crispynugget's reviews
37 reviews

The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

• 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

This book is such a vibe especially as an audiobook

The Iliad by Homer

Pretty cool. I bet this one will be considered a classic one day

Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

Author dangled a carrot that I lost interest in very quickly. It’s a pet peeve of mine when the narrator very obviously has the information we want and has no reason not to tell us, but refuses for plot, suspense, audience manipulation, etc. That 10% was not a fun time for me, but it looks like there’s an audience for this book that really enjoyed it, which I love. 

Reminded me a lot of Riley Sager, my nemesis.

Bad Girls: A Novel by Camila Sosa Villada

fast-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

5.0

I am left speechless by this book. It is poetic, explicit, violent, unique, and as full of life as it is with death. In fact, we are taken on a tour of life of when someone chooses to live it the way their soul needs and the consequences others put upon them for not conforming. I could not stop thinking about it from the time I ordered it let alone when I started it. This is another one of those books that will stick with me.

Moonbound by Robin Sloan

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-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

Moonbound reminds me of Adventure Time except with a boy and his high tech yeast infection instead of a boy w his magic dog. Even better, Ariel throws off the shackles of an old story and creates his own w a cast of wild and fantastic characters in appearance and soul (also very adventure-time-core). I am happy to announce that themes include grappling with fate, internal and external expectations, and how to treat your fellow creature. You will have to pry this book out of my cold, dead hands. I love, love, love this novel. This one’s staying w me and I’m so happy the dust jacket glows in the dark.

Publishers, please give me more glow in the dark books plz and thank u.

The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

4.5

The tea dragons and their village never fail to warm my heart. These books are a welcome reminder to slow down and seek help and love from your found community. 

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

In all honesty, I’m not sure what the point of this book was. I did enjoy a lot of elements such as the mystery of the illness, her toxic relationships with her mother and ex husband, the apocalyptic vibes, looking at a disaster through the lens of someone taking care of someone else with disabilities, and what was up with the pink slime? I was excited to see all these questions answered, but none were. Don’t get me wrong, I love a book that leaves you questioning like I Who Have Never Known Men, but Pink Slime did not execute it for me like that one did. Our main character is on autopilot the entire book and her reactions are always the same, monotone reactions. I understand there needed to be a narrator who stays with the city, but even then, I hardly saw why she cares to stay. She even tells us she doesn’t understand why people say they were born somewhere and intend to die in that same place. There is no love expressed about the city or its people outside of a few banalities. Pink Slime left me feeling like it tried to do way too much and lost what story it was trying to tell. I get why it’s called pink slime, that’s what this book is. The sustenance is there, but there’s nothing satisfying about it. 

The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Add this debut fantasy to your tbr shelf ASAP and I hope to read the next one soon!!!

She Is Not Your Rehab: One Man's Journey to Healing and the Global Anti-Violence Movement He Inspired by Matt Brown

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

5.0

Read it, live it, and pass it on

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

slow-paced

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

2.0

I did listen to the audiobook version which absolutely made the story worse. The Narrator is far too casual, especially with the woman and girl characters.

The main character must get his stupid genes from his mother. In addition to being unable to tie clues together unless they smack him in the face, he is an insanely entitled character. Sneak around an in use institute and act surprised when the cops are called on you by the lone woman employee? How CouLd sHe tHinK I wAs a threat and why am I being treated like a felon? Idk, maybe because you’re acting like one? The only believable part of this book was the awful police work

Additional frustration point, all the woman characters don’t want to be “domestic”. All women end up domestic.

The story is essentially a detailed timeline retelling. Over and over again. Without spoiling anything, we the reader do not need EVERYTHING spelled out for us. My partner and I would be yelling at the narration, “We know please move on!!” Is it the worst book? To some maybe. Is it tedious to get through? Yes. Riley wastes the readability by continually repeating himself. If this truly is the best Riley has to offer, I will not be reading another one of his books. 

Riley only does handholding. I do completely understand why some would like this style of writing, but this book is not for those of us who dislike and get frustrated by overwriting. There is 0 subtlety and the pacing is worsened because of it. Did anyone edit this?