candoreads's reviews
28 reviews

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-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

3.75

So far, this was probably my favorite book in the ACOTAR series. Although the pacing is pretty slow for two-thirds of the book, which usually makes me not like a book, once we hit the climax the pacing picks up so much it makes it impossible to put down. I enjoyed seeing the characters from different angles and seeing them work covertly and on the front lines in a war. Usually, battle scenes are hard to read through, but these were actually interesting and easy to follow along with. There was MUCH more LBGTQIA+ representation than I was expecting, and after looking up some fanart of the characters, I think there was more POC representation than I expected as well? Perhaps I've been picturing people wrong. I only gave it a bit under 4 stars because of the slow pacing in the beginning. But the plot is more intricate than the others and I think that's what kept me interested.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.0

I loved this book. It was much better than the first book A Court of Thorns and Roses and you find yourself getting much more context for the first book as well. The spice was good, but it did take a while to get there, but I find the build-up made it worth the wait. The spice was also romantic spice which I really enjoy. I love love and I find the characters very easy to like and connect with.

Content Warnings

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 by Gege Akutami

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adventurous funny mysterious 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

3.0

So, I'm the terrible person that watches the anime then decides if I should read the manga. Obviously, I knew everything that was going to happen. But I really liked reading this. It's adventurous and world-building is not that hard to follow. It's not explained very deeply, but Yuji is the audience's connection to the Jujutsu world, he knows just as much as we do and I assume that as he learns more, we will learn more. The characters are pretty lovable so far, especially as someone who watched the anime first. I like seeing the little comments from the author at the end of each chapter about the characters, it adds character to the story.

Haikyu!!, Vol. 01 by Haruichi Furudate

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was the first manga I ever read, and I really loved it. It was also the first anime I ever watched, and I watched the anime first. So I already knew what was going to happen when I first opened the manga. I was very surprised by how the anime took scenes straight from the manga. I've never seen anything that was so page to screen accurate. As a former volleyball player, this was very fun to read and very endearing. It's easy to fall in love with all of the characters and watch them grow. Did this start a love for anime and manga? I think so and that's bad for my bank account and book storage.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

I read this book the day after I finished Song of Achilles. That book broke me emotionally, and this book made sure I stayed broken. The preface behind it is beautiful and heartbreaking. It's so easy to connect with the characters and feel for them. I found myself able to put myself in their shoes easily. The cast is diverse, and it's everything you want to see. The entire time you're rooting for the two main characters and the adventures they go on their last day. This is another book I would recommend to anyone.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.75

I thought this book was good, and it seemed to depict high school pretty accurately (as someone who has left high school in the past 3 years) but there were times where it felt like there was too much added into the plot.

At one point there was a bit of a love story, and it felt like a moment of "Seriously, do we have time for this?"

At times the reasonings of the characters and their motivations were too outlandish, or that there was too much going on within them. Other than that, it was a pretty quick read, since the entire book takes place within 54 minutes, the plot moves pretty quickly.

Content Warnings

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Look, it's your classic enemies to lovers, there's lots of arguing and anger which turns into flirtations and sexual tension. There are some smut scenes and they're good but it's nothing that I haven't seen on Wattpad in 2012. That being said, this book has kinda been marketed as a young adult which is incorrect? This is an adult novel, definitely 18+. That being said, the love story is written pretty well and it's not really the main focus of the book, there are other things going on that keep you interested that make it feel like more of an adventure with a romance subplot in my opinion.

Content Warnings

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I do not even have words for this book. It was an instant 5 stars when I read it. Madeline Miller writes Achilles and Patroclus' love in such a way that would make anyone yearn for their soulmate. It's so wonderfully and beautifully written you can't help but fall in love with the characters. I will never shut up about this book. It's a quick read and the plot moves pretty quickly. There are times where it slows down a bit and you just wanna skip it, but it's so worth it in the end. I read this book in one day and was absolutely devastated. It ripped my heart to shreds but that's exactly what I needed. If you want to cry about the "right person, not enough time" trope THIS is the book for you. I would recommend it to anyone.

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candoreads's reviews 28 reviews

candoreads's reviews
28 reviews