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jshawreads's reviews
578 reviews
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 07: On Island Time by Yūsei Matsui
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 06: Swim Time by Yūsei Matsui
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jay's Guide to Crushing It by Ruby Clyde
emotional
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
4.0
Thank you to Pride Book Tours for including me on the tour for this book and providing me with a free physical copy in exchange for an honest review.
When 14 year old Jay moves to a new town and a new school, it's supposed to be a fresh start, away from a tough time at a previous school, away from skateboarding, and away from dressing like a boy. But when Jay starts to get a crush on a boy at the skatepark, who thinks Jay is a boy, and also maybe a crush on a new bestie, who thinks Jay is a girl, Jay's life starts to get a bit complicated...
A funny and generally light-hearted read, but with some really thought-provoking parts, covering gender expression, archaic gender roles and societal expectations, and Jay's thought processes on affirming their non-conformity. Jay is a really lovable main character, and the entire cast of side characters is unique and are full fledged humans in their own right. A treat and a dream to read, I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more from this author!
When 14 year old Jay moves to a new town and a new school, it's supposed to be a fresh start, away from a tough time at a previous school, away from skateboarding, and away from dressing like a boy. But when Jay starts to get a crush on a boy at the skatepark, who thinks Jay is a boy, and also maybe a crush on a new bestie, who thinks Jay is a girl, Jay's life starts to get a bit complicated...
A funny and generally light-hearted read, but with some really thought-provoking parts, covering gender expression, archaic gender roles and societal expectations, and Jay's thought processes on affirming their non-conformity. Jay is a really lovable main character, and the entire cast of side characters is unique and are full fledged humans in their own right. A treat and a dream to read, I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more from this author!
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
After seeing a great deal of hype around this, I just had to get it! And as quite a fan of a good slasher (thankyou to my boyfriend for dragging that out of me), I was excited for some geeky slasher references, and they were plentiful!
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Charity is The Final Girl... In a full-contact summer camp themed horror experience. She takes her job pretty seriously, knowing that giving a convincing performance can make or break a night at Camp Mirror Lake. But when "campers" start to go missing, Charity and her friends are dragged into a night of horror and will have to pull out all the stops to survive the night...
.
This short but punchy book is filled to the brim with references, intrigue, and suspense. I particularly loved Charity, a great lead and a perfect Final Girl.... or is she? Muhahaha. Jokes aside, a great read, highly recommended, and short enough to inhale in a single sitting.
.
Charity is The Final Girl... In a full-contact summer camp themed horror experience. She takes her job pretty seriously, knowing that giving a convincing performance can make or break a night at Camp Mirror Lake. But when "campers" start to go missing, Charity and her friends are dragged into a night of horror and will have to pull out all the stops to survive the night...
.
This short but punchy book is filled to the brim with references, intrigue, and suspense. I particularly loved Charity, a great lead and a perfect Final Girl.... or is she? Muhahaha. Jokes aside, a great read, highly recommended, and short enough to inhale in a single sitting.
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 05: Time to Show Off a Hidden Talent by Yūsei Matsui
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Volume 5 of this series continues where Volume 4 left off, the children of Class E in a baseball tournament against the school's baseball team, and then covers the introduction of a new P.E. teacher from the Ministry of Defence who has some unorthodox methods...
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So far, I think this is the weakest volume, and I think the focus on the baseball game is responsible, as once that ended, I found myself enjoying it more again. I'm looking forward to Volume 6!
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So far, I think this is the weakest volume, and I think the focus on the baseball game is responsible, as once that ended, I found myself enjoying it more again. I'm looking forward to Volume 6!
All About Romance by Daniel Tawse
emotional
funny
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
4.0
First of all, thank you to Pride Book Tours for including me on the tour for All About Romance and providing me with a free physical ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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Roman Bright is your average non-binary teen with a passion for rom-coms and fur capes affectionately named Marlene. Exuding confidence and self-esteem, Roman navigates their life with shields to maximum, more than aware of how intolerant and hateful people can be.
.
But when a mysterious blue postcard turns up in their locker, and beautiful graffiti appears around their school and town, Roman is caught up trying to figure out who "Big Red" is... not-so secretly hoping it is their crush, JJ. But nothing is ever quite so straightforward for Roman, and they will have their work cut out for themself to get their happy ending when the credits roll.
.
All About Romance is a funny and moving story about fitting in, not fitting in, and letting down your walls for the right people. Roman is a fascinating main character, equally full of life, joy, love, pain, and hurt, and I found myself really rooting for them from start to finish. Dealing with some heavy topics, outright hate, deadnaming, and abuse, this book felt wonderfully real and didn't pull punches about the queer experience. A real pleasure to read, I look forward to more from this author!
.
Roman Bright is your average non-binary teen with a passion for rom-coms and fur capes affectionately named Marlene. Exuding confidence and self-esteem, Roman navigates their life with shields to maximum, more than aware of how intolerant and hateful people can be.
.
But when a mysterious blue postcard turns up in their locker, and beautiful graffiti appears around their school and town, Roman is caught up trying to figure out who "Big Red" is... not-so secretly hoping it is their crush, JJ. But nothing is ever quite so straightforward for Roman, and they will have their work cut out for themself to get their happy ending when the credits roll.
.
All About Romance is a funny and moving story about fitting in, not fitting in, and letting down your walls for the right people. Roman is a fascinating main character, equally full of life, joy, love, pain, and hurt, and I found myself really rooting for them from start to finish. Dealing with some heavy topics, outright hate, deadnaming, and abuse, this book felt wonderfully real and didn't pull punches about the queer experience. A real pleasure to read, I look forward to more from this author!
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
After marrying a rich businessman, Nella moves Amsterdam, the bustling capital of the republic, where guilders make the world go round, and secrets can make or break a household. As a wedding gift, Nella's husband buys her a model house, an exact replica of her new home, and seeking to decorate it Nella contacts a miniaturist, who's creations are just a little too exact... Who is the miniaturist? Friend? Foe? Prophet? And will the secrets of the Brandt household destroy them all?
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The Miniaturist is a fantastic historical fiction, well deserving of the hype it received, with wonderful characters, intrigue, and a truly palpable image of Amsterdam in the late 17th Century.
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The Miniaturist is a fantastic historical fiction, well deserving of the hype it received, with wonderful characters, intrigue, and a truly palpable image of Amsterdam in the late 17th Century.
The King's Men by Nora Sakavic
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
The final part of All For The Game. What a terribly dark, gut-wrenchingly sad, and extremely addictive set of books.
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My enjoyment of this series increased with each installment, and this book was a great finale. So much trauma, and so much sadness, but finally, FINALLY, some hope and some light for the Foxes. The "romantic" subplot was refreshingly different, and felt like a good culmination of the events of the past two books.
.
Part of me does wish for more in this universe, but I am very glad that the Foxes have an ending to their story. Overall, a really enjoyable, but tough on the old emotions!
.
My enjoyment of this series increased with each installment, and this book was a great finale. So much trauma, and so much sadness, but finally, FINALLY, some hope and some light for the Foxes. The "romantic" subplot was refreshingly different, and felt like a good culmination of the events of the past two books.
.
Part of me does wish for more in this universe, but I am very glad that the Foxes have an ending to their story. Overall, a really enjoyable, but tough on the old emotions!
Cindy & Biscuit Vol. 1 by Dan White
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thankyou to Netgalley, artist and writer Dan White, and the publisher Oni Press for providing me with a free electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cindy and her sidekick/pet dog Biscuit are a force to be reckoned with. Saving the world from aliens, defeating ghosts and monsters, all in a day's work. The art style is pure nostalgia, chunky and vibrant, a mix between classic comic strip and 90s cartoon, and the stories range from cute and cuddly, to downright disturbing, in that excellent way that shows like Courage the Cowardly Dog used to just toe the line into horror, but keeping it friendly enough for young people.
A quick, but satisfying read, even for adults. Highly recommended.
Cindy and her sidekick/pet dog Biscuit are a force to be reckoned with. Saving the world from aliens, defeating ghosts and monsters, all in a day's work. The art style is pure nostalgia, chunky and vibrant, a mix between classic comic strip and 90s cartoon, and the stories range from cute and cuddly, to downright disturbing, in that excellent way that shows like Courage the Cowardly Dog used to just toe the line into horror, but keeping it friendly enough for young people.
A quick, but satisfying read, even for adults. Highly recommended.
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ok. So. Wow. This book is an absolute wild ride. It isn't too often that I read a mysterious thriller, but I always enjoy it when I do, and this was no exception. After powering through in a single session, this book kept me guessing at every turn.
.
A group of friends, with secrets thirty years in the making. Murder, mutilation, and death haunt the group, who are dragged back together by a familiar chalk man. I really do not want to even go into any more plot details, as it would be absolute spoiler central, but twists and turns abound in this dark, gruesome, and thrilling book.
.
Although one "twist" was pretty much telegraphed throughout, it was still shocking to see it come to a head. I need to read more thrillers now!
.
A group of friends, with secrets thirty years in the making. Murder, mutilation, and death haunt the group, who are dragged back together by a familiar chalk man. I really do not want to even go into any more plot details, as it would be absolute spoiler central, but twists and turns abound in this dark, gruesome, and thrilling book.
.
Although one "twist" was pretty much telegraphed throughout, it was still shocking to see it come to a head. I need to read more thrillers now!