elektra_eris's reviews
352 reviews

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

dark fast-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Oops forgot i read this. It was a decent read. Definitely the coolest aspect of the book was all the different vampire lore. It's surprising how much worldbuilding the author was able to pack into such a short book. I liked the characters but everything happened so fast that I would have liked just a little more breathing room. I preferred her other novel, Mexican Gothic, but am interested in picking up some of her other books.

The Secret Place by Tana French

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mysterious slow-paced

3.75

3.75⭐️

Tana French switches up her formula in this fifth installment of the Dublin Murder Squad series. The story is told in dual timelines: one following the detectives working an old unsolved case who revive the case after receiving new information and the other following the events leading up to the murder at a posh all girls boarding school.

I defintely enjoyed the current timeline following the detectives more. It was a long and eventful day that mostly involved the two rookie detectives interviewing the girls and trying to piece together what really happened. I liked the dynamic between Moran and Conway a lot and am thrilled to see that Conway takes the main role in the next book with Moran as her partner 😊

The past timeline was okay. It slowed down the pace of the nobel and the teenage girl dialogue was a little cringey (maybe worse hearing it narrated aloud through the audiobook 😬). There was also a weird supernatural element that felt out of place in this setting. I know French loves to add a bit of weird and unexplained shit to her books but this felt very ineffective and distracting to me.

One of the girls is Holly Mackey, daughter of a detective from a previous novel and a key witness in a case Moran helped with before. I liked her characterization and seeing her (and her dad!) again.

My ratings for the DMS have been a bit all over the place but i will continue to read everything Tana French writes because her writing is so atmospheric and lovely despite its flaws.

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

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dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

Despite a couple issues, I enjoyed this book immensely. The structure really worked for me. The book is divided into 8 parts and each chapter is told from alternating povs from our ensemble cast. I may not have loved all of the characters, but they each added a unique and interesting perspective. The best part, for me, was seeing how the main cast viewed each other and how their opinions of each other evolved.

Nico and Libby are easily the best characters. They felt like they had more depth than the others but maybe that's because we saw more of them and they are so connected. Regardless, i adore them and look forward to seeing them reunite in the next book.

A couple of parts dragged (notably part 7) but for the most part, i was so entranced by the characters that i didn't mind too much. I would have liked a harder magic system for this academic setting and more clear cut limits and consequences but i liked the concept and descriptions.

All in all, a solid 4 star read and a very enjoyable experience.

Broken Harbor by Tana French

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dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I've been waffling on what to rate this book all day. I started out really enjoying it. Tana French's writing is as exquisite as always. My favorite part of the book was Richie and Kennedy's interactions. They worked well together and Richie seemed to be a good foil to Kennedy. He made him look at things deeper and question them. Sure the plot got weirder and weirder but I was still pretty pleased because I loved their interactions and the slow build of partnership. Then we hit the 80% mark and everything falls to shit. I just don't buy it. The decision Richie made doesn't line up with the rest of his characterization. The plot itself never really came together to me. Kennedy's connection to Broken Harbor felt contrived and his sister was mostly there as an obstacle.

Throw in a stalker and a family that goes crazy because they're poor and it was just a bit of a mess. The killer's motive was ????

Jujutsu Kaisen Series Vol 1-5 Books Collection Set By Gege Akutami by Gege Akutami

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adventurous dark emotional funny fast-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

5.0

I'm now up to date on the manga but I'm just going to review this one collection as a whole because I can't remember enough about each volume to rate and review individually. Anyway! I enjoyed this so much more than I expected. The anime is great as well and sticks to the manga really well but of course I wanted more. The writing is high quality, I am very emotionally attached to the characters, the magic system is neat, and the plot is very fast-paced. A lot happens! I will say that sometimes the action scenes in the manga get a little messy and it's hard to visualize what is happening but aside from that this is an excellent series and a new favorite of mine. I wish there was more out!!

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 2 by Gege Akutami

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced