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feuillycakes's reviews
154 reviews
The Bright and the Pale by Jessica Rubinkowski
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Although this book was a bit slow to start, by the middle I was thoroughly creeped out and had to read more. It’s rare to read a book where the main character is the one becoming a villain, and I enjoyed the ride. I will say that the bit at the end was very sudden and almost overpowered and out of character, but it didn’t take away my enjoyment of the story overall. I’m excited to see where the sequel takes me.
Fable by Adrienne Young
Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
I found the subject matter to be boring. I thought I was interested in pirate stories but this didn’t capture my attention at all and I had to force myself to read this far.
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I laughed. I cried. I did a little emotional dance.
I finished this book half an hour ago and already the book hangover has started. Thank the saints for the new content that will get me through this emotional time because I’m sure I saw all the old content back in 2019 when I first fell in love with these characters.
This is a brilliant book in a different way to Six of Crows. While Six of Crows is very much excellent with the characters, the plot is really strong and a huge focus, while I remembered very little of the plot of Crooked Kingdom from my first read but the character backstories and motivations have stuck with me. I’ll be honest in that I think the plot of this was kind of all over the place and less satisfying and straightforward than Six of Crows but the way this book made me care about these characters and cry for them and want to see more of them just makes me happy in a different way.
I now have the benefit of the context the Shadow and Bone trilogy gave me to help me along, but aside from Kaz and Nina, most of these characters made me love them through <i>this</i> book. I have 9 tabs highlighting my most favourite or thought provoking moments and that’s a lot for something that isn’t an offensive book (though to be fair one of those is just annotated with ‘wended?’ because umm... wended?).
I finished this book half an hour ago and already the book hangover has started. Thank the saints for the new content that will get me through this emotional time because I’m sure I saw all the old content back in 2019 when I first fell in love with these characters.
This is a brilliant book in a different way to Six of Crows. While Six of Crows is very much excellent with the characters, the plot is really strong and a huge focus, while I remembered very little of the plot of Crooked Kingdom from my first read but the character backstories and motivations have stuck with me. I’ll be honest in that I think the plot of this was kind of all over the place and less satisfying and straightforward than Six of Crows but the way this book made me care about these characters and cry for them and want to see more of them just makes me happy in a different way.
I now have the benefit of the context the Shadow and Bone trilogy gave me to help me along, but aside from Kaz and Nina, most of these characters made me love them through <i>this</i> book. I have 9 tabs highlighting my most favourite or thought provoking moments and that’s a lot for something that isn’t an offensive book (though to be fair one of those is just annotated with ‘wended?’ because umm... wended?).
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
It's very hard to describe this book because it has so many interlinking plots, but I think it's a character study. I think the point of this book is that nobody is perfectly morally correct; even the most kind and seemingly upstanding person has a moment where they do something potentially wrong, perceived or true, whether it be lying, angry outbursts, decisions about their bodies and futures, or any other action or inaction that could be seen as morally corrupt. They do and think these things contrary to their normal character, but it is their character. Nobody is perfectly right or completely wrong here, despite the things they do. It's also a look at privilege, especially white privilege, and the ways it can play out without people realising it's even there.
I'll be honest, this isn't usually my thing and I picked it up only because of booktube talk. This has affected my rating a bit. I definitely thought it was very good I just prefer books with a clearer plot. I really enjoyed the friendship aspect with the kids and their individual stories, and the mystery of Mia's past was super interesting though I felt icky with the way it was discovered.
The baby situation, the one with the adoption, was very hard to read. I never made up my mind who I thought was supposed to have custody, and I really think that was the point. It all comes back to there being no black and white answers. Whatever the verdict, someone would have been hurting, and it wouldn't have been fair. These things rarely are fair, but I found this story to be particularly heartbreaking.
Also, did anyone else catch the line where Mia is potentially aroace? Abacus UK Paperback 2020 edition, chapter 15, page 286.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It's very hard to describe this book because it has so many interlinking plots, but I think it's a character study. I think the point of this book is that nobody is perfectly morally correct; even the most kind and seemingly upstanding person has a moment where they do something potentially wrong, perceived or true, whether it be lying, angry outbursts, decisions about their bodies and futures, or any other action or inaction that could be seen as morally corrupt. They do and think these things contrary to their normal character, but it is their character. Nobody is perfectly right or completely wrong here, despite the things they do. It's also a look at privilege, especially white privilege, and the ways it can play out without people realising it's even there.
I'll be honest, this isn't usually my thing and I picked it up only because of booktube talk. This has affected my rating a bit. I definitely thought it was very good I just prefer books with a clearer plot. I really enjoyed the friendship aspect with the kids and their individual stories, and the mystery of Mia's past was super interesting though I felt icky with the way it was discovered.
The baby situation, the one with the adoption, was very hard to read. I never made up my mind who I thought was supposed to have custody, and I really think that was the point. It all comes back to there being no black and white answers. Whatever the verdict, someone would have been hurting, and it wouldn't have been fair. These things rarely are fair, but I found this story to be particularly heartbreaking.
Also, did anyone else catch the line where Mia is potentially aroace? Abacus UK Paperback 2020 edition, chapter 15, page 286.
Malice by Heather Walter
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
The writing felt off in a way that’s difficult to describe. It was as if it was trying to be a YA style novel and falling short, so while the subject matter and vocabulary was more suited to older teens, it felt more juvenile and as though someone very young had written it. I saw that it was supposed to be high fantasy also and I did not get that vibe whatsoever.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
4.0
I’m not gonna lie, I was expecting more magic and also romantic tension, and what I got was weird insects and zero interest in Roma and Juliette’s love story beyond what happened in the past. It was a good book but I just feel like the romance was lacking.
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
What can I even say other than she’s done it again. Another wonderful book with an important lesson learned, another main character who is not a cis straight person, another well developed world that is unique and yet familiar.
I love this series. Not one book has failed me yet and I don’t expect they ever will. I don’t even like horses and I still found this a charming story. The theme of growing up while not fitting the predetermined path set out from birth and making your own destiny even against all outside forces is so necessary for children in this time where we know from a young age there are other ways to be, and I really hope this book will spark discussions and interest for people who maybe don’t know what being intersex is or the struggles kids face when they reveal they aren’t like their friends in such obvious ways. I myself learned something from this book and I’ve been actively learning about queer identities for 8 years.
I also hope someone reads this book and feels seen. Representation matters. This book could really make someone’s day or month or even year, and I’m so glad Seanan McGuire strives to write about such diverse characters in open and respectful ways.
I love this series. Not one book has failed me yet and I don’t expect they ever will. I don’t even like horses and I still found this a charming story. The theme of growing up while not fitting the predetermined path set out from birth and making your own destiny even against all outside forces is so necessary for children in this time where we know from a young age there are other ways to be, and I really hope this book will spark discussions and interest for people who maybe don’t know what being intersex is or the struggles kids face when they reveal they aren’t like their friends in such obvious ways. I myself learned something from this book and I’ve been actively learning about queer identities for 8 years.
I also hope someone reads this book and feels seen. Representation matters. This book could really make someone’s day or month or even year, and I’m so glad Seanan McGuire strives to write about such diverse characters in open and respectful ways.