Scan barcode
corabookworm's reviews
236 reviews
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Every year in Ithaca, 12 girls are hung and dropped into the sea to satisfy Poseidon. Except, this year, one survives. Leto wakes on an island and meets the mysterious Melantho, a girl who tells her that to end Poseidon's wrath, they must kill Ithaca's prince.
I really enjoyed this book! The plot was a beautiful combination of curse-breaking and assassination attempts and romance, and the writing was really gorgeous. My only real problems were that 1) the plot and pacing got a little tedious at times, as it would kinda loop around and repeat and drag at a few points and 2) (slight spoilers!) I do feel like it perpetrated the whole bisexuals-are-cheaters narrative as the main character holds a relationship with both Melantho and Mathias without either of them knowing. I know other people had issues with the historical accuracy of this book, but honestly if you go into it just expecting a fun fantasy novel, there's nothing that really sticks out or ruins the story or anything. And all the controversy about the author never having read the Odyssey is pointless. This is NOT a retelling of the Odyssey. It takes one element of the end of the story and spins a new tale that takes place centuries later. (I also really did like this spin on said element of the Odyssey.)
All in all, this book wasn't perfect, but I really liked it! If you like Greek Mythology-inspired stories and retellings, you should check this one out!
I really enjoyed this book! The plot was a beautiful combination of curse-breaking and assassination attempts and romance, and the writing was really gorgeous. My only real problems were that 1) the plot and pacing got a little tedious at times, as it would kinda loop around and repeat and drag at a few points and 2) (slight spoilers!) I do feel like it perpetrated the whole bisexuals-are-cheaters narrative as the main character holds a relationship with both Melantho and Mathias without either of them knowing. I know other people had issues with the historical accuracy of this book, but honestly if you go into it just expecting a fun fantasy novel, there's nothing that really sticks out or ruins the story or anything. And all the controversy about the author never having read the Odyssey is pointless. This is NOT a retelling of the Odyssey. It takes one element of the end of the story and spins a new tale that takes place centuries later. (I also really did like this spin on said element of the Odyssey.)
All in all, this book wasn't perfect, but I really liked it! If you like Greek Mythology-inspired stories and retellings, you should check this one out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Grief
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, and Classism
Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book was absolutely stunning. Twisting together the biblical stories of Judith and Susanna with the story of Artemisia Gentileschi, it tells of her career as a painter and her survival of rape, along with the trial that followed. It was a powerful story told through beautiful poems, and a must-read for anyone interested in Artemisia or fans of historical fiction poetry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
The main story is about a girl surviving rape and being forced through a grueling, misoginistic trial to prove her "innocence". Judith's story is also included, about a woman who sleeps with a man to behead him, and Susanna's, about a girl who is spied upon by two elderly men while bathing and also forced through a "trial" of sorts to prove her innocence.
When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe by Maureen Quilligan
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This book was really good! I liked the easy-to-follow writing style and the information was super interesting. I also liked the inclusion and analysis of all the art pieces, though to maximize that experience it would probably be better to read a print copy rather than a digital one. The organization was a little frustrating to me, because it didn’t move chronologically or focus on one queen at a time, rather it jumped down random rabbit holes. I also didn’t like the inclusion of Phillip II at the end, because it felt like it went into way more depth about his accomplishments than those of the queens, which was the whole point of the book! And the authors reasoning was basically “he was a bigger ruler I had to talk about him!” But otherwise I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to read while watching the TV show Reign, even though I’m now bugged by the historical inaccuracies lol
she followed the moon back to herself by Amanda Lovelace
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
4.0
Amanda Lovelace has created another book of beautiful and inspiring poetry that looks back on her life and the lessons she's learned. I loved it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Nocturna by Maya Motayne
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moving this book closer to 5 stars because it's exactly what it's supposed to be: a YA fantasy debut, with a couple flaws but vivid characters, adorable banter, and an exciting plot packed full of tension and battles and magic. Loved re-reading it in preparation for the new book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
SPOILERS!
- Alfie's brother was killed not long before the events of the book, and much of the story focuses on him handling his grief and anger. Alcohol is one of his coping mechanisms. - Finn's parents were killed by the man who took her in afterwards. He abused her as a child physically and emotionally. He forced her to kill other people she got close with. Brief descriptions of children killing children. - Otherwise, mostly fantasy violence and death. Main characters are injured multiple times. Lots of people die and stuff.
Menewood by Nicola Griffith
All in all, this was a fantastic sequel, even if it was a bit tedious at times. I love Griffith’s writing style so much, and she brings this character and time period to life beautifully. Though it isn’t fantasy, if you like Game of Thrones, you’ll love this book.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Menewood picks up shortly after the end of Hild, and continues to follow Hild and her companions through the tumultuous landscapes of medieval Britain.
The highlight of this book for me was Hild’s character arc. It was amazing to see her become more confident and actually claim her power, and to see her surrounded by true friends and trusted family. The dramatic battles and complicated politics were done so well and watching a woman take charge in a time of war (which happened a lot in medieval England) was so neat. ALSO! Female friendships in historical fiction are SO cool and important and the ones in this book series are particularly good. I was impressed with the ending as well. It was satisfying, but there are a couple loose ends, potentially for another book or just for the imagination. Either way, I loved it.
One note I do have: once again, this book was super dense and slow-paced. Sometimes the author falls down the rabbit holes of the historical world and goes into detailed explanations/descriptions/scenes that are difficult to read and contribute little to the plot. Simply put, this book wasn’t as concise as it could’ve been; Which isn’t necessarily a flaw! I’m not trying to say that it SHOULD have been shorter and easier, and I actually really liked the complex style. But "long and difficult" IS the style of this book and so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
All in all, this was a fantastic sequel, even if it was a bit tedious at times. I love Griffith’s writing style so much, and she brings this character and time period to life beautifully. Though it isn’t fantasy, if you like Game of Thrones, you’ll love this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Incest, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Slavery, and Vomit
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
I was super excited for this book (cannibalism? women?!) but I didnt like all the graphic sex talk (ew!) so this book just isn’t for me. The authors writing style and the story concept definitely had potential though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cannibalism, and Murder
Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A wonderful short story with a fun mystery and a great look back at AGGGTM's lovable cast of characters. I really liked the slow twisting together of clues and trying to solve the mystery along with Pip. It also did a good job of showing her get into mystery-solving, even if it didn't give her REAL motivation for the Andie Bell case like I thought it would. It was very Pip. The only negative point for me was that they kept switching between their real names and their fake character names and it confused me lol. Also Pip's answer was so good and true. Though I kind of knew it was too complicated for a murder mystery game. I liked it wayyyy better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, and Alcohol
The main characters play a murder mystery game that involves murder, blood, affairs, drugs, gambling, etc.. Even in the book it is all fictional, nothing happens to the main characters. In their real-world, one character drinks and they make references to a murder that happened in their town.
To the Bone by Alena Bruzas
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
To the Bone was a tense historical fiction story about a girl name Ellis, newly settled in an American colony. As the weather grows cold and the food runs low and people begin to turn against each other, the book twists into the horror genre.
First things first, I was worried stepping into this book that it would glorify colonialism and all that (which is icky). But I was pleasantly surprised! I can't really speak to if the representation was FLAWLESS, but it seems like the author made a genuine attempt at tackling the issue while keeping it historically accurate. The character often thinks/talks about how they are stealing land and shouldn't be there, and the Author's Note at the end of the book goes more into the language used and the history behind it all.
Second, I am not sure I would call this book YA. It starts off alright, but gets a bit disturbing towards the end, and tackles some more adult subjects. (See TWs below.) It may be better for older teens or the "New Adult" audience.
Third: my actual review! I really liked this book! It was short, fast-paced, and the perfect amounts of dark and twisted. I did swing between loving and hating the writing style--it was very unique and prose-like, which I adore. But it annoyed me when the same things were described or thought over and over again (Jane, wickedness, hair pulling, etc.), which was definitely part of the "style" of this book and an intentional quirk of the main character. The repetition just made these elements lose their punch or intrigue or whatever you call it. Other than that, I really enjoyed To the Bone! It would be perfect for anyone looking for a historical fiction that swings more towards horror.
To the Bone was a tense historical fiction story about a girl name Ellis, newly settled in an American colony. As the weather grows cold and the food runs low and people begin to turn against each other, the book twists into the horror genre.
First things first, I was worried stepping into this book that it would glorify colonialism and all that (which is icky). But I was pleasantly surprised! I can't really speak to if the representation was FLAWLESS, but it seems like the author made a genuine attempt at tackling the issue while keeping it historically accurate. The character often thinks/talks about how they are stealing land and shouldn't be there, and the Author's Note at the end of the book goes more into the language used and the history behind it all.
Second, I am not sure I would call this book YA. It starts off alright, but gets a bit disturbing towards the end, and tackles some more adult subjects. (See TWs below.) It may be better for older teens or the "New Adult" audience.
Third: my actual review! I really liked this book! It was short, fast-paced, and the perfect amounts of dark and twisted. I did swing between loving and hating the writing style--it was very unique and prose-like, which I adore. But it annoyed me when the same things were described or thought over and over again (Jane, wickedness, hair pulling, etc.), which was definitely part of the "style" of this book and an intentional quirk of the main character. The repetition just made these elements lose their punch or intrigue or whatever you call it. Other than that, I really enjoyed To the Bone! It would be perfect for anyone looking for a historical fiction that swings more towards horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood, Cannibalism, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Excrement, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Colonization: The story is about a group of colonizers and colonization. There are brief references to genocide. The settlers also use racist language and have racist views towards the indigenous people. Lesbophobia: The main character has a relationship with another girl and thinks she is "wicked" because of it. She is told so by the man she works for. Abuse: The main character lives with and works for a married couple. The man is abusive towards his wife and her. Pregnancy: The woman becomes pregnant and the main character helps her abort/miscarry with herbs. Self-harm: The main character often anxiously picks at her skin, pinches her arm, and pulls out her hair. Cannibalism: People. Starving. Om nom nom.
Also just lots of blood and gore and disturbing stuff especially towards the end of the book.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I only gave this book such a low rating because I think it was written for people smarter than I am. It was genuinely interesting, with good commentary on politics, society, gender, power, humanity, etc. etc.. But I was completely lost for the first half of it. All the politics and worldbuilding were super hard to follow, especially with the complex writing style. And at points it felt like it just wandered down weird tangents and storylines that didn't really matter. But the last half of the book went by much faster, and I liked it a lot. The action picked up and everything twisted back together into a more concrete plot. The Left Hand of Darkness is half-story, half-field journal from a guy in an alien world. It was a challenging read, but if you're willing to dedicate time and energy to consuming it, an intriguing one.
I liked when they became friends at the end! It was so cute! And then he died! What the heck!! I was very sad.