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doogsley's reviews
140 reviews
The Memory of Babel: The Mirror Visitor by Christelle Dabos
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
idek at this point lol. all worldbuilding, zero character depth. alas, i'll be finishing the series cuz of my sick sense of geminid curiosity. š¤·āāļø i must say tho: the usage of the r-slur (five different times!!) and describing a character named zen as 'oriental' was fucking wild. i think this may be a translation issue but i was pretty flabbergasted.
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? N/A
5.0
i laughed, i gasped, i wept happy tears (3) times. a wonderful and meaningful story told through beautiful illustrations. no notes. š
Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho
ocean, the fmc, rules. i just adore a good jaded, bloodied, rough around the edges lady, who also carries grace and poignancy. she's a less-friendly spike spiegel. i loved whenever she arrived on-scene cuz i knew some casual badassery would be afoot. cho really let this character fly free, and despite holding onto some classic tropes, she didn't elicit any eyerolls or feel heavy-handed. just a solid protag all around. the whole cast is charming imo. i just want more time with all of them!
which leads me to my main complaints: the last 30 minutes were WAY too out of control/abrupt in contrast to the peculiarly-cozy pacing of the first parts of the novel, and it also introduced one of my least favorite romance tropes on the second-to-last page lol. like i previously said, i wish this were baked a lil longer, gave us a lil more to hold onto re: character dynamics, romances, mysteries. the foundations are so excellent though. i was SO giddy to find out that a book 2 is coming!! it's not perfect, but i loved it.
recommended to those who enjoy becky chambers' bibliography but are lookin for a lil more blood-n-guts and political intrigue. saturn in aries vibes.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this book was given to me for free from bookwormreads in exchange for a review! thank you so much for this opportunity! šŖ±š
i LOVED this.
ocean's godori is an adventurous, diverse, heartfelt space opera with big beautiful roots in korean culture and heritage. it starts slow, but not boring; just nuanced, complicated human stuff being aired out. the number one focus in this narrative is the ragtag cast of perplexing people, and how all of their red strings of fate lead to a big tangled rats nest of anti-heroes. i wouldn't consider this to be a tidy narrative, as some charas get larger spotlights than others, much to my chagrin. i genuinely adore the whole main cast, and because of that, i wish this book were like... 100 pages longer. i want more time on the ohneul, more face mask and movie night moments, more mundane companionship thick with shakespearian metaphor. it's so atmospheric, and weirdly quaint. great worldbuilding too. def giving cowboy bebop vibes in the best ways. in fact, i recommend reading this book a la watching an anime in your head. pretty peak experience.
i LOVED this.
ocean's godori is an adventurous, diverse, heartfelt space opera with big beautiful roots in korean culture and heritage. it starts slow, but not boring; just nuanced, complicated human stuff being aired out. the number one focus in this narrative is the ragtag cast of perplexing people, and how all of their red strings of fate lead to a big tangled rats nest of anti-heroes. i wouldn't consider this to be a tidy narrative, as some charas get larger spotlights than others, much to my chagrin. i genuinely adore the whole main cast, and because of that, i wish this book were like... 100 pages longer. i want more time on the ohneul, more face mask and movie night moments, more mundane companionship thick with shakespearian metaphor. it's so atmospheric, and weirdly quaint. great worldbuilding too. def giving cowboy bebop vibes in the best ways. in fact, i recommend reading this book a la watching an anime in your head. pretty peak experience.
this book has the very fun sidequest of learning an entirely new language and culture via common google searches. i deeply appreciate when a fictional book expands my irl worldview; i've spent a lot of time these last few days nestled into korean wikipedia articles. my loved ones are now ALL aware of haenyeo, go-stop, and the syntactic concept of 'namisa'. BUT, upon finishing the book, i discovered a very helpful glossary in the back!! haha. nonetheless, it's always a fun time when i get lost in the sociolinguistic sauce.
ocean, the fmc, rules. i just adore a good jaded, bloodied, rough around the edges lady, who also carries grace and poignancy. she's a less-friendly spike spiegel. i loved whenever she arrived on-scene cuz i knew some casual badassery would be afoot. cho really let this character fly free, and despite holding onto some classic tropes, she didn't elicit any eyerolls or feel heavy-handed. just a solid protag all around. the whole cast is charming imo. i just want more time with all of them!
which leads me to my main complaints: the last 30 minutes were WAY too out of control/abrupt in contrast to the peculiarly-cozy pacing of the first parts of the novel, and it also introduced one of my least favorite romance tropes on the second-to-last page lol. like i previously said, i wish this were baked a lil longer, gave us a lil more to hold onto re: character dynamics, romances, mysteries. the foundations are so excellent though. i was SO giddy to find out that a book 2 is coming!! it's not perfect, but i loved it.
recommended to those who enjoy becky chambers' bibliography but are lookin for a lil more blood-n-guts and political intrigue. saturn in aries vibes.
The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
brilliant, ghibli levels of impressive worldbuilding with meh execution.
i'm still not convinced by ophelia's character. there's only so many times i can witness her bottling up her feelings/thoughts only to explode about it later, which Shocks her every time for some reason. for someone who spends so much time in her head, she holds a distinct lack of self-awareness re: her emotional threshold.
the cast as a whole is Okay. unfortunately no stand-outs despite having such a large cast. ophelia's great-uncle needs more screentime. archibald is probably my favorite side chara? but i feel like there's a Cooler Archibald in other stories i've read, since he's so delightfully trope-y. hmm!
my biggest storytelling complaint is dialogue NEEDS to stop being the vehicle for revealing plot. bruh. maybe i'm metaphorpilled rn but it feels so awkward/lazy to constantly be spoon-fed huge story beats through a person (usually a stranger) Revealing Secrets to ophelia. or her overhearing a conversation while hiding her mousy self in a corner. like let's get a lil whimsical!!
the main thing keeping me excited to read the next book: the world and magic is fucking awesome. i really really love the god storyline, the caste drama, all of the ethereal powers, post-apocalyptic floating sky islands and their individual societies... the cliffhanger for this book hooked me too, i fear. i just wish that the writing/storyboarding could match up to the dope fantasy vibes. nonetheless, i'll be starting book 3 tonight lol. this series has gotta have a natal mercury rx.
i'm still not convinced by ophelia's character. there's only so many times i can witness her bottling up her feelings/thoughts only to explode about it later, which Shocks her every time for some reason. for someone who spends so much time in her head, she holds a distinct lack of self-awareness re: her emotional threshold.
the cast as a whole is Okay. unfortunately no stand-outs despite having such a large cast. ophelia's great-uncle needs more screentime. archibald is probably my favorite side chara? but i feel like there's a Cooler Archibald in other stories i've read, since he's so delightfully trope-y. hmm!
my biggest storytelling complaint is dialogue NEEDS to stop being the vehicle for revealing plot. bruh. maybe i'm metaphorpilled rn but it feels so awkward/lazy to constantly be spoon-fed huge story beats through a person (usually a stranger) Revealing Secrets to ophelia. or her overhearing a conversation while hiding her mousy self in a corner. like let's get a lil whimsical!!
the main thing keeping me excited to read the next book: the world and magic is fucking awesome. i really really love the god storyline, the caste drama, all of the ethereal powers, post-apocalyptic floating sky islands and their individual societies... the cliffhanger for this book hooked me too, i fear. i just wish that the writing/storyboarding could match up to the dope fantasy vibes. nonetheless, i'll be starting book 3 tonight lol. this series has gotta have a natal mercury rx.
Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
fast-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
oh itās wild š all of these people are out of control and are somewhat aware of it the whole time? but they donāt gaf cuzā¦ money and privilege, i think? like their world is so small and they donāt need to worry about the lower end of masloweās hierarchy. and so, weāre given london socialite gossip girl madness and itās truly silly.
itās an entertaining balance of āyouāre all terrible peopleā and āhumans are flawed and thus, we must create space for each otherās madness.ā it weights mostly towards the former, with moments of awareness and empathy sprinkled between the loaded toxicity. idk itās just a good time.
hastingsā writing style is the star of this book. straightforward yet honeyed with starry-eyes soliloquies on a toxic love. the dialogue was also very fun, but a lot of the characters blend into each other. this felt lovingly nostalgic to reading the clique books back in elementary/middle school: a fascinating and hyperbolic caricature of a life iāll never live.
i already have daisy haites downloaded on my kobo lol. what a wild ride. i look forward to dipping my toes into this madness when i want pretty prose about fucked up people.
my favorite part was when my boyfriend renamed bj to blowseph johnson.
itās an entertaining balance of āyouāre all terrible peopleā and āhumans are flawed and thus, we must create space for each otherās madness.ā it weights mostly towards the former, with moments of awareness and empathy sprinkled between the loaded toxicity. idk itās just a good time.
hastingsā writing style is the star of this book. straightforward yet honeyed with starry-eyes soliloquies on a toxic love. the dialogue was also very fun, but a lot of the characters blend into each other. this felt lovingly nostalgic to reading the clique books back in elementary/middle school: a fascinating and hyperbolic caricature of a life iāll never live.
i already have daisy haites downloaded on my kobo lol. what a wild ride. i look forward to dipping my toes into this madness when i want pretty prose about fucked up people.
my favorite part was when my boyfriend renamed bj to blowseph johnson.
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
the slowest of slow burns, on all dimensions. plot, romance, character development - the pace (and atmosphere) was glacial, padded with paragraphs of beautiful and intricate world building, old-school fantasy political intrigue, and the threatening cast underestimating our fmc's intelligence and abilities. all in all, i'm captivated and curious.
i can't decide if ophelia is nuanced or poorly written. i love fmcs with strong and clear dispositions, but i feel like her main traits are her lack of impulse, strong and silent willpower in the face of Gigahaters, and constantly having a cold. so she's just Enduring this whole book lol. she's also been medically diagnosed with Clumsy which adds another layer of woobie. there was a scene where she was physically backing away from Rich People Conflict and ended up hitting her head on a cabinet, which was like... yeah same haha.
i do think her passive presence is made up in her rich inner-world, where she absolutely keeps her wits about her despite appearing like she's at the whimsy of these massively powerful socialites. like, i dunno, i think i could find myself "playing the game" while awaiting more information as well. but she also lashes out sometimes and definitely hits breaking points, which admittedly felt random. once again, i'm struggling to decide if she's simply a multifaceted human or an author self-insert with some mary sue moments haha. also, she has a pet scarf who hugs her. just saying.
i LOVE the fantasy of 'reading' objects and mirror travel and visual mirage and nervous system domination. there's a funny balance of brutal and mundane magic and i'm eager to see what else this world can hold.
some other character musings: berenhilde is fucking absurd and awful and i love her. there's a "reveal" that illustrates why she's so wound up and, while i wasn't as convinced to forgive her as ophelia was, i'm glad that there was at least a method to her madness. thorn is kind of a tool and i hope i can grow to like him more. their romance is meh rn, and i'm in ophelia's court with her massive amount of trepidation. keeping the first sentence of this review in mind, i'm willing to let it all cook. i hope we get more fox and gail in the upcoming books. archibald is a smelly little freak and would be tumblr's blorbo. a core part of this story is how utterly *flawed* the whole cast is, which is admittedly one of my favorite tropes.
due to the maladroit energy signature of this tale, i was pondering whether or not i'd indulge in book 2 immediately... until a Very Important Story Beat happened around the 85% mark. OMG. honestly a relief. i'm all-in now!!!
this is a lovely wintry, fireplace read. recommended if you love fucked up socialites with a dollop of dark fantasy, a high stakes tale that doesn't Feel high stakes, breadcrumbs leading to God Drama, and a willingness to let the languorous pace grow upon itself. definitely neptunian, definitely gemini-heavy. a bit scorpio too.
i can't decide if ophelia is nuanced or poorly written. i love fmcs with strong and clear dispositions, but i feel like her main traits are her lack of impulse, strong and silent willpower in the face of Gigahaters, and constantly having a cold. so she's just Enduring this whole book lol. she's also been medically diagnosed with Clumsy which adds another layer of woobie. there was a scene where she was physically backing away from Rich People Conflict and ended up hitting her head on a cabinet, which was like... yeah same haha.
i do think her passive presence is made up in her rich inner-world, where she absolutely keeps her wits about her despite appearing like she's at the whimsy of these massively powerful socialites. like, i dunno, i think i could find myself "playing the game" while awaiting more information as well. but she also lashes out sometimes and definitely hits breaking points, which admittedly felt random. once again, i'm struggling to decide if she's simply a multifaceted human or an author self-insert with some mary sue moments haha. also, she has a pet scarf who hugs her. just saying.
i LOVE the fantasy of 'reading' objects and mirror travel and visual mirage and nervous system domination. there's a funny balance of brutal and mundane magic and i'm eager to see what else this world can hold.
some other character musings: berenhilde is fucking absurd and awful and i love her. there's a "reveal" that illustrates why she's so wound up and, while i wasn't as convinced to forgive her as ophelia was, i'm glad that there was at least a method to her madness. thorn is kind of a tool and i hope i can grow to like him more. their romance is meh rn, and i'm in ophelia's court with her massive amount of trepidation. keeping the first sentence of this review in mind, i'm willing to let it all cook. i hope we get more fox and gail in the upcoming books. archibald is a smelly little freak and would be tumblr's blorbo. a core part of this story is how utterly *flawed* the whole cast is, which is admittedly one of my favorite tropes.
due to the maladroit energy signature of this tale, i was pondering whether or not i'd indulge in book 2 immediately... until a Very Important Story Beat happened around the 85% mark. OMG. honestly a relief. i'm all-in now!!!
this is a lovely wintry, fireplace read. recommended if you love fucked up socialites with a dollop of dark fantasy, a high stakes tale that doesn't Feel high stakes, breadcrumbs leading to God Drama, and a willingness to let the languorous pace grow upon itself. definitely neptunian, definitely gemini-heavy. a bit scorpio too.
In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mfw the cozy mystery is Actually cozy š¤Æā very tender, very cute, very warm. i got a lil emotional at the end; really sweet conclusion. the mystery was interesting, but felt unsolvable? which is unsatisfying to my gemini soul lol. i wish we had more vignettes with the perps/townspeople. the main three b&b witches (and the hikikomori uncle) were lovable and well-defined. best enjoyed in the heart of autumn, surrounded by pillar candles and your favorite crystals.
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
i wanted to like this sooo bad š the back of the book was cooking!! indigenous folklore! contemporary magical realism! supernatural murder mystery! ghost doggy sidekick! all held back by boring and overly simple writing. such a shame. the dialogue was justā¦ not good. soo pithy, so heavy-handed. this felt like a middle grade novel forced to age up for $$$. i am completely baffled by ellie and jayās relationship; they claim to be besties, yet are learning very foundational values about each other throughout the book. idk lol. this def needed a few more copyedits.
things i appreciated: asexual fmc representation, thoughtful discussion on the generational trauma and marginalization of indigenous americans, present and supportive parents, a fairy ring transport system (and its gatekeeping politics), al the pompadourād vampire, his similarly pompadourād gf, and her posse of athletic baddies.
things i appreciated: asexual fmc representation, thoughtful discussion on the generational trauma and marginalization of indigenous americans, present and supportive parents, a fairy ring transport system (and its gatekeeping politics), al the pompadourād vampire, his similarly pompadourād gf, and her posse of athletic baddies.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
4.25
peak cozy fantasy. maritime-meets-cottagecore atmosphere. a friend describes this as āstardew valley in book formā andā¦ yes. precisely. šāāļøš the spellshop honors hopeful community care, valuable bartering, sharing resources with your loved ones to empower each other, choosing kindness just because you can ā¦ indeed, these lessons are blooming at a very important time in my life. it was the perfect balm as i watch our world devolve into madness. community, truly, is everything. idyllic in the most uplifting of ways.
my biggest complaint: the cast is missing a lil bit of development across the board. there are so many whimsical and fascinating basis for these characters, but not enough depth for my liking. like i want to know more about the magical dragon deerman!!
kiela is def a complicated fmc, but not unlikeable imo. i kinda wanted to shake her and then immediately pull her into a hug over and over lol. kiela and larran are the neurodivergent power couple of all time. and even larran was a little flat! but the narrative never let me forget that he was very, very tall.
caz is a VERY satisfying mix of jiji and calcifer. great character!! charming af! (did anyone else have difficulty Picturing him? haha)
recommended for those who need a kind swig of societal optimism, raspberry jam enjoyers, taurus-dominants, or anyone looking for a magical, sugar-y sweet palette cleanser.
my biggest complaint: the cast is missing a lil bit of development across the board. there are so many whimsical and fascinating basis for these characters, but not enough depth for my liking. like i want to know more about the magical dragon deerman!!
kiela is def a complicated fmc, but not unlikeable imo. i kinda wanted to shake her and then immediately pull her into a hug over and over lol. kiela and larran are the neurodivergent power couple of all time. and even larran was a little flat! but the narrative never let me forget that he was very, very tall.
caz is a VERY satisfying mix of jiji and calcifer. great character!! charming af! (did anyone else have difficulty Picturing him? haha)
recommended for those who need a kind swig of societal optimism, raspberry jam enjoyers, taurus-dominants, or anyone looking for a magical, sugar-y sweet palette cleanser.
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
4.75
heartwrenching, captivating, bizarre, raw. my body aches from crying so much lol. this was just so *readable*, dancing between lyrical prose and theatre scripts and compelling metaphor. this story is stitched with love and family and healing and i loved it so so much.