miclikesbooks's reviews
432 reviews

I Found Puppets Living In My Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

This was a legitimately creepy book.  And I'm a person who loves puppets.  Tying in the feelings of grief over a loved ones loss alongside feelings of nostalgia, this quick read taps into a very human feeling.  And then just ruins your whole day.

The ending was both awesome and a bit of a bummer for me.  Though I am kind of here for puppet apocalypse.

. I would definitely suggest reading the afterword as well 

Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

This could and should have been an easy 4.5-5 stars.  The concept is very fun: A real mix of Ready Player One, Stranger Things, and It, with a really light, humorous tone.  There's even a bit of the wonder of Narnia thrown in.  I really loved the characters, and I am a sucker for nostalgic throwbacks (I will be turning my old NES into a Proton Pack now).
Unfortunately, the book is not without its flaws.  You could make a very dangerous drinking game out of repeated acknowledents of what had happened (seriously, some were word for word.  We knew they fought the pirate and forgot.  Please stop repeating it).  The ending also left a lot to be desired.  I get it, but it felt...hollow.  I'd have liked a little more closure, I guess.  
Still, an enjoyable read, especially for the Christmas holiday.  3.5/5.  Would recommend.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing tense 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

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

medium-paced

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

2.0

Ufft.  I REALLY wanted to like this book, and have to say that the first 1/3rd or so was engaging enough.  There are some very cool ideas at play here, but that's all they are: ideas.  Most things added to the Holmes mythos that could be novel and interesting are mostly just mentioned and dismissed without much bearing on the story.
The characters are alright: I mean, they're Holmes and Watson (though, I feel like there's more of a Sherlock the TV show influence on the characters than the original novels), and they're relationship is nice, but other than the two leads, everyone else is forgettable.
There's also a twist that is kind just...there to be there?  I dunno, it was just a little jarring and nothing came of it.
I really wish this book would do more with it's concept.  There are better Fantasy Holmes books out there.
But hey, now I know what Wingfic means.

Zoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia by Jason Pargin

dark funny informative tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

 

What it's about: A teen boy installs a computer in his brain to make him cooler. Hijinks ensues.

What I liked: 

• -This was a really neat commentary on the internet that is only made more relevant by the advent of smart phones years after this books was written.
• -The author's writing style is approachable and engaging.

What I didn't like: 

• Sometimes the characters were a bit whiny. The main character could get a bit gross and irritating. 
• Yes, teen boys are gross porn addicts.  Reading this can sometimes be a bit...much.

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: My Wild Life as the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson

funny inspiring medium-paced

4.0

Class of '86 by Brad Jones

dark funny fast-paced

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

1.5

I love Brad Jones.  Let me get that out of the way.  The Cinema Snob is perhaps my favorite Internet series of all time.  That being said, prose is not his strong suit.  I could see this working as a script, but as a novel?  The writing is redundant and obvious and the characters are almost indistinguishable from one another.  As this was self-published, there were a ton of typos.   I laughed at a few parts, but overall, I believe this would have benefitted greatly by having an editor.

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense 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