lentils1012's reviews
53 reviews

The Magnus Archives: Season 1 by Jonathan Sims

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

I really love Diana Wynne Jones' books, this series feels like a mix of fairy tales and dreams and offer twists you don't see coming.
Just like in Howls Moving Castle I found the magic system and Ingary enchanting. However, I enjoyed the first book of this series way more. I did not like how fast some problems in this novel were solved and Sophie was more likable to me than Abdullah was. Overall still a nice book. 

I was so happy about the reappearance of characters of Howls Moving Castle in this book <3

Emilia Galotti by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

fast-paced

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

2.5

I do think this book has a certain relevance and can be used to depict aspects of the time it was written in. You can also analyze scenes and characters in a very detailed way. 
  Overall, I did not enjoy it that much though. On one hand I disliked most of the characters and on the other it was difficult to read it due to the language. I also can't say that I found the plot overly interesting. 
  So I guess it wasn't a particularly unfit read for school but I wouldn't have read it on my own account. 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

emotional mysterious relaxing tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I read this book for school, which often does influence how I feel about those novels since you have to read carefully and because there's a deadline.

That being said, the book was okay in my opinion. The conflicts which are shown were mostly interesting to me (e.g. how science and humanity affect & will affect nature and humans, morals, identity etc.; probably good to discuss in class) 
I also think the reader was able to empathize and relate to characters concerning certain aspects. 

However, I did sometimes get bored because the story seemed to be monotonous or repetitive and I was annoyed at characters, for example Jenna's Parents. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I think I liked this book, mainly because of the writing style and because there is much room for analyzing and interpretation. The development of the characters was interesting too and I didn't predict most parts of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

challenging dark mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

challenging dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.5

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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

4.0

Nocturne by Fyyaa123, Nathan Koia

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I heard that this book is good, but I still didn't expect that I would love it that much! :) 
 At first I really tried to understand the worldbuilding and the war, but after some time I realized that I enjoyed it way more by focusing on the characters and their story rather than on the story of the world itself. 
 The relationship developing throughout the letters and the writing was really beautiful (it also made me feel a bit dumb sometimes, but oh well). 
 Also, that was what made it fun to annotate the book, you can find phrases, words and stylistic devices to interpret literally everywhere :)