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bobinsbooknook's reviews
206 reviews
Chlorine by Jade Song
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Still teetering between. 3.5 and 4 stars so need some time to sink in before full review
Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I want to preface this review by saying I haven’t actually read ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ which this book is ‘retelling’ 🫣. Therefore my view may be swayed by plot points and characteristics better attributed to the original story than this retelling - but feel that I just have to reflect on my enjoyment with this book and it’s writing rather than the core plot premise.
I was suprised by how much I enjoyed this book as I’m usually not the biggest fan of YA but the dark academia and sapphic vibes were so engrossing.
The romance, mental health/eating struggles and academic rivalry created some interesting character development opportunities for Penny and the plot.
I REALLY enjoyed the master and servant acting class situation. It created such tension and dark vibes. Immaculate.
I was quite taken aback by the very vulnerable and genuine writing around the pressure of beauty standards and mentality around eating disorders. Felt very well written and brought a level of depth I enjoy in my books.
I did feel the reveal and resolution became very heavy on the “magic” which took me out of the story a little and felt almost chaotic. I mean guarding swans and a mirror labyrinth accessed by the bottom of a lake felt so random and out of place.
I wish it had stayed a bit more grounded in reality. I also had to knock my rating back due to the overuse and repetition of certain words and phrases in the writing.
I wish it had stayed a bit more grounded in reality. I also had to knock my rating back due to the overuse and repetition of certain words and phrases in the writing.
Overall a really fun and enjoyable read with some really interesting characters. I am definitely curious to pick up the original Dorian gray story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Eating disorder, and Mental illness
Minor: Vomit and Death of parent
The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Picked up as an 6hr audio book with the expectation that this is usually a one or two day listen for me … sadly this took me much longer to finish as I found myself switching off frequently.
I will say that though Laura Imai Messina’s writing style is quite beautiful and created a gentle rhythm to the book, that I enjoyed and appreciated, there was almost no momentum the entire book.
This is definitely a more character orientated book and a lot of detail is given to this aspect but in doing so the plot itself felt quite stagnant and though the ending was touching, felt like a long slog to reach it and was exactly what you’d expect it to be from very early on.
I will say that though Laura Imai Messina’s writing style is quite beautiful and created a gentle rhythm to the book, that I enjoyed and appreciated, there was almost no momentum the entire book.
This is definitely a more character orientated book and a lot of detail is given to this aspect but in doing so the plot itself felt quite stagnant and though the ending was touching, felt like a long slog to reach it and was exactly what you’d expect it to be from very early on.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
In The Blink of An Eye by Jo Callaghan
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.0
This book was very easy to follow along and enjoy as a crime novel with a twist. The concept of AI vs traditional policing felt very well executed and unique. I really loved the characterisation of 'AIDE' and DCS Kat and the interactions they had with one another which allowed for an element of humor i wasn't expecting.
Writing wise i enjoyed the use of interview transcripts and the varied POV to a cold case victim which helped break up the pace of the book and set the 'crime' atmosphere.
I will say the plot itself did have points which felt a bit predictable ( E.g. the cold cases being connected. That the DCS son would eventually be involved. this didn't greatly impact the my overall enjoyment and is worth a read.
Writing wise i enjoyed the use of interview transcripts and the varied POV to a cold case victim which helped break up the pace of the book and set the 'crime' atmosphere.
I will say the plot itself did have points which felt a bit predictable (
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Overall a really strong read full of moments of human connection within the inhumanity of war.
I really enjoyed the characters of Elwood and Gaunt a lot and their connection to one another. The way they each change based on the events of the war - from PTSD, loss, battle and camaraderie shaping - and how it impacts themselves and their relationship … very well written.
I keep going back and forth of a 4 to a 4.5 star rating. I had hoped we would see more of the conflict against homosexuality - it felt like every character that came across it was pretty accepting. I feel like this would have created a stronger emotional attachment to the LGBTQIA romance.
Overall a strong read with some very vulnerable and tender moments with brilliant character development throughout.
I really enjoyed the characters of Elwood and Gaunt a lot and their connection to one another. The way they each change based on the events of the war - from PTSD, loss, battle and camaraderie shaping - and how it impacts themselves and their relationship … very well written.
I keep going back and forth of a 4 to a 4.5 star rating. I had hoped we would see more of the conflict against homosexuality - it felt like every character that came across it was pretty accepting. I feel like this would have created a stronger emotional attachment to the LGBTQIA romance.
Overall a strong read with some very vulnerable and tender moments with brilliant character development throughout.
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
adventurous
challenging
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? It's complicated
5.0
Truly amazed by how much punch a 100 page novella can pack!
I was absolutely engrossed in the premise of this book and truly did sound hellish. The mental mundane torture was incredibly well founded. The development of Soren and the relationships built in so few pages still felt incredibly vivid and well written.
I could easily pick this up and read it all over again immediately and am hoping that a better book binding comes out for it! Cannot fault this book at all.
I was absolutely engrossed in the premise of this book and truly did sound hellish. The mental mundane torture was incredibly well founded. The development of Soren and the relationships built in so few pages still felt incredibly vivid and well written.
I could easily pick this up and read it all over again immediately and am hoping that a better book binding comes out for it! Cannot fault this book at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Me vs Brain: An Overthinker's Guide to Life by Hayley Morris
funny
fast-paced
1.5
Truthfully I didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped sadly. Being prone to overthinking myself, thought I found some parts quite relatable, the whole audio book came across a bit … YA?
As a non-fiction this probably doesn’t make sense, but to me the writing style felt very young and almost more of a coming of age book in various parts.
Though some funny anecdotes in parts, the actual topic of overthinking itself didn’t really have a lot of depth so much as a humour counterpart growing up. Now whether this is her genuine experience or more of a way of dealing with it, it made me feel quite detached from the book.
I will say though the last 10% around losing her dad was very emotional and gave a much more rounded view on how the overthinking actually impacts her behaviour and regrets. I wish we got more insights in the book like that which I felt was sacrificed for the humour sadly.
As a non-fiction this probably doesn’t make sense, but to me the writing style felt very young and almost more of a coming of age book in various parts.
Though some funny anecdotes in parts, the actual topic of overthinking itself didn’t really have a lot of depth so much as a humour counterpart growing up. Now whether this is her genuine experience or more of a way of dealing with it, it made me feel quite detached from the book.
I will say though the last 10% around losing her dad was very emotional and gave a much more rounded view on how the overthinking actually impacts her behaviour and regrets. I wish we got more insights in the book like that which I felt was sacrificed for the humour sadly.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Dementia, and Death of parent
Spilt Milk by Amy Beashel
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is thought-provoking and though not a mother myself, I believe this book talks of themes on loss in various forms (I.e, losing a child, losing self identity, losing the balance in a relationship) that still made the book feel emotionally relatable.
I really enjoyed how Amy has to conveyed these characters in her writing and their emotional states and opinions without villainising any of the core characters - particularly between the MFC and her partner.
This book in a very indirect way is quite powerful and has great feminist themes which I personally enjoyed that didn’t feel too … “preachy”.
I enjoyed the twist with the mother in law doing the speech on abortion and being very pro-choice. Though not a twist in the plot itself; something it didn’t expect to see.
The only reason I can’t push this to 5 stars is there were parts where I feel the same point was being addressed over and over again without pushing the development of the characters on.
Overall an interesting and quite quick read in my opinion. Worth picking up.
I really enjoyed how Amy has to conveyed these characters in her writing and their emotional states and opinions without villainising any of the core characters - particularly between the MFC and her partner.
This book in a very indirect way is quite powerful and has great feminist themes which I personally enjoyed that didn’t feel too … “preachy”.
The only reason I can’t push this to 5 stars is there were parts where I feel the same point was being addressed over and over again without pushing the development of the characters on.
Overall an interesting and quite quick read in my opinion. Worth picking up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Having stormed through this book - pun intended - over the last 2 nights I feel I’ve had enough time to process the book without the shock ending completely skewing my review of the entire book.
I did find this book to have a much slower start than the previous books in the series. The plot for me didn’t really pick up until the 50% mark. The first half didn’t really move the plot in any significant way for me and just seemed to be solely focused on the narrative between characters and using various tangents to set up “quests” for the second part of the book which left me feeling a bit disengaged in places.
That being said, once I hit that half way point, I became hooked! Like any good fantasy book, the use of the test & trials trope created some great plot twists and ‘close-save’ moments which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Whilst I wouldn’t say there was any super strong development in the characters - as they felt very consistent in their behaviours throughout the book - I did enjoy how this didn’t prevent the plot from taking unexpected twists.
I will say that this book definitely seemed to have a slight resemblance to ACOMAF by Sarah J Maas - more in creative inspiration that any duplication - but I did mean I couldn’t help in places but compare the two in terms of execution.
Overall a good read with some fantastic plot points and twists which I really enjoyed. There is a lot of back story and lore in here which has definitely been added in to prep for the next instalment in the series.
That being said the slower start to actually get into many any progress with the “quests” themselves in the first half of this book did impact my enjoyment of the book as a whole though doesn’t leave me any less excited for the next instalment.
I did find this book to have a much slower start than the previous books in the series. The plot for me didn’t really pick up until the 50% mark. The first half didn’t really move the plot in any significant way for me and just seemed to be solely focused on the narrative between characters and using various tangents to set up “quests” for the second part of the book which left me feeling a bit disengaged in places.
That being said, once I hit that half way point, I became hooked! Like any good fantasy book, the use of the test & trials trope created some great plot twists and ‘close-save’ moments which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Whilst I wouldn’t say there was any super strong development in the characters - as they felt very consistent in their behaviours throughout the book - I did enjoy how this didn’t prevent the plot from taking unexpected twists.
I will say that this book definitely seemed to have a slight resemblance to ACOMAF by Sarah J Maas - more in creative inspiration that any duplication - but I did mean I couldn’t help in places but compare the two in terms of execution.
Overall a good read with some fantastic plot points and twists which I really enjoyed. There is a lot of back story and lore in here which has definitely been added in to prep for the next instalment in the series.
That being said the slower start to actually get into many any progress with the “quests” themselves in the first half of this book did impact my enjoyment of the book as a whole though doesn’t leave me any less excited for the next instalment.
The Hike by Lucy Clarke
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This is definitely a mixed bag and whilst part of me would like to bump it up to a 3 star rating, there are just one too many things I think needed to happen to improve my enjoyment of it to rate it any higher.
The plot itself wasn’t exactly the surviving the wilderness plot I had hoped it would be and was initially set out to be. The plot moved into this drug scheme coverup which just felt out of place.
The 3 of the 4 main female characters felt too similar and far too one note for me and often left me trying to work out who was who when reading about the backstory.
The writing itself was okay, though there was ALOT of chit chat and got bored of the semi-frequent arguments between the friends which were quickly gotten over and had no real bearing on the story. All this did was drag out the story and messed with the pacing of the book.
I do think the characters backstories were interesting and internal challenges but felt that this book just tried to throw in too many moving parts in the plot that just felt a bit disjointed for me.
Had the book been more concise and focused on the characters themselves and their struggles in the wilderness setting of hike - it could have been a much stronger read in my opinion.
The plot itself wasn’t exactly the surviving the wilderness plot I had hoped it would be and was initially set out to be.
The 3 of the 4 main female characters felt too similar and far too one note for me and often left me trying to work out who was who when reading about the backstory.
The writing itself was okay, though there was ALOT of chit chat and got bored of the semi-frequent arguments between the friends which were quickly gotten over and had no real bearing on the story. All this did was drag out the story and messed with the pacing of the book.
I do think the characters backstories were interesting and internal challenges but felt that this book just tried to throw in too many moving parts in the plot that just felt a bit disjointed for me.
Had the book been more concise and focused on the characters themselves and their struggles in the wilderness setting of hike - it could have been a much stronger read in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use and Death of parent