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emilynied's reviews
269 reviews
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I did really enjoy this book and it's my first Agatha Christie read! The queen of mystery! This was straight and to the point, given it was less than 300 pages, and I ate it up. It was super fast-paced and built up the suspense whilst covering a lot of ground despite the small page count.
I liked the use of the poem as a quick starter for this novel and I found myself flipping back and forth to see how which character would meet their demise to fit with the stanza. While I didn't care for any of the characters really given their old-fashioned selves (and quite frankly their selfishness and frankness), I think the exploration of human nature and what is good vs. evil was super interesting and the character interactions were also fascinating to explore up until the end. I also loved reading and picking up on classic mystery tropes that I see in much of the media I consume today. I think I'll enjoy reading Christie's other books more with Hercule Poirot more, only because it will give me a character to root for and rally for (like I said, I didn't really connect with any of the characters here).
I will say, Ms. Christie is a little anti-semitic... it was on like page six y'all, like right off the bat. I was reading a pretty old version and her books were written throughout the 1900s (this one in 1939) and I actually looked it up - some of her books have been edited to remove offensive references to Jews, which is good. It seems like based on autobiographical research, Christie herself came to realize what she wrote was wrong, so take that with a grain of salt I guess. It was pretty off-putting, especially at the start to read about a main character referring to another as "that Jew" or saying things like of course he would do that, he's a Jew, etc. So I do think the reader should be aware of that before reading or venturing into Christie's works.
I liked the use of the poem as a quick starter for this novel and I found myself flipping back and forth to see how which character would meet their demise to fit with the stanza. While I didn't care for any of the characters really given their old-fashioned selves (and quite frankly their selfishness and frankness), I think the exploration of human nature and what is good vs. evil was super interesting and the character interactions were also fascinating to explore up until the end. I also loved reading and picking up on classic mystery tropes that I see in much of the media I consume today. I think I'll enjoy reading Christie's other books more with Hercule Poirot more, only because it will give me a character to root for and rally for (like I said, I didn't really connect with any of the characters here).
I will say, Ms. Christie is a little anti-semitic... it was on like page six y'all, like right off the bat. I was reading a pretty old version and her books were written throughout the 1900s (this one in 1939) and I actually looked it up - some of her books have been edited to remove offensive references to Jews, which is good. It seems like based on autobiographical research, Christie herself came to realize what she wrote was wrong, so take that with a grain of salt I guess. It was pretty off-putting, especially at the start to read about a main character referring to another as "that Jew" or saying things like of course he would do that, he's a Jew, etc. So I do think the reader should be aware of that before reading or venturing into Christie's works.
Content Warnings
Minor: Antisemitism
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I really did enjoy this book, but like many YA books I've been reading lately, I think I found it a little too YA (actually devasting that I'm growing up and prefer more mature books). I do like the premise and the prison-setting was well developed and interesting to explore. Our main character Kiva is a healer at the prison who tends to the prisoners and the new inmates coming in from the outside world. We follow her story as she treats a new inmate - the Rebel Queen, who has the potential power to overtake the current ruling monarchs and their family. After she receives a note from her family on the outside, she takes the place of the rebel queen in a serious of trials basically destined to kill her.
I feel like certain circumstances of this book made it feel more YA than it maybe originally intended - for example, for being in the highest security prison in the world it seems, most of the prisoners have a lot of free reign, especially when we're introduced to Jaren. Kiva and Jaren have a lot of time to themselves, when you would think that they would be separated due to their alleged crimes that brought them to Zalindov in the first place. Kiva also manages to survive each trial and they're only given the span of just a chapter or two to cover each trial - I wish they were given the susense and severity that they were built up to be. Regardless, this book was a super fast-paced read and I definitely want to see what happens next, especially after that cliff hanger!!
I feel like certain circumstances of this book made it feel more YA than it maybe originally intended - for example, for being in the highest security prison in the world it seems, most of the prisoners have a lot of free reign, especially when we're introduced to Jaren. Kiva and Jaren have a lot of time to themselves, when you would think that they would be separated due to their alleged crimes that brought them to Zalindov in the first place.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
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
3.75
This was... a BOOK. First of all, this thing is 800+ pages, which, I've tackled long books like this before, but none as mature and complex as this one (no offense, Sarah J. Maas). I do wish I had chosen a different time to read this, rather than stressing about finishing it before leaving on vacation but I am so glad I finally got to it. Because I wanted to finish it within the week, I think I was focused a bit too much on reading quickly rather than fully absorbing the rich and complex world that I was immersed in. So, take this review with a grain of salt because I really do think I would have enjoyed it more with more time (so I can for sure see a re-read in my future).
Anyways..this book was really, really great. It bounces between of POVs with a lot of action and world building. We have Ead Duryan, a lady-inwaiting at the court of Queen Sabran the Ninth and The House of Berethnet. I really liked the dynamic here and it was wild to me to feel time pass through the pages. I loved their relationship and the maturity of it - they had such a mature relationship that felt pretty refreshing considering I mostly read YA fantasy.
We also have Tané, who has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, though she lives on the other side of the "world," on the opposing side. I really, really wish we got more of the training side - as we mostly deal with the ramifications of a decision Tané makes early on in the book. I would have loved to read about more dragons :) There are a couple other POVs, with characters who circle around following their own paths. None of the characters are fully good or fully bad, and I also thought that was interesting - I love my morally grey baddies.
The ending was action packed and exciting and I loved the conclusion of each characters story - just thinking about it makes me want to reread lol. Despite my slight disconnection with the story as I rushed to finish it, I actually teared up a little at the ending between Ead and Sabran, I love them so much. Writing this review makes me just want to pick the book up again lol as I've mentioned like five times in this review so far, so maybe I'll do that sooner rather than later, tbd. So... I'm leaving it with a placeholder of 3.75 stars because I can see myself really loving this book, I just have to revisit to get there.
Anyways..this book was really, really great. It bounces between of POVs with a lot of action and world building. We have Ead Duryan, a lady-inwaiting at the court of Queen Sabran the Ninth and The House of Berethnet. I really liked the dynamic here and it was wild to me to feel time pass through the pages. I loved their relationship and the maturity of it - they had such a mature relationship that felt pretty refreshing considering I mostly read YA fantasy.
We also have Tané, who has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, though she lives on the other side of the "world," on the opposing side. I really, really wish we got more of the training side - as we mostly deal with the ramifications of a decision Tané makes early on in the book. I would have loved to read about more dragons :) There are a couple other POVs, with characters who circle around following their own paths. None of the characters are fully good or fully bad, and I also thought that was interesting - I love my morally grey baddies.
The ending was action packed and exciting and I loved the conclusion of each characters story - just thinking about it makes me want to reread lol. Despite my slight disconnection with the story as I rushed to finish it, I actually teared up a little at the ending between Ead and Sabran, I love them so much. Writing this review makes me just want to pick the book up again lol as I've mentioned like five times in this review so far, so maybe I'll do that sooner rather than later, tbd. So... I'm leaving it with a placeholder of 3.75 stars because I can see myself really loving this book, I just have to revisit to get there.
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
I read this for book club, and I'm really happy that I picked it up. This book is inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by Ted Bundy in his final murderous spree, and I thought it was fascinating how Knoll weaved history with her own fictional plot, adding nuance and the point of view of women who might otherwise be overlooked by the media and historically.
I think sorority girls are often disregarded and thought of as dumb blondes who succumb and enforce peer pressure and societal standards - so the fact that Pamela Schumacher, president of one of the top sororities at Florida State University, was one of our two main narrators, was really interesting to me. Her trauma and experience is thoroughly explored, from the night of to years later at the killer's sentencing.
Ruth Wachowsky is the other main narrator, her own story taking place a couple years earlier across the country. We experience her story leading up to her kidnapping and death, and again, get a story of a young women in the 1970s. I think I felt that her story could have been further explored as I felt like the POV was lacking just a little bit. The switch up between POVs could have been starker, especially because the two girls were fairly similar - I think their character voices could have been a bit stronger.
I also, for some reason, got weird vibes from Tina? I don't know if I fully trusted her and felt a bit detached from that character throughout both plots for some reason. Despite that, this story felt so important to tell and I think Knoll balanced the truth and fiction so, so well. There were specific instances of taking straight quotes and facts from real life regarding the judge and the media's response to the killer and the spoof on the "bright young man" quote was so, so well done. Knoll wrote in the author's note how she spoke to Kathy Kleiner, one of the survivors from FSU and I thought that was extremely powerful.
I think sorority girls are often disregarded and thought of as dumb blondes who succumb and enforce peer pressure and societal standards - so the fact that Pamela Schumacher, president of one of the top sororities at Florida State University, was one of our two main narrators, was really interesting to me. Her trauma and experience is thoroughly explored, from the night of to years later at the killer's sentencing.
Ruth Wachowsky is the other main narrator, her own story taking place a couple years earlier across the country. We experience her story leading up to her kidnapping and death, and again, get a story of a young women in the 1970s. I think I felt that her story could have been further explored as I felt like the POV was lacking just a little bit. The switch up between POVs could have been starker, especially because the two girls were fairly similar - I think their character voices could have been a bit stronger.
I also, for some reason, got weird vibes from Tina? I don't know if I fully trusted her and felt a bit detached from that character throughout both plots for some reason. Despite that, this story felt so important to tell and I think Knoll balanced the truth and fiction so, so well. There were specific instances of taking straight quotes and facts from real life regarding the judge and the media's response to the killer and the spoof on the "bright young man" quote was so, so well done. Knoll wrote in the author's note how she spoke to Kathy Kleiner, one of the survivors from FSU and I thought that was extremely powerful.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Alice Feeney has been on my tbr for a while now, especially because she's so liked by Sara Carolli and Destiny Sidster - now that I'm reading "Rock Paper Scissors" by her as well, I definitely have a better feel of her writing style and how she crafts her mystery books. I really enjoy this domestic thriller style because it takes its time to explore the character relationships, whether it be husband and wife or sister and sister.
Amber wakes up in a hospital in a coma, yet she can hear everyone around her (they have no idea though). She doesn't remember how she ended up there, only with an inkling that her husband had something to do with it. The timelines switch between the present, a week before accident and a number of diary entries from her childhood twenty years ago. It weaves psychological thrill, mystery and more into this really fun book that is exciting to unravel. The twist was super fun and I found it to be a pretty fast paced read.
Amber wakes up in a hospital in a coma, yet she can hear everyone around her (they have no idea though). She doesn't remember how she ended up there, only with an inkling that her husband had something to do with it. The timelines switch between the present, a week before accident and a number of diary entries from her childhood twenty years ago. It weaves psychological thrill, mystery and more into this really fun book that is exciting to unravel. The twist was super fun and I found it to be a pretty fast paced read.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The format of this book was not what I expected - it's presented as a series of letters, first between Celie and God when she thinks her sister Nettie is dead, and then between her and Nettie as they connect with each other across continents and years apart. The book spans twenty years and its powerful narration explores the struggles of growing up Black and female in the early 20th century in the South. The familial relationships are widely explored, in both their thoughtful and at times, unpleasant moments, making their portrayals feel real and genuine.
I also really enjoyed Nettie's journey as a faux-mother and living in Africa, toeing the line and trying to find her identity as an African American and a Black woman. It really explored those complexities which I appreciated as a reader. The ending was so, so powerful and I really enjoyed this book.
I also really enjoyed Nettie's journey as a faux-mother and living in Africa, toeing the line and trying to find her identity as an African American and a Black woman. It really explored those complexities which I appreciated as a reader. The ending was so, so powerful and I really enjoyed this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
All the President's Men by Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.75
The original edition of this book came out two months before Nixon's resignation, which is so crazy to me. The reporting that led to the idea and publishing of this book also led to uncovering the truth about the Watergate break-in and the crimes committed all the way up to the oval office.
Bernstein and Woodward chronicle the start of their reporting journey all the way through to the end, and I really liked the 50th anniversary edition add-ons, which add more context to our political environment today (and the ramifications of the resignation of a president). It's also hard to ignore my personal connection to this story; watching "All the President's Men" with my Dad for the first time inspired my interest in reporting (and is probably the reason why I'm a journalism major). I loved all of the leads and the investigation and the on background sources and those who were scared to talk. It's such an intriguing and interesting story and I will probably re-read it many times more.
Bernstein and Woodward chronicle the start of their reporting journey all the way through to the end, and I really liked the 50th anniversary edition add-ons, which add more context to our political environment today (and the ramifications of the resignation of a president). It's also hard to ignore my personal connection to this story; watching "All the President's Men" with my Dad for the first time inspired my interest in reporting (and is probably the reason why I'm a journalism major). I loved all of the leads and the investigation and the on background sources and those who were scared to talk. It's such an intriguing and interesting story and I will probably re-read it many times more.
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black
adventurous
fast-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
3.5
This was a fun short story that rounded out a lot of Cardan (and even Jude's) story. I thought the short stories sprinkled throughout were fun and showcased a lot of his inner most thoughts and feelings that we didn't really get to see in the Cruel Prince Trilogy through Jude's POV. This was a fun read. And I ate the Cardan/Jude crumbs UP.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-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
3.75
I didn't even realize this book was about vampires until I actually picked it up so that was an...interesting surprise. Alas, I actually really enjoyed it! Oraya is a strong female main character to follow, a human in a world of vampires. She's "not like the other girls" because the "other girls" are vampires :) Love that for her.
I also really liked Raihn. He seemed like a jumble of MMCs we've seen before in the fantasy romance genre, but I can't fault him for that, can I? Towards the end of the book, the reader learns more about Raihn and his true personality behind the funny/bad boy facade that he presents in the vampire realm. And I think the reveal of his past-human self and the fact that he was turned provided so much insight into his character and made him a much more interesting/thought out character on the page. I really enjoyed reading about his character development and how Oraya changed with him as well.
The plot was super exciting, the trials really kept the pacing quick for me. The world building beyond, the castle, however, felt a little *eh.* I think because Oraya was kept in the dark for much of the world beyond her own, I as the reader felt really left out too (obviously). So when the time came for the big reveal, it felt a little unsubstantiated to me. I do think the reveals at the end were great. This was a great fantasy read. Overall, this book was very satisfying to read and I'm excited for the second book because man, that ending was CRAZYY.
I also really liked Raihn. He seemed like a jumble of MMCs we've seen before in the fantasy romance genre, but I can't fault him for that, can I? Towards the end of the book, the reader learns more about Raihn and his true personality behind the funny/bad boy facade that he presents in the vampire realm.
The plot was super exciting, the trials really kept the pacing quick for me. The world building beyond, the castle, however, felt a little *eh.* I think because Oraya was kept in the dark for much of the world beyond her own, I as the reader felt really left out too (obviously). So when the time came for the big reveal, it felt a little unsubstantiated to me. I do think the reveals at the end were great. This was a great fantasy read. Overall, this book was very satisfying to read and I'm excited for the second book because man, that ending was CRAZYY.
The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
This book is everything and more. The writing is still stunning, the characters are still stunning, the world is still stunning (see my first review and me raving about how much I love Tasha Suri). This book delves so much deeper into the world and its politics. Malini is determined to claim the throne she thinks is rightfully hers after the prophecy of the nameless god is revealed - but despite the support she's garnered, the fight to the Empire's capital is brutal and rough. Priya now has the powers of the dathless waters flowing through her once more and she's now an Elder of Ahiranya (along with Bhumika).
The ending of the last book left our two main characters on separate paths, but the unwinding plot here of course pulled them back together (and thank goodness because I couldn't wait for them to be together again). The action ramps up x10 and the pacing of this book works so well (especially compared to a bit of a slow start in the first book). The fantasy elements of the book also became much more apparent after the ending of the last book and it was so exciting to explore that here and the limits of Priya's new and emerging powers.
The romance is so beautiful and the tension in this book was top tier, considering their relationship (ore whatever it is) is supposed to be kept a secret. The silent yearning was SO GOOD and I loved reading about their interactions and the complexities of again, not only being powerful women in a man's world, but also being queer in an empire taught to reject you. The themes in this book ring true and I am so excited to see how this trilogy concludes in the final book.
The ending of the last book left our two main characters on separate paths, but the unwinding plot here of course pulled them back together (and thank goodness because I couldn't wait for them to be together again). The action ramps up x10 and the pacing of this book works so well (especially compared to a bit of a slow start in the first book). The fantasy elements of the book also became much more apparent after the ending of the last book and it was so exciting to explore that here and the limits of Priya's new and emerging powers.
The romance is so beautiful and the tension in this book was top tier, considering their relationship (ore whatever it is) is supposed to be kept a secret. The silent yearning was SO GOOD and I loved reading about their interactions and the complexities of again, not only being powerful women in a man's world, but also being queer in an empire taught to reject you. The themes in this book ring true and I am so excited to see how this trilogy concludes in the final book.