corabookworm's reviews
236 reviews

The Feast Makers by August Clarke

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 In The Feast Makers, H.A. Clarke weaves together a bold, odd, and absolutely delightful conclusion to the Scapegracers trilogy.

When Sideways found their coven among the "popular girls" at their school, they never could've guessed what would happen next—witchhunters, curses, friendship, possibly falling in love... and now, the witch covens (and their enemies) gathering in town for a vicious witchtrial. As Sideways and their friends navigate through the complicated tangle of their past and future, danger once again lurks right around the corner.

I have so many things to say about this book.

First: the writing style. While it did take me a minute to catch the flow of the writing, when I did, I absolutely loved it. You can clearly see the author finding their voice throughout this series, and now they have. The writing has an odd, almost disjointed feeling, which adds to the eerie, not-quite-but-almost-horror vibes of the story and perfectly captures Sideways' personality. I LOVED IT. Unique and beautiful and absolutely delicious.

Second: the characters. I can't put into words how meaningful it is to see queer representation like this in YA books. These queers are messy and feral and confident and WEIRD and they love each other so unconditionally it makes my heart hurt. (Also, I saw this in another review and completely agree: We need more butch lesbians in YA?? Where are they??? Especially genderqueer ones??? Sideways is so cool???)

Third: the plot. This was the only part that was even close to iffy for me, and that was just because it's more character-focused than I usually enjoy. The real conflict is hinted at throughout the book, but Sideways has other, pressing emotional issues, and the story doesn't really pick up until the end, which was a bit rushed. But honestly?? The tension slowly building in the background made me sit even further on the edge of my seat, and the unique take on a "coming of age" story meant a LOT to me. So its worth it. Every word.

Apologies if this review is a little incoherent, I'm fighting off a cold right now and trying to make sense of my thoughts. All you really need to know about this book is that it's unique and bold and I adore all of these characters with all my heart. I already want to reread the whole trilogy. If you're looking for something that captures both the whirlwind adventures of being a witch AND the emotional chaos of being a queer teenager, this is the book for you.

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

AHHH

This book was absolutely INCREDIBLE, full of beautiful writing, lovable characters, and nonstop plot twists that left me reeling. I need the sequel IMMEDIATELY. <3

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need by Jessica Brody

funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.75

This book was EXACTLY what I needed it to be, and I am so glad I picked it up! Save the Cat! is an excellent analysis of story structure, and Jessica Brody expertly walks the reader through crafting a perfect (or rather, not-so-perfect) hero and plot for their own stories. It also analyses the “10 story genres” and shares “beat sheets” (story structures) of many popular novels so you can see Save the Cat! in action. Overall, a well written, funny, and informative piece of work that I will definitely reference during future writing projects.

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense

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

5.0

Initial Reaction
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE AHHHH

Mini-Review
While a bit complicated at times, this book was much easier to follow than Prioryof the Orange Tree, which made it EVEN better. The characters had so much depth—I felt for, related to, and loved every one of thema—and the story itself was perfectly constructed over hundreds of pages and multiple POVs. The court intrigue in the first half was perfectly balanced with the action and drama of the second, and constant conflict made this book a page turner despite the length. If you like high fantasy (books like Game of Thrones, Realm Breaker, etc.), I cannot recommend this series enough times. The complex characters and spectacularly intricate worldbuilding are absolute perfection. 

Full Reveiw

After reading (and loving) Priory of the Orange Tree, I had high expectations for this book. It surpassed every single one. 

A Day of Fallen Night is a vibrant, complex novel brimming with Samantha Shannon’s signature, intricate worldbuilding and diverse, well-developed characters. The story follows Gloiran, a young princess of Inys, Tanuva, a sister of the Priory, Wulf, a warrior from the North, and Dumai, a newly discovered heir to the East. All of their lives are suddenly and dramatically changed by the eruption of the Dreadmount and the new threats it brings.

While I adored the characters of Priory, the cast of ADOFN was even better. I felt for, related to, and adored every POV character, and their various partners and friends were delightful as well. Glorian is my soulmate, and Tanuva’s perspective as an older character with more experience was absolutely fascinating. All the romance was beautifully constructed, between the loving, established relationships and the ones that developed over the course of the story (my favorite, of course, were the wonderful enemies-to-lovers sapphics <3). And the amount of queer rep! Ahh!

The story itself was also fantastic. The overlapping plotlines wove into an brilliant mix of tense political intrigue, page-turning action, and romance. It was especially cool getting to make connections to things mentioned/featured in Priory, and see how the world changed over time. And every bit of this book, from the politics to the dragons to the swordfighting (what a beautiful combination!), was written incredibly well.

I was awestruck by the talent Samantha Shannon displayed in this book. If you enjoy high fantasy books like Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings, with large casts and expansive worldbuilding, you will love this one. <3

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

Incredible story packed with tons of emotion that left me crying, laughing, and desperately flipping through pages (or scrolling, cuz it was an ebook, but you get my point). I went into this book expecting a kind-of-boring, angsty and dramatic, stereotypical queer YA romance. What I got instead was a beautiful coming-of-age story focused on friendship, queer identity and questioning, and the stresses of a high school senior year.  It was still VERY angsty and dramatic, but also relatable and hopeful and adorable, and I saw so many of my worries and questions reflected in Ophelia. This book was definitely better than I expected, and I definitely recommend it if you enjoy the contemporary coming of age genre. Especially if you’re leaving high school soon or have questioned your identity and want to see those feelings reflected on paper. <33

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

4.5

I loved this book. Watching the characters grow and get their revenge was exhilarating, and the action-packed plot was incredible. If you like historical fantasy and feminist fiction (think Justina Ireland, Margaret Atwood) and old-western-like settings, this would be perfect for you. I cannot wait to read the sequel.

The Modern Faerie Tales: Tithe; Valiant; Ironside by Holly Black

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This book was a little disappointing, not gonna lie. I didn’t really care about the  characters and the plot jumped between too slow and too confusing. The Cardan cameo in the short story at the end did bring my rating from 2.5 to 3 stars, though. And Kaye was pretty cool.

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

An intruging and funny examination of “queer” animals, with an interesting look at the research done on them throughout history. Definitely recommend if you like biology/animals or if you just want a short, less dense nonfiction book!!

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.

I’m absolutely adoring this book, it is fasnating and badass and beautifully written, but I don’t have the energy to focus and I keep losing track of what’s happening. 100% plan on finishing later!!

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Well, Holly Black has done it again. A savage, powerful female main character? Check. A charming faerie prince? Yup. An unreasonable amount of romantic tension between them? Always. And don't even get me started on the beautiful writing and amazing expansion of the Faerie world in this book. I LOVED this addition to the series, and the fast pace made it a quick, easy read that I devoured in less than a day. If you enjoyed The Cruel Prince, you'll love The Stolen Heir. 

(Also, I need the sequel. Right now. That ending. Ahhhhhh)