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emilywemily6's reviews
300 reviews
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.25
This was such a quick and cute holiday read! The illustrations were gorgeous and the audiobook included sound effects, so it was a great listening experience. There was also a lot of the magic that I love about Caraval and the holiday vibes were great. I wish the ending took a little bit more time, and while Tella had some growth in this book, it felt rushed. Overall, a fun and quick addition to the Caraval series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Close Knit by Jenny Colgan
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
This book felt like a warm hug and was everything I needed in a palate cleanser read that contains a lot of heart and hopeful messaging. I love Colgan’s humor and writing style, and this story had knitting intertwined with the main character and her mother’s knitting circle. It was such an authentic touch that most books that mention knitting don’t get right. The side characters were all so lovely as well, and the setting was so distinct and made me want to disappear to an obscure Scottish village. I loved how the book started as a character study of Gertie as she stepped out of her comfort zone, and then turned into a (surprisingly realistic and believable) rescue mission. I couldn’t put this book down for the last 3 hours of the audiobook! I’ve only read a few of Colgan’s books, but this one was by far my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was in the YA section, but I feel like I would have liked this even more if the characters were a little more grown up. I'm pretty sure they are in a college setting, but the FMC acted so young that I spent most of the book confused by how she was acting in relation to everyone else. I thought she was only 16 because of that. I LOVED the world building, the magic system, and the atmosphere. I was only really bothered by the main character since she was very bland and didn't have much personality besides her trauma and her immaturity. Some of that was understandable (trauma brain and all that) but it was a bit excessive. This book felt really original and I am so excited to see where it goes from here!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship and Injury/Injury detail
Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book ends with so much action and plot progression! Though the majority of the first half of the book is just relationship angst and that got kind of old. I dunno why I was starting to like Seth in the last book because I hated him this entire book. I really loved the gods being introduced in more depth in this story. I'm excited to see where this story is going!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Sexual content, and Classism
Minor: Medical content
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
inspiring
reflective
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? No
4.25
This was a cozy, reflective read that I enjoyed, though it left me feeling a little bit unsatisfied. Maybe that's because the end is so open and leaves room for the series to continue, but I wanted a little more closure about the themes discussed in this book. I enjoyed the length overall and where the story went. It gave me things to think about, but in a passive way that won't last very long. I definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This is a solid nonfiction read that I would recommend to a lot of people. I had a hard time getting into this book because the first few witch trials made me angry at men, but as the book continued I got more and more interested as the stories varied and the witch trials became more nuanced. There is a lot of factual info that went over my head, but a reread would help me with the context, especially in the earlier trials. I wish the more modern trials had more meat to them, but I still feel like they were represented fairly well. The overall theme of who “witches” are could have been a little stronger, though by the end of the book I understood what the author was intending. This book is an interesting and well-researched look at a micro history of witch trials across multiple centuries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.25
I liked the premise of this story a lot, and the meet cute/first weekend together was so good. But I was never convinced about the chemistry between these characters in the face of all they had to overcome personally and as a couple. They felt very immature and not ready to handle their own issues, let alone a relationship in the midst of fame and social climbing
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I almost DNFed this book in the first 20% multiple times because the FMC was annoying and childish. I ended up being glad that I kept going, but the first bit was a slog. I also really didn’t like how her advisor was clearly manipulating her, especially with her people-pleasing tendencies, but I appreciated that she had faults and blind spots. I liked Jack but I wasn’t totally convinced of their relationship from her POV, especially since she kept thinking the worst of him and kept ignoring her main issue with him and his fraudulent scientific article he wrote in high school. I might like another protagonist a lot more but her faults and struggles were not ones I could connect with or sympathize. She had a lot of character growth though, and I liked where the plot ended up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, and Classism
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This one didn’t quite hit like Dead Romantics, but I really like this author’s writing style and how she blends grief and romance together. I adored these characters and I liked the paranormal premise of the apartment slipping back in time, but this book had some plot holes that felt too open ended for me. I wanted more closure about the last time Clementine was in the old apartment with her aunt and I wanted more resolution about how Iwan changed in the past 7 years and why, as well as how Clementine accepted that. Once they met in the current timeline, I wanted more discussion between the characters on what happened in the past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Suicide