iliyenzio's reviews
449 reviews

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

I've never read his work before. I thought I'd give this a go, since I've heard a lot about him. It was much darker than I had expected, but still fun and definitely wierd.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Fascinating novel that I definitely want to return to at some point in the future.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

reflective 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? No

4.0

The artwork was absolutely beautiful. I loved the way that art style and panel layout worked to tell multilayered stories. The way the artist drew hair and layed everything out was also wonderful.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

There were parts I liked and parts that I didn't. Overall, I would say I enjoyed the book, but I thought the writing style was too flowerly. I felt that there could have been a little more horror, but I guess it was secretly a spooky romance, maybe?

The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit and Friends by Beatrix Potter
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.

The narrator singing the little taunts of the rabbits just doesn't work for me. I'll just read the book itself instead of listening to it.

The Golden Compass Graphic Novel, Complete Edition by Philip Pullman

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really love the Golden Compass and was excited to try out the graphic novel adaptation. There were parts I thought worked well and parts that didn't -- which I guess is pretty typical for graphic novel adaptations. The art was beautiful and the action scenes were really brought to life here. I wish the chracters were given more time to grow, but I know that it's easier to show in writing rather than in art. Some pages were a little too text heavy for my preference, but it's made up for with beautiful art that streches across entire pages.

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I must have known at some point this was horror, but I had forgotten it by the time I started reading. So, I was a bit surprised by some of the more horrifying stories in this collection at first. These were probably some of the strangest and darkest stories I've read so far and I really...I don't know if "enjoyed it" is the correct term, but I certainly appreciated them.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.

This book actually sucks so much. The dragons are the best part but even they couldn't save this lackluster disaster of a book. The characters, their relationships, the world--it was also so incredibly shallow and poorly developed. 

Why I Wake Early: New Poems by Mary Oliver

inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.75

I 'm not af familiar with poetry collections, but I really enjoyed this one. Of course, there are poems I enjoyed more than others and some poems that didn't.

Paladin's Faith by T. Kingfisher

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

Gosh, it feels like this series just gets worse and worse with each book. The romance feels pretty stale, the plot was messy and uninteresting. And the world building, which first drew me to this series, wasn't great either. It's not just that I didn't enjoy this book, but the weiting quality and pacing was substantially worse than the previous books in this series.