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dylanhenning's reviews
97 reviews
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I haven’t read this book since I was a kid and while I’m very familiar with the story I wanted to re-read it through the eyes of an adult and there’s a reason this book is a classic and has stood the test of time.
It’s simple in it’s message that Christmas isn’t just a physical gift from a store and how the Grinch has to learn that for him to understand and have compassion for other people is a great lesson for children. They’ll also enjoy the whimsical rhymes.
The art work throughout the book is as iconic as the story itself. The drawings in this book has been translated to animation , live action, and countless live stage adaptations and it’s because of how identifiable the art is.
It’s simple in it’s message that Christmas isn’t just a physical gift from a store and how the Grinch has to learn that for him to understand and have compassion for other people is a great lesson for children. They’ll also enjoy the whimsical rhymes.
The art work throughout the book is as iconic as the story itself. The drawings in this book has been translated to animation , live action, and countless live stage adaptations and it’s because of how identifiable the art is.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
I read the Holiday 2023 Edition with the two bonus Xaden chapters.
This book is normally not my cup of tea because while it is classified as fantasy which is definitely up my alley, this is a sub-genre of “romantasy” with is basically fantasy smut. I’m not really a fan of smutty books. Have nothing against it but in my history sex scenes in books are poorly written and painful to read.
All that being said, this book was way better than I expected it to be. From my knowledge Rebecca Yarros mostly writes military fiction and this is her first dip into fantasy and she does a pretty good job at the character work and world building.
My biggest criticism here besides some clunky writing is that the lore is often dumped in big chunks since the main character recites things she’s learned about the history of this world to herself when she’s stressed and it just feels like a lazy way to present the lore.
As for the sex scenes they were surprisingly well written. As I’ve said before I don't care for smut and most times sex scenes feel like they’re written by a teenage boy who’s writing what he thinks sex is and using too many words when he just wants to say d**k and t**s. Yarros writes her sex scenes with a lot of sensationalism you’ve come to expect from these types of books but it’s also pretty realistic.
Now as for the bonus chapters found in the 2023 holiday edition I found them interesting with some insights into Xaden’s thinking during a couple pivotal moments in the novel and also pose one question I have that I hope future books will answer.
This book is normally not my cup of tea because while it is classified as fantasy which is definitely up my alley, this is a sub-genre of “romantasy” with is basically fantasy smut. I’m not really a fan of smutty books. Have nothing against it but in my history sex scenes in books are poorly written and painful to read.
All that being said, this book was way better than I expected it to be. From my knowledge Rebecca Yarros mostly writes military fiction and this is her first dip into fantasy and she does a pretty good job at the character work and world building.
My biggest criticism here besides some clunky writing is that the lore is often dumped in big chunks since the main character recites things she’s learned about the history of this world to herself when she’s stressed and it just feels like a lazy way to present the lore.
As for the sex scenes they were surprisingly well written. As I’ve said before I don't care for smut and most times sex scenes feel like they’re written by a teenage boy who’s writing what he thinks sex is and using too many words when he just wants to say d**k and t**s. Yarros writes her sex scenes with a lot of sensationalism you’ve come to expect from these types of books but it’s also pretty realistic.
Now as for the bonus chapters found in the 2023 holiday edition I found them interesting with some insights into Xaden’s thinking during a couple pivotal moments in the novel and also pose one question I have that I hope future books will answer.
Sir Henry's Haunted Tales by Brad Acevedo, Amanda Rosenblatt
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Disclaimer: I’ve never been to Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail so I have no connection to the characters presented in this story.
Let’s start off with some positives. This book was interesting. It’s inspired by characters created for a haunt in Plant City, Florida. The chapters are really more of a collection of short stories that retell stories from the Bible through a horror lens. While I personally don’t subscribe to any particular religious belief I don’t think the stories within this book come off as overly preachy which I do appreciate.
Now for the negatives. This book reads like a rough draft that was published with little to no editing. There were parts that felt really unnecessary and other parts that felt like they needed more detail and explanation. The dialogue often felt simple and clunky. It didn’t flow the way a normal conversation between people would be and it takes you out of the scene.
I will say It’s very apparent that the authors have a love and appreciation for the characters created for this haunt. I know they wrote other books in this series and I wouldn’t be opposed to reading them if the authors took some time to get proper editing and maybe let some folks read some drafts and provide feedback to improve the writing and presentation.
Night Shift by Stephen King
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s hard to give a short story collection like this a proper numerical score because in my opinion the quality of these stories vary from dull all the way to fantastic and among King’s best in my opinion.
Stories I think are great include: “Jerusalem’s Lot”, “Night Surf”, “I Am The Doorway”, “Trucks”, “Quitters Inc.”, “Children Of The Corn”, “The Last Rung On The Ladder”, and “One For The Road”.
Stories I didn’t really care for include “Graveyard Shift”, “The Boogeyman” (the 2023 movie did it better), and “The Woman In The Room”.
The others I think fall in between those two categories. Although shoutout to “The Lawnmower Man” for being truly bizarre and unsettling even by King’s standards.
If you’re looking for a collection of short stories, many of which lean into the horror genre, I think Night Shift will have plenty here to satisfy and entertain you.
Stories I think are great include: “Jerusalem’s Lot”, “Night Surf”, “I Am The Doorway”, “Trucks”, “Quitters Inc.”, “Children Of The Corn”, “The Last Rung On The Ladder”, and “One For The Road”.
Stories I didn’t really care for include “Graveyard Shift”, “The Boogeyman” (the 2023 movie did it better), and “The Woman In The Room”.
The others I think fall in between those two categories. Although shoutout to “The Lawnmower Man” for being truly bizarre and unsettling even by King’s standards.
If you’re looking for a collection of short stories, many of which lean into the horror genre, I think Night Shift will have plenty here to satisfy and entertain you.