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candidcopywriter's reviews
33 reviews
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
It got off to such a promising start! The representation was off the charts...and the Hindi words mixed in with the prose gave it an authentic feel. It wasn't whitewashed for a so-called global audience, with poor English substitutes for Indian words (I've noticed that trend in a lot of books written by Indian authors).
At first, I couldn't tell what was wrong. The plot was intriguing, the representation was amazing, and fantasy is my favourite genre! But I just couldn't continue. On reflection, I realised the issue. The characters are the most annoying people in the world! The protagonist, Sheetal, is immature and juvenile; her boyfriend Dev is equally immature. The entire cast of Stars (from Sheetal's mother to her grandparents) felt caricaturish.
I just couldn't.
At first, I couldn't tell what was wrong. The plot was intriguing, the representation was amazing, and fantasy is my favourite genre! But I just couldn't continue. On reflection, I realised the issue. The characters are the most annoying people in the world! The protagonist, Sheetal, is immature and juvenile; her boyfriend Dev is equally immature. The entire cast of Stars (from Sheetal's mother to her grandparents) felt caricaturish.
I just couldn't.
The Queen's Crown by K.M. Shea
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Crown of Moonlight by K.M. Shea
adventurous
funny
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? N/A
4.0
Crown of Shadows by K.M. Shea
adventurous
funny
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? N/A
4.0
Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rather than a whodunnit like mysteries usually tend to be, this was a how-dunnit (which, I think, is a theme with all Higashino books). We know who the killer is right at the beginning of the book, and we even know why the murder happened. What we don’t know is how.
Clues are revealed in bits and pieces and it’s almost frustrating how nothing really adds up until Yukawa (detective Galileo, the brilliant physicist friend of the policeman Kusanagi) reveals all in the end. There was definitely an “aha!” moment when all was revealed. It didn’t give me goosebumps like the big reveal in Devotion of Suspect X did, but it was enough to leave me flummoxed.
Everything about this book, from the adorably distant infatuation of detective Kusanagi, to the dogged pursual of the truth by junior detective Utsumi was brilliantly executed.
I highly recommend it to thriller buffs.
I highly recommend it to thriller buffs.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Infidelity
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
I LOVED this book! It was a wonderful breath of fresh air; one I really needed as I was going through a massive reading slump (I hate ‘em, don’t you?) I read an ebook version of it, but it’s so wholesome and so…nice (no other word for it) that I want a physical copy because I want to give the book a massive hug, damnit! It’s hard not to love this book (although I’ve heard it called “vanilla”, and I wonder what’s happened to the readers; why they only prefer tragic stories with lots of violence). It’s got dragons (wyverns, to be precise) and sprites and gnomes, and the representation is just amazing. Linus Baker (the protagonist) is queer, the children are, well…different, and racism in that world is to discriminate against such people who are not entirely human. The way those issues are handled, so gently, so adorably, deserves to be applauded.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Piranesi was one confusing book. The prose was rich, the arc unique and confusing, and the twists amazing. I absolutely loved the book, except for the ending (which I have resigned myself to). It was a short introduction, I feel, to Susanna Clarke's writing, because I'm sure the behemoth that is her first book, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is written in a similar fashion. Rambling aside, this might be a hit or miss. Not understanding anything during the entire first half of the book can get disconcerting, so be warned! Only read it if you're okay with fantasy/magical realism-ish tropes. The book feels surreal. All I can advise in closing (echoing the thoughts of many who have read the book before me), is to go in blind. The blurb at the back doesn't matter; nor does anyone's version of the story. The book needs to be read with fresh thoughts and it will boggle your mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
A Governess Should Never... Tempt a Prizefighter by Emily Windsor
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
Emily Windsor's books are almost always amazing! The cute (or sizzling) romances, the challenges the couples face...and most importantly, the quirky words used in the books just melt my heart!
Although this wasn't my favourite book by her, I loved it. I could relate to Matilda, well-read as she was...I admired Seth's daughter, and I fell in love with the scholarly, gentle, yet genius prizefighter, Seth. The way he's raised his daughter is a delight!
I'd been having a bad day when the author sent over a review copy (I thank her for that!), so this was the perfect book to lift my spirits.
(I thank the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review)
Although this wasn't my favourite book by her, I loved it. I could relate to Matilda, well-read as she was...I admired Seth's daughter, and I fell in love with the scholarly, gentle, yet genius prizefighter, Seth. The way he's raised his daughter is a delight!
I'd been having a bad day when the author sent over a review copy (I thank her for that!), so this was the perfect book to lift my spirits.
(I thank the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
When you see the name, "My Sister, The Serial Killer", you think it's a crime thriller. When you read the blurb, you think, "Okay! Dark humour and crime - it's a comic slasher fic!"
Well, for me, it was neither of those things. I found it to be more of a...family drama with a lot of sadness and tragedy, themes of child abuse, sad family history, psychopathy, and more. I liked Korede as a character. She was insecure, not-very-beautiful, and always lacking compared to her sister. Ayoola, the murderous sister, was more of a sociopath (psychopath?) whose feelings weren't explored at all in the book. We never find out, till the end, why she's killing people.
I liked the writing - it was fast-paced, lucid, and interesting. I also liked Korede's character development. The depths to her personality were evident. I loved that the two sisters took centre stage throughout the story , with boys mostly just coming and going.
What I didn't like was the ambiguous ending (I've always hated those), the lack of character development of Ayoola, and, well, the fact that I had expected something a little funny or even thrilling, but what I got was messy family drama (as if we don't have enough of that!)
A couple of warnings to whoever wants to read this book:
1. It is NOT a thriller - it's a family drama.
2. It's in first person present tense - the author makes it work, but I know some people get uncomfortable with that style.
3. It has an ambiguous ending. This might technically be a spoiler, I know...but I also know that such endings can spoil the entire book for some people (me included), so it's something you should know.
Well, for me, it was neither of those things. I found it to be more of a...family drama with a lot of sadness and tragedy, themes of child abuse, sad family history, psychopathy, and more. I liked Korede as a character. She was insecure, not-very-beautiful, and always lacking compared to her sister. Ayoola, the murderous sister, was more of a sociopath (psychopath?) whose feelings weren't explored at all in the book. We never find out, till the end, why she's killing people.
I liked the writing - it was fast-paced, lucid, and interesting. I also liked Korede's character development. The depths to her personality were evident. I loved that the two sisters took centre stage throughout the story , with boys mostly just coming and going.
What I didn't like was the ambiguous ending (I've always hated those), the lack of character development of Ayoola, and, well, the fact that I had expected something a little funny or even thrilling, but what I got was messy family drama (as if we don't have enough of that!)
A couple of warnings to whoever wants to read this book:
1. It is NOT a thriller - it's a family drama.
2. It's in first person present tense - the author makes it work, but I know some people get uncomfortable with that style.
3. It has an ambiguous ending. This might technically be a spoiler, I know...but I also know that such endings can spoil the entire book for some people (me included), so it's something you should know.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Child abuse, and Body shaming
Devil's Peak by Deon Meyer
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I picked this up because I wanted to read a thriller book by an African author. And it reminded me uncannily of Sydney Sheldon's works!
It was graphic, gruesome, and just a little bit thrilling. There was not much mystery in it at all. A thriller book without suspense is weird, but, well...that's what it was. Not predictable, because the word implies that it wasn't supposed to be predictable. Rather, I'd call it...straightforward. While I was curious as to what happened next, there were no "aha!" moments where everything just...fell into place.
Given what I said, I wonder why I finished this book. But it was like watching a train-wreck. I was highly disturbed, but I was still intrigued. And I wanted to know what would happen to Benny Griessel, the main character.
And...god help me, I still want to know! While I don't want to put myself through such a disturbing reading experience again, I might just pick up the next book in the Benny Griessel series at some point because I'm extremely curious about the guy!
It was graphic, gruesome, and just a little bit thrilling. There was not much mystery in it at all. A thriller book without suspense is weird, but, well...that's what it was. Not predictable, because the word implies that it wasn't supposed to be predictable. Rather, I'd call it...straightforward. While I was curious as to what happened next, there were no "aha!" moments where everything just...fell into place.
Given what I said, I wonder why I finished this book. But it was like watching a train-wreck. I was highly disturbed, but I was still intrigued. And I wanted to know what would happen to Benny Griessel, the main character.
And...god help me, I still want to know! While I don't want to put myself through such a disturbing reading experience again, I might just pick up the next book in the Benny Griessel series at some point because I'm extremely curious about the guy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence