lokasreads's reviews
40 reviews

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

 From the beginning, the setting Bardugo crafts is intricate and engaging. The country of Ravka is split in two by an otherworldly break in the earth known as the Shadow Fold, a huge swath of land covered in complete darkness and seething with eerie creatures called volcra who viciously hunt any human within its boundaries. Ravkans can only trade with the rest of the world by crossing the Shadow Fold; the implications of this alone are fascinating, and the political and social climate of the country are built logically around this fact, among others. 

When Alina and her regiment enter the Shadow Fold, the scene is described terrifyingly well. I’m rarely scared by a book, but this one does it, multiple times. Even beyond the Shadow Fold, Bardugo craftily takes the reader along the highs and lows of the story, whether or not you enjoy the ride. 

Coming to this story in the reverse order - by reading the newer Six of Crows duology beforehand - was really interesting. I imagine those who read Shadow and Bone first feel similarly about reading Six of Crows after. Between the books, between the series, there are so many little details that carry over and spark interest and questions in the reader, as further testament to Bardugo’s worldbuilding. 

The huge plot twist in the middle of the book (

the Darkling actually being a villain and not just painted as one

) truly surprised me. Not in a way that feels like it came out of left field and doesn’t make any sense, but in the way that Bardugo knew the expectations the reader would have, played into them, then twisted everything the other direction. It even took a few more chapters for me to truly believe the betrayal I was reading. In hindsight, there were so many signs and bits of extremely subtle foreshadowing, which is how such a shocking twist didn’t feel as subconsciously wrong as it could have. Reading back through my annotations to write this review, seeing my ignorance, was truly painful. This book is a masterclass in knowing your audience, and using that knowledge to wound them deeply. 

As always, Bardugo’s characterization is top-notch, and the book is full of witty banter and realistic relationships between the characters. It’s hard not to love or appreciate every semi-major character based solely on how real they fell, how textured they are. That being said, I found the characterization of the main character, Alina, disappointingly flat. In my opinion, it can be very difficult to develop characters from a first-person perspective; especially coming to this story from Six of Crows, I think Bardugo may have struggled with this as well, though not nearly as much as other authors/books with similar issues. 

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Romance isn't my go-to genre, but this book hooked me. From the beginning, I loved the way the author used similes and metaphors to describe scenes in a simple yet gorgeous and effective manner. Some reviewers disliked the chapters showing glimpses of Evelyn's previous lives, but I really enjoyed them and thought they brought the story and characters to life. However, these chapters could sometimes introduce new information a bit too quickly and resolve points of tension in too much of a hurry, but they were still enjoyable. 

The messaging could be a bit heavy-handed and repetitive, the author falling victim to telling instead of showing, and I was a little frustrated at how heteronormative the romance felt. I appreciate the idea of two souls loving each other in reincarnations no matter the sex/gender, but the more masculine character played a more traditionally masculine role and vice versa for the feminine character. Even their names are traditionally gendered. I might be too picky about it, but I just didn't get the point of calling it a queer romance when the only thing queer about them depended on which body they had in a past life. 

The twist at the end came out of left field, and not necessarily in a good way. It felt like a TV series randomly introducing aliens after two seasons in a world without them. As things developed further, it all made a bit more sense, but it still left me with a sour taste. And I honestly could not explain the ending to you if I tried, which isn't a great sign. 

That being said, I did find it an enjoyable, addictive read with lovable characters and a heart-wrenching story (or multiple stories). I do recommend this book, even if you - like me - don't usually read romance. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

All of Us Villains by C.L. Herman, Amanda Foody

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book won me over, and crushed me. I didn't think I would rate it 5 stars - I was enjoying it, yes, but there were doubts and criticisms lingering in my mind that were eventually burned away. Books that deal with morally grey characters and situations are some of my favorites, and this book tackles the topic in a uniquely devastating fashion. I cannot wait to read the sequel. 

Schroeder by Neal Cassidy

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.0

 The story is shared exclusively from Schroeder’s first-person perspective - technically, he’s an unnamed protagonist until the very end. As such, we get a detailed glimpse into the workings of his mind, and I must say that at the beginning of the book, maybe to the halfway point, this perspective makes it hard not to like him. 

Schroeder possesses a haunting empathy in so many ways. But then the reader is graciously reminded just where his empathy ends as he reaches one of his next victims, several of whom aren’t given the luxury of a quick death. 

Woven between his acts of violence are astute observations of the world around him and the way he’s been treated throughout his life that will be achingly familiar to many readers, myself included. Cassidy writes his character and settings with so much detail, I could see it all so clearly in my mind’s eye as I read. 

Each chapter is marked by word art forming a letter of Schroeder’s name. I really enjoyed this detail and found it clever and unique. The words chosen are from the chapter’s text; it made me wonder whether it was showing the parts of the experience that Schroeder would remember or think about later. 

Schroeder is written, painfully obviously if not stated outright, to be neurodivergent, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about this until the end. I wondered if the book would reveal itself to be a critique of how we treat neurodivergence, or just give bigots more reason to bully “the weird kid”. 

In my opinion, it is clearly the former. While Schroeder - notably - doesn’t think much about why he’s doing what he’s doing, thoughts slip through about how alienated he felt despite his best efforts. Nothing excuses Schroeder’s horrific acts of violence, but it is impossible not to sympathize with his pain, especially as a child lost to the reasons the people around him treat him so horribly. 

In a fascinating way, however, I found myself less sympathetic of Schroeder as the book continued. Maybe the acts of horror turn the reader jaded. Maybe the uglier parts of the character’s personality - the parts that lead him to commit such violent revenge, and rarely even take the expected joy in it - become more apparent over time, bits and pieces of a somewhat insufferable attitude sprinkled between other, more relatable statements. 

I struggled with the stream-of-consciousness narration style, though I’m so unfamiliar with it that I can’t rightfully blame the book for it. I sought out this book to try something new and found I didn’t enjoy it, simple as that. If you already know you enjoy that style of writing, or you want to give it a try like I did, I do recommend this book. 

I will leave you with one of my last notes as I was reading: How can Schroeder write such long lists of things that make him happy, yet still feel so unsatisfied? Is it the human connection, or lack thereof, that’s so important? 

Yes. Yes it is.

Many thanks to NetGalley and M & S Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Die for Me by Luke Jennings

adventurous challenging tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Forgetting for a moment that I still don't quite understand how Eve and Villanelle got to the point of steamy couplings, I do enjoy the way their relationship is written in this third and final installment of the series. I was worried that the book would lean too much into a dynamic that could very well be described as abusive, but Eve sets boundaries and Villanelle makes compromises. Though I can't speak to the accuracy of the relationship dynamic with a person diagnosed with ASPD, it felt realistic enough and like it wasn't pure romanticization. I do, however, wish more time could have been devoted to watching the relationship evolve like this.

I disliked the sudden shift into first-person POV. I assume it might be so we're kept in the dark, as Eve is, to Villanelle's true feelings, but this could've been accomplished by keeping the third-person POV the previous books used. I also just plain missed the insight into Villanelle's mind. Those were some of the most entertaining chapters in previous books.

There was also an attempt at nonbinary representation that felt very dry, almost like the character's constant correction of name and pronouns was inserted as comic relief at the end of a section. I would've rather the book left out the nonbinary character entirely if they weren't going to get sensitivity readers for it.

Favorite line:

"You farting all the time doesn't help."
"It does help. It's fun. Watch. Squeeze asshole, little bubbles. Relax asshole, bigger bubbles."
"Awesome."

Okay, favorite line that's more serious:

There are times when she slides into an impenetrable silence, or pushes away from me, tense with anger at some imagined slight, but mostly she's skittish and tender. She's like a cat, yawning and stretching and purring, all lean muscle and sheathed claws. 

Stranded by J.J. Green

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

I'm realizing that this series solves problems in ways that feel too easy, too obvious, disappointing or even plainly against my expectations of the characters. But this type of book doesn't need to be too challenging in that regard - I'm only here for a fun time, and this series delivers. I highly recommend picking it up in the 10-part collection if possible. The books feel short and the endings clipped off if you can't immediately pick up the next one. 

Generation by J.J. Green

adventurous tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Not my usual cup of tea, but I couldn't put it down. At times, the characters made decisions or plans that seemed uncharacteristic or redundant for readers, but I do love the way the author writes these characters, even ones that are seemingly irrelevant. I bought this book as a collection of the entire 10-book series on Kobo - with a much more appealing cover - and I'm glad I can jump right into the next one. 

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

"The Last Unicorn" but with gory, deep-sea mermaids. Very literary - short enough to reread and gain more from it every time, I'm sure. 

Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

I really loved this book. However, something happened just a few chapters from the end that made it very difficult for me to finish and kept it from a 5-star rating. I'll go into that in a spoilered section at the bottom of this review. CW for that section:

animal death

This is not a how-to on grief, unless you're privileged enough to disappear to a barely-inhabited island like the author, but addresses how hard it is to figure out the how-to of grief among the bureaucracies, and flawed systems, that surround it.

Last year, I lost my father. We had a complicated relationship and I had been expecting his passing for years, but it still hit me like a train. I checked out this book from my library knowing that I, too, had not given myself - or been given - a chance to properly grieve.

I found myself relating to the author, who lost her beloved husband of many years, much more than I expected. Death is the great uniter, and whatnot. So much of her writing left me reflective, writing my own notes in response, thinking through my loss in ways I hadn't yet. And I thank her and this book endlessly for that opportunity. I will buy my own copy so, when the time comes, I can reread it and annotate to my heart's content.

In one of the final chapters of the book, the author describes accidentally running over her dog shortly after her husband's death. This event is written from the perspective of 'yet another thing going horribly wrong this year'. I understand the death of a pet might be swallowed up by the death of a loved one, but as someone who also lost two of my pets the same year my father died, I couldn't stomach how that was the only way it was written. It wasn't mentioned again - it wasn't mentioned that she could barely process her pet's death with everything else, it wasn't acknowledged as a different topic entirely than the main topic of the book but still something important and painful - it just happened, made everything worse, and was left there. I really wish there had been something else to go into this that didn't leave the death of a beloved pet as a mere footnote.

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

I really wanted to like this book, but it needed a few more rounds of editing. There were enough grammar and spelling errors to pull me out of reading, and several times, the plot accelerated so quickly, answering questions and solving puzzles that had only been set the chapter before, that I almost lost the motivation to keep reading. The only hook throughout the entire book is the romance, which has never been sufficient enough to be my only motivation for reading a book; I don't read books that are just the romance genre, and this bordered that too much for my liking. 

With more edits and drafts, it could have been a really amazing book. I loved the idea and the characters, and I liked it enough to keep reading and to hope it was the beginning of a series. That being said, my friends consider me a harsh critic when it comes to writing, so give the book a try and see if it's to your tastes.