killerpancake's reviews
642 reviews

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

dark fast-paced

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

2.0

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

dark emotional 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

5.0

Really propulsive read. I didn’t know the myth and got invested so quickly. It is absolutely dark and challenging at times but I wanted to stick with it regardless. 

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.

This book is really sweet but I just wasn’t feeling it at the moment. There’s a bit of over explaining things in a way that I takes me out of the story. I’m gonna circle back at a different time.

Middletide by Sarah Crouch
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.

The duel timelines were not working for me. I wanted to stick with the mystery and not the failed love story.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

This was a solid mystery with an entertaining ending but the journey to get there was at times a little slow. The duel timelines took a while to really grab me and every time we went into the past I was a little bummed until about 60% into the book.

The way it comes together and concludes however was worth it for me in the end.

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

SGJ just gets this genre and the approach in this one was so well done. This is a story about guilt and love, way deeper than I initially imagined it would be. The relationship between Tolly and Amber is one of my favorites I’ve read and it really evolves in a way that felt natural but a bit unpredictable (until it became so obvious haha). 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Murder

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

The prose is really pretty at times but the romance takes forever to get going which is a stark contrast to how quickly the character development is. It feels like the backstory of the female MC is supercharged then there's a lull for a while while we wait for the romance to get going and by the time we get there the book is basically done. I'm also not totally able to grasp the politics of the world so the tension felt less compelling.

That being said, there are some really great sequences in this book that were pleasurable to read. I just had to wait too long in between them. Also, not enough dragons.

Star Bringer by Nina Croft, Tracy Wolff

adventurous lighthearted 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

4.5

fun and honestly i really wanted to know what was gonna happen! i'll be around for book 2.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

This was fluffy and fine. The MC was at times really annoying and frustrating but the love interest kept me around. 

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Yes it’s slow but the vibes are pretty great on this one. It’s dream, it’s fun, it’s a little sexy, but mostly it’s a bunch of 20 somethings trying to figure shit out and failing in interesting ways. I’m legit excited for the next installment.