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coralinejones's reviews
413 reviews
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
FINALLY I'M FREE. I don't mean to sound miserable but this was the second worst book I've read this year. I had high expectations for book. Exceptionally high. And it all fell flat very quickly. An adult fantasy plot revolving around a troubled woman of color, she goes to Yale to uncover the truth of a murder whilst dealing with Yale's secret society and the uncovering's of her dark backstory? Sounds right up my ally, everything I tend to love in a book. However, trigger warning's and obvious shock-value bits aside, NOTHING happens in this book. This story being told in almost 500 pages makes absolutely no sense; this could've been cut significantly and it would've improved the overall pacing of the novel. It's so slow at first and only picks up around chapter 7 (100+ pages in) when we begin learning about Alex's backstory.
This book has a problem where it'll get fairly interesting, usually when describing some of the trauma/abuse Alex is going through, or has went through, and then the next 50+ pages is a bunch of nonsense. Not to mention it's so description heavy. Like paragraphs upon paragraphs of information that does very little to move the actual plot along. Half the time I sat wondering what the point of it all was? Like why was I sitting there "wasting time" on these paragraphs when I could be reading the meat and potatoes of this book? Just for that to be the "meat and potatoes."
The likelihood of me reading the next installment(s) of this series when they release is very slim. God bless you all who liked this book, though.
This book has a problem where it'll get fairly interesting, usually when describing some of the trauma/abuse Alex is going through, or has went through, and then the next 50+ pages is a bunch of nonsense. Not to mention it's so description heavy. Like paragraphs upon paragraphs of information that does very little to move the actual plot along. Half the time I sat wondering what the point of it all was? Like why was I sitting there "wasting time" on these paragraphs when I could be reading the meat and potatoes of this book? Just for that to be the "meat and potatoes."
The likelihood of me reading the next installment(s) of this series when they release is very slim. God bless you all who liked this book, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
5.0
The Troop by Nick Cutter
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
As somebody who loves horror, loves mystery, loves coming of age storylines, and loved "Shonen" media growing up, me not loving this disappoints me. It wasn't the graphic, disgustingly described body gore, or the way the male characters spoke to each other, or the ignorance of the adults, or the insanity of the plot that upset me. The premise is what got me hooked in the first place. I'm obsessed with it, it's what kept me going until the end of this because I needed to see how this was going to end. But I Hated the writing. Goddddd I hated the writing. Way too many similes used for absolutely no reason, I found myself rolling my eyes half the time, or even laughing/making fun of them every time they popped up. Like we get it. Show us, not tell us. Not to mention, Cutter's writing is a little basic. I like a more challenging read, this wasn't it.
I wish the characters had a bit more life to them. They were explained in a series of tropes in the beginning of the book and that was, for the most part, all we were given with them? I know character description and development isn't the big point of this book, and there were more horrors to uncover than "The Fat One" or "The Big Jock", but I found myself disengaged at certain points because of this? Like, I could find these boys in literally any coming-of-age movie/tv show with an all male cast. Stranger Things, Stand By Me, The Outsiders, The Goonies... Nothing original.
However... The parts of this book that were good were honestly TOO good. I found myself glued to the pages until the story cut away (for a news report or a flashback, which are littered throughout the chapters) and then I was uninterested again until the plot picked back up. The conversations between the characters were heartfelt and felt realistic at times. The world building could've been better, but what we got was honestly stunning.
If the characters weren't so cliché, if the writing was better, and if the plot wasn't straightforward and predictable, I would've rated this higher. I can't say I'd recommend this to anyone (not with the graphic body gore, obscene animal abuse for no reason, and the okay writing), nor would I read this again.
I wish the characters had a bit more life to them. They were explained in a series of tropes in the beginning of the book and that was, for the most part, all we were given with them? I know character description and development isn't the big point of this book, and there were more horrors to uncover than "The Fat One" or "The Big Jock", but I found myself disengaged at certain points because of this? Like, I could find these boys in literally any coming-of-age movie/tv show with an all male cast. Stranger Things, Stand By Me, The Outsiders, The Goonies... Nothing original.
However... The parts of this book that were good were honestly TOO good. I found myself glued to the pages until the story cut away (for a news report or a flashback, which are littered throughout the chapters) and then I was uninterested again until the plot picked back up. The conversations between the characters were heartfelt and felt realistic at times. The world building could've been better, but what we got was honestly stunning.
If the characters weren't so cliché, if the writing was better, and if the plot wasn't straightforward and predictable, I would've rated this higher. I can't say I'd recommend this to anyone (not with the graphic body gore, obscene animal abuse for no reason, and the okay writing), nor would I read this again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Fatphobia, and Gore
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Cannibalism
Minor: Cursing and Fire/Fire injury
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-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
Certainly teared up at the end. An amazing, creepy, disheartening story; especially when we get into Eleanor's head. Would read this 100 times over.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
2.5
Prose was nice, the storytelling, not to much. Plath had great ideas, and the descriptions relating to mental health, especially in the last chapter, were very relatable and melancholic. To a degree, I understand why all of the "Sad Girls-Obsessed With Fiona Apple-Wishes They Were Lana Del Rey-Is Totally A Lisbon Sister." white girls would be all over this. However, the racism overshadows the entirety of this narrative that it's very, very hard to separate the two. I'm even side-eyeing everyone who REALLY love this book. I mean, "stans" of this book even. Making your entire personality The Bell Jar.... Interesting.
I got through this book with critical thinking, hoping that by the end there would be a silver lining where, even though my expectations were not met, not even slightly, I would leave this book feeling better than I did during the middle chapters. But nope. Just happy it's done and over with.
I got through this book with critical thinking, hoping that by the end there would be a silver lining where, even though my expectations were not met, not even slightly, I would leave this book feeling better than I did during the middle chapters. But nope. Just happy it's done and over with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Racism