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dylanhenning's reviews
130 reviews
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is my 100th book since I started using StoryGraph!
Foundation is an incredible classic and in my opinion a decent entry point for anyone looking to get into science-fiction stories. This book is the foundation (no pun intended) for the modern sci-fi stories we have today from Star Trek to Dune to Star Wars to everything in between.
The book is told through a series of separate but interconnected stories across many many about people and events that lead from the fall of an Empire to the eventual rise of a new empire.
I loved reading this and getting insights into some of the political maneuvering involved to get people into specific places so they could do specific things that would trigger the right events that were predicted by a psycho historian decades prior.
My only issue is that because it’s a series of different stories and characters connected by one through line we never really get to spend too much time with any of them. We never get to explore deeper themes, ideas, or motivations. We never get to see the direct impact and ramifications until we get to the next segment of the overarching story that could take place decades later after the dust has settled.
That being said this word is still intriguing and well crafted. It’s Asimov’s writing that keeps you invested and keeps you wanting more and not quite ready to move on to the next part of the story.
Foundation is an incredible classic and in my opinion a decent entry point for anyone looking to get into science-fiction stories. This book is the foundation (no pun intended) for the modern sci-fi stories we have today from Star Trek to Dune to Star Wars to everything in between.
The book is told through a series of separate but interconnected stories across many many about people and events that lead from the fall of an Empire to the eventual rise of a new empire.
I loved reading this and getting insights into some of the political maneuvering involved to get people into specific places so they could do specific things that would trigger the right events that were predicted by a psycho historian decades prior.
My only issue is that because it’s a series of different stories and characters connected by one through line we never really get to spend too much time with any of them. We never get to explore deeper themes, ideas, or motivations. We never get to see the direct impact and ramifications until we get to the next segment of the overarching story that could take place decades later after the dust has settled.
That being said this word is still intriguing and well crafted. It’s Asimov’s writing that keeps you invested and keeps you wanting more and not quite ready to move on to the next part of the story.
The Walking Dead, Vol. 5: The Best Defense by Robert Kirkman
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
This volume was certainly an improvement over the last couple I’ve read. The women in the book did have more of a plot than just being there for romance or drama. There was still a fair amount of sexism and objectification of some of the women and of course the incredibly disturbing r*pe scene between The Governor and Michonne.
The Governor appears way more menacing much faster here than he did in the television show and I think it serves the character well. You understand how calculating and maniacal he can be but when he interacts with the residents of Woodbury he’s very sweet, kind, and charming. It makes it so much creepier.
The Governor appears way more menacing much faster here than he did in the television show and I think it serves the character well. You understand how calculating and maniacal he can be but when he interacts with the residents of Woodbury he’s very sweet, kind, and charming. It makes it so much creepier.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
Kings Island: A Ride Through Time by Evan Ponstingle
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
The author of this book was 17 at the time it was published. Before I get into my review I want to congratulate him on what an accomplishment it is and how amazing it is to have written and published a book at 17 years old. This book is far and above anything I could’ve written at 17.
Now onto my review.
I’m giving this book 3 stars which to me is just “ok”. This book is not bad. But it has some flaws. Before we get into that I want to talk about the positive. You can tell that the author really has a love, respect, and appreciation for Kings Island. It shows in every page of the book. There’s a lot of information here and if you love theme parks and their history this book is for you!
Now for the negative. This book needed more editing. It’s a well researched book but at times it’s a little too detailed. There were entire sections that felt redundant because multiple people that were interviewed about a specific topic might say nearly the same thing. Another issue that contributed to bloated chapters was that there were times when nothing changed in the park or a certain event didn’t happen that year and the author could’ve found a more effective way to communicate that.
Now for the negative. This book needed more editing. It’s a well researched book but at times it’s a little too detailed. There were entire sections that felt redundant because multiple people that were interviewed about a specific topic might say nearly the same thing. Another issue that contributed to bloated chapters was that there were times when nothing changed in the park or a certain event didn’t happen that year and the author could’ve found a more effective way to communicate that.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
To my knowledge I don’t think I’ve ever read The Lorax before now. It’s wild to think about how relevant the message and themes of conservation, corporate greed, robbing the planet of its natural resources, and pollution still are 53 years later.
This may be a fictional story for children but there are direct parallels between this fictional world and the steady decline we are seeing in our planet today. Climate change is getting worse. Our lakes and rivers are being polluted with toxins which in turn is making wildlife sick or killing them off.
There are lessons to be learned from this book for both children and adults and I hope we learn them before it is too late.
This may be a fictional story for children but there are direct parallels between this fictional world and the steady decline we are seeing in our planet today. Climate change is getting worse. Our lakes and rivers are being polluted with toxins which in turn is making wildlife sick or killing them off.
There are lessons to be learned from this book for both children and adults and I hope we learn them before it is too late.
Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I love Star Wars and I have enjoyed all aspects of stories told within this universe. So I thought by diving into this Legends book I’d be treated to a fun story that provided some clues or insight into how the Jedi started on the path to becoming what we are so familiar with in the prequels or the original trilogy.
This book was not that and I honestly don’t even know what the point of this was. This book is no longer considered canon and it wouldn’t even matter if it was. There’s no deeper lore or implications here to impact our knowledge or understanding of this fictional universe.
The story is just about a Je’daii ranger tracking down her presumed dead brother who is trying to use ancient technology to do something the council perceives as bad. That the whole story. There are interesting flashbacks to the siblings childhood that shows them drifting further apart the stepper they get into their training but it has no consequences for the other part of the story with them nine years older.
The book doesn’t even have a satisfying ending. It does kind of wrap up the main story thread but completely refuses to address any of the surrounding story threads or give any information that makes the journey of reading this book worth your time.
If you absolutely love Star Wars and want to read everything sure go ahead and read it but if you’re just a casual fan looking for a good sci-fi story this isn’t it.
This book was not that and I honestly don’t even know what the point of this was. This book is no longer considered canon and it wouldn’t even matter if it was. There’s no deeper lore or implications here to impact our knowledge or understanding of this fictional universe.
The story is just about a Je’daii ranger tracking down her presumed dead brother who is trying to use ancient technology to do something the council perceives as bad. That the whole story. There are interesting flashbacks to the siblings childhood that shows them drifting further apart the stepper they get into their training but it has no consequences for the other part of the story with them nine years older.
The book doesn’t even have a satisfying ending. It does kind of wrap up the main story thread but completely refuses to address any of the surrounding story threads or give any information that makes the journey of reading this book worth your time.
If you absolutely love Star Wars and want to read everything sure go ahead and read it but if you’re just a casual fan looking for a good sci-fi story this isn’t it.
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I want to preface this review by saying I read this book and am analyzing it as someone who doesn’t have a clear view of where I sit with faith at this moment in time. I would say I’m somewhere between agnostic and atheist.
I think Tim Alberta does a very good job at digging deep into American evangelicalism and how politics have been poisoning the water for decades to get us to the moment we’re at now where so many Christians are weaponizing their faith, have a victim complex, and are willing to throw their morals aside for amoral Republican politics.
What the book doesn’t do a great job of is providing solutions on how to heal this sickness and have balance between faith and morals. Alberta and his interview subjects discuss solutions a little bit and some even mount their own operations but there’s no clear vision of directive of where American Christianity goes from here.
The book also gets repetitive a lot. Each chapter follows a similar pattern of him visiting some church or community, witnessing far right extremism and conspiracies in the name of God, and then talks with people who have been ostracized from that church or community for pushing back on that rhetoric. As interesting and compelling as it is it’s also repetitive and gets stale after a while.
I think Tim Alberta does a very good job at digging deep into American evangelicalism and how politics have been poisoning the water for decades to get us to the moment we’re at now where so many Christians are weaponizing their faith, have a victim complex, and are willing to throw their morals aside for amoral Republican politics.
What the book doesn’t do a great job of is providing solutions on how to heal this sickness and have balance between faith and morals. Alberta and his interview subjects discuss solutions a little bit and some even mount their own operations but there’s no clear vision of directive of where American Christianity goes from here.
The book also gets repetitive a lot. Each chapter follows a similar pattern of him visiting some church or community, witnessing far right extremism and conspiracies in the name of God, and then talks with people who have been ostracized from that church or community for pushing back on that rhetoric. As interesting and compelling as it is it’s also repetitive and gets stale after a while.
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
This is the second Grady Hendrix book I’ve read and while I definitely enjoyed this books more than the previous one I read (Horrorstör) I don’t think I’ll be in any rush to pick up another one by him.
I understand this book and many of Hendrix’s books are horror-comedy which is fine, I just wish this had more of either one. It was lacking in comedic moments and the horror didn’t really come in until the last third of the book.
This story is set in the 80’s and mostly centers on a group of teenage girls who are hanging out one night and they try drugs. One of them (Gretchen) gets separated from the rest and they eventually find her nearly naked, and scared hours and hours later.
Eventually our main character and Gretchen’s best friend Abby starts noticing her friend behaving differently and her appearance and overall hygiene is changing and she is trying to get the other friends and even adults in her life to pay attention to these changes and do something about it. I won’t spell out the whole plot but eventually Abby believes that her friend is possessed by a demonic entity and the only way to save her is to perform an exorcism.
Let’s break this down into some of the things I liked and disliked about this book:
Liked
• the setting. I wasn’t alive in the 80’s but this book oozes with 80’s references and touchstones like shopping malls, cringey satanic panic propaganda, call waiting being a luxury. It’s just little things that make this feel truly like an 80’s story.
• the friendship. This book has some of the best written teen friendship I’ve seen in a while. It felt true to how teens are and how fickle and dramatic they can be but also how loyal and dedicated they can be. There are a couple paragraphs towards the end that really beautifully encapsulates what happens when those teenage friendships become adult friendships and how even though the relationship has changed and evolved over time it can still be just as meaningful and strong.
Now what I didn’t really like:
• Abby is our main character and so we’re experiencing everything through her eyes and most of the time she is confused and out of the loop which leaves us the reader also confused and out of the loop. That can be frustrating because sometimes we have information the main chat doesn’t have and it feels like the narrative is just wasting time trying to get Abby to the conclusions she needs to be at to launch the next part of the narrative.
. The lack of comedy or horror. I said it earlier in the review but this book doesn’t have much of either one and it suffers a bit because of it. There weren’t many laugh out loud moments and when the horror elements hit they hit hard (especially in the last third of the book) but those moments were so few and far between that this book can feel dull at times.
Overall this is a pretty decent 80’s teen possession story that might be good for folks that can’t handle too much horror. I would definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings for this first though. There are some elements here that aren’t presented as sensitively as they could be so just be aware going in to expect those moments or avoid them entirely if that’s something you’d rather not read.
I understand this book and many of Hendrix’s books are horror-comedy which is fine, I just wish this had more of either one. It was lacking in comedic moments and the horror didn’t really come in until the last third of the book.
This story is set in the 80’s and mostly centers on a group of teenage girls who are hanging out one night and they try drugs. One of them (Gretchen) gets separated from the rest and they eventually find her nearly naked, and scared hours and hours later.
Eventually our main character and Gretchen’s best friend Abby starts noticing her friend behaving differently and her appearance and overall hygiene is changing and she is trying to get the other friends and even adults in her life to pay attention to these changes and do something about it. I won’t spell out the whole plot but eventually Abby believes that her friend is possessed by a demonic entity and the only way to save her is to perform an exorcism.
Let’s break this down into some of the things I liked and disliked about this book:
Liked
• the setting. I wasn’t alive in the 80’s but this book oozes with 80’s references and touchstones like shopping malls, cringey satanic panic propaganda, call waiting being a luxury. It’s just little things that make this feel truly like an 80’s story.
• the friendship. This book has some of the best written teen friendship I’ve seen in a while. It felt true to how teens are and how fickle and dramatic they can be but also how loyal and dedicated they can be. There are a couple paragraphs towards the end that really beautifully encapsulates what happens when those teenage friendships become adult friendships and how even though the relationship has changed and evolved over time it can still be just as meaningful and strong.
Now what I didn’t really like:
• Abby is our main character and so we’re experiencing everything through her eyes and most of the time she is confused and out of the loop which leaves us the reader also confused and out of the loop. That can be frustrating because sometimes we have information the main chat doesn’t have and it feels like the narrative is just wasting time trying to get Abby to the conclusions she needs to be at to launch the next part of the narrative.
. The lack of comedy or horror. I said it earlier in the review but this book doesn’t have much of either one and it suffers a bit because of it. There weren’t many laugh out loud moments and when the horror elements hit they hit hard (especially in the last third of the book) but those moments were so few and far between that this book can feel dull at times.
Overall this is a pretty decent 80’s teen possession story that might be good for folks that can’t handle too much horror. I would definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings for this first though. There are some elements here that aren’t presented as sensitively as they could be so just be aware going in to expect those moments or avoid them entirely if that’s something you’d rather not read.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was very interesting and frustrating to read but in the best way.
Our main character is June Hayward. She is a white author who didn’t have the most successful debut book and she holds a lot of animosity and envy for her former classmate and sort of friend Athena Liu who has had runaway success with her novel and is in talks for a Netflix deal.
One night Athena and June are hanging out at Athena’s place and Athena chokes on her food and dies. Before EMT’s can arrive June takes an unpublished manuscript written by Athena that she had seen earlier in the evening and she ends up publishing it as her own book under the name Juniper Song to appear more racially ambiguous. The book is a major success but there are some skeptics out there that June actually wrote it.
From there Yellowface takes us on a truly wild journey through the publishing industry and a white author trying to navigate scandal and trying not to lose her grip on her success and fame.
June Hayward is not just our main character but she’s also our narrator. This book is told to us from her perspective and June is very egotistical, self absorbed, and narcissistic. She’s an unreliable narrator and that can be frustrating to read but it makes it all that much more interesting. We as the reader know what June did. We know she’s a terrible person and she keeps making terrible choices throughout this book to avoid taking responsibility and being held accountable for her actions.
She has absolutely no redeeming qualities and I respect R.F. Kuang for following through on that the entire time. There were brief moments of introspection or moments where it seemed June had been caught and she was going to confess and apologize for everything she had done up to that point. But those moments are few and so brief because as soon as June considers the truth she immediately concocts another lie or another scheme to keep fueling her original theft and lie.
The thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was the ending. I won’t spoil anything plot related here but it didn’t feel satisfying. It felt like I was going to turn the page and start the next chapter in this messy chaotic story and instead it just ends.
In the end I really recommend this book. It’s frustrating, it’s funny, it’s a look at how white people often get the benefit of the doubt and goodwill even when they haven’t done the work to earn it. It’s a look behind the curtain of the publishing industry and some of its more toxic elements being put on display.
Our main character is June Hayward. She is a white author who didn’t have the most successful debut book and she holds a lot of animosity and envy for her former classmate and sort of friend Athena Liu who has had runaway success with her novel and is in talks for a Netflix deal.
One night Athena and June are hanging out at Athena’s place and Athena chokes on her food and dies. Before EMT’s can arrive June takes an unpublished manuscript written by Athena that she had seen earlier in the evening and she ends up publishing it as her own book under the name Juniper Song to appear more racially ambiguous. The book is a major success but there are some skeptics out there that June actually wrote it.
From there Yellowface takes us on a truly wild journey through the publishing industry and a white author trying to navigate scandal and trying not to lose her grip on her success and fame.
June Hayward is not just our main character but she’s also our narrator. This book is told to us from her perspective and June is very egotistical, self absorbed, and narcissistic. She’s an unreliable narrator and that can be frustrating to read but it makes it all that much more interesting. We as the reader know what June did. We know she’s a terrible person and she keeps making terrible choices throughout this book to avoid taking responsibility and being held accountable for her actions.
She has absolutely no redeeming qualities and I respect R.F. Kuang for following through on that the entire time. There were brief moments of introspection or moments where it seemed June had been caught and she was going to confess and apologize for everything she had done up to that point. But those moments are few and so brief because as soon as June considers the truth she immediately concocts another lie or another scheme to keep fueling her original theft and lie.
The thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was the ending. I won’t spoil anything plot related here but it didn’t feel satisfying. It felt like I was going to turn the page and start the next chapter in this messy chaotic story and instead it just ends.
In the end I really recommend this book. It’s frustrating, it’s funny, it’s a look at how white people often get the benefit of the doubt and goodwill even when they haven’t done the work to earn it. It’s a look behind the curtain of the publishing industry and some of its more toxic elements being put on display.
Guardians of the Whills by Greg Rucka
adventurous
medium-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? No
3.0
This book was frustrating as a Star Wars fan. It felt like it was being pulled in a few different narrative directions and it doesn’t really explore any of them enough to provide any real depth.
I did appreciate getting some lore tidbits on the Whills and even the Sith through translated poems and journal entries at the beginning of each chapter. It would’ve been cool to dive a little deeper there but I can understand why they wouldn’t want to do that so early in the “new” canon timeline.
It was fun to get more of Baze and Chirrut and their banter and relationship.
There was a pretty interesting quote in the last third of the book about the Empire and conformity. I hadn’t considered it from that perspective before but it will certainly be in my mind going forward.
The ending here felt lackluster. There was no major conflict or intense action sequence to drive home the end of the story. Just a brief altercation that dissipates almost as quickly as it started.
In the end this is a fun read for Star Wars conpletionists nut I wouldn’t consider essential reading. I think this story might have worked better as a short story or comic one-shot to tighten the focus and flow.
I did appreciate getting some lore tidbits on the Whills and even the Sith through translated poems and journal entries at the beginning of each chapter. It would’ve been cool to dive a little deeper there but I can understand why they wouldn’t want to do that so early in the “new” canon timeline.
It was fun to get more of Baze and Chirrut and their banter and relationship.
There was a pretty interesting quote in the last third of the book about the Empire and conformity. I hadn’t considered it from that perspective before but it will certainly be in my mind going forward.
The ending here felt lackluster. There was no major conflict or intense action sequence to drive home the end of the story. Just a brief altercation that dissipates almost as quickly as it started.
In the end this is a fun read for Star Wars conpletionists nut I wouldn’t consider essential reading. I think this story might have worked better as a short story or comic one-shot to tighten the focus and flow.
Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman by J.T. Krul, Peter Milligan, Alejandro Giraldo, Mikel Janín, Jimmy Palmiotti, Alex Massacci, Fernando Blanco, Fabrizio Fiorentino, Eduardo Risso, John Dell, George Pérez, Brian Azzarello, Joe Bennett, Scott Koblish, Tony Shasteen
adventurous
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? No
3.5
Comic compilations/volumes like this are hard to assign a numerical score to because it’s four completely different stories that don’t really connect aside from taking place in the background of the overarching Flashpoint world/narrative.
Batman: Knight of Vengeance is easily the best part of this collection. It’s this three part story that examines a world where Bruce Wayne is the one that dies and in their grief Martha Wayne becomes Joker and Thomas Wayne becomes a less heroic and more vengeful version of Batman. Their story arc here is really beautiful and I wish it had gotten more than 3 issues. If the whole collection had just been their stories this would have a higher rating.
Deadman and the Flying Graysons was an interesting story. It’s a peek into the Dick Grayson of this world and his story interspersed with some other DC characters. It’s a fine story. Nothing spectacular and super memorable but not entirely boring either.
Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager is one that was pretty interesting but should’ve been a tighter story. The idea is Deathstroke is a pirate captain and he enlists the help of other DC villains to join his crew to rescue his daughter. It’s an interesting premise but it didn’t need 3 issues. It had a lot of material that could have been cut out or condensed.
Secret Seven was one that actually surprised me. I expected to go into it not really caring about the storyline but it was actually pretty interesting with a unique cast of magical or mystical characters from the DC universe.
Batman: Knight of Vengeance is easily the best part of this collection. It’s this three part story that examines a world where Bruce Wayne is the one that dies and in their grief Martha Wayne becomes Joker and Thomas Wayne becomes a less heroic and more vengeful version of Batman. Their story arc here is really beautiful and I wish it had gotten more than 3 issues. If the whole collection had just been their stories this would have a higher rating.
Deadman and the Flying Graysons was an interesting story. It’s a peek into the Dick Grayson of this world and his story interspersed with some other DC characters. It’s a fine story. Nothing spectacular and super memorable but not entirely boring either.
Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager is one that was pretty interesting but should’ve been a tighter story. The idea is Deathstroke is a pirate captain and he enlists the help of other DC villains to join his crew to rescue his daughter. It’s an interesting premise but it didn’t need 3 issues. It had a lot of material that could have been cut out or condensed.
Secret Seven was one that actually surprised me. I expected to go into it not really caring about the storyline but it was actually pretty interesting with a unique cast of magical or mystical characters from the DC universe.