Scan barcode
booksbagsandbadideas's reviews
75 reviews
Evil Eye by Etaf Rum
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
This book is such a gut punch. There are many important conversations had and emotions at play; everything from depression to generational trauma which is so important, but can definitely be hard to read.
Rather than flashbacks to provide the historical context, we visit Yara’s journal where she is telling the stories from her childhood that have stuck with her and had a far greater impact than she had previously believed.
I saw some other reviews comment that there was too much repetition and though I see where they are coming from, I don’t know that those reviewers have ever been in a place mentally or emotionally where you keep spiraling and can’t move passed certain events/feelings. Though repeating the same struggles may not make for as engaging a story, I feel it makes for a more accurate one.
I highly recommend this book though I also highly recommend that people check out the content warnings if they are concerned about triggering elements.
Rather than flashbacks to provide the historical context, we visit Yara’s journal where she is telling the stories from her childhood that have stuck with her and had a far greater impact than she had previously believed.
I saw some other reviews comment that there was too much repetition and though I see where they are coming from, I don’t know that those reviewers have ever been in a place mentally or emotionally where you keep spiraling and can’t move passed certain events/feelings. Though repeating the same struggles may not make for as engaging a story, I feel it makes for a more accurate one.
I highly recommend this book though I also highly recommend that people check out the content warnings if they are concerned about triggering elements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Gaslighting
Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this with friends that hadn’t read Winter’s Orbit and from our discussions, you don’t seem to gain any particular insight into this story by reading the first in the series. Just wanted to throw that out there in case anyone is concerned about starting a book that says “#2 in series”.
For a good chunk of the book, you are trying to figure out the reader/architect abilities, societal implications, and the science behind it while Surit and Tennal are as well. When my friends and I were discussing it about 30% through, I said that I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I was having a great time. That said, I love that we did eventually get the answers that Surit and Tennal were looking for rather than the author leaving things up in the air or up to the audience’s imagination.
The nearly immediate rapport between our two male characters was great and I loved their interactions. Tennal was a sarcastic and irreverent asshole when dealing with many people - especially those in power - and it continued to be entertaining throughout. Definitely recommend reading and will always recommend Winter’s Orbit as well which was another that I loved.
For a good chunk of the book, you are trying to figure out the reader/architect abilities, societal implications, and the science behind it while Surit and Tennal are as well. When my friends and I were discussing it about 30% through, I said that I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I was having a great time. That said, I love that we did eventually get the answers that Surit and Tennal were looking for rather than the author leaving things up in the air or up to the audience’s imagination.
The nearly immediate rapport between our two male characters was great and I loved their interactions. Tennal was a sarcastic and irreverent asshole when dealing with many people - especially those in power - and it continued to be entertaining throughout. Definitely recommend reading and will always recommend Winter’s Orbit as well which was another that I loved.
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
medium-paced
2.0
Knowing that P.L. Travers was rather famously unhappy with the Disney version of her book, I was expecting differences. What I wasn’t expecting was for every character to be unlikable. Mary Poppins is regularly mean to the children, Burt, and everyone else around. The kids are brats even at the end after Mary Poppins leaves. Combine that with the very disjointed nature of the story and it was just not my cup of tea at all.
A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
adventurous
medium-paced
3.0
An interesting retelling of Aladdin that went places I didn’t expect and was also darker than I expected.
Overall an enjoyable read though they started adding so many characters toward the middle/end that no one really got fleshed out.
Overall an enjoyable read though they started adding so many characters toward the middle/end that no one really got fleshed out.
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
There are similarities in this story to many other Peter Pan stories, but there are also many things that are very different. The combination means you have a story that feels familiar while still having no idea what the ending will be.
Just like we are all used to: Peter Pan lost his shadow and Wendy sewed it back on. The wholly new part is that after that, Wendy and her brother went missing with only Wendy returning six months later - without her memories. When other kids start going missing in her town, everyone assumes it is connected to her (and her brothers’) disappearance.
Wendy has to face that things she thought were only stories may in fact be real when Peter comes back to her town asking for her help.
Peter and Wendy’s characterizations were so fun and their rapport was frequently entertaining as they are working to resolve everything. I loved how descriptive the woods scenes were as it really pulled me in (and sometimes creeped me out).
One bit of warning is that I never would have thought that a Peter Pan retelling would make me cry, so take that for what it’s worth!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
emotional
hopeful
sad
4.0
A story this is at times heartbreakingly sweet and others just plain heartbreaking. We are following Amanda to her new city, new school, and new living environment as she moves to live with her dad for the first time in 6 years. Hesitant to trust people after past experiences, she eventually makes friends, dates, and starts gaining a lot of confidence.
There are a lot of hard times that are discussed or shown in flashbacks as well as her dealing with conflicts in the present day so there are a lot of emotional scenes interspersed with the funny ones. Some of those scenes were difficult to listen to and I definitely almost cried on my lunch break so take a small tissue warning as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Sexual violence
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a debut novel from Moniquill Blackgoose that knocked it out of the park!
The book is told through Anequs’ point of view as she joins a dragon academy away from home so that she can keep her dragon alive (and with her). She is much more mature and levelheaded than many YA protagonists as she deals with being away from home, racism, classism, and other struggles.
An interesting facet that I enjoyed was that we see her listening to professors about things in class, see her doing independent study of the same topics, and also conversations about them to almost end up with three different points of view of the same topic.
I hope we learn even more about her culture as most of the book has her at school and not on the island with her family. Knowing this is the first in a series, I imagine the future books will follow a similar structure of us following Anequs through her time at school and back home on breaks.
Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
4.0
I love that you get a small introduction to how the magical system works without it being a very in depth lore dump - just enough to understand why some use magic and others don’t.
In general, the world building is fun and a little whimsical with cursed objects, weird hexes, and clients calling in with all sorts of issues.
Rook and Sun’s interactions have a very grumpy/sunshine vibe and are very entertaining while they go from unwilling acquaintances (on Sun’s side) to frenemies to both truly enjoying each other’s company.
All around I had a fun time in this world and it was a great read just as the other two F.T. Lukens books I read were!
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
This was an extremely fun adventure through a world just off from our own - present day with technology like TV & cell phones while having gods, goddesses, and monsters.
Our protagonist is a teenage boy dealing with the “popular kids” (and him not being one) that are popular by virtue of having more powerful godly parents. I loved his growth throughout as he eventually realizes that they all have issues - even the popular ones.
The actual trials are interspersed with downtime where we learn more about the world, Teo himself, and the other kids in the trials with him.
My only complaint is my poor time since it’s another 5 months before I can read the second part of the duology. If you are someone that impatiently awaits the new season of your favorite show, just be aware that not all the threads are wrapped up in a tidy bow at the end of this book.
Our protagonist is a teenage boy dealing with the “popular kids” (and him not being one) that are popular by virtue of having more powerful godly parents. I loved his growth throughout as he eventually realizes that they all have issues - even the popular ones.
The actual trials are interspersed with downtime where we learn more about the world, Teo himself, and the other kids in the trials with him.
My only complaint is my poor time since it’s another 5 months before I can read the second part of the duology. If you are someone that impatiently awaits the new season of your favorite show, just be aware that not all the threads are wrapped up in a tidy bow at the end of this book.