berrytown's reviews
167 reviews

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

really wanted to love this! it’s very clearly netflix castlevania fanfic that’s been re-outfitted for publishing, but i was still wiling to give it a shot because… i love castlevania. unfortunately, the main trio lacks the chemistry necessary to carry this plot. i believe in xiaodan and zidan’s relationship but their interest in remy is confounding and comes too out of left field for me. it felt like they just saw a hot guy and wanted and a third, which i would be down for, if not for the fact that they were throwing around the word “love” only a few weeks in.

the lore is a highlight here but as much as i enjoyed it i can’t say it was anything particularly groundbreaking. again, it borrows a lot of the political conflicts from the show. while the asian rep in the book is refreshing i wish the world felt unique enough that it didn’t feel like a watered down version of another piece of media.

it was a fun romp! overall the comedy was appreciated though overblown at times. the balance between drama and laughs wasn’t quite struck but i think i’ll still read the sequel!

The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

Go to review page

sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Go to review page

adventurous emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.0

The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

it pains me to give this book such a low rating but it was such a tragic let down after the original trilogy i have to. the original cast of characters seem wooden in comparison to their former depictions while the new characters have only the vague notions of a personality.

this book makes a mess of its use of non-linear storytelling because it can’t quite commit to doing so. as a result, most of the book is told in flashbacks to info dump on the reader. it makes the experience of reading feel like drudgery and is more akin to reading a script rather than a story.

the twists were predictable which wouldn't be so damning if the lead up managed to be fun but it’s bogged down but so much over-explanation that you cannot even relish the in between bits. also, unsurprisingly every woman introduced in this book is reduced to some villain or badass caricature, it’s exhausting.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

a raw and unflinching depiction of war yet somehow still brimming with love. intentionality carries this novel. arden’s focus on the casualties of wwi not just in a numerical sense of lives lost, but how the carrying out of such horrors made their mark on history and echo into the present. memory is a wound but also a teacher.

of course the question at the heart of this book is: what does the devil do when hell arrives on earth?

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Go to review page

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

woefully predictable but i guess that is also just a fault of the over saturation of the superhero genre as a whole. i think i am just too old for this book. the entanglement between power and oppression as a theme here is not really engaged with in any meaningful way. some of the world building is cool though so i will give this series that.

The Field Guide by Holly Black, Tony DiTerlizzi

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced