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bibliorama's reviews
155 reviews
Morning Star by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this boyo. <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Suicide attempt, Torture, Classism, Slavery, War, Death, Genocide, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
I may come back to this, but the first few pages were not gripping. Plus it's a kindle unlimited borrow and I'm not planning on renewing so idk when I'll get back to picking it up.
Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
adventurous
dark
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? No
3.75
Enjoyment - 4
Start - 3.5
Characters - 3.5
Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 4
Ending - 4
Style - 3.5
Overall - 3.8
Start - 3.5
Characters - 3.5
Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 4
Ending - 4
Style - 3.5
Overall - 3.8
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation, Blood, Death, Sexual assault, War, Genocide, and Xenophobia
First I want to clarify the sexual assault tag, I would say it's more of an attempt and it's very brief towards to end and not explicit in any way. Mainly it's implied that that's what the villian is doing. There isn't any other part where something like that happens and the one part is very brief where the mc gets away.
Also, there are some heavy themes in this book but it's written in a way where it's not heavy. It doesn't go into graphic details about the mistreatment. The book is more focused on the broader themes.
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
adventurous
medium-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? No
3.5
Enjoyment - 3.5
Start - 3
Characters - 4
Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 3
Ending - 4
Style - 3
Overall - 3.5
Start - 3
Characters - 4
Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 3
Ending - 4
Style - 3
Overall - 3.5
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'm not going to do this book any justice, it's way more complex than I am.
Enjoyment - 5
It's weird to rate enjoyment for this book, but the story gripped my brain to the point I couldn't put it down, so I'm going off of that for the rating. When I finished the book, and even during the reading, I had this urge to talk about what was happening with the people in my life. Now I want to go through and read all of the material Kate Elizabeth Russell has listed on her website as inspiration, I mean the book has already sent me down a Fiona Apple rabbit hole.
Start - 5
The beginning did a great job setting the tone and it never wavered.
Characters - 5
Every character I could envision and see them existing in our world. They were some of the most real characters that I've read in a while.
Atmosphere - 5
I was pretty grounded in the world the entire time, but this book is so internal. The majority feels like it takes place more in Vanessa's mind than in the world, which I don't fault the book for, it feels purposeful to her character.
Plot - 5
The plot was like drifting in the ocean, just letting the current take Vanessa and me where it wanted. I liked that Vanessa's growth/healing/coming to some terms as to what happened was never a straight line. She went back and forth with herself and the book didn't force her into a neat box with a picture perfect ending. The way the story progressed felt so seamless and natural.
Ending - 5
I'm super happy with the ending. It left room for Vanessa to have hope while also not feeling like the end of her journey.
Style - 5
The writing was top tier.
Overall - 5
Thanks to this book for being my first 5 star of the year.
Enjoyment - 5
It's weird to rate enjoyment for this book, but the story gripped my brain to the point I couldn't put it down, so I'm going off of that for the rating. When I finished the book, and even during the reading, I had this urge to talk about what was happening with the people in my life. Now I want to go through and read all of the material Kate Elizabeth Russell has listed on her website as inspiration, I mean the book has already sent me down a Fiona Apple rabbit hole.
Start - 5
The beginning did a great job setting the tone and it never wavered.
Characters - 5
Every character I could envision and see them existing in our world. They were some of the most real characters that I've read in a while.
Atmosphere - 5
I was pretty grounded in the world the entire time, but this book is so internal. The majority feels like it takes place more in Vanessa's mind than in the world, which I don't fault the book for, it feels purposeful to her character.
Plot - 5
The plot was like drifting in the ocean, just letting the current take Vanessa and me where it wanted. I liked that Vanessa's growth/healing/coming to some terms as to what happened was never a straight line. She went back and forth with herself and the book didn't force her into a neat box with a picture perfect ending. The way the story progressed felt so seamless and natural.
Ending - 5
I'm super happy with the ending. It left room for Vanessa to have hope while also not feeling like the end of her journey.
Style - 5
The writing was top tier.
Overall - 5
Thanks to this book for being my first 5 star of the year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, and Rape
Minor: Suicide
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Enjoyment - 4
Start - 3.5
Characters - 4
Atmosphere - 3
Plot - 3.5
Ending - 3.5
Style - 3.5
Overall - 3.5
Start - 3.5
Characters - 4
Atmosphere - 3
Plot - 3.5
Ending - 3.5
Style - 3.5
Overall - 3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Outing
Minor: Suicide, Addiction, and Physical abuse
Crave by Tracy Wolff
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Enjoyment - 3
Perfectly fine, middle of the road story that I mostly used as background noise at work. This could have been closer to a 4 star if we got more of the world and more from some of the side characters. We don't even get a final scene with Macy at the end after everything goes down. I would think after everything it would be important to get Grace's actual family's feelings about the aftermath.
Start - 4
I was down for the beginning. The introduction to the world was interesting and since Grace didn't know the truth of the world going in, it was kind of funny to see her try and rationalize the unhinged parts. I also really liked the descriptions of the school and the cold environment of Alaska.
Characters - 2.5
I like the premise of the characters, but for being over 500 pages, I still feel like these characters are mostly strangers. I feel like they would have benefited from more plot where they could interact more with each other rather all of them mostly interacting with Grace by themselves. Also since most of the time the characters were trying to hide pieces of information from Grace, it was hard to guage who these people really were. I mean for over half the book I was suspicious about Macy (who I still kind of am tbh) even though the surface level interactions we get she's perfectly nice and I quite like her. This is a similar phenomenon that I had with every character outside of Grace.
Atmosphere - 3
Again, I like cold weather. However, there wasn't enough of the school. I mean come on Grace's favorite subject was art and we never even see her in class? What was that about? There was a ton of potential for the school subjects to be wild and unhinged, but it never happens. I also wanted more interactions between the cliques that were setup at the beginning.
Plot - 1.5
Needed less insta-love and more plot. It would have helped everything and built the world up more. I think this story would have been better as a slow burn.
Ending - 3
Interesting for the most part and made sense. It didn't come out of left field which was nice, but the wrap-up was missing a lot of the consequences for what happened. I'm still not over the fact that Grace is almost sacrificed and we don't see her cousin or uncle's reaction to that??? I don't understand.
Style - 3
I really didn't mind Grace's narration. She had a lot of repetitive sentences but it didn't bug me here as it has with some books in the past. Maybe it was because I wasn't super invested and just wanted some entertainment.
Overall - 2.5
Some missed opportunities, that left me wanting more. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series as where it ends isn't the most intriguing. I wish it would have setup the Vampire Queen for the second (I'm sure she'll come up later, but she needed to be teased here more)
Perfectly fine, middle of the road story that I mostly used as background noise at work. This could have been closer to a 4 star if we got more of the world and more from some of the side characters. We don't even get a final scene with Macy at the end after everything goes down. I would think after everything it would be important to get Grace's actual family's feelings about the aftermath.
Start - 4
I was down for the beginning. The introduction to the world was interesting and since Grace didn't know the truth of the world going in, it was kind of funny to see her try and rationalize the unhinged parts. I also really liked the descriptions of the school and the cold environment of Alaska.
Characters - 2.5
I like the premise of the characters, but for being over 500 pages, I still feel like these characters are mostly strangers. I feel like they would have benefited from more plot where they could interact more with each other rather all of them mostly interacting with Grace by themselves. Also since most of the time the characters were trying to hide pieces of information from Grace, it was hard to guage who these people really were. I mean for over half the book I was suspicious about Macy (who I still kind of am tbh) even though the surface level interactions we get she's perfectly nice and I quite like her. This is a similar phenomenon that I had with every character outside of Grace.
Atmosphere - 3
Again, I like cold weather. However, there wasn't enough of the school. I mean come on Grace's favorite subject was art and we never even see her in class? What was that about? There was a ton of potential for the school subjects to be wild and unhinged, but it never happens. I also wanted more interactions between the cliques that were setup at the beginning.
Plot - 1.5
Needed less insta-love and more plot. It would have helped everything and built the world up more. I think this story would have been better as a slow burn.
Ending - 3
Interesting for the most part and made sense. It didn't come out of left field which was nice, but the wrap-up was missing a lot of the consequences for what happened. I'm still not over the fact that Grace is almost sacrificed and we don't see her cousin or uncle's reaction to that??? I don't understand.
Style - 3
I really didn't mind Grace's narration. She had a lot of repetitive sentences but it didn't bug me here as it has with some books in the past. Maybe it was because I wasn't super invested and just wanted some entertainment.
Overall - 2.5
Some missed opportunities, that left me wanting more. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series as where it ends isn't the most intriguing. I wish it would have setup the Vampire Queen for the second (I'm sure she'll come up later, but she needed to be teased here more)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Decent audiobook to listen to at work. It's easy and quick.
Enjoyment - 4
Start - 4
Characters - 3
Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 2.5
Ending - 3
Style - 4
Overall - 3.5
Enjoyment - 4
Start - 4
Characters - 3
Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 2.5
Ending - 3
Style - 4
Overall - 3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer
A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
4.25
(I didn't read through this after writing it. It's all rapid fire thoughts, so excuse any spelling or grammar issues.)
Enjoyment - 4.5
Well here we are. This may seem like a surprise considering my review of the first book where I go into how it put me into a reading slump. But I have to say, this is a full star more than the first and that's not usually how this goes. The characters, world, and story felt so much more settled into themselves. It feels like this was the story that was always meant to be told and the first book was just one big setup to get us here.
For how much ground was covered in this book, I have to say the writing is so skillfully done. I just want to give Roseanne A. Brown a round of applause because the emotional journey these characters went on was heavy, but it was well done. It's only a 4.5 and not a 5 because I started to speed through the audiobook at the end during the wrap-up, partially because all the major moments and beats were done but also because my library loan was almost up and that's on me CX.
OH ALSO how could I forget to mention the plagues! I love a good wrathful god raining down some plagues. Can't beat the foreboding that adds to a story.
Start - 4.5
We started strong with Hyena giving us a little more backstory about Farid which I found interesting and it added to the emotional depth of who he was as a character. I also appreciated that Karina and Malik's stories intersected right off the bat. You could see their plots interweaving more from the start than you could in the first book. Since I listened to the audiobook, I have to add that all three of the narrators are fantastic and brought each of their characters to life with nuance.
Characters - 5
I loved that the focus settled itself on our main characters and it didn't waiver much from them. The mains/most important/most interesting characters to me are this group: Malik, Karina, Farid, Hanane, Nadia, and Leia. This core is where all the emotional beats hinge, and when they cross and hurt each other it's a knife that cuts deep. There were some really nice interior moments that we got with Karina and Malik as individuals. They felt very real, and there never was a moment where they acted out of character. The only thing I wish we got more of at the back half of the book is Malik with his sisters cause there is some real shit that goes down with them that I would like to see resolved. One more thing before going into individual characters, I loved how these characters all did some bad things and the book doesn't let them off the hook for that, it makes them have to reconcile their actions in their mind and work towards fixing things.
Listen Spoilers, Beware:
Farid:Farid and Hanane's relationship is definitely one of the darker YA relationships I have read, and that's not because other books don't try to do this kind of relationship, but it's because it doesn't shy away from showing how scary it is for Hanane. The book also doesn't waiver in who Farid is as a character nor doesn't it overshoot who he is to where he becomes a caricature. There were many moments where he was in a scene and I could see him manipulating those around him, but it was so subtle.
Chapter 31 with Malik, that was real and I felt it, but I also have to say it was beautifully written. To me, that chapter was the most emotional.
Karina:I loved Karina's growth in this book and how we got to see her interact with her family towards the end.
Hanane: Man poor Hanane. She never really got a chance at life because of Farid, and even though it feels like she got some justice towards the end, she still is dead and that can't change. It's tragic to think about how young she was and she felt young in the scenes that we saw her in.
Atmosphere - 4
I loved getting to see more of the world and the little details it holds. I could have done with some more, but I think the characters felt so real and had such great details to them that they made the world feel real.
Plot - 4
Okay, so the actual plot is another fetch quest -ish. That's not my favorite. But lets be real, the story was always way more about the characters and their emotional journeys which I enjoyed very much.
Ending - 4
Hits all the satisfying beats and I have to say what a great job Brown did wrapping this all up because not a thread was dropped. The wrap up part of the story might be a bit long for my preference, but I also know there are people who like that so to each their own.
Style - 4
The Hyena narrator interludes were gripping and Hyena's voice was so strong. The background info she gives us and the meta addresses were some of my favorite parts.
Overall - 4.25
There's so much in this story that I enjoyed but just didn't fit into this review. I will say I'm happy that I picked up the second book and give the ending a shot because it was well worth it.
Enjoyment - 4.5
Well here we are. This may seem like a surprise considering my review of the first book where I go into how it put me into a reading slump. But I have to say, this is a full star more than the first and that's not usually how this goes. The characters, world, and story felt so much more settled into themselves. It feels like this was the story that was always meant to be told and the first book was just one big setup to get us here.
For how much ground was covered in this book, I have to say the writing is so skillfully done. I just want to give Roseanne A. Brown a round of applause because the emotional journey these characters went on was heavy, but it was well done. It's only a 4.5 and not a 5 because I started to speed through the audiobook at the end during the wrap-up, partially because all the major moments and beats were done but also because my library loan was almost up and that's on me CX.
OH ALSO how could I forget to mention the plagues! I love a good wrathful god raining down some plagues. Can't beat the foreboding that adds to a story.
Start - 4.5
We started strong with Hyena giving us a little more backstory about Farid which I found interesting and it added to the emotional depth of who he was as a character. I also appreciated that Karina and Malik's stories intersected right off the bat. You could see their plots interweaving more from the start than you could in the first book. Since I listened to the audiobook, I have to add that all three of the narrators are fantastic and brought each of their characters to life with nuance.
Characters - 5
I loved that the focus settled itself on our main characters and it didn't waiver much from them. The mains/most important/most interesting characters to me are this group: Malik, Karina, Farid, Hanane, Nadia, and Leia. This core is where all the emotional beats hinge, and when they cross and hurt each other it's a knife that cuts deep. There were some really nice interior moments that we got with Karina and Malik as individuals. They felt very real, and there never was a moment where they acted out of character. The only thing I wish we got more of at the back half of the book is Malik with his sisters cause there is some real shit that goes down with them that I would like to see resolved. One more thing before going into individual characters, I loved how these characters all did some bad things and the book doesn't let them off the hook for that, it makes them have to reconcile their actions in their mind and work towards fixing things.
Listen Spoilers, Beware:
Farid:
Chapter 31 with Malik, that was real and I felt it, but I also have to say it was beautifully written. To me, that chapter was the most emotional.
Karina:
Hanane:
Atmosphere - 4
I loved getting to see more of the world and the little details it holds. I could have done with some more, but I think the characters felt so real and had such great details to them that they made the world feel real.
Plot - 4
Okay, so the actual plot is another fetch quest -ish. That's not my favorite. But lets be real, the story was always way more about the characters and their emotional journeys which I enjoyed very much.
Ending - 4
Hits all the satisfying beats and I have to say what a great job Brown did wrapping this all up because not a thread was dropped. The wrap up part of the story might be a bit long for my preference, but I also know there are people who like that so to each their own.
Style - 4
The Hyena narrator interludes were gripping and Hyena's voice was so strong. The background info she gives us and the meta addresses were some of my favorite parts.
Overall - 4.25
There's so much in this story that I enjoyed but just didn't fit into this review. I will say I'm happy that I picked up the second book and give the ending a shot because it was well worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Self harm, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Minor: Slavery, Blood, Colonisation, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Xenophobia
This book doesn't shy away from its themes and the way it discusses them is nuanced and never feels like the story is using them for shock value. I would think an older teen would be able to handle these topics and possibly find solace in this story if they've experienced some of these in their own life.
Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Enjoyment - 4
Start - 3
Characters - 3.5
Atmosphere - 3.5
Plot - 3.5
Ending - 3.5
Style - 4
Overall - 3.5
Start - 3
Characters - 3.5
Atmosphere - 3.5
Plot - 3.5
Ending - 3.5
Style - 4
Overall - 3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Child abuse, Confinement, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Though some of those spoilers might give you pause, this book truly doesn't describe them in any graphic way and its always in a conversation about how they are wrong. This book delves more into power dynamics amd the abuses from those in power, but it's not in a way that sits in the gruesome. This is why I put them under minor.