Take a photo of a barcode or cover
freemindwriting_jelena's reviews
249 reviews
Sedam smrti Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
3.5
I can’t remember the last time I felt so conflicted about how to rate a book after finishing it. On one hand, the concept is undeniably intriguing, original, and refreshingly unique—Agatha Christie meets time travel and body-jumping? Count me in! But on the other hand, the execution felt exhausting. The mystery was too drawn out, and I found myself more frustrated than intrigued by the need to get to the end just to understand what was going on. The journey itself wasn't fun at all.
I didn’t care much for any of the characters, and the MC's frequent shifts into new bodies weren’t accompanied by any real depth in character development—just a flat statement of which host he was in, without that change being reflected in behavior or tone. A lot of "telling" rather than "showing."
The resolution of the Evelyn Hardcastle mystery was, tbh, disappointing. Her motivations made little sense and seemed to come out of nowhere, making the payoff feel unearned and clumsily handled. However, the unraveling of the MC’s own story—and the explanation behind the body-hopping concept—was far more compelling. I appreciated the deeper message that it’s never too late to change, and that part left a much better impression.
Despite all the flaws, I wouldn’t call this a bad debut. If you’re able to overlook the shortcomings, this is a creative and worthwhile read. Not perfect, but memorable
I didn’t care much for any of the characters, and the MC's frequent shifts into new bodies weren’t accompanied by any real depth in character development—just a flat statement of which host he was in, without that change being reflected in behavior or tone. A lot of "telling" rather than "showing."
The resolution of the Evelyn Hardcastle mystery was, tbh, disappointing. Her motivations made little sense and seemed to come out of nowhere, making the payoff feel unearned and clumsily handled. However, the unraveling of the MC’s own story—and the explanation behind the body-hopping concept—was far more compelling. I appreciated the deeper message that it’s never too late to change, and that part left a much better impression.
Despite all the flaws, I wouldn’t call this a bad debut. If you’re able to overlook the shortcomings, this is a creative and worthwhile read. Not perfect, but memorable
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4.5
I don't think I revisited Gatsby since high school. Still overly pretentious story about shallow people and cheaters, but I loved the writing. I found it interesting to witness that part of the history. Also, Jake Gyllenhaal's voice is doing something for me and it brought this whole story to the next level. Happy 100th birthday, Gatsby!
Plameni bog by R.F. Kuang
5.0
Freaking loved the ending. It took me a long time to warm up to the story in this last part, but that ending was perfect. I'm gonna have such a book hangover after this.
The Creek by LJ Ross
3.75
I needed to suspend a little more disbelief to enjoy this one when compared to the first one in the series, but it was still a great quick listen. I liked the paralel of the stories with older and younger couples with different ending. Also, this mix of cozy mystery and romance is really working for me.
The Cove by LJ Ross
4.0
Pleasantly surprised - I wasn't expecting to love this story so much - it was a great cozy mystery, I fell for every red herring there was and got pretty connected with the characters. Looking forward to rest of the books in the series.
Zmajska republika by R.F. Kuang
5.0
It took me a little to accept the heaviness and theme of ||war||, but I devoured it and it made me shocked, sad, disgusted, excited, and the whole rest of the range of emotions. What a ride.
Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps by Jo Piazza
2.75
A little outdated and shallow, but it was a nice quick listen while doing chores, no regrets.
Fasting Can Save Your Life by Herbert M. Shelton
3.0
Considering when the book was published, it's not surprising it didn't give some new information. It gives more broad approach to fasting and why it's useful with a lot of chapters dedicated to particular diseases and examples the author witnessed. I'm sure it was more useful at the time, but it's not as much for modern reader.
Coffin On The Water by Gwendoline Butler
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
The narrator was great and it was the only thing that kept me going, such a pleasant voice and accent. The story itself is chaotic, doesn't flow well. I miss a sentence or two and have no idea what's the author talking about. There was a lot random, unnecessary information about characters and not enough about those that are important. I just had no interest to find out what was going on. Idea and concept were interesting, but execution was just lacking.
Rat makova by R.F. Kuang
5.0
The ending was pretty heavy and challenging to finish and grasp, but I like everything up until that point that I just can't bring my rating down. This is one of those books that can be read many times, one of those that takes your soul.