lilradridinghood's reviews
483 reviews

How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

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

3.0

Stories about scholarships kids surrounded by rich people always resonate with me on some level. I really loved seeing how Nancy was affected by her position in specific ways, like how her friend could fly overseas to see her relatives every year while Nancy's family was too poor for her to ever see her relatives. 

I liked most of the book, but I really didn't like the climax and resolution, arguably the most important parts. I also think the author overuses sentence fragments in a way that interrupts the flow. 

Howard the Duck, Volume 1: Duck Hunt by Chip Zdarsky, Ryan North

3.0

I've been bamboozled by Marvel's numbering. This is the second volume, following Volume 0. I didn't like the crossover with Squirrel Girl but the first part was ok.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

informative fast-paced

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

4.75

R. F. Kuang really went off about the publishing industry in this one.

Going into this book, I was worried that I would find the narrator too annoying to continue. But while I do find her actions deplorable, there are aspects of her character I actually find relatable, like her anxiety and her passion for writing. I was never rooting for her, but I could understand the motivation behind her actions. She felt like such a complex and whole human being.

The climax of the story was a bit too off the rails for my taste, but everything else was amazingly well-written and utterly gripping. R. F. Kuang did a fantastic job of clearly conveying a message without it coming off as too forced and preachy. Every outburst felt earned.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.

Chuck Tingle writes with a primary focus on message rather than plot or character, and it shows. The characters range from annoying to boring. The dialogue feels forced. I feel like I'm expected to care about the main character just because he's dealt with homophobia, but frankly, there are a lot more queer characters these days and I can't feel sympathetic for him when there's nothing else that makes him feel real. Since I don't care about him, I don't care about the story and the things happening to him.

The Reckoning of Roku by Randy Ribay

slow-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

4.0

This is definitely a character-focused story. While I love the characters' interactions, I do feel like the focus on character building made the plot feel really slow. I also wish Sozin was a more complex character. But it was cool to see Roku's struggles with detachment from the Fire Nation. I also really love Gyatso and his friendship with Roku. It was nice to see some Filipino culture incorporated too.

Sacred Hospitality by Olivie Blake

slow-paced

3.0

I read for the nicolibby parts, but it was mostly just them being immature and unable to work together.

Spider-Man: Fake Red by Yusuke Osawa

3.0

It's ok. Nothing particularly memorable. It was cool to see Silk though.
One thing that bothers me is that there's a table of contents and Easter egg breakdown that reference page numbers, but the pages are not actually numbered.

Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake

hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Similar to the type of fanfiction I like to read, it was an interesting exploration of what two people bring out in each other, without much of an actual plot. I did start to lose interest in the last quarter because I was getting tired of Regan and of feeling like something was wrong despite nothing really happening, but ultimately I enjoyed the book as a whole. The acknowledgements were really powerful too.

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim

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

2.0

The story really dragged on. I was excited for Seryu to be a more prominent  character, but I didn't like his role in this story.

The Mask of Haliya by Kaitlyn Fajilan, Jenapher Zheng

adventurous dark informative tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Beautiful and gripping story. I read it in one sitting. I really care about the characters and I'm excited to see what happens next.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse