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lucybbookstuff's reviews
372 reviews
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another delightful installment of Witches of Thistle Grove! 🎃
Good spice in this one. Less action in the plot, but I enjoyed the self-actualization theme. Great variety of rep, as always.
Nothing much to say! Fun books, I look forward to continuing next October!
Happy Halloween!
Good spice in this one. Less action in the plot, but I enjoyed the self-actualization theme. Great variety of rep, as always.
Nothing much to say! Fun books, I look forward to continuing next October!
Happy Halloween!
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Excellent collection! As with any short story collection, there were some misses. But mostly hits. Covering a wide range of Indigenous experiences and allegory.
Glad I got this on my ereader early in the month, so I could do 1 story per day. Definitely good to let each story marinate.
Glad I got this on my ereader early in the month, so I could do 1 story per day. Definitely good to let each story marinate.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't have much to say about this - I liked it just as much if not slighlty more than Ninth House!
I like the characters, the spooky vibes were great for October, and it had Bardugo's signature complicated plotting. I don't know how her brain formulates these crazy plots, but I find it very impressive. Along with the insane amount of research these books require.
That's about it, though. It's never gonna be a favorite series, but it's definitely fun. Looking forward to the 3rd and final installment! Hopefully before next October so I can keep up this tradition!
I like the characters, the spooky vibes were great for October, and it had Bardugo's signature complicated plotting. I don't know how her brain formulates these crazy plots, but I find it very impressive. Along with the insane amount of research these books require.
That's about it, though. It's never gonna be a favorite series, but it's definitely fun. Looking forward to the 3rd and final installment! Hopefully before next October so I can keep up this tradition!
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Oof, this is a tough one to rate.
First of all, it is a great story with engaging writing. The paranormal elements were very interesting and rooted in culture, and the fact that it's based on a real place adds a whole extra layer of horror.
I will be honest, I struggled for a while with feeling like it was trauma for trauma's sake, but I definitely came around to the fact that, not only was this kind of injustice painfully real, but it also was an attempt by the author to give some justice to her relative who suffered and died. I think listening to the audiobook at some of the toughest points was agitating me and affecting my view of the book. I found it a lot more manageable when I switched back to the ebook. (PS the audiobook narrator was great - this was all a case of user error)
All of that said, I was consistently bothered by something in the storytelling, and I eventually figured out that it was the pacing. This story played out insanely fast - in the span of a week, and I felt it could have benefited from being drawn out a bit more. I'm not totally sure why. And I don't mean the book needed to be longer, just that it would have made more sense to me for much of this story to unfold over a longer period. I would have assumed a lot of time of mundanity at the facility, with more slowly building horror. I think that would have worked a bit better for me from a storytelling perspective.
Also the author did say in her note that Haddock was kind of a stand-in for the entire system of abuse. I understand that choice, but the kind of cartoonish ultra-villain it created didn't totally work for me.
There also was nothing too special about the prose or character work, but nothing bad about it either.
I definitely appreciate this book, the objective of the author, and the many layers of horror on display here. I am very interested in reading some of the nonfiction books she referenced about the Dozier School.
First of all, it is a great story with engaging writing. The paranormal elements were very interesting and rooted in culture, and the fact that it's based on a real place adds a whole extra layer of horror.
I will be honest, I struggled for a while with feeling like it was trauma for trauma's sake, but I definitely came around to the fact that, not only was this kind of injustice painfully real, but it also was an attempt by the author to give some justice to her relative who suffered and died. I think listening to the audiobook at some of the toughest points was agitating me and affecting my view of the book. I found it a lot more manageable when I switched back to the ebook. (PS the audiobook narrator was great - this was all a case of user error)
All of that said, I was consistently bothered by something in the storytelling, and I eventually figured out that it was the pacing. This story played out insanely fast - in the span of a week, and I felt it could have benefited from being drawn out a bit more. I'm not totally sure why. And I don't mean the book needed to be longer, just that it would have made more sense to me for much of this story to unfold over a longer period. I would have assumed a lot of time of mundanity at the facility, with more slowly building horror. I think that would have worked a bit better for me from a storytelling perspective.
Also the author did say in her note that Haddock was kind of a stand-in for the entire system of abuse. I understand that choice, but the kind of cartoonish ultra-villain it created didn't totally work for me.
There also was nothing too special about the prose or character work, but nothing bad about it either.
I definitely appreciate this book, the objective of the author, and the many layers of horror on display here. I am very interested in reading some of the nonfiction books she referenced about the Dozier School.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had very little idea what to expect from this and I was so pleasantly surprised by it. I'd heard people say that it's slow, that it's boring and it sucks compared to the show (which I haven't seen).
I think those people had the wrong expectations of it, maybe expected that the show was a more direct adaptation. Or they prefer more action and/or more graphic horror.
I thought this book was excellent. An absolutely fascinating character study. Not at all action-oriented, but had some very bone-chilling moments (at least for me, a huge weenie). I found the psychological aspect so interesting and scary.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the thread of humor throughout the book. It eventually turned quite dark, but I stayed engaged. And I found it easy to read despite the slow pace.
I must say, I'm very surprised there isn't more talk about the covert but very presentqueerness. I don't know if it was intended by Jackson, but I really felt it throughout the book. Could just be a misreading of some typical 50s housewife repression, but... it felt pretty queer to me.
A very worthy classic, in my opinion. I'll definitely read more of hers sometime.
I think those people had the wrong expectations of it, maybe expected that the show was a more direct adaptation. Or they prefer more action and/or more graphic horror.
I thought this book was excellent. An absolutely fascinating character study. Not at all action-oriented, but had some very bone-chilling moments (at least for me, a huge weenie). I found the psychological aspect so interesting and scary.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the thread of humor throughout the book. It eventually turned quite dark, but I stayed engaged. And I found it easy to read despite the slow pace.
I must say, I'm very surprised there isn't more talk about the covert but very present
A very worthy classic, in my opinion. I'll definitely read more of hers sometime.
dark
funny
fast-paced
I haven't read manga since high school, and I totally forgot how goofy and fun it can be. 😂 Had a great time flipping through this in a single sitting. Definitely hits the spooky season vibe, too (and checks off "manga" on this year's genre challenge).
I don't know if I'll see it all the way through, but I put vol. 2 on hold at the library!
I don't know if I'll see it all the way through, but I put vol. 2 on hold at the library!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Quite liked this! Thankfully, I had been prepared for it to be more romance than horror, so I think my expectations were in the right place.
While I did like the romance, I liked the historical and horror elements more. I feel like the true horror in this book is the horror of colonization. And there are layers to that, too, because Nena's family (if not everyone depicted) are also descended from Spanish colonizers. Mexico has had a long, fraught history, and this really made me interested in learning more about it.
I went into this book unsure how I'd feel about the vampires, because I'd realized in the last year that they are not a trope I care about or that I'm drawn to. But this book made me further realize that I'm definitely into vampires as a monster (especially when used in a unique way, such as here or in the show Midnight Mass). I am not into vampires as a sexy love interest. 😆 But the use of them here was so creative and cool, and definitely eerie. I felt legitimately spooked on more than one occasion.
One other thing I really liked was the "Southwestern" atmosphere. That was really enjoyable for me as an Arizonan (though the irony of me saying that as a white person in another part of former Mexico is not lost on me).
As for the romance, I did like it, but it also got extremely repetitive and the miscommunication grew very tiresome. I was rooting for them, but I also found Néstor's indictment of Nena as a brat to be very true much of the time. 😅 I appreciate her struggles for sure, but I did find her stubbornness and her obliviousness of their power dynamic annoying, so I was on Néstor's side in pretty much all of their fights.
However, it was sweet and I'm down with the HEA, even though it was not an HEA for Northern Mexico after the events of this book. :( Definitely going to look into some Mexican history.
While I did like the romance, I liked the historical and horror elements more. I feel like the true horror in this book is the horror of colonization. And there are layers to that, too, because Nena's family (if not everyone depicted) are also descended from Spanish colonizers. Mexico has had a long, fraught history, and this really made me interested in learning more about it.
I went into this book unsure how I'd feel about the vampires, because I'd realized in the last year that they are not a trope I care about or that I'm drawn to. But this book made me further realize that I'm definitely into vampires as a monster (especially when used in a unique way, such as here or in the show Midnight Mass). I am not into vampires as a sexy love interest. 😆 But the use of them here was so creative and cool, and definitely eerie. I felt legitimately spooked on more than one occasion.
One other thing I really liked was the "Southwestern" atmosphere. That was really enjoyable for me as an Arizonan (though the irony of me saying that as a white person in another part of former Mexico is not lost on me).
As for the romance, I did like it, but it also got extremely repetitive and the miscommunication grew very tiresome. I was rooting for them, but I also found Néstor's indictment of Nena as a brat to be very true much of the time. 😅 I appreciate her struggles for sure, but I did find her stubbornness and her obliviousness of their power dynamic annoying, so I was on Néstor's side in pretty much all of their fights.
However, it was sweet and I'm down with the HEA, even though it was not an HEA for Northern Mexico after the events of this book. :( Definitely going to look into some Mexican history.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Choosing the pace of this book... what's slower than slow??
This took me 3 months to read and I am feeling very salty about it. I was very surprised to find this so unbelievably boring after the ending of Well of Ascension. I had really liked Well of Ascension, and between that and knowing how much the fanbase raves about Hero of Ages, I expected A LOT more.
Almost nothing at all happened in the first 400 pages. It took me 2 months and change just to get through that much. By the time I got to some actual plot, I was mostly just annoyed by how long it had taken. The ending answered some questions for sure, but it didn't feel that satisfying. Especially consideringthe entire trilogy had been leading me to believe Vin is the end-all-be-all, just to bait and switch me in the LAST CHAPTER with Sazed. To be fair, Sazed is probably the best choice for God, but that still felt unearned from a storytelling perspective.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a reader who NEEDS a thrilling plot. If the character arcs, development, and motivations are compelling, that can carry me through almost anything. These characters simply weren't compelling. They had been in book 2, for the most part, but they totally dropped off here. Except for Spook and TenSoon.
I was just bored! The entire time! The plotting and pacing were SO off throughout this entire series, but particularly in this finale. For example, I usually love when a huge crew gets split up on different adventures... but I love it for the promise of the journey of coming back together. The crew being split up the ENTIRE TIME and constantly jumping between them in this book was endlessly frustrating.
In general, Sanderson asked a ton of questions throughout this series. And I found it incredibly annoying that at least 75% of the answers were saved for the last 200 pages of the final book. Like I said, the plotting/pacing did not work for me at all.
I respect Sanderson and I recognize that he has really big and unique ideas. I just think this series needed a lot of work with translating those ideas into a story. To be honest, I found the magic system and worldbuilding SO complex that they verged on convoluted.
Sigh. I'm feeling really pissed off. I stuck out this umbelievable slog for this ending that everyone promised is so worth it. And I just don't feel that it was.
All of that said... I know these are early books for Sanderson. And I've heard much better things about the Stormlight Archives. I will definitely be giving those a try, but not until after a looooong break. I need some time to forgive him lol.
This took me 3 months to read and I am feeling very salty about it. I was very surprised to find this so unbelievably boring after the ending of Well of Ascension. I had really liked Well of Ascension, and between that and knowing how much the fanbase raves about Hero of Ages, I expected A LOT more.
Almost nothing at all happened in the first 400 pages. It took me 2 months and change just to get through that much. By the time I got to some actual plot, I was mostly just annoyed by how long it had taken. The ending answered some questions for sure, but it didn't feel that satisfying. Especially considering
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a reader who NEEDS a thrilling plot. If the character arcs, development, and motivations are compelling, that can carry me through almost anything. These characters simply weren't compelling. They had been in book 2, for the most part, but they totally dropped off here. Except for Spook and TenSoon.
I was just bored! The entire time! The plotting and pacing were SO off throughout this entire series, but particularly in this finale. For example, I usually love when a huge crew gets split up on different adventures... but I love it for the promise of the journey of coming back together. The crew being split up the ENTIRE TIME and constantly jumping between them in this book was endlessly frustrating.
In general, Sanderson asked a ton of questions throughout this series. And I found it incredibly annoying that at least 75% of the answers were saved for the last 200 pages of the final book. Like I said, the plotting/pacing did not work for me at all.
I respect Sanderson and I recognize that he has really big and unique ideas. I just think this series needed a lot of work with translating those ideas into a story. To be honest, I found the magic system and worldbuilding SO complex that they verged on convoluted.
Sigh. I'm feeling really pissed off. I stuck out this umbelievable slog for this ending that everyone promised is so worth it. And I just don't feel that it was.
All of that said... I know these are early books for Sanderson. And I've heard much better things about the Stormlight Archives. I will definitely be giving those a try, but not until after a looooong break. I need some time to forgive him lol.
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. This book has been sitting unread for almost 5 years. Given to me by my dad because the author is a friend and colleague of his. As is often the case with gifted books, I never quite got around to it. Until this month (September 2024) when I pulled it out of my TBR jar.
And I'm nearly lost for words. That was an absolutely beautiful, heart-wrenching, painfully realistic novel.
The characters' lives all centered around their disabled son/brother, and yet, they were all still fully realized people with their own interests, flaws, strengths, and neuroses.
The narrative structure was perfectly frustrating in its time jumps. But still managed to be satisfying.
This book made me feel a lot. Including making me examine my own feelings and ideas about having kids, my patience, and my selfishness. I related a lot to the character of Ivy, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
This book felt impossibly depressing at times, and I'd have to remind myself that unfortunately, all of this is actually possible. But that includes the joyful moments, too.
Great book, especially impressive for an indie-published debut! I'll definitely be hyping it up.
And I'm nearly lost for words. That was an absolutely beautiful, heart-wrenching, painfully realistic novel.
The characters' lives all centered around their disabled son/brother, and yet, they were all still fully realized people with their own interests, flaws, strengths, and neuroses.
The narrative structure was perfectly frustrating in its time jumps. But still managed to be satisfying.
This book made me feel a lot. Including making me examine my own feelings and ideas about having kids, my patience, and my selfishness. I related a lot to the character of Ivy, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
This book felt impossibly depressing at times, and I'd have to remind myself that unfortunately, all of this is actually possible. But that includes the joyful moments, too.
Great book, especially impressive for an indie-published debut! I'll definitely be hyping it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt
Minor: Child abuse
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Not gonna lie, I found this, for the most part, quite boring and dry. 😬 But that mostly comes down to its classic-ness/the time it was written clashing with my prose preferences. I also was frustrated with this trope I hate of the MC being intentionally kept in the dark for most of the book, and therefore so was I.
It was still a very charming little fantasy story that was often fun and did have some interesting themes of anticolonialism and finding oneself.
I think folks who are very into classic fantasy would really enjoy this!
It was still a very charming little fantasy story that was often fun and did have some interesting themes of anticolonialism and finding oneself.
I think folks who are very into classic fantasy would really enjoy this!