cloudedreads's reviews
316 reviews

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

informative lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was one of those “hell is other people” type of horror books (I mean, it was also very much about ghosts, but that took a backseat for the first half of the book) that make me feel like whatever the characters had happening to them was somewhat deserved. Thus, I’d say this was a fun (to listen) story with a happy (for some) ending.

 

The story follows Anna, an American joining her family on a yearly vacation, this time in Tuscany, Italy. While everyone else in the family seems to enjoy one anothers’ company, Anna tries her best to stay out of conflicts and take in the culture and nature of the beautiful place they are staying at. The renovated villa seems lovely, but just like it is with the family, it appears to be just a facade, hiding something dark and rotten. As days go by, this shapes up to be a vacation none will soon be able to forget, least of all Anna.

 

I absolutely loved this book. The plot was set in Italy, and it wasn’t just used as a backdrop - there was clearly a lot of research done, and the details about places visited, about cultural specifics, about food and language and art and history. There were characters I loved to hate and intricate relationships, and personal growth after life changing events. The supernatural elements were smoothly merged with the real life horrors of being forced to spend time with people that deeply dislike you. The fact that there was a reference to “this is fine” meme. This book has it all! 

 

Literally the only thing in the story that sounded ridiculous to me was the fact that using duolingo somehow was enough to get semi-fluent in Italian. No other notes, it was great. 

 

And the narration was absolutely spot on for the main character; I cannot attest to the quality of Italian being spoken (as I don’t speak a lick myself), but it sounded really well, too.

 

All in all, this is just the right book for anyone looking for a solid, not too dark horror.

 

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Eye of the Ouroboros by Megan Bontrager

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

I kept an eye (no pun intended) out for this book ever since I saw a post about it on twitter, and was lucky enough to get to read it early. At times it was hard to believe that this is in fact a debut novel as it was, all in all, a really solid read.

 

The story follows Theo(dora), a park ranger with a knack of finding lost people, rising to every challenge except the only one that really matters to her - finding her own sister. Flora disappeared into the woods when they were still both kids, and now Theo’s life revolves around trying to sold this years old case. With the disappearances reaching new scales and unexpected appearances littering the woods, the possibility of once again seeing her sister is more real than ever before - be everything has it’s price…

 

I am a simple girl, if you give me spooky stuff happening in a small town, I’m there. But this, mixed with parallel universes and bonds between sisters? Whoo boy, let’s go!

The story was fast paced and easy to read (just to me a while to actually sit down and read it, because of work, we all know how it is..), with vivid characters and immersive setting. I really appreciated how real Theo felt as a character, with her desperation, her anger, her problems and the way she was (not) solving them; it felt refreshing to read a lead that was not flat and perfectly shaped for their story.

 

I felt like the book had two somewhat separate parts, and then at least three epilogues, but besides a slight feeling of a disjointed story at one point, I have nothing bad to say about the book. GO READ IT.

 

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

I will, most likely, be in the minority with both my opinion on this book and my lack of history with the author (as this is my first book I’ve read by her). Having heard really good things about A Dowry of Blood, and generally being a fan of vampires (as a topic) and academia (as a setup), I picked this book up with rather high expectations. 

Unfortunately, I was left feeling rather underwhelmed.

 

The story is told in two POVs: Laura, a freshman and aspiring poet, starting her first year at an all-girl college, and Carmilla, a senior and the favorite of the poetry professor De Lafontaine - the only one who’s opinion matters to both of the girls. What starts as an academic rivalry for the place in the spotlight turns into something more - for the line between hate and love is thin, and secrets only stoke the fire...

 

Or, at least, that’s the gist of the story. We get an “enemies to lovers”, we get “vampires”, we get “dark academia” - but it all felt surface level. Sure, the girls disliked each other - but it was mostly one sided and really brief. Sure, vampires were involved, but while it was supposed to push the plot forward, I found it almost irrelevant, just a background happening and a setup for some spiced up make out sessions. Sure, it was taking place at a college and people were killed on campus, but really, only in the beginning did we have anything academia-like taking place (which was coincidentally my favorite part of the book). I wanted more out of this book, for it to deliver at least on ONE of these components. Alas.

 

The one thing I absolutely adored was actually the narration. Stephanie Cannon did an exceptional job portraying each character with their own voice tone and accent, especially fascinating to hear in dialogues.

 

All in all it was an okay book, worth giving a shot if you are looking for specific tropes and don’t mind them being mostly that - components of a story.

 

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nepakartojamas A. J. Fikrio gyvenimas by Gabrielle Zevin

informative medium-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? Yes

3.5

Yours from the Tower by Sally Nicholls

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

4.5

I am a big fan of epistolary novels, and as such, was intrigued when I saw an audio book version of one - both excited to try something new and a bit concerned that the format might make it hard to keep up with the details, of who is writing to whom and when and where. Well, I needn’t have worried - having multiple narrators with distinct accents and way of portraying characters made this an extremely enjoyable experience.

 

The story follows three childhood / school friends - Tirzah, Sophia and Polly - who, after having finished school, find themselves starting adult lives far from one another. As girls deal with trying to become independent while still being tightly connected with their families, they decide to keep one another posted (pun intended) on the newest developments in their personal lives. 

 

While this book was pitched as drama and gossip filled (so called Bridgerton-like), I was happy to find it much more genuine and cozy than the aforementioned show. Maybe the ending was too “happily ever after”, but I didn’t care about that, really - I was here to have a good time, and this book delivered.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short and lighthearted (for the most part) historical romance - grab this book and get ready for a fun listening experience!

 

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism

The Pecan Children by Quinn Connor

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

After reading “Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves” last summer, I immediately jumped at the chance to read and review a new book by the talented author duo. And let me tell you, this book was everything I wanted it to be.

 

The story follows twin sisters lives, as they try their best to keep themselves - and the isolated, dying town - afloat. Lil takes care of the pecan orchard, as she always has, now more carefully than ever, as all the surrounding orchards keep falling to ruins. Sasha has returned from New York, and now does odd jobs around town, helping out everyone but her sister. The two have a rhythm that gets shaken by old friends and lovers turning up unexpectedly, truly testing the fragility of the life they’ve been living...

 

There is just something so cozy and comforting, and yet at times suffocating, about a small town setting, and the authors have once again managed to pull it off really well. It was essential in the story being told, the way characters fit together, the subtle - and then not so subtle - darker parts of the book. Speaking of which, the magical realism was a perfect and balanced blend, even more so than the previous book by Quinn Connor, at least in my subjective opinion (a good thing got better? it’s more likely than you think).

 

This was a short and well crafted story I would recommend to anyone looking for quality read during long evenings - while the book is set to come out in summer, I can only imagine the experience of reading this in autumn.. both dark and sweet, just like a pecan pie.

Lokių miestas by Fredrik Backman

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.0

The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence

adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0