cassroberts89's reviews
471 reviews

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

adventurous funny informative medium-paced

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

5.0

I could listen to Neil Gaiman read me books all day, every day. HIGHLY recommend the audio version of this!

My working knowledge of Norse mythology is pretty much limited to what I gleaned from watching Thor. This is an exceptional overview of some of the high points, definitely enough to inform in case you come across the occasional cultural reference. And again, do yourself a favor and grab the audio. You won’t be disappointed. 

Watership Down by Richard Adams

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.25

Listened to the audiobook as our homeschool literature read-aloud. 

The kids and I were SO onto this for about the first half. I can’t put my finger on when or why exactly, but I simply lost interest. They seemed to still be pretty invested as they finished up the audiobook. I will say that Ralph Cosham was a wonderful narrator, very soothing to listen to. 

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny hopeful medium-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

So sweet. I think  it’s safe to say I’m fan of Jimenez, and I know I’ll be returning to these when I need a pick-me-up ☺️

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Hilarious and sweet 🥰 

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

Just as phenomenal as Ninth House. I’m looking forward to getting into Bardugo’s Grishaverse soon

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

adventurous hopeful lighthearted slow-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

3.25

This was a pick for the tween book club I run at the library. 

It was okay. I could see the appeal, especially because my kiddos are pretty big dragon fans. It took me at least half the book to really get interested in the story though.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective relaxing medium-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? No

4.75

Loved almost as much as the first book! Now to wait a whole two months for book 3 🤦🏻‍♀️

P.S. I picked up the audio version here and there while my hands were busy, and the narrator, Ell Potter, is fantastic!

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Not bad! I was pretty hooked into the story, even if I could see the ending coming a mile away and some characters were a little flat. My library has this shelved in young adult, and Barnes & Noble has it with middle grade. It’s definitely middle grade. I started the second book in the series but decided to DNF, partly because I was mildly annoyed with the long explanations of what happened in the first book (although I bet it’s nice of it’s been a while) and partly because there are other books I’d really like to get to reading. 

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

funny 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? Yes

4.0

Super fun read that I finished almost in one day! It’s not very original, the MMC is almost annoyingly perfect, the romance starts out pretty lust-based, and some of the family drama was a bit over the top. You know what though? I found I really didn’t care. I still enjoyed this so much! P.S. Fair warning, it’s quite… descriptive in certain scenes 😉

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse