jamie_reads_stuff's reviews
210 reviews

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

So wholesome and cute!! I liked this wayyy more than I thought I would honestly
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.75

An absolute behemoth of a book but I am SO glad that I finished it. This is definitely one of the more difficult fantasy books that I’ve read, partially for the length and pace but my god this was such an adventure. Every time I picked up the book it was very very hard to put down. The world building is incredible and the writing is so immersive. I LOVE this and I’m excited to read the next book!
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Idol, Burning by 宇佐見りん, Rin Usami

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It was a very interesting commentary on fandom culture and parasocial relationships. I think the plot kind of bouncing around was a bit confusing, but if you’re interested in fandoms and fandom culture I’d recommend this book
How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.25

VERY cute and very sweet. Super wholesome lesbian romance that I really really enjoyed! It definitely got really emotional at times and you can tell that these characters lean a little younger but it’s lovely fluff overall!
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The Cloisters by Katy Hays

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I feel like this plot felt really scattered and the characters felt a bit dry. Despite the amount of twists that occurred I was still able to predict most of them?? Also I cannot believe the Walla Walla slander they’ve got some nice apple orchards. The tarot card portion also felt more like a motif but didn’t really add anything super significant. You could take out the whole tarot card plot and nothing would’ve changed
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

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challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I absolutely adored the writing, it is a bit slow to get into at first but I did enjoy it! A very fast read
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

What an emotional journey for me to be on. Idk about this one guys. I’ll divide this review into pros and cons

Pros:
  • The world was really fun to be in! Very whimsical and magical and the idea of all these fates and the balance between their world and the human world is fun!
  • I liked SOME of the characters’ dynamics. Jacks is fairly interesting enough (although sometimes he can be a bit one note) and the dynamic between Marisol and Evangeline was interesting (At first)
  • The vibes are very fairy tale Studio Ghibli, and I really liked my those vibes
  • The beginning was incredibly compelling and interesting

Cons
  • Evangeline was not a character that I enjoyed reading about, sometimes she came off as really annoying and dull
  • The character motivations are absolutely all over the place
  • Some of the world building was really confusing and there were so many elements just thrown in there and they made no sense whatsoever 
  • Kissing chess????????? 
  • Simply too many descriptions of heat and kissing and biting
  • While the beginning was interesting, it definitely lost my interest towards the middle and end, the story got VERY tropey. There was a lot of room to subvert expectations but everything felt really predictable instead

I don’t know if I’ll read the sequels this is a lot LOL
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

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mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.0

I liked the horror elements and themes around colonialism and intergenerational family dynamics, but I think the character motivations felt confusing and I couldn’t feel really attached to anyone
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous funny mysterious 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? No

4.5

I ADORED this pirate tale. This was such a fun book and I really really enjoyed the characters, plot, and storytelling. It was way funnier than I expected to be, and I’m excited for the sequel to come out!
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Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

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emotional reflective sad

3.75

I enjoyed the themes of grief, family relationships, and motherhood, and there were definitely aspects of Asian culture that really resonated with me, especially when it came to cooking and food. I don’t think it’s my favorite type of writing style since this felt like a bunch of scattered essays rather than something cohesive. But it was pretty good overall!