ladykatka's reviews
837 reviews

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

dark reflective tense 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? No

3.0

I'm giving this three stars because I enjoyed most of the book. The ending was a terrible lazy cop out though and I now understand why so many people hate it. I feel like the ending made the whole book a waste of time. 

The Crooked Branch by Jeanine Cummins

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

If this had just been a story about Ginny I probably would have rayed this much higher. I loved her story, it was so good. Magella story though was very meh. I couldn't relate to her at all but that might be because I don't have any children so I've never given birth or gone through postpartum or any of those kinds of things. I think that she might have been a more relatable character if I had, but I didn't care for her whininess and her like self-involved outlook on her life. It just made it a chore to read her chapters.

Sweet Tooth: The Return by Jeff Lemire

mysterious 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? No

3.0

It's ok, but doesn't add much to the original 

Sweet Tooth: Deluxe Edition, Book Three by Carlos M. Mangaul, José Villarrubia, Jeff Lemire

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Sweet Tooth the Deluxe Edition Book Two by Jeff Lemire

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Sweet Tooth Book One by Jeff Lemire

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I'm not a big fan of the art style but the story is good. I only came to see the difference between the comic and the show.

Five Stalks of Grain by Adrian Lysenko

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Good way to introduce the topic but is barely scratches the surface. Would have like a longer graphic novel 

Wenjack by Joseph Boyden

reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

The tone is a bit hard to follow because there is not a shift between Chanie and the animals, it is all the same and in the same chapter.
It's an important story and very sad.

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig

dark mysterious tense 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

4.5

Every child eventually learns that their parent isn't perfect, but this book taught Calla one hell of a lesson.

I love a good Faustian bargain and I'm pretty sure this one counts. I haven't read a 600 page book and I really long time and I read this one in 3 days so clearly I enjoyed it. However, it turned from creepy and atmospheric for 75% of the book to instant body horror in the last 25%. So that took me by surprise. I also had to rate this down half a star because Emily was annoying and I didn't like that

John had the perfect death and then they brought him back just so that there could be a happy ending for the main characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Blood, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Addiction, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Stalking, Child abuse, Cursing, and Murder

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

5.0

I tried to read the physical book but I DNF'd it. Turns out I needed the audiobook. I listened to most of this book in one afternoon,it was such a pleasant listen. It's so nice when the author does the reading too. Loved it.