loiereads's reviews
258 reviews

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

Oh man, I LOVE books like this. There us so much within this story that I can reate to, and it's honestly so nice to feel such a connection to a story and characters. 
This was such a beautiful and emotional read. I loved the characters and the genuine development of their relationship. I loved their backstories and their personalities. The art was BEAUTIFUL! I love Faith's signature art style. I've read her graphic novel, Pumpkinheads which she made with Rainbow Rowell, and as soon as I started reading Hockey Girl Loved Drama Boy, I instantly fell in love. 
I love that this story shows that sometimes people don't need labels in life. As long as yoy know yourself, you don't owe an explanation to anyone else. I really love that. 
There's honestly so much to love and to take from this story, and I'd definitely recommend it for your next read! 

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

adventurous

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

OH MY GOODNESS. The amount of  exposition this book has is INSANE. So many times I completely forgot where I was because there were paragraphs and paragraphs of over-explanation that could have been weaved into the story way more subtly. 
And to be honest, I just didn't care??? I had no attachment to any of these characters or the story. It just felt like one big over-explanation info-dump party. 

The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

This was not it. 

Bloom by Kevin Panetta

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

Sweet little story. Felt like it needed a bit more to it, though. The development of the relationship between Ari and and Hector didn't feel that powerful, though. I also quite disliked Ari's character, even though I really wanted to like him. 
I was expecting a bit more from this, but it was a sweet, short read and perfect to kick off 2025 with! 

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

This one started out so strong and I was really enjoying it, but then it just completely lost me. It couldn't grab me enough to keep me both entertained and captivated.
The concept was so sweet, but it just lacked the proper execution. There were some pretty decent descriptions, but then the writing would go downhill, making it sound like a 13 year old's Wattpad book - it was very distracting and not consistently fluent.

The Art of DreamWorks the Wild Robot by Jerry Schmitz

informative inspiring lighthearted

5.0

A really beautiful artwork full of character sketches, landscape paintings, photographs and detailed written explanations about the process of developing the film. 
The Wild Robot instantly became my favourite film, so being able to read about the behind the scenes and the process was really enlightening and enjoyable. 
Can't wait for the second movie 😉

The Art Beneath the Cage by

challenging emotional reflective

5.0

"ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ, ᴅʏɪɴɢ ꜱʜᴏᴡꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ."
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This is a beautiful, poignant and heartbreaking poetry collection that will leave you sitting and thinking for a long time after you’ve finished reading the last page. Desirae’s emotions translate really well through her perfectly chosen words. There is something in this powerful little collection that everyone will be able to relate to. 
If you need something powerful that packs a punch, it’s this. 
A beautiful first poetry collection by Desirae. I cannot wait to see what else she creates in the future ❤️ 

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I recently started rewatching BBC’s Merlin and so wanted to read something with similar vibes. I really liked the sound of the premise for this book, but I have to admit that it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It felt pretty slow and just not all that engaging. I liked the characters, but not quite enough for me to feel really connected to them. I really wanted to like this one more, but it is what it is, I suppose. 

The Unlikely Heir by Jax Calder

lighthearted medium-paced

2.0

I was hoping to like this one more. I think I'm still on a high from Red, White & Royal Blue and was hoping it would be similar, but it sadly just doesn't come anywhere near. It felt too unrealistic and unbelievable. I also didn't vibe with the characters. Gutted, but oh well.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

3.5