Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bkwrm1317's reviews
229 reviews
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was a pretty bizarre little novel/screenplay combo. More info when on the comp.
Edited to add: cursed film genre isn't my favorite (though I have read some that fall into this subgenre that are quite compelling), and this didn't really compel me to enjoy it more than I do. Four young folks create a film that is art-house, disturbing, and never fully released. Many years later, Hollywood wants to "reboot" the film, of which three scenes have ever actually been seen, and involve the antagonist/boogeyman of the film into its recreation in one way or another. As a result, he reflects on the original creation of the film, what went right, and what went very wrong.
I found this novel to be fairly disjointed, not near as compelling as I'd hoped, and not the right way for me to engage. Really just didn't do it for me, but many folks I know who enjoy this author - may give another novel a try in the future, but this one just really wasn't for me.
Edited to add: cursed film genre isn't my favorite (though I have read some that fall into this subgenre that are quite compelling), and this didn't really compel me to enjoy it more than I do. Four young folks create a film that is art-house, disturbing, and never fully released. Many years later, Hollywood wants to "reboot" the film, of which three scenes have ever actually been seen, and involve the antagonist/boogeyman of the film into its recreation in one way or another. As a result, he reflects on the original creation of the film, what went right, and what went very wrong.
I found this novel to be fairly disjointed, not near as compelling as I'd hoped, and not the right way for me to engage. Really just didn't do it for me, but many folks I know who enjoy this author - may give another novel a try in the future, but this one just really wasn't for me.
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
Meant to review sooner after reading. Oops! Definitely enjoyed this one, and will seek out more from this author. More to come when I’m on the computer!
Edited to add: standalone compelling YA fantasy novel. With a mysterious illness having taken over an entire kingdom, and an assassin trying to murder the queen, our protagonist, Lord Cassia, has returned to his family's ancestral home to a lot of surprises. Cas and Lena, a historian-in-training for the court, investigate the assassination attempts together, and learn of the kingdom's secrets - together. A quick-paced adventure through the kingdom, through some of its recent history, and stories of pacts pledged between kingdoms, I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future.
Edited to add: standalone compelling YA fantasy novel. With a mysterious illness having taken over an entire kingdom, and an assassin trying to murder the queen, our protagonist, Lord Cassia, has returned to his family's ancestral home to a lot of surprises. Cas and Lena, a historian-in-training for the court, investigate the assassination attempts together, and learn of the kingdom's secrets - together. A quick-paced adventure through the kingdom, through some of its recent history, and stories of pacts pledged between kingdoms, I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future.
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
slow-paced
3.75
Médium-slow pace.
Military books just really aren’t my jam but there were lots of really good nuggets - creative approaches, Kuni Garu’s willingness to listen to women, commoners, and thieves, etc.
So it was better than most but won’t likely continue the series due to the pacing etc.
Military books just really aren’t my jam but there were lots of really good nuggets - creative approaches, Kuni Garu’s willingness to listen to women, commoners, and thieves, etc.
So it was better than most but won’t likely continue the series due to the pacing etc.
Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.25
Moments that felt repetitive (tho I think this was a literary device to show us how frustrating her day to day was or repetitive at times, etc), but for a debut this is VERY good and I love the idea as well of revisiting 15th century pre colonial African kingdoms and cultures.
Reminded me a lot of what I’ve learned of W African kingdoms
Reminded me a lot of what I’ve learned of W African kingdoms
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, War
Minor: Sexual violence
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 67%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 67%.
Just wasn’t compelling for me as a reader/felt like a chore to pick back up.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.25
Really solid read, and the best one I've read by Hendrix in a minute. Fully developed characters, believable dialogue, good intrigue into the mysterious portions of the novel.
When a young 15 year old woman gets pregnant, she ends up being taken by her begrudging father to a "home" for unwed mothers, spending her summer in said sweltering home surrounded by other young pregnant women until it's time for her to give birth. Along the way, she, and her fellow young women are dismissed, ignored, and mistreated by the adults surrounding them. They're called names, judged, and assumptions are made about them. Two years before the passage of Roe, which codified uterus bearers right to make their own choices about their bodies in the United States, this young woman and some of her fellows decide to take certain matters into their own hands, and what ensues is a horror in ways different from others of Grady's novels.
Note: I really appreciated Grady's note about being inspired by women in his own family and their stories of being taken to homes in their own adolescences. We love to see a man writing in support of women and femmes during an era where they didn't have much of a voice, particularly about their own bodies. The amount of empathy readers will gain not only for our young women, but even for some of the adult women surrounding them is a feat not many authors can pull off, regardless of their gender identity, another reason to love Hendrix.
When a young 15 year old woman gets pregnant, she ends up being taken by her begrudging father to a "home" for unwed mothers, spending her summer in said sweltering home surrounded by other young pregnant women until it's time for her to give birth. Along the way, she, and her fellow young women are dismissed, ignored, and mistreated by the adults surrounding them. They're called names, judged, and assumptions are made about them. Two years before the passage of Roe, which codified uterus bearers right to make their own choices about their bodies in the United States, this young woman and some of her fellows decide to take certain matters into their own hands, and what ensues is a horror in ways different from others of Grady's novels.
Note: I really appreciated Grady's note about being inspired by women in his own family and their stories of being taken to homes in their own adolescences. We love to see a man writing in support of women and femmes during an era where they didn't have much of a voice, particularly about their own bodies. The amount of empathy readers will gain not only for our young women, but even for some of the adult women surrounding them is a feat not many authors can pull off, regardless of their gender identity, another reason to love Hendrix.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Abandonment
Some of these CWs I included as "minor" because they are referred to by the characters, and occur off the page, but they may still be quite impactful for certain readers, so do proceed with caution.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.25
Sophomore novels are notoriously hard and this one is quite good, and very compelling.
More notes with more brain power since it’s 2am and I couldn’t sleep without finishing this one.
More notes with more brain power since it’s 2am and I couldn’t sleep without finishing this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Gaslighting
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Middle of the line read for me. While I enjoyed the pacing and felt like this was a quick page turner, I didn't feel like the plot lines really resolved themselves/the sci fi space horror element really did enough for me.
For example, the extraterrestrial sentience just... didn't matter in the end? There's no resolution for our protagonist with her family really? The weird moments of love interest don't turn into anything, even a major plot point?
This one was just not as good as the first novel, but I know the sophomore novel can be really challenging, and have a lot of respect for S.A. Barnes and the craft!
This one was just not as good as the first novel, but I know the sophomore novel can be really challenging, and have a lot of respect for S.A. Barnes and the craft!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Self harm, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol
Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
Wrapping up this duology, we are back with Inez and company in Cairo and Alexandria, working towards bringing justice to the events of the first novel. While not quite as ambitious as the first novel, Ibanez wraps things up nicely with some solid twists and turns, betrayals, surprises, and familiar faces back in the fold (some in unexpected ways).
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
4.25
The last human on earth being raised by robots. Victor (Vic) Lawson is the son of Giovanni (Gio) Lawson, designation inventor. When Vic takes two robots he fixed up (Rambo and Nurse Ratched) to the Scrap Yards, one day they find a power source, and with it a decommissioned robot of the former HARP designation, who becomes Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet).
What ensues is a riveting novel featuring an ace and neurospicy human character (queer, maybe autistic?) as our protagonist. I'm not sure how this is the first TJ Klune novel I've read, but I'm certain it won't be the last. Vic has to make big decisions: for himself, for his chosen few, for humanity (it's past, present, and future), as well as for all robot-kind.
There's so much here, I'll just have to encourage folks to read it for themselves and reflect on their own humanity and journeys through the pages.
What ensues is a riveting novel featuring an ace and neurospicy human character (queer, maybe autistic?) as our protagonist. I'm not sure how this is the first TJ Klune novel I've read, but I'm certain it won't be the last. Vic has to make big decisions: for himself, for his chosen few, for humanity (it's past, present, and future), as well as for all robot-kind.
There's so much here, I'll just have to encourage folks to read it for themselves and reflect on their own humanity and journeys through the pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Grief
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, Blood