booksny's reviews
325 reviews

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

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

4.0

A lovely classic story - enjoyed its pacing, descriptions of beautiful nature and feel-good elements. Some bits which haven't aged well around race and class and illness, and some flat side characters, but a lot of thought had been put into the two main characters and their development 

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this! 

Behind Time by Lynn Abbey

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed the storytelling in this far more than in the first book. There were unexplained plot holes like

why did malerie and matt leave Eleanor's poisoning unfinished on first attempt?

, unnecessary red herrings like

harry warning Eleanor that the rogue was more likely to be someone she trusted rather than disliked - it was mentioned only once, turned out not to be true

and strange character decisions like

Emma being quite alright with leaving matt in the clutches of the rogue for so long

. However, it was a better paced read with a creative premise 

The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance by Margaret Mahy

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Really loved the beautiful writing and creative storytelling in this book

Out of Time by Lynn Abbey

adventurous mysterious 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

2.0

The premise is really unique - I enjoyed the creativity. However, I was not a fan of the extremely slow pacing, and disliked nearly all the characters - Emma especially was irritatingly self-sabotaging, swinging between endangering herself to help people she didn't know and who seemed obnoxiously entitled in asking her for help, and refusing to get curious or accept good help when it was offered to her

Bad Data: How Governments, Politicians and the Rest of Us Get Misled by Numbers by Georgina Sturge

informative medium-paced

4.0

Good overview of the many ways in which data can be bad and in turn, lead to bad consequences. The focus is very heavily on UK, with a few comparisons to how a couple of other countries might be handling their data; that being said, the methodological issues described are very probably a challenge worldwide. Because the examples given are very disparate and the issues quite systemic, readers may find it tricky to come away with any deeper conclusions or concrete actions aside from being curious and questioning of fast news, overconfident pollsters and politicians wanting to seem decisive. 

Greystone Valley by Charlie Brooks

4.0

 If you (or your kid!) are in the mood for a light-hearted story of magic and battles, humor and adventure, you might be interested in giving Charlie Brooks’ Greystone Valley a whirl. Greystone Valley tells the tale of Sarah, a dreamy young girl dealing with the death of her father. In her grief, she has withdrawn from her friends and family, taking refuge instead in the marvelous adventures her imagination and storybooks can conjure up. Her self-imposed isolation is interrupted, however, when she is unexpectedly plunged into the strange new world of Greystone Valley. Baffled and bewildered, she inadvertently attracts the unwanted attentions of an evil warlord bent on multiple world domination and battles with him and his monstrous beast-men army through dragon caves and magical castles. Along the way, she allies with Kay, an inept young wizard, Dax, a cheerless old warrior and Keeley, a chirpy little dragon, and through her adventures with them she is gradually reminded of the true value of friendship, loyalty, courage and home.

I found Charlie Brooks’ Greystone Valley to be a relaxing way to while away a lazy afternoon. My favorite part of the book was definitely Sarah’s companions, all of whom stole the show whenever they popped up in the plot. Each of them initially seemed friendless and were misfits in their own way - Kay with his ineptitude, Dax with his gloominess, and Keeley with her tiny size - so it was quite heartwarming to see them forge a strong bond of friendship and loyalty to each other and to Sarah. I only wish that we could have learnt more about their back story - the tantalizing hints we’re given about their past just makes me certain that any story focusing upon them would make for a vastly entertaining read too. All in all, I found this a fun read! 

A Disagreement With Death by Craig Shaw Gardner

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A creative mad caper. The humor felt forced in a couple of sections (

Snarks repeating the dragons' names repeatedly got annoying

) but overall I really enjoyed this adventure 

The Vault: A Journey of Discovery by Steven Weaver

4.0

I was quite impressed with Steven Weaver’s The Vault: A Journey of Discovery as I found it an unexpectedly well-written story with distinctive characters, realistic dialogue and a fairly solid plot. While the book is targeted to a younger audience and contains a lot of strong and positive themes about dealing with puberty, bullying, loneliness, and so on, I believe that it’d make an entertaining read for readers of all ages. Daniel makes for a strong, sensitive and multifaceted protagonist. While his actions and experiences are largely driven by his focus on cracking the mystery of the secret vault, his burgeoning romance with Emily, hostile dynamics with Reid and conflicted relationship with his busy father truly give him depth as a character. Carsten, in the meantime, cuts an incredibly tragic and noble figure. His character as a solitary, mysterious genius is perfectly crafted to rouse the reader’s curiosity and imagination. I truly wish that we could have learned more about him.

I also loved the feeling of suspense which gripped me throughout the book. Although readers can easily anticipate some of the answers to the mystery, many brilliantly tense action scenes are woven into the plot, especially in the Nazi Germany chapters. My only gripe about the novel is that while Weaver, for the most part, makes a praiseworthy and successful effort in walking the delicate balance between providing enough vivid descriptions to stimulate our interest while still leaving some detail to the imagination, sometimes his efforts fall short. Some of the setting descriptions feel excessively detailed, for example, while the conclusion of the novel feels somewhat sloppy and raises more questions than it answers. All in all, however, The Vault is a book with a lot of potential and is definitely worth a read.

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards

hopeful medium-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

3.0

The premise was pleasant - reminded me of the secret garden and a little princess. Would've preferred if there was more showing instead of telling, especially in relation to character development - I found it difficult to get invested in Mandy and her struggles