Scan barcode
jayseejewel's reviews
101 reviews
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
4.0
8.5/10
A solid romance and fantasy, though I didn't love it as much as I hoped
Pros:
- The plot is straightforward but that isn't a bad thing. The romance is a slow burn and the setting is simple but easy to understand and immersive enough to keep one's attention
- The opening starts off with a bang and was what I liked the most
- I enjoyed how the MC wasn't whiney or constantly threatening to kill people without backing it up. There also wasn't much of a "you don't understand me/I'm different from other girls" which is always a major plus
- The romance was pretty solid. Not my favorite but definitely good
- I don't plan to read the second book but did like the ending (I kind of enjoyed that it ended on a cliffhanger, as that's the only place the story could go at this rate)
Cons:
- It felt like the story was missing something. I think it's mainly that the plot can feel slow and meandering. There were a few times where I could tell a scene was just happening because we needed a romance scene and it didn't add to the plot
- I'm personally not a fan of spice (sex scenes) but that's just a personal preference
- The characters did feel a little boring at times, though I didn't find myself hating it. I prefer a simple character to an annoying one
- I didn't like how the MC clearly hated her father from the beginning yet still believed him up until the last third of the book. I would have preferred the father pretend to be kind and loyal, then the (spoilers) reveal that he was the villain would have more weight and make her reaction a little more believable
- The slow pacing was my main issue
Overall: It's a good book. It doesn't break any new ground but it knows what it is (an assassin planning to kill a king and falling for him instead).
A solid romance and fantasy, though I didn't love it as much as I hoped
Pros:
- The plot is straightforward but that isn't a bad thing. The romance is a slow burn and the setting is simple but easy to understand and immersive enough to keep one's attention
- The opening starts off with a bang and was what I liked the most
- I enjoyed how the MC wasn't whiney or constantly threatening to kill people without backing it up. There also wasn't much of a "you don't understand me/I'm different from other girls" which is always a major plus
- The romance was pretty solid. Not my favorite but definitely good
- I don't plan to read the second book but did like the ending (I kind of enjoyed that it ended on a cliffhanger, as that's the only place the story could go at this rate)
Cons:
- It felt like the story was missing something. I think it's mainly that the plot can feel slow and meandering. There were a few times where I could tell a scene was just happening because we needed a romance scene and it didn't add to the plot
- I'm personally not a fan of spice (sex scenes) but that's just a personal preference
- The characters did feel a little boring at times, though I didn't find myself hating it. I prefer a simple character to an annoying one
- I didn't like how the MC clearly hated her father from the beginning yet still believed him up until the last third of the book. I would have preferred the father pretend to be kind and loyal, then the (spoilers) reveal that he was the villain would have more weight and make her reaction a little more believable
- The slow pacing was my main issue
Overall: It's a good book. It doesn't break any new ground but it knows what it is (an assassin planning to kill a king and falling for him instead).
As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers
2.0
5/10
A flawed book that isn't nearly as good as the first two
Pros:
- it finally gives a conclusion to the gladiator
- there are some good themes and scenes but I just couldn't enjoy it
Cons:
- the miracles become a plot point and too unbelievable (I am a christian but appreciated how the miracles in the first book were subtle and more like the whisper on the wind)
- character believed in God only after they saw a miracle, which goes against the entire concept of faith (it's not unheard of but in this series, seeing Julia and her brother believe in God after a lot of internal conflict felt real and emotional, as opposed to "I saw this very obviously crazy thing so now I guess I'll believe in it:)
- the romance and character didn't grab me at all
A flawed book that isn't nearly as good as the first two
Pros:
- it finally gives a conclusion to the gladiator
- there are some good themes and scenes but I just couldn't enjoy it
Cons:
- the miracles become a plot point and too unbelievable (I am a christian but appreciated how the miracles in the first book were subtle and more like the whisper on the wind)
- character believed in God only after they saw a miracle, which goes against the entire concept of faith (it's not unheard of but in this series, seeing Julia and her brother believe in God after a lot of internal conflict felt real and emotional, as opposed to "I saw this very obviously crazy thing so now I guess I'll believe in it:)
- the romance and character didn't grab me at all
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
3.0
7/10
An interesting and immersive read but not something I would pick up again
Pros:
- the little boy's POV feels real and he isn't annoying despite being a child
- the magic system is unique and interesting with a hint of mystery
- happy endings are always nice
Cons:
- The story didn't grab me as much as Coraline did
- I hated the villain (which is good) but not in the way I particularly liked. She felt a bit tedious near the end.
Overall: It's a good story but felt a little slow and just wasn't my cup of tea.
An interesting and immersive read but not something I would pick up again
Pros:
- the little boy's POV feels real and he isn't annoying despite being a child
- the magic system is unique and interesting with a hint of mystery
- happy endings are always nice
Cons:
- The story didn't grab me as much as Coraline did
- I hated the villain (which is good) but not in the way I particularly liked. She felt a bit tedious near the end.
Overall: It's a good story but felt a little slow and just wasn't my cup of tea.
The Long Walk by Stephen King, Richard Bachman
4.0
7.5/10
A tense and interesting concept written pretty well (for the most part)
Pros:
- I loved the concept and how it was carried out
- it was hard to put down. you really wanted to see what would happen and to whom
- very immersive
Cons:
- the ending fell flat for me (spoilers: I was hoping there would be some conspiracy at the end, as mentioned by another boy, of them shooting the winner at the end or something. The ending as it was just felt very anti-climactic after everything we went through and we didn't get to see what happened after. A bad ending would have been more satisfying in my personal opinion)
- I never like when kids having sex is added into a story. (Looking at you, IT.) It's always felt a little icky to me and if it does happen, you should simply say it happened and not go into explicit detail. Again, personal opinion, but it's something I always lean away from now and is part of the reason I stopped reading horror that often (as it happened in 3/6 of the horror books I bought).
Overall, a good and tense read but some small aspects and the ending lowered its rating for me.
A tense and interesting concept written pretty well (for the most part)
Pros:
- I loved the concept and how it was carried out
- it was hard to put down. you really wanted to see what would happen and to whom
- very immersive
Cons:
- the ending fell flat for me (spoilers: I was hoping there would be some conspiracy at the end, as mentioned by another boy, of them shooting the winner at the end or something. The ending as it was just felt very anti-climactic after everything we went through and we didn't get to see what happened after. A bad ending would have been more satisfying in my personal opinion)
- I never like when kids having sex is added into a story. (Looking at you, IT.) It's always felt a little icky to me and if it does happen, you should simply say it happened and not go into explicit detail. Again, personal opinion, but it's something I always lean away from now and is part of the reason I stopped reading horror that often (as it happened in 3/6 of the horror books I bought).
Overall, a good and tense read but some small aspects and the ending lowered its rating for me.
Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long
4.0
8.5/10
An interesting fantasy/journey but dragged in the middle
Pros:
- interesting magic system and worldbuilding
- main character was solid (flawed and limited but not annoying or unbelievable)
- excellent climax. I could visualize the final fight really well. (Reminded me of Rise of the Guardians for some reason)
- somewhat interesting twists
Cons:
- it definitely dragged in the middle and I considered putting it down since it felt like the plot was meandering
- some characters appeared to never be seen again/not be relevant
An interesting fantasy/journey but dragged in the middle
Pros:
- interesting magic system and worldbuilding
- main character was solid (flawed and limited but not annoying or unbelievable)
- excellent climax. I could visualize the final fight really well. (Reminded me of Rise of the Guardians for some reason)
- somewhat interesting twists
Cons:
- it definitely dragged in the middle and I considered putting it down since it felt like the plot was meandering
- some characters appeared to never be seen again/not be relevant
The Roar by Emma Clayton
4.0
7.5/10
A really interesting concept that would have been amazing if not limited by its target audience's (middle-grade) style of writing
Pros:
- a really interesting setting, concept, and twist at the end (I still think about it and how it relates to modern society)
- a good overarching plot
- pretty solid characters and villains
Cons:
- this story was really limited by the fact that it was written for children. There are a lot of annoying tropes and cliches that can overshadow how great the story overall is. (Ex: (spoiler) I must tell you this important thing but I'll wait to write it in a letter, which you will then conveniently lose to delay the mystery.)
- the characters were at times cliche and illogical or even downright annoying
- the story dragged at the end and I considered putting it down at points
A really interesting concept that would have been amazing if not limited by its target audience's (middle-grade) style of writing
Pros:
- a really interesting setting, concept, and twist at the end (I still think about it and how it relates to modern society)
- a good overarching plot
- pretty solid characters and villains
Cons:
- this story was really limited by the fact that it was written for children. There are a lot of annoying tropes and cliches that can overshadow how great the story overall is. (Ex: (spoiler) I must tell you this important thing but I'll wait to write it in a letter, which you will then conveniently lose to delay the mystery.)
- the characters were at times cliche and illogical or even downright annoying
- the story dragged at the end and I considered putting it down at points
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
5.0
9.5/10
A thoroughly enjoyable read and my standard for horror novels. (My all-time favorite in the horror genre).
Pros:
- fast-paced
- very immersive
- tense but not overly gory or uncomfortable
- excellent narrator (of a child but he isn't annoying or unrealistic)
- full of mystery and lets the reader connect the dots on their own
Cons:
- gets a little slow near the end (the second-to-last chapter)
- the introduction was a little unnecessary
A thoroughly enjoyable read and my standard for horror novels. (My all-time favorite in the horror genre).
Pros:
- fast-paced
- very immersive
- tense but not overly gory or uncomfortable
- excellent narrator (of a child but he isn't annoying or unrealistic)
- full of mystery and lets the reader connect the dots on their own
Cons:
- gets a little slow near the end (the second-to-last chapter)
- the introduction was a little unnecessary
Come with Me by Ronald Malfi
5.0
9/10 Overall a good read
Pros:
- Really interesting mystery that slowly unwinds
- A few twists near the end that I wasn't expecting
- Likeable narrator for the most part
- fairly fast-paced
Cons:
- (spoiler) The villain reveal felt anti-climactic because it was hard to remember who the person was in the first place
Pros:
- Really interesting mystery that slowly unwinds
- A few twists near the end that I wasn't expecting
- Likeable narrator for the most part
- fairly fast-paced
Cons:
- (spoiler) The villain reveal felt anti-climactic because it was hard to remember who the person was in the first place
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
4.0
8/10
Not nearly as good as Voice in the Wind but still a solid story with a good message
Pros:
- I liked that the author wasn't afraid to show the darker side of prostitution and life as a victim
- the main character's actions annoyed me but were understandable and well explained, which made her arc at the end more satisfying
- the pacing was fairly good with a sense of progression (the characters changing and growing was the main plot)
Cons:
- the male lead was the least interesting part of the story. He didn't feel fully fleshed out like the female lead was
- I didn't particularly love the romance. It felt very basic and while it wasn't bad, didn't make me feel anything like her other trilogy did
- the pacing could get very slow at times and I didn't particularly like the ending (I liked when she set up a school at the end but her return to him and taking off her clothes felt kind of strange and not as dramatic as I think it was meant to be)
Not nearly as good as Voice in the Wind but still a solid story with a good message
Pros:
- I liked that the author wasn't afraid to show the darker side of prostitution and life as a victim
- the main character's actions annoyed me but were understandable and well explained, which made her arc at the end more satisfying
- the pacing was fairly good with a sense of progression (the characters changing and growing was the main plot)
Cons:
- the male lead was the least interesting part of the story. He didn't feel fully fleshed out like the female lead was
- I didn't particularly love the romance. It felt very basic and while it wasn't bad, didn't make me feel anything like her other trilogy did
- the pacing could get very slow at times and I didn't particularly like the ending (I liked when she set up a school at the end but her return to him and taking off her clothes felt kind of strange and not as dramatic as I think it was meant to be)
A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
5.0
10/10
I rarely give a ten out of ten but this is one of those stories I find myself rereading and enjoying every time.
Pros:
- slow-burn romance (I love when characters meet early but don't care about each other at first, then slowly come to like each other. This also has a lot of interesting conflict as well.)
- character development (every character changes in some way, some for better and some for far worse)
- characters feel realistic, with their own goals, morals, and ambitions
- excellent villain you love to hate (and also feel a little bad for)
Cons:
- It inevitably didn't leave room for the second and third book to be nearly as good
(I have very few complaints. This is everything I love in a romance and in a christian story)
I rarely give a ten out of ten but this is one of those stories I find myself rereading and enjoying every time.
Pros:
- slow-burn romance (I love when characters meet early but don't care about each other at first, then slowly come to like each other. This also has a lot of interesting conflict as well.)
- character development (every character changes in some way, some for better and some for far worse)
- characters feel realistic, with their own goals, morals, and ambitions
- excellent villain you love to hate (and also feel a little bad for)
Cons:
- It inevitably didn't leave room for the second and third book to be nearly as good
(I have very few complaints. This is everything I love in a romance and in a christian story)