cclift1114's reviews
1321 reviews

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

challenging dark reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I don’t think I exaggerate when I say that this is the kind of book that could (and should) be read and discussed in literature classes because of how reflective and meaningful it is about our society. While it feels like it should be set in some dystopian future, Adjei-Brenyah constantly cuts in with asides about US history, government, law, and politics (many of them from the recent past), to remind you that this take on the prison and “justice” system isn’t such a far-fetched concept. 

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

This book, with its unique representation for the LGBTQ community and for Jewish people, and with the fun and complications of the main character being able to see ghosts (in particular the ghost of his boyfriend’s dead husband), is cute and messy and heartwarming and just such a nice read. 

The Will of the Many by James Islington

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? No

4.0

I was really into the concept of this book, especially at first. I also appreciate the messaging and themes found within it, and really grew to like the characters. There was a great deal of intrigue and mystery. I do feel, though, that the book could have been cut down a bit to make things move more quickly because there were parts that dragged for me. It also felt like Vis was almost too good at everything throughout the book, and while it would say he would struggle with things, before you knew it he had it figured out and was excelling. After awhile, I stopped worrying in some of the intense situations he found himself in because the pattern became he would maybe hit a snag, but then quickly recover. It was only at the end that the stakes actually became high. Also, I’m still not okay with the ending. That was my favorite character, man. 

Ireland: A Short History by Joseph Coohill

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

For someone that is fairly unfamiliar with Irish history, this seemed like a good introduction. Coohill notes the limitations of such a short text at the beginning of the book, which I appreciate. With some coverage of very early history, the book delves more deeply into the 18th-20th centuries. 

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book offers a good introduction and overview of fascism and how it develops. It looks at how Nazi Germany utilized certain fascist rhetoric and actions, as well as how modern countries, such as the United States, Poland, Hungary and Myanmar, are using those same tactics. I appreciated seeing how the fears and uncertainties of the population can feed into fascism.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I think this book just wasn’t for me, or maybe not for me at the current moment. I think the writing and descriptive language in the book were well done, and the cultural aspects of the story were interesting. For me, though, the overall plot just didn’t quite hold my interest. I kept waiting for anything to really happen, and it wasn’t until about 70% of the way before that was the case. And then we went back to a significant lull before the climax. I was just hoping for a bit more, but maybe that would come in the second book since all the groundwork was laid in this one. 

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-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

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I really liked all the characters, their relationships, and their banter. I liked how Saeris and Kingfisher’s relationship developed over the course of the book. I found that the world-building wasn’t too difficult to follow because it did rely on some common things you might expect in fantasy, and also was able to find spaces to be unique at the same time. I was a bit afraid that we might get an awkward love triangle with Carrion, but was happy to have that not be the case, and for Carrion to become one of my favorite characters because of his snark. Some aspects were predictable, but I was still able to enjoy the book. 

The Lycan King's Captive by Amy Pennza, Amy Pennza

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

1.0

This was disappointing. I have enjoyed the other Amy Pennza books that I’ve read, but this one didn’t do it. I suspect, in part, that the issue is that the book was too short, and there wasn’t enough time to fully develop the characters, their relationship, and the plot. 

The biggest issue, though, is the utter lack of agency and choice of the FMC. Abby experiences trauma after trauma and gets to have no say in what happens to her. Truly, there should be some serious trigger warnings with this book. We go from her being forcibly changed into a werewolf, to being r@ped by the MMC (he’s coerced into it, but god was it horrible, I really can’t get over this), to being kept “safe” by the MMC on his estate without her say, to being essentially tricked into being his concubine. Then he apologizes and she forgives him without a second thought. Literally, in the case of him marking her as his concubine, all he had to do was explain the situation that they found themselves in and give her the choice to allow him to protect her or to go her own way, and he didn’t do that. It was so unnecessary to create this drama that was going to be solved so easily anyway.

Also, for being a book about werewolves and Lycans, you would think we would get more time with them actually being wolves. 

I had already bought the second one of this series when I purchased the first one, so I may decide to read it, but I’m afraid based on how this book went. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.5

I did overall find this book to be an improvement over the first one. I enjoyed seeing how Bree’s relationship relationships with her friends developed, especially with Alice and William, as I felt this was one place where the first book was lacking. I also liked how her relationship with Sel developed, well also being disappointed that there was so little time for her relationship with Nick to do the same. I appreciated the pacing of the book and how much action there was. I still found it to be confusing with the lower and the world building, and still find much of the magic system to be unclear. 

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Wow, I am stunned at how beautiful the writing in this book is. It is poetry, it is so artfully done, it is stunning and deliberate. It also covers such an important topic, that of abuse in a lesbian couple, which is rarely discussed. Excuse me while I go look for more of Machado’s books.