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lenorayoder's reviews
85 reviews
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
adventurous
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Restarting this series as I never finished, so I remembered the main story beats which made it fun to notice all the clues along the way. What a great start to a series, still good as an adult but I wish I’d known about these when I was younger.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
emotional
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
A solid YA mystery with solid characters and themes. Having chapters from different character perspectives really works for this story, and I think the time we spend with each character is balanced well. Not surprised this was adapted into a show, it seems well suited for it. When it comes down to it though, none of the characters are very interesting/complex, and I'm not interested in reading the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Homophobia
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I liked it, but much of the book is spent worrying about time travel instead of having adventures in the past. Not much plot to go around.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
funny
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
There are snippets of the book that are enjoyable, and I like that this one loosely adapts Persuasion the way the first book loosely adapted Pride and Prejudice. However, long stretches of the book are kind of insufferable, and it’s annoying to read through them to get to the good bits (and the good bits aren’t worth it).
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia and Racism
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
A good mystery, but something about this book just felt off - maybe the pacing? Things just felt kind of vague? I can’t describe it better than that. Didn’t care for the Hastings/Cinderella subplot at all.
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
2.0
This was okay. There were several aspects I enjoyed, but a lot of this book really bothered me.
This is a sequel in the worst way. Two has the same themes, basic plot, and strengths and weaknesses as One. But because I'm reading them for the second time, and because of the ending of the book, everything is diluted.
I like the idea of new characters, but all of them are poorly executed (the L0w Five feel the book equivalent of a backdoor pilot - why are they here??) and except for Wade all of the characters from the first book are less interesting. I like how Wade has evolved from the first book, the way he's changed feels realistic in his circumstance and with the change in age. But everyone else feels like shadows of their characters in the first book - Art3mis' character has a sudden and drastic change of heart and attitude that feels unearned fairly early in the story, Aech feels more like a side character than a long-time friend, and Shoto feels more like a tagalong then ever, even though it feels like after the years spent with the other characters between books, he should be a bigger and more familiar part of the story. The reappearance ofSorrento feels so unwarranted - his motives are never really clear, and he wasn't an interesting enough villain in the first book to warrant bringing back - the most interesting thing about him in One was how he served as a metaphor for corporate greed etc., and that's stripped away here .
The telling instead of showing almost feels worse in this book - both because as a sequel we should already be familiar enough with the world that all this exposition is unneeded, and because many of the quest sequences involve characters telling Wade what's happening, which is even more annoying to read than Wade telling us what's happening (this was especially painful during the quest on The Afterworld planet, and I think would probably be a problem for a lot of readers given the likely small overlap between readers of this book and super Prince fans).
I like the focus on Kira in this story, and using her character to explore how women get don't receive due credit or veneration was nice, though I think it would have made more of an impact if Aech and Art3mis were more fleshed out as well. I think taking a more nuanced look atHalliday and using him to explore some of the toxicity of male-dominated nerd culture was a good choice too.
I think the ending is interesting, but unsuited to this book, it's themes, and the themes and lessons of One. Also, it has to be said - the characters in this book make several huge decisions that they seem entirely unqualified to make. They have the power and time to consult experts who could help them make much more informed decisions but just... never do. Yes, this is ultimately a YA book - but if you're going to delve into these big topics, do it properly! Wade and his friends are no longer the underdogs they were at the beginning of One - with great power comes great responsibility, and the ending makes them come off as stupid, privileged assholes.
This is a sequel in the worst way. Two has the same themes, basic plot, and strengths and weaknesses as One. But because I'm reading them for the second time, and because of the ending of the book, everything is diluted.
I like the idea of new characters, but all of them are poorly executed (the L0w Five feel the book equivalent of a backdoor pilot - why are they here??) and except for Wade all of the characters from the first book are less interesting. I like how Wade has evolved from the first book, the way he's changed feels realistic in his circumstance and with the change in age. But everyone else feels like shadows of their characters in the first book - Art3mis' character has a sudden and drastic change of heart and attitude that feels unearned fairly early in the story, Aech feels more like a side character than a long-time friend, and Shoto feels more like a tagalong then ever, even though it feels like after the years spent with the other characters between books, he should be a bigger and more familiar part of the story. The reappearance of
The telling instead of showing almost feels worse in this book - both because as a sequel we should already be familiar enough with the world that all this exposition is unneeded, and because many of the quest sequences involve characters telling Wade what's happening, which is even more annoying to read than Wade telling us what's happening (this was especially painful during the quest on The Afterworld planet, and I think would probably be a problem for a lot of readers given the likely small overlap between readers of this book and super Prince fans).
I like the focus on Kira in this story, and using her character to explore how women get don't receive due credit or veneration was nice, though I think it would have made more of an impact if Aech and Art3mis were more fleshed out as well. I think taking a more nuanced look at
I think the ending is interesting, but unsuited to this book, it's themes, and the themes and lessons of One. Also, it has to be said - the characters in this book make several huge decisions that they seem entirely unqualified to make. They have the power and time to consult experts who could help them make much more informed decisions but just... never do. Yes, this is ultimately a YA book - but if you're going to delve into these big topics, do it properly! Wade and his friends are no longer the underdogs they were at the beginning of One - with great power comes great responsibility, and the ending makes them come off as stupid, privileged assholes.
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Enjoyable read, star deducted for the unfortunately period/location-typical racism. Much less second-hand embarrassment than the movie which was nice as I hate that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Racism
Girl in Paris: A Persian Encounter with the West by Shusha Guppy
reflective
2.0
I did like certain aspects of this book, but everything I liked feels like it could be executed in a way I would like even more. I understand why Guppy doesn't tell her stories chronologically, and I think that worked fine in The Blindfold Horse, but here I think it hurts more than it helps - especially when it becomes clear that things were moved around in editing. For example, she uses the term "Anglo-Saxons" occasionally throughout the book, and when she uses it for the last time does she clarify that at the time the term was used for Americans and the English.
The pretty privilege you can read between the lines of this book is wild. Pretty people really just lead charmed lives, damn.
The pretty privilege you can read between the lines of this book is wild. Pretty people really just lead charmed lives, damn.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
adventurous
3.0
I might have rated this 4 stars because I do think the world is cool, but the teen boy of it all gets to be a bit much, especially by the end of the book. At first I thought the main character was just an accurate portrayal of teen boyness, warts and all, but it becomes obvious as the book goes on that Wade can do no wrong (and actually those aren’t warts at all!) once he’s learned the Moral of the Story. Cline also really hits you over the head with said moral. And let’s not forget the clumsy exposition that continues throughout the novel. I can tolerate that at the beginning of a book, but the entire thing?? Also “rubenesque”. More than once. Kill me.
Kind of a bummer, because I think this book had a lot of potential. I still liked it though, and I’ll probably check out the sequel. I can definitely see why this was adapted into a movie and I’ll be checking that out too.
Kind of a bummer, because I think this book had a lot of potential. I still liked it though, and I’ll probably check out the sequel. I can definitely see why this was adapted into a movie and I’ll be checking that out too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I first read this book in high school and remember loving it. I decided to grab it from the library again because I was in the mood for something pensive and kind of sad and wanted to see if it held up as an adult. Boy, does it. This book is fantastic. Though the impact is different from when I was Charlie's age, this book is still so influential and offers so much with both its content and style. Weirdly, reading this book makes me feel inspired to write and like when I do so it will be better for having read this. Not that you could tell from the quality of this review!
I think this is one of those books you should definitely read at least once as a teen. As an adult I was definitely reacting differently to some moments -for the love of god, why would you give a kid who's obviously having mental/emotional difficulties LSD! Even as a high school senior, you should know that's a no no - but Chbosky and Charlie still draw me in. This book really elicits emotional reactions, and is best enjoyed on a quiet evening by yourself so you can really take your time to read between the lines and feel.
It's kind of ridiculous how many content warnings I just applied to this book, but I also think that's one of the reasons this is an important read for teens. That this book is written in the form of letters helps lower the intensity of these subjects/make them easier for the reader to handle, but things still get pretty emotional.
I think this is one of those books you should definitely read at least once as a teen. As an adult I was definitely reacting differently to some moments -
It's kind of ridiculous how many content warnings I just applied to this book, but I also think that's one of the reasons this is an important read for teens. That this book is written in the form of letters helps lower the intensity of these subjects/make them easier for the reader to handle, but things still get pretty emotional.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug use, Rape, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Cursing, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Abortion, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Car accident, Incest, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Gun violence