jshawreads's reviews
578 reviews

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Rest in Pieces: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

Red Skies Falling by Alex London

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

Chainsaw Man, Vol. 3: Kill Denji by Tatsuki Fujimoto

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

3.75

Chainsaw Man, Vol. 2: Chainsaw vs Bat by Tatsuki Fujimoto

adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring sad 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? Yes

5.0

The Cull, Volume 1 by Kelly Thompson

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Cull is very interesting, a story of loss and togetherness, following a group of teens as they find an entrance to a world between worlds and a strange gestalt entity that exists there.

The first thing about The Cull I noticed was, of course, the art style. It was... odd. I'm no art expert, but the 3D digital style, especially of characters, was a little offputting, and a little happy valley at times, and reminded me of those CGI comics in newspapers twenty years ago... The story was interesting, and the way characters dealt with trauma, loss, and fear was wonderful.

Overall a mixed bag, I don't think I will be in a rush to read another volume...

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Starfire by Naomi Hughes

adventurous fast-paced

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

4.0

Thank you to Netgalley and Naomi Hughes for a free electronic copy of Starfire in exchange for an honest review.

Peregrine Kent has no memories from the time before he was found in a glint mine. But what he does have is a burning desire to see the stars unobstructed by the barrier protecting the planet from the ancient beasts of the universe. When an opportunity arises for Per to learn more about the mythical star dragons, he takes it and is thrust into an adventure of unlocking his past, facing his present, and looking to the future.

Starfire has a great concept, dragons in space, who doesn't want that? Per is a great MC, and reading the POV of someone with OCD and navigating the world around them is really interesting. Anthem, Per's sister, is a great female support character, strong, passionate, and protective.

I have to admit, I did guess the "twist" pretty early on, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. My only real criticism is that I feel like the book ended maybe 60% through the story, and I wanted more in this world. Hopefully, a sequel, or something more in this universe, will come!

A great sci-fi/fantasy read!