milkyboos's reviews
288 reviews

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

A magical and intriguing world that served as nothing more than a poetic backdrop to a stale love triangle and a static main character.

The world-building in Daughter of the Moon Goddess was truly fascinating and the prose was beautiful. Those two facets alone will get me to read the second book in this series, but the character development and relationship dynamics needed some heavier editing as nearly 500 pages into the novel, our MC is still making the exact same mistakes she was making from page 1 and no one ever truly challenges her (and she never faces any real consequences for all her faults).

It makes you wonder what all the adventuring and learning was for if Xingyin stays in that same middle schooler mindset the entire time. All those monsters slain, quests conquered, and loves gained and lost, just for her to come out at the end the exact same girl she was before she ever left the moon.

I'm deeply curious where the story will go from here, and I will read the sequel at some point, but I think I need to take a break from this world for now to come to terms with my disappointment ;-;

Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion by Sowmya Krishnamurthy

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism and Homophobia

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li

emotional hopeful reflective 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

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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