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finnickdeservedbetter's reviews
195 reviews
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
5.0
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Slavery, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Temper by Layne Fargo
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Blood, Abortion, and Pregnancy
She Left by Stacie Grey
Representation: black side character, gay side character, asian side character
My Thoughts: It was okay. Nothing special, but not bad either. I'm not normally a big thriller reader (I'm trying to get more into them tho) so I don't have a lot to compare it to but I felt like the killer was pretty obvious from the start. Like I guessed it within the first 10-15% and I never felt like it could be anyone else so the "big reveal" had me like "oh...okay then". If you're okay with predictable plot twists tho, it wasn't bad aside from that. I liked the setting and atmosphere a lot. But then again, you can just read And Then There Were None if you want the "group of suspects lured to a hotel/lodge and then stormed in" trope
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Tropes & Themes
- Closed door mystery
- Whodunit
- Isolated setting
- Sole survivor of mass murder
Representation: black side character, gay side character, asian side character
My Thoughts: It was okay. Nothing special, but not bad either. I'm not normally a big thriller reader (I'm trying to get more into them tho) so I don't have a lot to compare it to but I felt like the killer was pretty obvious from the start. Like I guessed it within the first 10-15% and I never felt like it could be anyone else so the "big reveal" had me like "oh...okay then". If you're okay with predictable plot twists tho, it wasn't bad aside from that. I liked the setting and atmosphere a lot. But then again, you can just read And Then There Were None if you want the "group of suspects lured to a hotel/lodge and then stormed in" trope
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Gun violence
Minor: Addiction, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
My December Darling by Lauren Asher
Spice: low (1 explict sex scene with sexual language throughout)
Representation: Puerto Rican FMC with minor Mexican-American characters and a minor WLW couple
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
3.5
Tropes & Themes
- Small town
- Brother-in-law/ex's best friend
- Nurse x doctor
- Maid of honour x best man
- Witty banter
- Close proximity
Spice: low (1 explict sex scene with sexual language throughout)
Representation: Puerto Rican FMC with minor Mexican-American characters and a minor WLW couple
There is always room for love in our lives, so long as we are open to accepting the kind we think we deserve.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
Spice: moderate (3-4 explict, open door scenes)
Representation: both main character's are bi, there's an aromantic lesbian side character, male and female bi side characters, multiple gay/achillean side characters, multiple black and mixed black side characters, and an indian/south asian side character
I have mixed feelings about this one. I really liked Charlotte but I couldn't stand Brighton. She's easily my least favourite AHB character now (that position was previously held by Jordan in Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail). She was just so insufferable and immature throughout most of the book. She got better by the end at least but never apologized for acting like a child. Sure they both have their flaws and mistakes, but Brighton was really pulling the weight in that department and it made her really unlikeable for me.
Anyways, after having read this, and all of her Bright Falls series, I'm realizing AHB's writing might just be too millennial for me. Don't get me wrong, I love her settings and cast of characters style...It's just also really hard for me to ignore terms like "cherry queeries" being said over and over.
Will I keep reading her books? Yeah, ofc (at least for now). I'm really excited for Dream On, Ramona Riley coming this May. Will I always keep noticing the millennialisms tho? Yes, unfortunately.
That being said, I'm also lowkey disappointed that it's a standalone and we won't get a book about Sloane, who was my favourite character alongside Wes.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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
3.25
Tropes & Themes
- Christmas romance
- Second chance romance
- Exes pretending to be strangers
- Forced proximity
- Snowed in
- One bed
- Bi x bi relationship
- Set in small town Colorado
Spice: moderate (3-4 explict, open door scenes)
Representation: both main character's are bi, there's an aromantic lesbian side character, male and female bi side characters, multiple gay/achillean side characters, multiple black and mixed black side characters, and an indian/south asian side character
Only music could really do that -- bring everything to the surface, make the memories alive, sharpen the time-dulled pain to a point.
I have mixed feelings about this one. I really liked Charlotte but I couldn't stand Brighton. She's easily my least favourite AHB character now (that position was previously held by Jordan in Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail). She was just so insufferable and immature throughout most of the book. She got better by the end at least but never apologized for acting like a child. Sure they both have their flaws and mistakes, but Brighton was really pulling the weight in that department and it made her really unlikeable for me.
Anyways, after having read this, and all of her Bright Falls series, I'm realizing AHB's writing might just be too millennial for me. Don't get me wrong, I love her settings and cast of characters style...It's just also really hard for me to ignore terms like "cherry queeries" being said over and over.
Will I keep reading her books? Yeah, ofc (at least for now). I'm really excited for Dream On, Ramona Riley coming this May. Will I always keep noticing the millennialisms tho? Yes, unfortunately.
That being said, I'm also lowkey disappointed that it's a standalone and we won't get a book about Sloane, who was my favourite character alongside Wes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Minor: Confinement, Homophobia, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
Spice: low (sexual language used but no explict scenes)
Representation: Jewish latina main character, black side character
Everyone who knows me, knows I'm a big Ninth House fan. I literally have a tattoo for it on my wrist and I recommend it to everybody...this was better.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Tropes & Themes
- Mysterious murders
- Magical secret societies
- Descent into Hell
- Demons and ghosts
- Corruption
- Reclaiming power
Spice: low (sexual language used but no explict scenes)
Representation: Jewish latina main character, black side character
That was the truth of magic—blood and guts and semen and spit, organs kept in jars, maps for hunting humans, the skulls of unborn infants. The problem wasn’t books and fairy tales, just that they told half the story, offering up the illusion of a world where only the villains paid in blood, the ogre stepmothers, the wicked stepsisters, where magic was just and without sacrifice.
Everyone who knows me, knows I'm a big Ninth House fan. I literally have a tattoo for it on my wrist and I recommend it to everybody...this was better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Police brutality
Minor: Racism, Slavery, and Colonisation
The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel
I think this is a good overview for anyone not already familiar with her work, but it didn't really go in-depth at all (not that I expected it considering the page count) and it barely touched on her being Polish. She didn't just move to Paris and become French. She still very much loved Poland. To many she's Marie Curie, but she's Maria Salomea SKŁODOWSKA-Curie and that's too often erased.
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
"Even now, nearly a century after her death, Marie [Skłodowska] Curie remains the only female scientist whom most people can name."
I think this is a good overview for anyone not already familiar with her work, but it didn't really go in-depth at all (not that I expected it considering the page count) and it barely touched on her being Polish. She didn't just move to Paris and become French. She still very much loved Poland. To many she's Marie Curie, but she's Maria Salomea SKŁODOWSKA-Curie and that's too often erased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Miscarriage, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infertility, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Additional CWs: chemical warfare, poverty
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Spice: low (mentions but nothing on page)
Representation: Jewish latina main character, black side character
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Tropes & Themes
- Jewish Latina FMC
- Murder mystery w/ magic
- Dark academia
- Secret societies
- Niche magic powers
- Ghosts
Spice: low (mentions but nothing on page)
Representation: Jewish latina main character, black side character
"Mors irrumat omnia," Alex whispered. Death fucks us all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
Minor: Gun violence, Slavery, Vomit, and Grief
Additional CWs: child molestation/statutory rape
gang rape, revenge porn, excrement consumption (by a bad person dw), institutional corruption