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juan_adhd_reading's reviews
108 reviews
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I think it was definitely a good thing that I waited a few months after reading the PJO series before starting this one. Boy, I really did miss this world and its characters, and this book did not disappoint! I’m hooked and I can’t wait to continue the series.
Piper and Leo’s POVs were awesome! Piper’s relationship with her dad really tugged at my heart strings, end Leo using humor to cope with the trauma of his entire childhood really hit hard. Jason’s POV was ok. The problem with him was that he usually suffered from main character syndrome, and at times he really came off as a Mary Sue. I mean, the same could be said about Percy in the original series, but the difference is that Percy was funny.
The story was incredibly fast paced, and at times almost overwhelming. The poor trio only just found out that Greek Gods and monsters are real, and already they are battling enemies just as strong or stronger than the ones we’ve seen in The Last Olympian. I know why Rick decided to this, but in my opinion, the story could’ve benefited from a longer timeline.The entire quest takes place over just four days and it takes them the vast amount of that time just to find Hera. In the end this meant they only had 5 minutes to liberate her. This is not hyperbole, that’s the amount of time they spent actually figuring out how to open Hera’s cage, and even less that that because they spent the first few minutes fighting an army of wolves and the Snow Goddess. I don’t know, I guess I was hoping they would figure out something more clever than “Lull the cage to sleep while I cut it with my electric saw”.
Anyhow, I really enjoyed this as an introduction to the new phase in the Riordanverse and I can’t wait to see how it develops!
Piper and Leo’s POVs were awesome! Piper’s relationship with her dad really tugged at my heart strings, end Leo using humor to cope with the trauma of his entire childhood really hit hard. Jason’s POV was ok. The problem with him was that he usually suffered from main character syndrome, and at times he really came off as a Mary Sue. I mean, the same could be said about Percy in the original series, but the difference is that Percy was funny.
The story was incredibly fast paced, and at times almost overwhelming. The poor trio only just found out that Greek Gods and monsters are real, and already they are battling enemies just as strong or stronger than the ones we’ve seen in The Last Olympian. I know why Rick decided to this, but in my opinion, the story could’ve benefited from a longer timeline.
Anyhow, I really enjoyed this as an introduction to the new phase in the Riordanverse and I can’t wait to see how it develops!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Bullying, and Death of parent
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
adventurous
tense
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
3.5
There will probably never be any book that comes close to how amazing Six of Crows was, and though this book had promise, I’m sad to say it missed the mark. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, I thought it was fun and the characters were good, but there were also many flaws I feel that I can’t overlook.
For one I feel like the POVs weren’t distinct enough. There were three POVs for Arthie, Jin and Flick, and out of all I thought Flick’s were the weakest. There were times were I thought I was reading an Arthie chapter when it was actually Flick’s, which is weird because their personalities are almost polar opposites. I also feel like there should’ve been POVs for Laith and Mattheo too, which brings me to my next point.
The group didn’t really feel united or family-like. Especially for Mattheo and Laith, they felt very much on the sidelines. Even Flick, who tells us a lot of times how she finally found herself a real family, but it just didn’t feel like it, in my opinion. Now, Arthie and Jin did actually feel like siblings, and most of their interactions were great.
Lastly, my biggest complaint is that the actual heist went by incredibly quickly and in the end, it had very little impact on the plot.Since the owner of the Athereum was basically Arthie’s father, they could’ve forgone the entirety of the plan and just ask him for the ledger. At the end it was basically what happened: they were caught, and should be dead, but since it was Arthie’s father he just ordered the guards away and gave them the ledger anyway. It makes the first half of the book kind of pointless since all of it was arranging the crew and planning the heist.
There were a couple of plot twist at the end that did caught me by surprise and I really enjoyed how action packed it was. The actual ending, though, felt kind of incomplete, rather than just being a cliffhanger. I would still read the next book in the series, but if you’re looking for the next SoC, I don’t feel like this is it.
For one I feel like the POVs weren’t distinct enough. There were three POVs for Arthie, Jin and Flick, and out of all I thought Flick’s were the weakest. There were times were I thought I was reading an Arthie chapter when it was actually Flick’s, which is weird because their personalities are almost polar opposites. I also feel like there should’ve been POVs for Laith and Mattheo too, which brings me to my next point.
The group didn’t really feel united or family-like. Especially for Mattheo and Laith, they felt very much on the sidelines. Even Flick, who tells us a lot of times how she finally found herself a real family, but it just didn’t feel like it, in my opinion. Now, Arthie and Jin did actually feel like siblings, and most of their interactions were great.
Lastly, my biggest complaint is that the actual heist went by incredibly quickly and in the end, it had very little impact on the plot.
There were a couple of plot twist at the end that did caught me by surprise and I really enjoyed how action packed it was. The actual ending, though, felt kind of incomplete, rather than just being a cliffhanger. I would still read the next book in the series, but if you’re looking for the next SoC, I don’t feel like this is it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Racism, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Kidnapping
The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I think I liked this one a bit better that the Girl From the Well. It was really action packed and high paced, and there was a twist at the end that really took me by surprise! The island setting provides an excellent atmosphere for the eerie tropical horror of this story. Really short and fun! Would recommend.
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was awesome! It's like Nina Zenik from Six of Crows lived in the post-industrial world of Legend of Korra. It was really amazing to see how the author's own experience as a medical practitioner influenced her world and character-building. Although I'm not a med student, I did receive a course on bioethics, and was able to catch a lot of the same principles on the Heartsoother's tenets. I really like how the magic system follows some basic principles of conservation of mass and energy, plus having the need to study anatomy and the many complex paths and connections throughout the human body. It felt really grounded, yet it was also fantastical.
The story is told through the lens of a refugee, and her family having to leave their home due to persecution and an ongoing war. We see her having to hide her gift, the many prejudices society has against her people, and the overall inequality that's rampant in a city that prides itself in "progress". And though she is mad at the city and its people for all the harm that she's endured, she never loses her empathy, and her desire to use her gift to heal and make the world better. She was truly and admirable character, and I so wish to learn more about her.
That ending broke me! I can't believe it was left as a cliffhanger like that. I can't wait for the sequel!
The story is told through the lens of a refugee, and her family having to leave their home due to persecution and an ongoing war. We see her having to hide her gift, the many prejudices society has against her people, and the overall inequality that's rampant in a city that prides itself in "progress". And though she is mad at the city and its people for all the harm that she's endured, she never loses her empathy, and her desire to use her gift to heal and make the world better. She was truly and admirable character, and I so wish to learn more about her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Trafficking
Moderate: Medical trauma and Grief
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
5.0
If I discovered anything about myself this year is that I'm a sucker for hunted house stories. I adore T. Kingfisher! This book was so creepy and wonderful. As with "What moves the dead" and fungi, in this story, I learned a lot about bugs and roses, and now I also have the irrational fear that my grandmother will hunt us after death to nag us about our eating habits and the gnarly states of our rooms, lol. Anyway, if you loved Alex Easton you will also love Sam Montgomery! Kingfisher has a knack for writing the straight-headed sarcastic character that is suddenly hurled into a magical, haunted, terribly impossible scenario. It was an amazing book, highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Revised Edition) by Jesse Andrews
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It was fine. I really liked the format of the book, and how sometimes it changed to a script, bullet notes, etc. I think the way it’s written made it incredibly easy to read and finish quickly. I mean, it’s probably one of the fastest books I’ve read this year, and it provided a well needed break from the fantasy books I was reading before.
The thing is, I didn’t really liked the characters that much. And I get that Greg is not supposed to be a good protagonist, because this is at its heart, a subversion of the typical John Green sickly girl YA romance. But still, it kind of got tiring and a bit cringy at times. I think whether you like this book or not depends a lot on whether you find Greg funny. I didn’t really get it. His jokes were really childish and gross, more something I would expect from a 12 year old, but maybe I’m just getting too old for this kind of YA. Idk. Some of the jokes were borderline racist, homophobic or misogynistic in some way, which some might say it was the culture at the time, but is still no excuse.
Anyway, I still suggest giving it a chance, especially if you’re a fan of John Green but are looking for something different. I’m still gonna watch the movie, see how that goes.
The thing is, I didn’t really liked the characters that much. And I get that Greg is not supposed to be a good protagonist, because this is at its heart, a subversion of the typical John Green sickly girl YA romance. But still, it kind of got tiring and a bit cringy at times. I think whether you like this book or not depends a lot on whether you find Greg funny. I didn’t really get it. His jokes were really childish and gross, more something I would expect from a 12 year old, but maybe I’m just getting too old for this kind of YA. Idk. Some of the jokes were borderline racist, homophobic or misogynistic in some way, which some might say it was the culture at the time, but is still no excuse.
Anyway, I still suggest giving it a chance, especially if you’re a fan of John Green but are looking for something different. I’m still gonna watch the movie, see how that goes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Drug use
Minor: Biphobia, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, and Homophobia
Mort by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I can’t believe I haven’t read anything by Terry Pratchett before. This was so amazing! The world building alone is just something to marvel at, and I can’t wait to learn more about the Discworld and its many peculiarities.
Fallen Thorns by Harvey Oliver Baxter
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
This was a very cute book! Despite the inherently dark fact that it is about a boy being killed and becoming a vampire, this was actually a really lighthearted coming of age story. I found it a bit cheesy at times, but in the way that receiving a bunch of compliments at once can sometimes feel cringy (is that just me 😅). Anyway, this book also has a very emphatic arc of the main character, Arlo, discovering his asexuality which is one of the strongest points of this book. I could relate to Arlo in a lot of ways which was one of the reasons why I really enjoyed this book. The other one being that all the characters genuinely love Arlo, and care for each other very deeply. If you’re a fan of the found family trope, I highly recommend this book. Also, one of the biggest highlights of this book is the character art scattered all throughout. It is gorgeous! I really wish more books included illustrations like this.
My main complaint would be the pacing. Given that most of the book is set on finding the person that killed Arlo, I would expect more tension, action and a bit more mystery. I took longer than expected to finish this book because of the pacing. However, the last 50 -ish pages where extremely action packed and much more violent and dark that the rest of the book. I think I would have rather more of the book to be written this way.During one of the last chapters there’s the death of a character that carries a strong emotional sucker punch. Personally, I think this could’ve been done better if we had explored more of this character, but it was still incredibly sad. Still, I am very excited for the continuation of this story, and also the prequel coming out soon about the supporting characters Ben and Casper (loved them!)
My main complaint would be the pacing. Given that most of the book is set on finding the person that killed Arlo, I would expect more tension, action and a bit more mystery. I took longer than expected to finish this book because of the pacing. However, the last 50 -ish pages where extremely action packed and much more violent and dark that the rest of the book. I think I would have rather more of the book to be written this way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Addiction
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow! I am completely speechless. I have no idea how would a person would even think of this book, how they could even find the language to construct this world. But they did! And it was fantastic, rich and dark. I’ll admit I had a hard time getting into this book, but I am really glad the author trusts their audience. Trying to understand what the heck was going on was half the fun. Then we have Gideon and Harrow, who were each hilarious and lovable in their own way and as a pair. The last bit of this book was nonstop action that kept me at the edge of my seat, and I seriously cannot believe what I just read! I’m really excited for the next book in the series.