melissa_keen's reviews
81 reviews

Seven Crows & Cursed by Mel Odom, John Vornholt

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

This is 2 books set in the Buffy universe. I liked the first book as Buffy was a central character and I love her relationship with Angel. The second was a bit more complicated and the story was more difficult to keep up with (I felt my eyes glazing over in parts). Buffy is also not featured (unless in passing), which is a shame. 

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

dark emotional sad 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

3.5

A really profound, interesting concept for a book for sure. I just wish it had a happier ending... I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series as it doesn't feel right without such a key character.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Really enjoyed this. Found myself genuinely freaked out in a couple of instances, and felt my eyes well with tears of relief towards the end! Very evocative

How I Survived My Summer Vacation by Yvonne Navarro, Nancy Holder, Paul Ruditis, Michelle Sagara West, Cameron Dokey

adventurous fast-paced

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

2.5

Not as good as some of the other Buffy-inspired books I've read. The short stories got progressively worse and I skipped paragraphs towards the end. Not enough Buffy for my liking, but I enjoyed the setting of the summer between the first and second season - it's interesting to think what may have happened during that break.

Ghoul Trouble by John Passarella

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

A lovely read if you're a fan of Buffy - like reading a previously unseen episode when it was at it's all-time best!

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

dark emotional sad medium-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

Beautifully written, but very dark. Covers many dark themes. It's a bit slow at the beginning and hard to keep up with the characters, but it hits its stride when the book starts to focus more on Jude.

Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

A very quick read. The first half of this book reads like someone trying to talk like how they imagine teens talk, so it's a bit cringey. The overall premise is good (I found myself wanting to know what happened next), but there are points that elicited a full-on eye roll because they were a bit ridiculous and far-fetched. The writer definitely knows how to write about love and passion, those parts she did well and I found myself skipping paragraphs of other unimportant storylines (like the random pregnant friend) in order to get to what felt like the 'main" story. All in all, a good holiday read.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

adventurous emotional hopeful informative sad medium-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

5.0

A beautiful book. It spans the lives of many characters, and it can be a bit difficult remembering who is who at times. But the way the characters evolve... It's just beautiful. You don't read books like this very often.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

4.0

Really enjoyed this book. A good strong romance novel

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Jill never disappointed! Another lovely, feel-goof summer read set in one of my favourite places, Cornwall.