caseyundercovers's reviews
182 reviews

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

That was a whole lot of nothing.

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

Well, that was not at all what I was expecting, but in the end, it was still not what I wanted. 

What I knew going into this book was that it was a banned erotic-romance book from the 1920s that was highly controversial in its time.

What I found it to be was a text that explores human connection and how it affects both men and women at its core. This book had a lot to say about connection, classism, sexuality, and the cost of greed, which was great. There was a lot about this book that I enjoyed. 

There was, however, something missing, and that was the plot, which was seriously lacking and left me wanting while reading this book. I could say it was a character driven book instead. However, that doesn't feel true either, I felt Connie was a flat character who never really expressed her thoughts or feelings in the same way Mellors or Clifford did. She listened to long expressions of feelings but never made her own, and that was sorely missed in this story. 

Still, I did enjoy it and am glad I read it. Would I recommend it, sort of, but to fans of classics or someone looking for something with heavy social commentary. If you're looking for a plot heavy romance with twists and lots of tropes, this isn't it.

Carrie by Stephen King

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This is a great showing from Stephen King. Pet Sematary is still my favorite, but this one does make the top part of the list. 

I can't help but compare it to the movie. I enjoyed reading the case study on Carrie throughout the book that gives us a more detailed look of how/why her powers manifested and originated. However, I think the ending in the movie was better. The book's ending went on for some time and felt really drawn out rather than a burst of Carrie's rage meeting her breaking point. 

The Witcher Volume 1: House of Glass by Paul Tobin

adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

My first Witcher comic. I really enjoyed the story and the art. Will continue the series.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.75

Wow, it's been a while since a book pulled me in as much as this one did. I read it in 24 hours and couldn't put it down. I was immediately invested in the relationships between the four main characters. The only reason this story is 4.75 stars and not 5 stars is because I predicted the twist. Other than that, it was a solid story, and I really enjoyed my time with it. 

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I liked the first one, the second and third were terrible and boring, this one was pretty ok. It still had its boring parts, but once we trudge through them the story is a pretty decent retelling of The Wonderful Land of Oz with Tip's story. I thought the author did a good job of incorporating an original Oz story with his own bringing it full circle. I'm now not dreading reading the upcoming Elphie or the Another Day series. 

The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

It's a classic Christmas story, and I'm glad I read it. Why that ending, though?

And the 7 year old got engaged. The end. 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

dark 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

3.0

I seriously considered DNFing this book and I probably should have.

It wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me.

I thought the book's paranormal aspects and ghost character were really interesting, but that didn't save it for me. Nothing was appealing about the hunting or basketball for me, if those are things you are interested in then perhaps you'd enjoy this book more than I did. The animal death was more brutal than I could handle. The final chase scene went on for some time, killing the momentum of the ending for me.

I'd give this author another try, the idea of this book was interesting, but the surrounding topics weren't for me personally.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.75

I liked this book more than I thought I would going into it.

The government in this world has been eliminated and nearly all power has been surrendered to The Thunderhead (a supercomputer of some kind) that manages the needs of humankind. The Thunderhead reminded me of Brainiac from Superman, which I'll keep in mind when I continue the series. The only area where The Thunderhead does not reign is where death is concerned, that is where the Sythedom comes in. Scythes are tasked with "gleaning" people, that is killing them for good. In a world where diseases have been eradicated, injuries even of the most severe nature can be healed in a matter of days, and aging can be reversed, it has been left to the Scythes to decide who should be gleaned as well as how, when, and why they should be gleaned. They have a code of commandments, but each has their methods for choosing victims.

Our main characters are Citra and Rowan, two teenagers who have been chosen by Scythe Faraday as his new apprentices. As they begin their training under Scythe Faraday they learn various weaponry, combat, poisons, histories, etc. After several months as apprentices, the trio attends the seasonal conclave of Scythes where the obvious villain of the story, Scythe Goddard calls outrage that Scythe Faraday has taken on two apprentices and it is decided that only one apprentice may advance to sythehood in the end and their first act as a Scythe will be to glean the other.

Let's backtrack to Sythe Goddard, this man might as well be Emperor Palpatine walking around he is so obviously evil. We meet him as he and his disciples mass glean a passenger plane and then later a mall food court. He believes that the rules of the Scythedom are outdated, quotas are no fun, and his preferred method for selecting gleaning victims is to recreate mass death events. Fun guy.

To prevent his apprentices from having to glean one another, Scythe Faraday gleans himself believing that Citra and Rowan will be released from the apprenticeships and be able to return from their families. However, Emperor Goddard Palpatine attempts to claim both apprentices as his own but is stopped by Scythe Marie Curie, a legendary Scythe who takes Citra on as her apprentice. The apprentices will not be spared their final conflict, but now they will be prepared in wildly different ways.

My favorite part of this book was the world-building in this book. The technology that has eliminated the ailments of mankind is really interesting. What I wouldn't give for the painkilling nanites! Imagine a world without headaches or cramps!

My least favorite part of this book was the romance between the two main characters, it was a forced proximity situation, a build-up for future installments of the series I'm sure, but I just didn't need it in this story. Friends to rivals if that's your sort of thing, it's in here.

I do look forward to continuing the series. I think the future of Rowan and Citra's rivalry and/or romance will be interesting in this world. I also know that The Thunderhead has to come into play in a big way in future installments and that I am most excited to see. 

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0