freemindwriting_jelena's reviews
263 reviews

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston

3.25

Great quick read, loved the premise. These kind of books where everything is connected with characters and their simple characterizations are quite enjoyable to me. It was like fun popcorn mystery horror. That said, I feel like this was just the first draft and it looks rushed and uncompleted, unfulfilled potential of a great horror book. Wished the author spent a little more time on it.

Projekt Spasitelj by Andy Weir

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-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

3.5

After hearing so many great things about this book, I went in with high expectations—only to come out feeling a little disappointed. Perhaps reading it in the original language or listening to the audiobook would have made a difference, but the translated version I read seemed to lose some of its intended tone. The humor, in particular, felt forced and cringey, making certain parts of the book less enjoyable.

There were moments of brilliance, but there were also long stretches where I found myself losing interest—especially during the extensive scientific explanations. In my opinion, too much of the book (around two-thirds) was dedicated to breaking down the scientific process, which eventually became exhausting to follow.

That being said, the sections exploring the past, the origins of the mission, and Grace's relationship with Rocky were by far my favorite. 

I was fascinated how refreshing was the way MC's character development was shown, and despite the final chapter's title spoiling the ending for me early on, I still found it fantastic.

Objectively, this is an excellent book and probably deserves a higher rating than I personally gave it. However, as someone who isn't a sci-fi girly, the heavy science content just wore me out. If you're deeply into science fiction and enjoy technical explanations, you'll likely love it—but if you're not, be prepared for some slow sections along the way.

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

4.25

Loved it! Now that I'm finished I realized how connected I got to those characters and already kinda miss them. It's super interesting how this book came to be, I love the modern vibe and Tik tok slang, great balance of humor and spice. Some parts of the plot were a little corny, but still enjoyed myself immensely. I hoped we would finally get the epilogue without marriage and children, but alas, I guess it was too much to hope for. Definitely want to read more from this author.

Kao nikad u životu by Jane Costello

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

3.75

Even though this book objectively is not 4⭐️ quality, I read it almost in one sitting and it had such a great vibes. It's delicious candy for the brain who got his rest and I enjoyed myself. Characters aren't that complicated, plot is totally silly, humor somewhat forced, but it was a great palate cleanser.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

This book was eye-opening, heavy, horrible, beautiful, and hopeful all at once. I was afraid to continue reading how challenging beginning was for me, but now I feel huge emptiness after I've finished it. Writing is absolutely amazing and I don't remember when was the last time I had a chance to read a story where the author covey this type of message without preaching, but rather just by telling a story.

Grijesi obitelji Borgia by Sarah Bower

4.25

I bought this book when this type of historical fiction was super popular, but ended up reading it 15ish years later. Surprised how much I liked it. Is it long? Yes. Is it full of history and probably unnecessary facts? Yes. Are characters a little one dimensional? Also yes. But has that stopped my from enjoying myself along the way? Absolutely not! Knowing nothing about Borgias, story wasn't what I expected. Few scenes were pretty shocking and nauseating. Still, had a blast!

The Curse of the Burdens by John Wyndham

3.0

It was a fine old school murder mystery. Reminded me a little bit of Sherlock and old detective stories. I listened to it while cooking and it was a quick listen, not really exciting, but totally ok if you go into it with low expectations.

Cry Baby by David Jackson

3.25

I walk into this with low expectations and I was pretty right. The premise was not bad and plot twist in the end was executed well, I liked the ending in general. But the middle was unnecessarily dragged, most od the scenes in the police station led to nowhere. Boring dialogue. The narrator for FMC read her lines too fast, I guess to show how frantic she was, but it ended up being annoying. It was ok story to listen while doing chores, nothing to write home about.

Amber Scott Is Starting Over by Ruth Saberton

2.25

It was an ok romance, but I had to fight to get through it. Characters aren't believable, their motivation makes no sense, FMC is so insecure that it hurts, many times plain stupid. Glad she got her happy ending, but boy, not sure she deserved it. Writing is lacking, often repeating same sentences.The narrator had a little too mature voice for this character. 

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

3.75

Simple, naive and superficial, of course it's not a magic wand how it presents itself, but it focuses on one important tool for happier life and that's nice. Some people have ti naturally, some have to go through this process to find it in themselves and change perspective a little bit. I liked how it's focused on practices, I went through them with a group of people and that made all the difference.