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hali's reviews
358 reviews
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
maybe i need to reread bc i should’ve LOVED this… but i just feel okay about it. i wish the POVs would’ve switched more often, or that we got more of the present day weaved into the past. but i understand what SGJ was going for and like the idea behind this. the audiobook was great at times (specifically in the end sections) but it wasn’t enough to keep me interested.
Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
a promising debut from one of my fave drag queens! this was a fresh story that takes both a fun and real look at history. i can tell a lot of research went into crafting this story and i appreciate how much BtDQ cares about its subject. the audiobook was especially great, as it was narrated by the author and contained two performances of the songs within the novel. definitely recommend! i hope Bob continues to write more books, because i can see them getting better as he hones his craft.
Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
i enjoy dark humor like this, especially in a horror novel. this was tense and actually gave me chills. if this leaned into the wackiness more, i could see this being a 5 star. still a good time regardless.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
From Peeta to Haymitch we’ve seen how you can rebel in small ways. In ways that only you know. How you can keep your humanity - no matter how hard they try to take it from you.
Oh Haymitch, who always had rebellion in his heart.
This take on propaganda and lies and misinformation and disinformation was extremely interesting to me. It felt like a revisit of the themes in Mockingjay. The addition of a young Plutarch and younger versions of the rebels we see in the 2nd and 3rd books really put things into perspective. An uprising doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes it takes years.
25 to be exact.
Some of the returning characters felt a little fan service-y to me. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment, but I’m not sure it was entirely needed. I was also expecting to get more of Haymitch after his games (instead of spending so much time reliving them). Still, this book fits nicely into the timeline and clearly has a purpose. I don’t think I need to see more of this world, but I will read anything in this series.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
“I must prevent another sunrise on the reaping.”
From Peeta to Haymitch we’ve seen how you can rebel in small ways. In ways that only you know. How you can keep your humanity - no matter how hard they try to take it from you.
Oh Haymitch, who always had rebellion in his heart.
This take on propaganda and lies and misinformation and disinformation was extremely interesting to me. It felt like a revisit of the themes in Mockingjay. The addition of a young Plutarch and younger versions of the rebels we see in the 2nd and 3rd books really put things into perspective. An uprising doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes it takes years.
25 to be exact.
Some of the returning characters felt a little fan service-y to me. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment, but I’m not sure it was entirely needed. I was also expecting to get more of Haymitch after his games (instead of spending so much time reliving them). Still, this book fits nicely into the timeline and clearly has a purpose. I don’t think I need to see more of this world, but I will read anything in this series.
The Marriage Act by John Marrs
3.0
this felt extremely realistic and the implications of “The Sanctity of Marriage Act” were wild. some of the POVs were annoying to read from but other than that i had fun. this author’s books are kind of addictive because they keep a fast pace and tackle the same issue from many angles. consider me a fan.
No Place Left To Hide by Megan Lally
3.0
not as twisty as That’s Not My Name by this author, but well paced enough that i didn’t want to pause. It’s like I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Gossip Girl.
The One by John Marrs
3.5
some of the choices made were just wild. i love this author’s POV on technology and his near-future world.
That's Not My Name by Megan Lally
4.0
this was so solid. i’ve largely grown out of this age group BUT YA mystery/thrillers are still often enjoyable and fun to read. plus, i was shocked at the end!
The Horror at Red Hook by H.P. Lovecraft
1.0
Read as research for The Ballad of Black Tom. Not worth it. Mostly boring, not scary, and if I heard one more racial epithet I was going to ask Cthulhu to come and get me itself.