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jillie's reviews
405 reviews
The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
3.0
I really liked how this book started. It was tense and intriguing and I was enjoying the character work.
But after the first third or so, the book moved at a breakneck pace. We were told things instead of being shown them, and the character development suffered because of that. The romance in particular was hard to believe in because of that.
Still, it was a good read, just not a new favorite or anything.
May 2024
But after the first third or so, the book moved at a breakneck pace. We were told things instead of being shown them, and the character development suffered because of that. The romance in particular was hard to believe in because of that.
Still, it was a good read, just not a new favorite or anything.
May 2024
The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
“We are bound by the chains of causation that allow time to hold back chaos, and each link is essential to ensure we never escape our destiny. Every moment of suffering, every stab of pain, every shed tear, is simply the price of order. We each long to be exempt from such tight bonds, to have one link unfastened to undo a moment, to alter the chain that constrains us, but such dreams are futile. We are stuck, bound to stories that have already been written.”
Right off the bat, I was taken in by the prose & storytelling. I loved many of the sentences that were written.
It became slow & difficult to find motivation to continue through a lot of the book, especially because I disliked one of the main characters. The twist got me as it did so many others and really changed my feeling towards the entire story. That being said, I almost wish I hadn’t read it because the emotions the twist evoked were a bit too raw for me (but hey, another sign of good writing!).
So yeah. Wasn’t entirely sure what to rate it but this feels right.
May 2024
Right off the bat, I was taken in by the prose & storytelling. I loved many of the sentences that were written.
It became slow & difficult to find motivation to continue through a lot of the book, especially because I disliked one of the main characters. The twist got me as it did so many others and really changed my feeling towards the entire story. That being said, I almost wish I hadn’t read it because the emotions the twist evoked were a bit too raw for me (but hey, another sign of good writing!).
So yeah. Wasn’t entirely sure what to rate it but this feels right.
May 2024
Penance by Kanae Minato
dark
mysterious
3.5
Not as good as Confessions, but very gripping. I really hope more of her works are translated into English.
May 2024
May 2024
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
3.25
This was fine, I just don’t think this author is for me. The last line of the book was the best and what elevated the whole thing.
May 2024
May 2024
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
funny
fast-paced
4.5
🐇😳🤢🤣🤯🦢
LOL what even is this? I can’t tell you anything about it because I have no idea what I just read. But I couldn’t stop reading it once I started. Probably the weirdest book I’ve ever finished (which is saying a lot for me). I can’t say I recommend it but I also loved it.
April 2024
LOL what even is this? I can’t tell you anything about it because I have no idea what I just read. But I couldn’t stop reading it once I started. Probably the weirdest book I’ve ever finished (which is saying a lot for me). I can’t say I recommend it but I also loved it.
April 2024
Confessions by Kanae Minato
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
WOW. Such a great read. Very unique storytelling and there’s so much to think about. I could never predict what was going to happen next. Loved this!
April 2024
April 2024
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
DNF @ 34%
and i’m so mad about it. I LOVED the first two books and I cannot believe what happens in this one. what the heck was the thought process to any of this?? was it supposed to be a duology and then the publisher tacked on a third? *incredibly* disappointed & thrown off.
considering I am not really a fan of the other Novik books i’ve read, I won’t be picking up another by her.
April 2024
and i’m so mad about it. I LOVED the first two books and I cannot believe what happens in this one. what the heck was the thought process to any of this?? was it supposed to be a duology and then the publisher tacked on a third? *incredibly* disappointed & thrown off.
considering I am not really a fan of the other Novik books i’ve read, I won’t be picking up another by her.
April 2024
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
DNF @ 48%
I was gripped by this story almost instantly & loved thinking through all the implications in each character’s life. However, it really started to drag about a third of the way through, and I also wasn’t interested with how blatantly it was just replicating our current life but without adding anything to the discussion.
April 2024
I was gripped by this story almost instantly & loved thinking through all the implications in each character’s life. However, it really started to drag about a third of the way through, and I also wasn’t interested with how blatantly it was just replicating our current life but without adding anything to the discussion.
April 2024
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
This had a lot of the same good things as the first, but I found it extremely exposition-heavy which often bogged it down. I also found some of the logic a bit strange based on all the rules we’ve already learned.
Still, I really enjoyed it & I liked seeing more of what the school could do. Need to start book 3 soon!!
April 2024
and again, that last line!! Orion pushing her out to face Patience/Fortitude himself?! what happens next? did they really trap most of the mals in the ENTIRE world?
Still, I really enjoyed it & I liked seeing more of what the school could do. Need to start book 3 soon!!
April 2024
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Ahh! This was so good. I adored the main character and I love the world and how fleshed out it is. I’m a little tired of magical schools but this does it so differently that I never got bored once.
Galadriel is a GREAT main character. Her growth in this is so well done. I really enjoyed the side characters, too.
Novik’s writing is also a shining part of this book. For whatever reason I didn’t enjoy either Spinning Silver or Uprooted as much as everyone else, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved her prose here.
If you like magical schools or competitions like the hunger games, definitely check this out!!
April 2024
that last sentence was so insane!!! have to start book 2 NOW.stay away from Orion Lake?! ahh! why?
Galadriel is a GREAT main character. Her growth in this is so well done. I really enjoyed the side characters, too.
Novik’s writing is also a shining part of this book. For whatever reason I didn’t enjoy either Spinning Silver or Uprooted as much as everyone else, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved her prose here.
If you like magical schools or competitions like the hunger games, definitely check this out!!
April 2024
that last sentence was so insane!!! have to start book 2 NOW.