kade_spade's reviews
185 reviews

All About Us by Tom Ellen

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.0

This book started out so fun and good. It’s a sappy Christmas romcom told in a modernized version of “The Christmas Carol”. What’s not to love?! However, it oversells its importance and worth to be honest. It’s about 200 pages to long and loses its “comedy” aspect fairly quickly. None of the characters are truly likable except the girlfriend and the mom and while the MC get his redemption arc by the end of the book, it’s been so repetitive and boring you doing even care. While it’s not the worst book I’ve ever read, I’d definitely skip it and spend your time with a different book. 

Bungo Stray Dogs, Volume 2 by Kafka Asagiri

adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.75

Second volume even better than the first!!!! So fun!! 

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

This was a hard book to rate for me. I can’t even decide if the book is worth keeping or not. Overall, I liked the book, I really really want to love it but I’m just not sure if I do. As a debut novel, it’s risky and uniquely written. Cullen is very much a theater type angsty teenager and he is written as such. I just feel like I needed more from this book to push it over to “love” but I’m not sure what that “more” is. The tenses and POV changes can get a bit jarring but as you read it becomes more fluid. This is just simply a good, short YA read. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 1 by Kafka Asagiri

adventurous dark 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? No

4.5

Fun first volume in the series. Kept me engaged and excited to read the next one and learn more about the characters.

A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows by Holly Renee

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

This book was overall not good but I can see the potential of it. It’s so predictable that the big plot twist at the end just made me confused because I already that the twist was known to all the characters. Adara was too indecisive that it was annoying. Every half page she was back and forth with herself, it became far to redundant, predictable, and boring. Also, she is supposed to be some badass female, but literally couldn’t do anything in any situation. I think the fae vs. vampyre story is so interesting and fun but it’s like a background almost. I’ll read the second book in hopes that that aspect comes forward more and that Adara grows into herself. I can see the potential for a pretty decent series, I just hope the author figured out how to weave a well written story into the smut. 

Death Note: Black Edition, Vol. 2 by Pookie Rolf, Alexis Kirsch, Takeshi Obata, Tsugumi Ohba

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Every time I’m reintroduced to Misa I love her just a little more. 

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

This book is quit boring. Nothing truly happens and no big developments are made. However, as someone who loves many people with autism it is a good read. No two people with autism are the same, but to get a glimpse and understanding of how those who have autism may see or feel the world is always a great learning experience. As I read, I really started to empathize with those out in the world like the main character who aren’t understood and don’t understand themselves. Especially those who can’t get diagnosed or who have family that aren’t supportive in the diagnosis. It’s a great short read and while it won’t be life changing or have any shocking twists, it is great at making you reflect on the people you love and how you treat others.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

funny reflective sad fast-paced

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

2.75

Some of the short stories were so good. The short stories about the physicist, peach cobbler (the first one only), and the last story about the daughter were so incredible. The other stories were just gross in my opinion. Maybe that was the intention, I don’t know, but I hated all the cheating and gross thoughts and the justification of all of it. 

Actors Anonymous by James Franco

reflective slow-paced

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

1.0

I DNFed this book twice years ago, but I finally shoved through it to get it off my shelf and into the trash. I would never throw a book away, always pass it on. However, this book is criminal and will go in the trash immediately. This book and Franco are grotesque, narcissistic, and delusional. This isn’t “art” or “experimental” or even “pushing boundaries”. It reads as if each stories is trying to up the criminal and shock factor of the last. These stories are supposed to be fictional but after everything we know about Franco now I’m not so sure. A truly deplorable book. 

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

Loved this sequel and for awhile I thought I loved it more than the first book, however in the end it just didn’t live up to the first book. Still a great read with wonderful, lovable characters, but it started to become so slow for me. The first book balanced the romance with the conflict very well. This book was very romance top heavy, so it drowned out the conflict the author created. The conflict didn’t really appear or get resolved until the last 30 pages of the book, making it seem slow but also rushed at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, I love straight forward romance focused books, but that just isn’t how the first book was and not how the summary of this book made it seem it would be. Overall, great book and a great sequel just not as good as it’s original source material!