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dylanhenning's reviews
131 reviews
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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? N/A
4.5
Note: it has come to my attention that Ray Bradbury is a controversial author. Upon looking him up I can say that many of his own beliefs on social and political issues do not match my own. In order to be as ethical as I can I borrowed this book from my local public library so no money went from my pockets directly to any family he may have or whoever controls his estate. That all being said I’m going to review this book as objectively as I can.
This book was far better than I was expecting. I was wanting something to read for Autumn/spooky season and this book kept getting recommended a lot so I decided to give it a try. I wasn’t expecting much as it is a children’s book. I was expecting a fun lightly spooky adventure and while I did get that this book is also so much more.
This book captures the essence of Autumn and Halloween and Bradbury’s descriptive writing paired with Gris Grimley’s illustrations give you this mental picture of the perfect Autumnal night.
I enjoyed the boys adventure through the history of Halloween with the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud as they try to save their friend from ho didn’t join them earlier in the evening for Trick-Or-Treating.
This book routinely talks about death and has an age appropriate way of talking to kids about death and dying. I won’t spoil anything here but I will say the ending of this book has a very unique plot twist thrown onto the boys that makes them and you the reader ponder the value of life.
So at this point you might be wondering why I rave so much about this book but only give it a 4.5? Well to me a 5 star book is perfect. I can’t think of a single thing that could have been done differently to make the book better. But with The Halloween Tree as great as it is I do think it has one minor flaw, it’s too short. I would have loved to see Bradbury expand this story and spend more time in the different lands talking about the different cultures and how they approach death in relation to Halloween.
This book was far better than I was expecting. I was wanting something to read for Autumn/spooky season and this book kept getting recommended a lot so I decided to give it a try. I wasn’t expecting much as it is a children’s book. I was expecting a fun lightly spooky adventure and while I did get that this book is also so much more.
This book captures the essence of Autumn and Halloween and Bradbury’s descriptive writing paired with Gris Grimley’s illustrations give you this mental picture of the perfect Autumnal night.
I enjoyed the boys adventure through the history of Halloween with the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud as they try to save their friend from ho didn’t join them earlier in the evening for Trick-Or-Treating.
This book routinely talks about death and has an age appropriate way of talking to kids about death and dying. I won’t spoil anything here but I will say the ending of this book has a very unique plot twist thrown onto the boys that makes them and you the reader ponder the value of life.
So at this point you might be wondering why I rave so much about this book but only give it a 4.5? Well to me a 5 star book is perfect. I can’t think of a single thing that could have been done differently to make the book better. But with The Halloween Tree as great as it is I do think it has one minor flaw, it’s too short. I would have loved to see Bradbury expand this story and spend more time in the different lands talking about the different cultures and how they approach death in relation to Halloween.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I read this book for the first time as a kid and fell in love with it so I wanted to re-read it as an adult with a more critical eye and see if it still holds up to the opinion I had of it and I’m happy to say that it does.
J.R.R Tolkien weaves a whimsical tale fit for children and adults. I loved reading this from the perspective of a narrator who would pop in with color commentary here and there to add to the story.
I loved how vivid Tolkien is with his descriptions of people or places. He writes in such a beautiful way that gives me a clear mental image of what he’s trying to put forth.
I love this fantasy world Tolkien has created and there’s a reason he’s considered the GOAT and his works have stood the test of time.
If reading The Lord Of The Rings seems like a daunting task definitely give The Hobbit a try to dip your toes into this magical world that cleared a path for modern fantasy.
J.R.R Tolkien weaves a whimsical tale fit for children and adults. I loved reading this from the perspective of a narrator who would pop in with color commentary here and there to add to the story.
I loved how vivid Tolkien is with his descriptions of people or places. He writes in such a beautiful way that gives me a clear mental image of what he’s trying to put forth.
I love this fantasy world Tolkien has created and there’s a reason he’s considered the GOAT and his works have stood the test of time.
If reading The Lord Of The Rings seems like a daunting task definitely give The Hobbit a try to dip your toes into this magical world that cleared a path for modern fantasy.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Public statement: J.K. Rowling is a mean spirited person using her fame and influence to dehumanize and dismantle the rights of Transgender people throughout the world. Her actions and words are not only incorrect but harmful and buying new copies of her books puts more money in her pockets to give her more freedom and resources to continue her hateful and misguided crusade. The copies of the Harry Potter books I own were purchased well before her anti-trans tirade began and I encourage all of you to read ethically by either buying her books secondhand or borrowing them from your local library so no additional money goes into her pockets.
Now for my review… this book is a step up from the previous one. The lore and history of Hogwarts and the wider Wizarding world is expanded upon. This book lays the ground work for some wonderful plot threads that will be explored more deeply in later books. The new characters are quickly and easily woven into the fabric of this new story.
I greatly enjoyed the darker themes explored throughout the book. Almost feeling like a YA horror novel at times. Although ✨spoilers ahead✨ no one really dies and on a re-read there’s a few too many plot conveniences for me to rate this book any higher than it is. There’s this giant snake with a killer glare and all the victims just happened have seen it indirectly? I would’ve appreciated there to be some stakes and one of the characters really die to give the story the sense of dread and urgency it was lacking.
Now for my review… this book is a step up from the previous one. The lore and history of Hogwarts and the wider Wizarding world is expanded upon. This book lays the ground work for some wonderful plot threads that will be explored more deeply in later books. The new characters are quickly and easily woven into the fabric of this new story.
I greatly enjoyed the darker themes explored throughout the book. Almost feeling like a YA horror novel at times. Although ✨spoilers ahead✨ no one really dies and on a re-read there’s a few too many plot conveniences for me to rate this book any higher than it is. There’s this giant snake with a killer glare and all the victims just happened have seen it indirectly? I would’ve appreciated there to be some stakes and one of the characters really die to give the story the sense of dread and urgency it was lacking.
The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This volume had some issues. Mainly the treatment of the female characters in the book. Constantly being yelled at, talked down to, slut shamed, and almost physically assaulted. Even for the early 2000’s that’s pretty messed up so it did impact my rating of this volume a little bit.
Otherwise the story plods along with not a ton happening. There were some nice moments and cliffhangers here to keep me invested but I don’t feel like it was as good or strong as the first volume. Here’s hoping volume 3 improves.
Otherwise the story plods along with not a ton happening. There were some nice moments and cliffhangers here to keep me invested but I don’t feel like it was as good or strong as the first volume. Here’s hoping volume 3 improves.
Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
If you love the Disney Princesses and especially Snow White I think you’ll enjoy this book. Don’t let the YA tag fool you though. This is full of the magic and family friendly fare you would expect from a Disney story but there is a touch of horror elements especially towards the end.
Serena Valentino weaves a tale of the origin story of the Wicked Queen before she’s evil. Throughout the book you feel sympathy for her for the various struggles she’s had to endure and even when she inevitably turns into the classic Disney villain we all know from the 1937 classic film you still feel for her and her struggles.
My main criticisms of this book is that I feel like it could be a little longer in some places. I feel like some moments felt rushed when they could’ve used some time to breathe and linger. I also wasn’t a huge fan of how often she repeated certain descriptive phrases. Sometimes even I. The same chapter she used the same wording multiple times and it felt unnecessary.
Serena Valentino weaves a tale of the origin story of the Wicked Queen before she’s evil. Throughout the book you feel sympathy for her for the various struggles she’s had to endure and even when she inevitably turns into the classic Disney villain we all know from the 1937 classic film you still feel for her and her struggles.
My main criticisms of this book is that I feel like it could be a little longer in some places. I feel like some moments felt rushed when they could’ve used some time to breathe and linger. I also wasn’t a huge fan of how often she repeated certain descriptive phrases. Sometimes even I. The same chapter she used the same wording multiple times and it felt unnecessary.
Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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
3.0
Life and Death, if you don’t know is a gender swapped Twilight. I knew that going into it hoping to find some interesting insights on how the story might be different with different gender dynamics.
What I came away with was a book that was largely the same as what I remember reading in High School with the original Twilight, just with a changed ending that felt it was only there so Stephanie Meyer could justify the existence of this blatantly obvious cash grab.
The book itself had some interesting parts when Meyer was fleshing out the lore of the vampires and werewolves in her story (although there was a massively disappointing lore dump towards the very end of the book that felt like it would be very overwhelming to new readers coming to this world for the first time).
The romance plot was often extremely cringy even by teenage romance standards and was even borderline toxic at times. The conversations between Edythe and Beau about their feelings towards one another often pulled me out of my immersion because I would sit there and think “teenage couples don’t talk like this.”
Overall the book is fine but if you’ve already read the main Twilight series I can’t justify why you should invest your time in this book.
What I came away with was a book that was largely the same as what I remember reading in High School with the original Twilight, just with a changed ending that felt it was only there so Stephanie Meyer could justify the existence of this blatantly obvious cash grab.
The book itself had some interesting parts when Meyer was fleshing out the lore of the vampires and werewolves in her story (although there was a massively disappointing lore dump towards the very end of the book that felt like it would be very overwhelming to new readers coming to this world for the first time).
The romance plot was often extremely cringy even by teenage romance standards and was even borderline toxic at times. The conversations between Edythe and Beau about their feelings towards one another often pulled me out of my immersion because I would sit there and think “teenage couples don’t talk like this.”
Overall the book is fine but if you’ve already read the main Twilight series I can’t justify why you should invest your time in this book.
Empire's End by Chuck Wendig
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
I know the Aftermath trilogy hasn’t exactly been everyone’s cup of tea but I’ve greatly enjoyed these books but especially this last installment.
Getting to see the battle of Jakku was pretty cool to see play out. I also enjoyed how each character in our cast got their ending. Some characters ending I didn’t particularly like but I felt they were all deserved if that makes any sense.
It was very impressive to see how this book touched on elements from almost all eras of Star Wars connecting threads from the prequels all the way to setting up seeds of the First Order for the sequel trilogy. Palpatine had plans on plans on plans for every possibility.
I also enjoyed seeing these characters have very real responses to this long war they’ve been fighting and the losses they’ve faced along the way and the trauma that results from all of it.
Getting to see the battle of Jakku was pretty cool to see play out. I also enjoyed how each character in our cast got their ending. Some characters ending I didn’t particularly like but I felt they were all deserved if that makes any sense.
It was very impressive to see how this book touched on elements from almost all eras of Star Wars connecting threads from the prequels all the way to setting up seeds of the First Order for the sequel trilogy. Palpatine had plans on plans on plans for every possibility.
I also enjoyed seeing these characters have very real responses to this long war they’ve been fighting and the losses they’ve faced along the way and the trauma that results from all of it.
Rage by Richard Bachman
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
1.0
If you’re here reading these reviews you probably already know the history around Rage and why it was pulled from publication so I won’t bore you by retreading well worn ground.
What I will say is this book was bad. Not based on the history surrounding it but the content of the story itself. You can tell it was an early Stephen King book (he started it in high school) because it’s full of teen angst and the teenage main character thinks he’s smarter than he really is.
I also thought the classmates didn’t feel realistic. There is an interesting story to be told about mob mentality but it wasn’t told here. Here the classmates seemed too calm at being held at gun point after watching two adults just get shot and they very quickly all sided with Charlie and his motivations.
I take no pleasure in giving a book 1 star. In fact this is the first time I’ve done so but I found no redeeming qualities in this novel aside from the fact that it’s short. If it were any longer I would’ve DNF’d it.
Ultimately I think Stephen King’s legacy is better off with this being pulled from publication as it would tarnish his legacy.
What I will say is this book was bad. Not based on the history surrounding it but the content of the story itself. You can tell it was an early Stephen King book (he started it in high school) because it’s full of teen angst and the teenage main character thinks he’s smarter than he really is.
I also thought the classmates didn’t feel realistic. There is an interesting story to be told about mob mentality but it wasn’t told here. Here the classmates seemed too calm at being held at gun point after watching two adults just get shot and they very quickly all sided with Charlie and his motivations.
I take no pleasure in giving a book 1 star. In fact this is the first time I’ve done so but I found no redeeming qualities in this novel aside from the fact that it’s short. If it were any longer I would’ve DNF’d it.
Ultimately I think Stephen King’s legacy is better off with this being pulled from publication as it would tarnish his legacy.