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art_books_chemistry's reviews
555 reviews
Below Zero by C.J. Box
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Blood Trail by C.J. Box
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Free Fire by C.J. Box
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes, Joe Layden
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury
Once the Skies Fade by Vanessa Rasanen
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, War
Minor: Confinement
My Date With a Leif Erikson Statue by Biblio Barbie
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
- Quick and dirty novella
- Absolutely ridiculous but in the best way
- Girls trip vibe totally relatable
- Surprisingly well thought out in stark detail
- Absolutely ridiculous but in the best way
- Girls trip vibe totally relatable
- Surprisingly well thought out in stark detail
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm pretty sure this is my favorite of the Ruinous Love trilogy. It's so hard because Butcher & Blackbird was so unique when I read it so there's a vibe with it being the first one that's hard to beat. However, Scythe & Sparrow almost feel more real Fionn and Rose's relationship is as normal as serial killers can be and they just make sense together. With the exception of one instance, the spicy bits were definitely real life-able; even the gift that the crocheting grannies helped with (round of applause for the Suture Sisters).
I felt that the time jumps were better integrated with S&S than they were with Leather & Lark. You definitely won't want to read S&S without having read the other two though, it wraps to heavily around the other plots since Rose is around for so many of the events in the other two books. Props to Brynne for pulling that off, in and off itself, that's a serious feat without messing up the continuity.
Fionn is just perfect and his character development was fantastic in this book since we mostly see him fairly detached and distant in the other two books. Rose's clumsiness makes her extremely relatable, she's definitely what the average woman would be if she attempted to be a serial killer. Her failed drug overdose had me in stitches. In reality most of this book had me in stitches, minus the part where I wanted to slap Fionn for calling the wrong person. IYKYK...
Highly recommend, might end up being my fave book this year, we'll see!
I felt that the time jumps were better integrated with S&S than they were with Leather & Lark. You definitely won't want to read S&S without having read the other two though, it wraps to heavily around the other plots since Rose is around for so many of the events in the other two books. Props to Brynne for pulling that off, in and off itself, that's a serious feat without messing up the continuity.
Fionn is just perfect and his character development was fantastic in this book since we mostly see him fairly detached and distant in the other two books. Rose's clumsiness makes her extremely relatable, she's definitely what the average woman would be if she attempted to be a serial killer. Her failed drug overdose had me in stitches. In reality most of this book had me in stitches, minus the part where I wanted to slap Fionn for calling the wrong person. IYKYK...
Highly recommend, might end up being my fave book this year, we'll see!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Stalking, Alcohol
The Therans: Secrets Beneath Scars by Cyndi Brec
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Therans is an interesting combination of Superman meets Atlantis with a heavy dose of Freemason-ness ala National Treasure. I can't say much more on that point without ruining some of the various reveals of the story but it's definitely a unique blend of concepts. I'm really hoping that book too starts to dig more into the "treasure hunting" aspects (for lack of a better phrase) of the story because it's intriguing to think about where Brec may take her characters.
Brec does a good job of balancing the standard girl-with-tragic-backstory-who-grew-up-too-fast dialogue with the normal slightly vapid teenage girl language. It's hard to do both since the former by itself is unrealistic and the latter would not be consistent with character development. Some of the information was repeated multiple times, which I didn't find necessary most of the time and so made the story slightly longer than I think it had to be. But it did mean that there was a decent amount of world building and consistency; neither of which I will ever complain about.
This is solidly YA but readable as an adult. The MCs that are dating are adorable and super sweet.
Thank you to HappilyBookedPR for this ARC copy to review!
Brec does a good job of balancing the standard girl-with-tragic-backstory-who-grew-up-too-fast dialogue with the normal slightly vapid teenage girl language. It's hard to do both since the former by itself is unrealistic and the latter would not be consistent with character development. Some of the information was repeated multiple times, which I didn't find necessary most of the time and so made the story slightly longer than I think it had to be. But it did mean that there was a decent amount of world building and consistency; neither of which I will ever complain about.
This is solidly YA but readable as an adult. The MCs that are dating are adorable and super sweet.
Thank you to HappilyBookedPR for this ARC copy to review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Child abuse