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librovermo's reviews
224 reviews
Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill
3.5
Jenny Greenteeth doesn’t have green teeth, but she does have a lot of them, and they are very sharp. I didn’t think I’d ever encounter a super cozy morally grey character, but here we are.
The first 30% of Greenteeth felt like a nice, cozy fantasy. I found Jenny’s cluelessness about humans both funny and endearing and the addition of Brackus the goblin to the group provided some great banter. But once they set out on their quest, things went a little downhill for me.
Temperance, Brackus, and Jenny visited some amazing locations, but they had to walk to get to them and even with a bit of time skipping (for example “it took us a week to travel from A to Z”), it dragged. I’m quick to DNF when I’m not enjoying a book. I kept reading Greenteeth because I truly was invested in the plot and enjoyed the action (there was more than I expected!) but those stretches of travel made me wonder if I was making the right choice. I look longer than usual to finish the book because I had trouble feeling motivated to read through those parts.
Ultimately, I’m glad I persevered because apart from the travel, I did enjoy the book. I love the folklore, the fairy court, and the evolution of the relationships between Brackus, Jenny, and Temperance. Witnessing Jenny’s growth was especially fun, though I’m not gonna lie: I was a little disappointed at how quickly she outgrew her eager cluelessness from the first chapter. Overall a good read, even with what I felt was uneven pacing.
I received an ARC of Greenteeth from Orbit Books via Netgalley.
The first 30% of Greenteeth felt like a nice, cozy fantasy. I found Jenny’s cluelessness about humans both funny and endearing and the addition of Brackus the goblin to the group provided some great banter. But once they set out on their quest, things went a little downhill for me.
Temperance, Brackus, and Jenny visited some amazing locations, but they had to walk to get to them and even with a bit of time skipping (for example “it took us a week to travel from A to Z”), it dragged. I’m quick to DNF when I’m not enjoying a book. I kept reading Greenteeth because I truly was invested in the plot and enjoyed the action (there was more than I expected!) but those stretches of travel made me wonder if I was making the right choice. I look longer than usual to finish the book because I had trouble feeling motivated to read through those parts.
Ultimately, I’m glad I persevered because apart from the travel, I did enjoy the book. I love the folklore, the fairy court, and the evolution of the relationships between Brackus, Jenny, and Temperance. Witnessing Jenny’s growth was especially fun, though I’m not gonna lie: I was a little disappointed at how quickly she outgrew her eager cluelessness from the first chapter. Overall a good read, even with what I felt was uneven pacing.
I received an ARC of Greenteeth from Orbit Books via Netgalley.
In the Shadow of the Ark by John Nieuwenhuizen, Anne Provoost
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
This might be a soft DNF. The premise is interesting but I can’t get into it. I find it weird that Noah and his family seem to be white given the geographical location lol but it’s rad that they are described as being totally crazy
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
adventurous
mysterious
5.0
This is the kind of book that makes me wish I was better at describing beautiful writing. As I read, there were so many instances where I found myself highlighting lines that spoke not just to me but about life in general in such a perfect way, as if I was reading a book of proverbs. I genuinely can’t wait to see some of the popular highlights on Kindle once the book is released, and I usually ignore those.
I absolutely love how wildly inventive the world of Water Moon is. When Keishin stepped into Hana’s pawnshop, it was like Alice falling through the rabbit hole, but unlike Alice, wandering through Wonderland lost and alone, he had a guide in Hana. The places they visited and ways they moved through the world were always so fun and fascinating. Each location had it’s own special brand of wonder or whimsy, like the Museum of Education, which couldn’t be entered without a ticked purchased with a grain of time when you made a mistake, because its visitors learn from other people’s mistakes. As Kei and Hana traveled on their quest to find Hana’s father, I was invested for multiple reasons: I wanted to know where her father was, I wanted to see how Kei and Hana’s relationship evolved, and I couldn’t wait to see what Samantha Sotto Yambao would come up with next.
The romance between Kei and Hana is sweet, and at first I wished they had fallen just a little more slowly, but I can see why they were so easily drawn to each other. Hana had a lot of inner turmoil over her feelings for Kei having ground up in a world where people have no choice but to follow the path fate has set before them and that was central to a lot of her decisions not only when it came to Kei but throughout their entire journey. Which, by the way, I wasn’t expecting to be so dangerous! It was so exciting and a lot creepier than I thought it would be, and I loved that.
I received an arc of Water Moon from Random House/Del Rey via Netgalley.
I absolutely love how wildly inventive the world of Water Moon is. When Keishin stepped into Hana’s pawnshop, it was like Alice falling through the rabbit hole, but unlike Alice, wandering through Wonderland lost and alone, he had a guide in Hana. The places they visited and ways they moved through the world were always so fun and fascinating. Each location had it’s own special brand of wonder or whimsy, like the Museum of Education, which couldn’t be entered without a ticked purchased with a grain of time when you made a mistake, because its visitors learn from other people’s mistakes. As Kei and Hana traveled on their quest to find Hana’s father, I was invested for multiple reasons: I wanted to know where her father was, I wanted to see how Kei and Hana’s relationship evolved, and I couldn’t wait to see what Samantha Sotto Yambao would come up with next.
The romance between Kei and Hana is sweet, and at first I wished they had fallen just a little more slowly, but I can see why they were so easily drawn to each other. Hana had a lot of inner turmoil over her feelings for Kei having ground up in a world where people have no choice but to follow the path fate has set before them and that was central to a lot of her decisions not only when it came to Kei but throughout their entire journey. Which, by the way, I wasn’t expecting to be so dangerous! It was so exciting and a lot creepier than I thought it would be, and I loved that.
I received an arc of Water Moon from Random House/Del Rey via Netgalley.
An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
I have no beef with this book. It’s well-written and the premise is interesting. It’s just very heavy on politics and political intrigue. I expected some political stuff after reading the blurb, but not as much as I got, and I personally find that heavy politics are a bit boring for me (I’m not talking about the “politics” of race, gender, and sexuality, I’m talking about the politics of government/queens/vex, vex’mara, etc.). I definitely recommend the book to anyone who enjoys that though!
I received a review copy of this book from Angry Robot via Netgalley.
I received a review copy of this book from Angry Robot via Netgalley.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
2.0
like a gender-swapped Pocahontas for adults (+ magic and a John Smith that is at least 10 times more insufferable), and I never liked that movie tbh
Dry by Jarrod Shusterman, Neal Shusterman
3.75
This was so intense and probably one of the darkest YA novels I’ve read. Considering how dumb people are, it felt relatively realistic because yeah, the government wouldn’t be properly prepared for this kind of thing and yeah, everyone would behave like animals.
I was kind of disappointed in Alyssa as a main character. It kind of felt like she was just along for the ride. Her neighbor, Kelton, had way more main character energy. He experienced a lot of growth and he was just a lot more interesting which I found strange for a side character that wasn’t even mentioned in the blurb.
I enjoyed the setting because it took place in Southern California, where I grew up. Mostly Orange County, I think, but they did end up in Riverside County, where I lived, so it was cool (probably the wrong word lol) to think about my hometown getting fuuuuuucked by the Tap-Out. Whatever, Hemet sucks.
Anyway, cool book. I stayed up too late reading it and now I have to wake up in 4 hours :(
I was kind of disappointed in Alyssa as a main character. It kind of felt like she was just along for the ride. Her neighbor, Kelton, had way more main character energy. He experienced a lot of growth and he was just a lot more interesting which I found strange for a side character that wasn’t even mentioned in the blurb.
I enjoyed the setting because it took place in Southern California, where I grew up. Mostly Orange County, I think, but they did end up in Riverside County, where I lived, so it was cool (probably the wrong word lol) to think about my hometown getting fuuuuuucked by the Tap-Out. Whatever, Hemet sucks.
Anyway, cool book. I stayed up too late reading it and now I have to wake up in 4 hours :(
The Will of the Many by James Islington
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
I know it’s important to give fantasy books a chance to establish themselves with world-building, etc.(and typically I have no problem doing that), but I am so bored. I can’t do this. It’s just not for me.
We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin
I received an ARC of this book from Atria via Netgalley.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Please allow me to share a timeless quote from a review of Emily Austin’s Interesting Facts About Space: “Emily Austin is a precious gem and all of her books are perfect.” Wow, what an amazing quote. What absolute genius wrote that? It was me. I wrote it.
This book is so. good. I needed to read it. Both in a “I’m a fan of Emily Austin, I need to read this” way and a “I need to read this for my soul” way, though I didn’t realize the latter until I was finished. It feels like reading someone’s diary (and I guess part of it is kind of reading someone’s diary) so it’s very raw and authentic. The strained relationship between Sigrid and her sister Margit is so interesting and even a little frustrating as the reader because you just know they could be great friends since they’re so alike. But they don’t realize it and it’s like… ahhhhh!
I don’t know how she does it, but Emily Austin creates characters that I always relate to in some way. There’s always something about them that calls out to me and says “I’m you and you’re me,” and then I laugh and cry the whole time because it’s true. This time, the thing that grabbed me most was Sigrid’s relationship with Greta. Everything about it screamed “this is your relationship with your own friend,” and it was lovely and heartbreaking and at times it was painful to read.
I’ve found that a part of me is healed every time I read one of Emily Austin’s books. I’m convinced that eventually, she’ll write enough of them that I’ll be completely cured. Can’t wait!
This book is so. good. I needed to read it. Both in a “I’m a fan of Emily Austin, I need to read this” way and a “I need to read this for my soul” way, though I didn’t realize the latter until I was finished. It feels like reading someone’s diary (and I guess part of it is kind of reading someone’s diary) so it’s very raw and authentic. The strained relationship between Sigrid and her sister Margit is so interesting and even a little frustrating as the reader because you just know they could be great friends since they’re so alike. But they don’t realize it and it’s like… ahhhhh!
I don’t know how she does it, but Emily Austin creates characters that I always relate to in some way. There’s always something about them that calls out to me and says “I’m you and you’re me,” and then I laugh and cry the whole time because it’s true. This time, the thing that grabbed me most was Sigrid’s relationship with Greta. Everything about it screamed “this is your relationship with your own friend,” and it was lovely and heartbreaking and at times it was painful to read.
I’ve found that a part of me is healed every time I read one of Emily Austin’s books. I’m convinced that eventually, she’ll write enough of them that I’ll be completely cured. Can’t wait!
I received an ARC of this book from Atria via Netgalley.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt