marissarosee's reviews
1917 reviews

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

adventurous

5.0

This was a reread for me to prep for The Ragpicker King and I loved every minute of it. I fell back into the story so easily and had so much fun getting to revisit the characters. Kel, Connor, and Lin are such fun and interesting characters and I loved seeing what I picked up on this go around. I'm very excited to pick up the next book.

The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 12 by Itsuki Nanao, Natsu Hyuuga

4.5

The frog scene was everything I could have wanted.

Oathbound by Tracy Deonn

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-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

5.0

I loved everything about this book. I think the plotline took this series to a totally new level and I cannot wait to see what Tracy has in store for us. I loved getting the multiple POVs in this book. It added so much depth and struggle to the story and it was so much fun getting to see characters put the pieces together. Bree has always been a strong character, but she goes through so much in this book and her journey is so SO good. I honestly was so surprised by the ending and I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long time. 

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers

4.25

As someone who loved Dash and Lily's Book of Dares as a teen, I knew this book would be right up my alley. And it was, I had so much fun reading it and it made me want to reread a few classics. And while I loved the back and forth between Erin and James, there were times when Erin really frustrated me. She turned it around in the end but there was a good portion in the middle where I was just yelling at my audiobook haha. Overall though, this was such a fun read.

Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

adventurous 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

4.75

This was so good. I definitely wish I read the Cursebreaker series prior to this but even without the author did a fantastic job filling the reader in with what we missed in the series. The dynamics between Cal, Jax, and Tycho were so good and I was invested right away in this. The plot of such an interesting take and I'm really looking forward to what happens in book two.

The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix

5.0

Oh I loved this. I'm not the biggest Lewis/Tolkien fan but this was structured in such a way that even a non fan would enjoy it. The illustrations and flow were so good and I learned so much about these two men. I need more book like this, right away.

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

5.0

I could not put this book down. I loved seeing Bree really come into herself in book 2. I think the friendship dynamics played such an important role in this one and I cannot wait to see what book three has in store. I also need Bree/Nick/Sel to be endgame. I feel like there is no better option than the three of them together. 

Those Who Wait by Georgia Spearing
Did not finish book.

I was excited to read this arc because I've been on a mythology kick for a bit but unfortunately this didn't do it for me. The dynamic between the FMC and MMC felt extremely forced. I also felt like as we were trying to get to the plot we were just stuck in uncomfortable banter between the two. This just wasn't for me. 

Family Week by Sarah Moon

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

This book was sweet. I really enjoyed following along with these three families as they made their way to Family Week. The author does a wonderful job weaving in intense topics in a lighthearted tone and I think this is the perfect queer contemporary for kids who are looking for a found family trope. I do wish the ending was stretched out a little more. I think adding a little more to each kid's end game would have helped it not feel so fast paced, but overall I'm excited to recommend this to my middle grade patrons!

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

dark sad tense slow-paced

4.5

This book was nothing like I expected. I've never felt so smart and dumb (in a good way!) while reading something. I loved getting to explore Hell with Alice and Peter. I also loved learning about the magic system in the world. It was such an interesting concept and I'd love to read more from this world.