked boring, wicked ughh... See what I did there, it was stupid and the book put me in a stupid mood. Okay, so I have read the first few books in the Plum series by JE, and I find those books to be the type of book you read when you just want a mindless chick-lit read = decent enough to read, but you know there isn't any real substance or depth to the story. However, this book was just stupid. I actually listened to this as an audio book, which maybe it made it worse since with audio books, the narrator gives different voices to characters and acts them out a bit. Overall, the plot was stupid, the characters were weak and annoying, and it was all to similar to a Plum novel. I guess I don't need so many "mindless" books in my line up. JE apparently can only write one book structure.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Violence, Sexual harassment