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breabooks's reviews
169 reviews
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5? This book had a major identity crisis. It’s listed as sci-fi/fantasy and mystery/thriller on NetGalley and Goodreads. It is most definitely not sci-do fantasy by any stretch of the imagination. There were more horror elements in it than whatever the publisher thought constituted sci-fi/fantasy. I rate books a 3 when I like the book but I had some major issues with it and don’t see myself rereading it or thinking about it again.
The overall story itself was great, but the pacing was all over the place. It started off interesting with lots of mystery and some almost horror aspects, was boring until about the 60% mark, and was back to faster pacing and thriller status towards the end. All the twists and action happened in the last 15%.
All the characters are very traumatized, so it’s a hard start if you’ve ever suffered a similar familial loss. I’m not sure how to put it but James did a lot of self-reflection without any actual change until the very end. It was repetitive and become boring. However, the plot was good! Just not the absolute best?
I also wish the owl motif was explored more.
Thanks to Delacorte Press for the advanced digital galley.
The overall story itself was great, but the pacing was all over the place. It started off interesting with lots of mystery and some almost horror aspects, was boring until about the 60% mark, and was back to faster pacing and thriller status towards the end. All the twists and action happened in the last 15%.
All the characters are very traumatized, so it’s a hard start if you’ve ever suffered a similar familial loss. I’m not sure how to put it but James did a lot of self-reflection without any actual change until the very end. It was repetitive and become boring. However, the plot was good! Just not the absolute best?
I also wish the owl motif was explored more.
Thanks to Delacorte Press for the advanced digital galley.
The Elven Days of Christmas by A.K. Caggiano
5.0
Cute, fun, silly, Christmasy. All the good things 🤌🏼
Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5
3.5 stars? I’m torn. I really really enjoyed the concept. The story was fantastic- a fresh take on Norse mythology infused with draugr (vampires). The writing was beautiful. I cried at a certain beautifully heartbreaking part. The romance was beautiful. I was so into the book my husband actually asked if I was enjoying it. Apparently I couldn’t put it down!
HOWEVER
Spoilers, sort of. The book is supposed to be young adult/new adult, reads like a YA with Astrid’s thoughts, and reads like an adult book with the prose. It had me super confused. I would picture Astrid as a teenager, then an adult, then she’d do some real stupid teenage stuff. Ok REAL spoiler: I get that she’s technically Skaga reborn, but good grief either act like an adult or act like a child. The 50% mark had me LIVID.
HOWEVER
Spoilers, sort of. The book is supposed to be young adult/new adult, reads like a YA with Astrid’s thoughts, and reads like an adult book with the prose. It had me super confused. I would picture Astrid as a teenager, then an adult, then she’d do some real stupid teenage stuff. Ok REAL spoiler: I get that she’s technically Skaga reborn, but good grief either act like an adult or act like a child. The 50% mark had me LIVID.
Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
3.5
This was one of my favorites of the five in this novella series. It was cute, short, and sweet. I really liked Evie’s personality. I listened to the audiobook for this one. The narrator almost sounded fake at first but seemed to become more real as the story progressed.
The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
It’s been a while since I’ve had a book keeping me up into the odd hours of the night. The Gods Time Forgot is a beautiful historical fantasy romance with impeccable banter and the pining and yearning that so many other comparable books lack. The story leans more into the historical aspect than I’m accustomed to- but it was a nice change! Irish mythology was expertly woven into the story.
The story brings to light the darker side of New York socialites/business moguls in the late 1800s. Rua must pretend to be a woman of new money in order to figure out her past and how she ended up in her odd predicament. Finn is a wealthy Irish immigrant determined to climb the social ladder in order to help the less fortunate of Manhattan. They cross paths and cannot seem to stop running into each other- much to each other’s detriment. They both discover there’s a far greater power (and evil) at work. The intricacies of being a person in the Upper Tens are fascinating and well explained!
The beginning is a bit slow, but the plot really picks up at around the 40% mark. The last 30% was a whirlwind of scandal and revelations!
Thank you Alcove Press for the gifted egalley. I really enjoyed it!
The story brings to light the darker side of New York socialites/business moguls in the late 1800s. Rua must pretend to be a woman of new money in order to figure out her past and how she ended up in her odd predicament. Finn is a wealthy Irish immigrant determined to climb the social ladder in order to help the less fortunate of Manhattan. They cross paths and cannot seem to stop running into each other- much to each other’s detriment. They both discover there’s a far greater power (and evil) at work. The intricacies of being a person in the Upper Tens are fascinating and well explained!
The beginning is a bit slow, but the plot really picks up at around the 40% mark. The last 30% was a whirlwind of scandal and revelations!
Thank you Alcove Press for the gifted egalley. I really enjoyed it!