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moony_reads's reviews
391 reviews
Save the Game by J.J. Mulder
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Between the Pipes by J.J. Mulder
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Square To The Puck by J.J. Mulder
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Changing the Game by J.J. Mulder
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I’m back in my sports gays era ✌️
I recently read another of J.J Mulder’s books and enjoyed it, they’re cheesy, easy, completely unrealistic sports romances and love being able to read and not have to think about Anything . however . the two books have entirely the same plot line (new guy moves in with esteemed hockey player, very quickly starts hooking up with said hockey player) which is a bit :/ but regardless the characters are definitely individual and I did enjoy both reads :)
I recently read another of J.J Mulder’s books and enjoyed it, they’re cheesy, easy, completely unrealistic sports romances and love being able to read and not have to think about Anything . however . the two books have entirely the same plot line (new guy moves in with esteemed hockey player, very quickly starts hooking up with said hockey player) which is a bit :/ but regardless the characters are definitely individual and I did enjoy both reads :)
Shots on Net by J.J. Mulder
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Napkins and Other Distractions by M.A. Wardell
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.5
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan
DNF at 40%.
I haven’t DNF’d a book in a long time but I just couldn’t get in with this. I wanted to like this book. I really enjoyed Brennan’s In Other Lands. And Long Live Evil promised a fresh take on the fantasy plot of a girl plucked from the real-world and placed into the world of a book.
Our heroine is dying of cancer. Which really should have been mentioned or given a trigger warning, and Brennan should know that. But aside from Rae’s illness, she is simply just indiscernibly infuriating! She's shoved into the world of her favourite book series by a woman who offers her the chance to steal what will apparently cure her in real life. Rae wakes up and has to figure out how to not get killed basically.
What made this unreadable for me? Mainly the dialogue. The dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, but also the writing is just … not good. Rae insists on using modern colloquialism and references at any given time, like some Taylor Swift reference thrown out before hitting a zombie … what?
Then theres the tropes. Brennan was clearly trying to explore classic fairytale/fantasy tropes and them twist them into something modern and new but it was pretty unsuccessfully done.
Also no book needs to acknowledge the size of someone’s tits that often.
In addition to the writing, the plot and characters are exhausting to follow. Such a big cast should not have so much names, and then the reader is expected to absorb the plot, with little context.
Basically, it’s a fanfic self insert and I didn’t have time for it. I’m sure it’s everything to someone, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit/Little, Brown for the ARC.
I haven’t DNF’d a book in a long time but I just couldn’t get in with this. I wanted to like this book. I really enjoyed Brennan’s In Other Lands. And Long Live Evil promised a fresh take on the fantasy plot of a girl plucked from the real-world and placed into the world of a book.
Our heroine is dying of cancer. Which really should have been mentioned or given a trigger warning, and Brennan should know that. But aside from Rae’s illness, she is simply just indiscernibly infuriating! She's shoved into the world of her favourite book series by a woman who offers her the chance to steal what will apparently cure her in real life. Rae wakes up and has to figure out how to not get killed basically.
What made this unreadable for me? Mainly the dialogue. The dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, but also the writing is just … not good. Rae insists on using modern colloquialism and references at any given time, like some Taylor Swift reference thrown out before hitting a zombie … what?
Then theres the tropes. Brennan was clearly trying to explore classic fairytale/fantasy tropes and them twist them into something modern and new but it was pretty unsuccessfully done.
Also no book needs to acknowledge the size of someone’s tits that often.
In addition to the writing, the plot and characters are exhausting to follow. Such a big cast should not have so much names, and then the reader is expected to absorb the plot, with little context.
Basically, it’s a fanfic self insert and I didn’t have time for it. I’m sure it’s everything to someone, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit/Little, Brown for the ARC.
Anyone's Ghost by August Thompson
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“It took three car crashes to kill Jakes.”
And it took this book to kill me.
Combining haunting, stunning prose with a raw narrative that grips you in a chokehold, Anyone's Ghost by August Thompson is heart wrenching and soul destroying and I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Thompson has created a story of raw emotion that has you hooked from the beginning and it does not let you go. The characters are real and filled with their own depth. I knew them, I was them, I am them. The friendship, the love, the paternal anger, the ideation.
From the very beginning we are told what’s coming and what will be lost, but even so, the pure melancholy and the eased tenderness used as Therron remembers his past touched every part of me. Knowing the end almost made it harder.
I’m not quite sure how to move on from this one. I don’t think I’ll be letting it go for a long while.
An incredible, unbelievable debut.
And it took this book to kill me.
Combining haunting, stunning prose with a raw narrative that grips you in a chokehold, Anyone's Ghost by August Thompson is heart wrenching and soul destroying and I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Thompson has created a story of raw emotion that has you hooked from the beginning and it does not let you go. The characters are real and filled with their own depth. I knew them, I was them, I am them. The friendship, the love, the paternal anger, the ideation.
From the very beginning we are told what’s coming and what will be lost, but even so, the pure melancholy and the eased tenderness used as Therron remembers his past touched every part of me. Knowing the end almost made it harder.
I’m not quite sure how to move on from this one. I don’t think I’ll be letting it go for a long while.
An incredible, unbelievable debut.
How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica
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? It's complicated
4.5
ARC REVIEW
“What hurt the most was when I started to forget your voice, what it sounded like to hear you say my name aloud; started to forget how hearing you say my name was a way of seeing myself as I had never seen myself-someone free from how my family saw me—and how you gave my name new meaning, new weight.”
How We Named The Stars is a beautiful debut from Andrés N. Ordorica’s, about a Mexican-American teenager, Daniel. The novel is him retelling the story of his short time spent with his jock roommate Sam at University, and the story is directed at Sam. The relationship is standard; they become friends and fall in love, but this is broken off when Sam decides he isn’t ready to come out and Daniel travels briefly back to México to keep an eye on his grandfather, his world is upended when Sam suddenly dies (not a spoiler, it’s on the first page).
People’s views are a mixed bag for this one, but as a biased queer who lost someone they loved young, I was all over it. (The quote above is what sold it for me, my name was given to me by someone no longer here, so that Hit.)
Sure, some of the dialogue and plot is a little clunky, but for the most part Ordorica provides a poetic, aching narrative. The pace probably could have eased off a little bit, but I enjoyed how fast everything happened, especially as it is Daniel recounting his experience - grief can feel like a whirlwind at times.
My biggest issue lies with Diego. His character comes in at a point where he seems necessary but the way this plot point develops just didn’t feel right to me.
Overall, I loved this and am excited to see what else Ordorica does in the future. The writing is really beautiful and touched me.
Thank you to Saraband and Netgalley for the ARC!
“What hurt the most was when I started to forget your voice, what it sounded like to hear you say my name aloud; started to forget how hearing you say my name was a way of seeing myself as I had never seen myself-someone free from how my family saw me—and how you gave my name new meaning, new weight.”
How We Named The Stars is a beautiful debut from Andrés N. Ordorica’s, about a Mexican-American teenager, Daniel. The novel is him retelling the story of his short time spent with his jock roommate Sam at University, and the story is directed at Sam. The relationship is standard; they become friends and fall in love, but this is broken off when Sam decides he isn’t ready to come out and Daniel travels briefly back to México to keep an eye on his grandfather, his world is upended when Sam suddenly dies (not a spoiler, it’s on the first page).
People’s views are a mixed bag for this one, but as a biased queer who lost someone they loved young, I was all over it. (The quote above is what sold it for me, my name was given to me by someone no longer here, so that Hit.)
Sure, some of the dialogue and plot is a little clunky, but for the most part Ordorica provides a poetic, aching narrative. The pace probably could have eased off a little bit, but I enjoyed how fast everything happened, especially as it is Daniel recounting his experience - grief can feel like a whirlwind at times.
My biggest issue lies with Diego. His character comes in at a point where he seems necessary but the way this plot point develops just didn’t feel right to me.
Overall, I loved this and am excited to see what else Ordorica does in the future. The writing is really beautiful and touched me.
Thank you to Saraband and Netgalley for the ARC!