melissa_keen's reviews
81 reviews

Dune by Frank Herbert

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? It's complicated

4.5

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It takes a little while to get used to the terminology (a bit like a LOTR/Game of Thrones book); it's an incredibly detailed, cleverly written book with a whole new universe and planet to get used to. It's so well written and the story moves at a good pace. Not my usual choice of material - I'm not usually a sci-fi fan. But this is so well written, the universe is so well described, it's so colourful and creative... It's just a really great, fantastical story. 

Dust by Hugh Howey

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I feel strange after finally finishing this trilogy - spoilers ahead...

The second book was my favourite, by a landslide; Donald is my favourite character as he is one of the only main characters who feels properly fleshed out.. In comparison, I find Juliette annoying and borderline dislikeable. She doesn't hear people out, she's hard-headed and does what she wants without taking other people's feelings or thoughts into account. The story dragged in many parts and I found myself skim-reading a lot just to get through it. 

There were some really random and jarring new elements introduced into this third book, such as the threat of sexual assault and religious cults. They felt very misplaced and didn't align at all with the previous narrative.

The ending was ok, but could have been made better... It was definitely less of a bang and more of a whimper type of ending. I feel there were quite a few unanswered questions, like what happened to the other silos, and Juliette's/silo 17's healing ability. I also felt throughout all three books, that Juliette and Lukas' relationship felt extremely forced and weird. There weren't enough touching moments of them to truly feel anything when he died. 

All in all, I'm a bit disappointed in this trilogy, but perhaps I am to blame for having such high expectations!

Shift by Hugh Howey

adventurous dark mysterious 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

I actually preferred the second book to the first. I really like Donald's story, and hearing Jimmy's background. However I think there are unanswered questions, like why they fake the vision in the helmets for those going to a cleaning. I'm looking forward to reading the third and final book, hoping all the remaining questions will be answered.

Wool by Hugh Howey

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

I found this book difficult to get into. While the premise is engaging, it really dragged in places and felt like work to get through. However, the story is fairly interesting and I'm sufficiently curious enough to read the next installment of the trilogy 

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

informative fast-paced

4.0

A very good starting place for anyone who wants to learn more about becoming financially free.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Amazing book. I don't know how Stephen King does it - his worlds feel so real, the people are so complex. Just a really amazing book.

The Shining by Stephen King

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

Amazing book, as you'd expect from Stephen King. Very different from the film - none of the iconic moments like "Here's Johnny" happen, nor the "all work and no play" bit. However, I think the ending is so much better in the book. Without giving too much away, it's sad but also sort of hopeful. All the characters have so much more depth, particularly Jack, the dad, and Wendy, the mother. Jack fights hard to stop the hotel from taking him over, and to fight his alcoholism, while he's made to look like a weak alcoholic in the film. Wendy is also a fighter in the book, doing whatever she can to protect their son. As King himself has admitted, she is whiny and screamy in the film. This book is definitely worth a read - it's a classic for a reason!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Murder

This is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn To See by Seth Godin

informative medium-paced

1.5

Extremely boring. Really struggled to get through this, mostly due to how it's written but also because there are no actionable takeaways to be had from this book. There are a lot of issues posed, but no real solutions. A lot of the information is also very obvious.

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

2.5

A strange book; really beautifully written. I like the descriptions of life on the lighthouse, and of the sea. There is a key theme of loneliness throughout the book that I think was nicely done. The story is quite slow, but it is an easy read. 

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

Such a smart book, I read it in two sittings!