emmafishhh's reviews
136 reviews

Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I liked this! Although it was very short, I though that it provided some well needed insight as to why the Darkling had the motives he did, and it humanised him in a way. This had great imagery, and the drawings were just fantastic. The novel also provided a depiction of what Fjerda and Ravka were like, and it aided the rest of the series in terms of scenery. Really good graphic novel, and it was a good final edition to the Grishaverse.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

As far as a fluffy romance goes, this was fine. I thought that it was an interesting concept to have the possible romantic interest as the "brother's best friend" trope, but I don't think it really worked. I wasn't a fan of Steven, Jeremiah or Conrad, as they kind of just bullied Isabelle under the pretense of it being flirting. The general setting of the book was nice, and it enjoyed the swimming components. Definitely a cliff hanger ending, but I think it was just shock value so readers would continue a so far, somewhat bland series. Also side note - the characters had a very strange standard of beauty, and it in some ways was just not enjoyable.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

adventurous dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

This was so good! Although it had a fairly basic concept, I thought that the execution was amazing. Rowan and Citra were such 3-dimensional characters, and I really enjoyed reading from both of their perspectives. I wish I got to see more of Scythe Faraday and Scythe Curie’s relationship, but the novel was good nonetheless. The ending was definitely a shocker, and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. So good, and it confirmed why I like sci-fi novels!

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

This was great! The concept was really interesting, and I found this to be really enjoyable. The LGBTQIA+ part of this was really insightful as to how trans people are treated by others, and it didn't make characters view Theo much differently. Niamh and Helena's rivalry was super drawing, and the ending shocked me. My only issue is that there were a lot of characters, and at times it was hard to keep track. Absolutely loved this!

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

As the prequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, I found this to be pretty good! The muster game/party was thrilling, and I liked seeing Pip with all of her friends. I thought that this provided a sufficient reason as to why Pip Chose to take on the Andie Bell case, and it was nice to see what Pip's life was like before it went haywire. I would say that this wasn't as good as the rest of the series, but I think that is expected with a prequel novella.

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

adventurous dark funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I had been reading this over the course of 6 months, but I actually enjoyed it in the end. The beginning murders and Grace's time in the penitentiary were enjoyable, but some of the monologues was stale. I found it interesting that she was able to get away with so many murders and go completely undetected, and I found this to be fairly good in the end. Kelly deserved better (she was just trying to be nice), and the ending was a shocker. Interesting premise, and definitely a funny title.

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

adventurous dark mysterious 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

5.0

Amazing! As the final book in the series, I thought that it was fantastic! It was really reminiscent of "How to Get Away With Murder", and it was just an all round fantastic book. The vengeance was just amazing, and I loved all parts of this book. Pip's knowledge was just astonishing, and everything about this novel was just perfect. I am so sad that this series is over, but what a great ending. The last page had me physically smiling, I was just so happy.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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? No

4.5

This was so good! I loved the concept of this, and it beautifully incorporated real world, contemporary issues into the novel. I loved the feminist undertones, and Zetain's determination was frankly quite impressive. I am so excited for the sequel, and I really enjoyed this. The fact that she became the first Iron Widow and was commanded to be a Co-Pilot reminded me a lot of "Ready Player One", and it had a similar vibe. The concept with its historical undertones were also great, and the cliffhanger was so good,

Bunny by Mona Awad

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

4.25

This was really good! I love dark academic, and this certainly was that. I am quite fond of this, and I though that the plot and composition was amazing. The different Literary techniques were great to distinguish what was happening at any moment throughout the novel. The "Bunny" culture was fascinating, and the premise of the novel was really good. Although none of the characters were particularly good people in any area of their lives, I found there relationships and actions to be quite profound and captivating. I was surprised by the end, and I felt that is was good on a holistic level.

Loveless by Alice Oseman

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

I liked this! I will say, I did find parts of this to be slow/boring, but on the whole it was pretty good. Georgia was a good character, but I didn't like her relationship with Rooney. The Georgia X Jason part of the book was just really awkward, and definitely not the best. It was really good asexual representation, and I think that this book would mean a lot to a lot of different people. Overall, it wasn't bad, but there was just no captivating force behind it from my perspective.