Scan barcode
dododenise's reviews
341 reviews
UnDivided by Neal Shusterman
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I kept thinking about how to review this last book in the series and I didn’t come to any solid conclusions. I think there is still a lot I need to process about the series to really form a rounded opinion. This series said so much, I feel like the series, therefore, deserves a big review. However, I do not feel up for actually writing that as good and thoughtful as I want it to be. So I’ll just drop some smaller thoughts instead.
What still stands is that I love the concept.
Lev turned from a character I didn’t care about into one of the most interesting.
The plot did not do a lot of new things this book. I would have liked some more different takes on the way things were done, without necessarily introducing new ideas or concepts. Just something newer to round off the story.
I hated the casual assault and taking away some of the girls’ bodily autonomy when it comes to sexual relations. I know it was done by horrible people but the book did not deal with it more critically than that.
I liked how all the pieces came together in the end, building a satisfactory conclusion. Especially how something that we said earlier in the series, about how it will take a lot of random events to eventually actually change things, did indeed turn out to be the solution.
What still stands is that I love the concept.
Lev turned from a character I didn’t care about into one of the most interesting.
The plot did not do a lot of new things this book. I would have liked some more different takes on the way things were done, without necessarily introducing new ideas or concepts. Just something newer to round off the story.
I hated the casual assault and taking away some of the girls’ bodily autonomy when it comes to sexual relations. I know it was done by horrible people but the book did not deal with it more critically than that.
I liked how all the pieces came together in the end, building a satisfactory conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Gun violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Body horror, and Violence
UnSouled by Neal Shusterman
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this a lot less than the previous two. A lot of this book was just the road to something and I did not feel that the road was all that interesting or gave the story all that much.
Added to that I really don’t like what the book did with Bam and Risa’s roles in the story. So much of it is within the love entanglements and playing with feelings and boys playing with their feelings. Especially Cam doing everything just so Risa will like him and not because he believes in the cause at all and the rivalry that it creates with Connor was exhausting. It just reduces the girls into love interests even though they are so much more.
Added to that I really don’t like what the book did with Bam and Risa’s roles in the story. So much of it is within the love entanglements and playing with feelings and boys playing with their feelings. Especially Cam doing everything just so Risa will like him and not because he believes in the cause at all and the rivalry that it creates with Connor was exhausting. It just reduces the girls into love interests even though they are so much more.
Us, Et Cetera by Kit Vincent
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I ended up liking this book a less than I hoped I would.
Reading about the constant abuse Eke experiences as well as the horrible actions of the family was really rough. That family is severely dysfunctional and disordered. Every single one of them is in severe need of therapy.
Especially animal cruelty is very uncomfortable for me. I should have checked the trigger warnings before requesting this arc because I wish I could have spared myself from it.
Eke was a confusing protagonist. He is very naive and often acts like a child would. It makes sense for who he is, but it makes a story of rebellion seem rather odd. I am used to witty characters to manage such a thing and Eke kept making naive and bad choices. I have no idea how he survived anything in this book. To be fair, both him and Kyp would have died many times if not for the help of other smarter characters.
The story felt like a piece of something that could be much bigger. The plot is rather short while trying to do something bigger than it is. It made many attempts fall rather flat. The time at the family could have been cut shorter and instead more focus and time could have been spent on after, since I feel like it needed a lot more work for it to be impactful and so that the characters got the character development they needed from it. The world building had potential, but now I am left a bit unsure what exactly it was trying to tell me.
Eke and Kyp’s romance was not very exciting. It did very little for me. I’m not sure why that is, perhaps it was Eke’s lack of knowledge about emotions, but I am not sure. I think I also expected a bigger romance focus.
I really enjoyed Kyp’s chapters. They were always a highlight and tended to have the stories most interesting to me. I’m sad there were so few of them.
I leave this book not really knowing where to place it. I mostly think of it in quite neutral terms. I didn’t particularly enjoy myself but it’s also not like I didn’t like it.
Reading about the constant abuse Eke experiences as well as the horrible actions of the family was really rough. That family is severely dysfunctional and disordered. Every single one of them is in severe need of therapy.
Especially animal cruelty is very uncomfortable for me. I should have checked the trigger warnings before requesting this arc because I wish I could have spared myself from it.
Eke was a confusing protagonist. He is very naive and often acts like a child would. It makes sense for who he is, but it makes a story of rebellion seem rather odd. I am used to witty characters to manage such a thing and Eke kept making naive and bad choices. I have no idea how he survived anything in this book. To be fair, both him and Kyp would have died many times if not for the help of other smarter characters.
The story felt like a piece of something that could be much bigger. The plot is rather short while trying to do something bigger than it is. It made many attempts fall rather flat. The time at the family could have been cut shorter and instead more focus and time could have been spent on after, since I feel like it needed a lot more work for it to be impactful and so that the characters got the character development they needed from it. The world building had potential, but now I am left a bit unsure what exactly it was trying to tell me.
Eke and Kyp’s romance was not very exciting. It did very little for me. I’m not sure why that is, perhaps it was Eke’s lack of knowledge about emotions, but I am not sure. I think I also expected a bigger romance focus.
I really enjoyed Kyp’s chapters. They were always a highlight and tended to have the stories most interesting to me. I’m sad there were so few of them.
I leave this book not really knowing where to place it. I mostly think of it in quite neutral terms. I didn’t particularly enjoy myself but it’s also not like I didn’t like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
Minor: War
This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- 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
This book was so much fun! It combined cozy romantasy with classic fairytale fantasy elements in beautiful ways. While the first half was mostly romance focused, things got more intricate and fantastical in the second half. It made me not able to put the book down.
The dynamics between the characters were so good. In the beginning Gisela and Kazik’s dynamic kept reminding me of Nina and Matthias from Six of Crows. There was A-tier bickering, Gisela being beautifully flirty and teasing. But it then grew into its very own dynamic, especially with Aleksey added to the mix, who adds some wonderful himbo vibes. I desperately need a novella of them living happily ever after as a trio and it’s just filled with bickering and cuteness.
The world building was very minimal. It definitely was not the focus of the book. My brain, also based on the cover, made it purely an old times fairytale world but then technology was mentioned and I was a bit thrown off. I still do not quite know what this world looks like. It is all very limited to the town where this story takes place.
Overall I really loved reading this book. I immensely enjoyed learning about Slavic folklore. I loved that the romance was polyamorous. And now I really want more, because this book definitely leaves room for a part 2 and I really want to see Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey being in a relationship.
The dynamics between the characters were so good. In the beginning Gisela and Kazik’s dynamic kept reminding me of Nina and Matthias from Six of Crows. There was A-tier bickering, Gisela being beautifully flirty and teasing. But it then grew into its very own dynamic, especially with Aleksey added to the mix, who adds some wonderful himbo vibes. I desperately need a novella of them living happily ever after as a trio and it’s just filled with bickering and cuteness.
The world building was very minimal. It definitely was not the focus of the book. My brain, also based on the cover, made it purely an old times fairytale world but then technology was mentioned and I was a bit thrown off. I still do not quite know what this world looks like. It is all very limited to the town where this story takes place.
Overall I really loved reading this book. I immensely enjoyed learning about Slavic folklore. I loved that the romance was polyamorous. And now I really want more, because this book definitely leaves room for a part 2 and I really want to see Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey being in a relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death of parent and Violence
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A really good sequel that broadened the world and leads to big possibilities of where this story and world will go in the future.
Neal really has a thing for writing the most unlikable antagonists ever. First Roland and now Starkey. While more unlikable than your average villain, they are still so human and that is what makes them great. I want to throw them down a ditch yet they give the story a lot.
I’m also hoping the future books will focus more on Hayden. He is a great character and I want him to have more moments to shine.
Not sure about the way the book handled disability. I was excited for there to be a main character in a wheelchair. While it makes sense for a society with those huge medical advancements to be more ableist too, reading about her being healed as being whole again was not great. I had hoped that the society critical characters would’ve made more arguments against that.
Cam, a human made entirely of other people’s parts, was also a really interesting concept to introduce. Hope to see more happening with that in the future, and also seeing where his quite toxic features lead an otherwise “perfect” human.
Neal really has a thing for writing the most unlikable antagonists ever. First Roland and now Starkey. While more unlikable than your average villain, they are still so human and that is what makes them great. I want to throw them down a ditch yet they give the story a lot.
I’m also hoping the future books will focus more on Hayden. He is a great character and I want him to have more moments to shine.
Not sure about the way the book handled disability. I was excited for there to be a main character in a wheelchair. While it makes sense for a society with those huge medical advancements to be more ableist too, reading about her being healed as being whole again was not great. I had hoped that the society critical characters would’ve made more arguments against that.
Cam, a human made entirely of other people’s parts, was also a really interesting concept to introduce. Hope to see more happening with that in the future, and also seeing where his quite toxic features lead an otherwise “perfect” human.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Ableism, Violence, Kidnapping, and Confinement
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Fatphobia
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is sadly as relevant as before: 17 years later and the pro choice vs pro life debate is as alive as ever.
Unwinding is a twisted way to find the solution to this problem, that isn’t really a solution at all. While the science does not seem all that waterproof to me, that does not take away from the concept and message it sends.
The characters are very classic Neal Shusterman I have to say. The roles these characters play reminded me a lot of arc of the scythe.
I think this book truly plays beautifully what it means to be alive, what death is, and where that leads people. I cannot properly express everything this book tries to tell you, but I can say for certain that it worked for me.
Unwinding is a twisted way to find the solution to this problem, that isn’t really a solution at all. While the science does not seem all that waterproof to me, that does not take away from the concept and message it sends.
The characters are very classic Neal Shusterman I have to say. The roles these characters play reminded me a lot of arc of the scythe.
I think this book truly plays beautifully what it means to be alive, what death is, and where that leads people. I cannot properly express everything this book tries to tell you, but I can say for certain that it worked for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Abortion, Violence, Medical content, and Death
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
I knew this would be a hard one for me but I wanted to give it a try anyway. However it is simply too slow and not interesting enough for me.
Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a weird book. It was a heist, but a very underwhelming heist. Maybe I’m used to the kind of heists from fantasy books that are a lot more epic and intricate.
I did not like Jack, and his whole plan of revenge seemed a little too unreasonable to me. I did, however, really like the other characters. They were very fun and my highlight of the book. And we love a lot of ace representation.
The ending was a bit disappointing as well. I thought, after the rest not being that epic yet, the finale would be more mind blowing than it ended up being.
I think I can summarise this book by falling a little flat.
I did not like Jack, and his whole plan of revenge seemed a little too unreasonable to me. I did, however, really like the other characters. They were very fun and my highlight of the book. And we love a lot of ace representation.
The ending was a bit disappointing as well. I thought, after the rest not being that epic yet, the finale would be more mind blowing than it ended up being.
I think I can summarise this book by falling a little flat.
Lose You to Find Me by Erik J. Brown
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I don’t know about this one. For most of this book, it did not do all that much.
Tommy was annoying. Gabe wasn’t that great either. Ava, Al, and Willa were legends. I like that the book decided to subvert the initial expectations and went the route I wanted it to go, so that is definitely a big plus for me. Yet, most of this book just was not that exciting, and sometimes even tiring and annoying.
Tommy was annoying. Gabe wasn’t that great either. Ava, Al, and Willa were legends. I like that the book decided to subvert the initial expectations and went the route I wanted it to go, so that is definitely a big plus for me. Yet, most of this book just was not that exciting, and sometimes even tiring and annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
4.5
Very sweet graphic novel and it turned out to be more serious than I expected it to be. There were lot of identity crisis and toxic friendship themes which I did not expect in a book that was advertised to me as the wholesome baking romance (although that is also what it is).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Fire/Fire injury