lilradridinghood's reviews
483 reviews

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

medium-paced

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

3.5

It was interesting enough. I did feel like the wording was awkward in a lot of places but it was ok.

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I was really tempted to DNF in the beginning because of how annoying the characters were. Jack was neglecting his student body president responsibilities, and Vi refused to accept that you actually have to be nice to people if you want anyone to like you. But Jack does get better throughout the book, and his motivations are very clear. Vi only gets a little more tolerable, and her decisions make no sense.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.

There are two many POVs. It's pointless to have all six because they are traveling in pairs, so there could have been just three. It's also redundant because sometimes we get something from someone's thoughts, and then again when they say it out loud to another character. Romance seens very prevalent, but I don't care for any of yhe pairings. The characters are also not interesting enough for me to look past their shitty actions and views, like Euyun thinking a place is crazy for allowing women to inherit the throne.

Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

not compelling enough and got spoiled for a review

The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

2.0

I'm not a fan of how big a role smart phones and social media played in this setting.

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

informative inspiring reflective

5.0

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

slow-paced

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

2.0

There were some parts toward the end that were really sweet and made me happy, but overall it was not an enjoyable experience. First of all, the rivalry does not escalate naturally. They are too quick to throw shade at each other and engage with each other's posts for no reason. I don't understand why they're friends as Jo and Sophie either. I feel like the only thing tying them together is the fact that they are aroace. I get how amazing it can be to find someone you share that with, but I think a relationship needs more than that. I also don't like how quick Jo is to criticize Sophie's immigrant parents. Jo was honestly just a jerk in general. However, I do appreciate the representation, and despite their online hostility toward each other, they both give pretty good advice. I do wish it was a bit less explanatory though, especially since it is about characters who already know they're aroace.

The Amazing Beasts of Philippine Mythology: When You Have to Say: Excuse Me, Mister Monster Sir! (Bilingual English and Filipino Texts) by The Ang Ink Artists Collective

informative

5.0

I love the range of art styles and creatures. It's great that the descriptions are in both Tagalog and English so I can try to practice reading Tagalog.

The World's End by Rin Chupeco

3.5

Just interesting enough to keep me going until I finished it; the prophecies got kinda annoying

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide

Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki

hopeful informative 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

5.0