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novellearts's reviews
1747 reviews
Gone by Dreda Say Mitchell
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
There was a lot of mystery throughout this story and I honestly wasn't able to figure it out until getting closer to the end. I really appreciated the depiction of grief and how determined Alison was to find out the truth, years later. This book showed how differently grief can affect you.
I think this would've been a good book to actually sit down and physically read but I had the audio copy. The narrator, Eilidh Beaton, was great. Her tone and clarity were fantastic and made the experience really engaging. I really love when all of the characters feel suspicious and unreliable and I felt that way with this book.
There's not much that I didn't enjoy about this except maybe it felt a little slow around halfway in. It was very brief though and didn't prevent me from enjoying.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/228378768
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/5d84c00e-22b8-4b68-bf69-c352107b88ac/share
I think this would've been a good book to actually sit down and physically read but I had the audio copy. The narrator, Eilidh Beaton, was great. Her tone and clarity were fantastic and made the experience really engaging. I really love when all of the characters feel suspicious and unreliable and I felt that way with this book.
There's not much that I didn't enjoy about this except maybe it felt a little slow around halfway in. It was very brief though and didn't prevent me from enjoying.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/228378768
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/5d84c00e-22b8-4b68-bf69-c352107b88ac/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
The Road of Bones by Demi Winters
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
sad
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
4.0
I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this when I first was starting to read. Thankfully, I really ended up enjoying this and can't wait to read book 2.
I loved the setting, the prose, and the plot. It kind of reminded me of The Witcher and Shadow and Bone. It gave me the same vibes and shared some of the same elements but the story was still very different. I just think that if you enjoyed either of those series, you may also enjoy this one.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the love interest so far. I think this might turn into a bigger love triangle moving forward than book 1 was, but I'm not really loving Jonas. Other than my complaints about Jonas. The start of this book was a bit intimidating trying to learn the different names, POVs, and to just get accustomed to the world. But once that world-building was established, I started loving this.
I generally loved all of the main characters, even the "villains" as I thought they were intriguing and well-developed. I'm glad that there were some strong FMC that were able to handle themselves. It was also nice to see one of them having a false metal hand. I wish I hadn't pushed off reading this for as long as I did. I admit, I was intimidated and I had no reason to be!
I'm currently waiting for my Libby hold to come up so I can continue on with this story.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6968440828
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/d30b28bb-ed08-45c9-b7e7-7f58d5213a85/share
I loved the setting, the prose, and the plot. It kind of reminded me of The Witcher and Shadow and Bone. It gave me the same vibes and shared some of the same elements but the story was still very different. I just think that if you enjoyed either of those series, you may also enjoy this one.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the love interest so far. I think this might turn into a bigger love triangle moving forward than book 1 was, but I'm not really loving Jonas. Other than my complaints about Jonas. The start of this book was a bit intimidating trying to learn the different names, POVs, and to just get accustomed to the world. But once that world-building was established, I started loving this.
I generally loved all of the main characters, even the "villains" as I thought they were intriguing and well-developed. I'm glad that there were some strong FMC that were able to handle themselves. It was also nice to see one of them having a false metal hand. I wish I hadn't pushed off reading this for as long as I did. I admit, I was intimidated and I had no reason to be!
I'm currently waiting for my Libby hold to come up so I can continue on with this story.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6968440828
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/d30b28bb-ed08-45c9-b7e7-7f58d5213a85/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
mysterious
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
1.0
✨I should've DNF'd this✨
I did not enjoy this and I was relieved to finally be done with it. This may end up being a harsh review, so apologies in advance. While I could appreciate the prose within this book, the story just fell so incredibly short to me. The mystery revolving around Arden murdering Evelyn before turning 18 very quickly lost its shine and soon became a strong annoyance. This book was repetitive and it felt shallow to me. With how often this story jumped between lives and time periods, I found it extremely difficult to feel any sort of connection to these characters. Not to mention, I stopped caring about when, where, or who we were with each jump. It was challenging to keep my mind from wandering while working through this story.
This reminded me of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and I honestly didn't care much for that story either yet it was a lot better than this one. The romance did absolutely nothing for me. I think the inability to develop a connection to these characters played a huge part in that sentiment. The minute I felt like I was getting comfortable with where the story was headed, we were thrown into another life and time period and all of that progress went back to 0. This turned into a massive slog for me.
When the motivations behind Arden's murders were finally revealed, I found myself unable to care. I just wanted to be done reading.
Beautiful writing, but the structure and characters really did not work for me at all. I heard such great things about this book and desperately wanted to give it a chance but I should've saved myself the trouble.
Here's to hoping that my next read is leagues more enjoyable than this one.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7366091847
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/7dd18eb6-ee01-4f98-a1bd-ac9d0c716f72/share
I did not enjoy this and I was relieved to finally be done with it. This may end up being a harsh review, so apologies in advance. While I could appreciate the prose within this book, the story just fell so incredibly short to me. The mystery revolving around Arden murdering Evelyn before turning 18 very quickly lost its shine and soon became a strong annoyance. This book was repetitive and it felt shallow to me. With how often this story jumped between lives and time periods, I found it extremely difficult to feel any sort of connection to these characters. Not to mention, I stopped caring about when, where, or who we were with each jump. It was challenging to keep my mind from wandering while working through this story.
This reminded me of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and I honestly didn't care much for that story either yet it was a lot better than this one. The romance did absolutely nothing for me. I think the inability to develop a connection to these characters played a huge part in that sentiment. The minute I felt like I was getting comfortable with where the story was headed, we were thrown into another life and time period and all of that progress went back to 0. This turned into a massive slog for me.
When the motivations behind Arden's murders were finally revealed, I found myself unable to care. I just wanted to be done reading.
Beautiful writing, but the structure and characters really did not work for me at all. I heard such great things about this book and desperately wanted to give it a chance but I should've saved myself the trouble.
Here's to hoping that my next read is leagues more enjoyable than this one.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7366091847
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/7dd18eb6-ee01-4f98-a1bd-ac9d0c716f72/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder
Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan
3.0
I struggled to get into this book, but objectively the story wasn’t bad.
Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Rachel Harrison has not failed me yet!
Books I've read so far and their ratings:
Cackle 5/5 stars
Such Sharp Teeth 4/5 stars
The Return 4/5 stars
So Thirsty 4/5 stars
I mostly listened to this as an audiobook while occasionally picking up the ebook to read along. I actually had to restart this book because I fell asleep while listening to the audio and woke up to the whole book finished.
Vesper returns to her estranged family's home after receiving an invitation to her cousin's wedding. Vesper originally left home because she stopped agreeing with her family's demanding religion. Soon after arriving, she realizes that things haven't changed but also that there is something deeper going on at the family farm. Vesper doesn't have the greatest relationship with her mother and begins demanding that she tell Vesper who her father is. She has some memories of him, but really doesn't know much about him.
This was a decently fast-paced, entertaining read. While being horror, it also had some comedic relief that added an air of lightness to the story. I thought this whole book was fun. I loved the premise and the reveals along the way. I also really enjoyed Vesper as a character. She's at times abrasive and isn't always the easiest person to befriend. Even still, she is trying to be a good person and stay true to her moral compass even in the face of her family and their religion.
I'm excited to continue reading Harrison's books.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5828273862
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/c9fe40df-dc1b-4a15-9932-7b44219766bd/share
Books I've read so far and their ratings:
Cackle 5/5 stars
Such Sharp Teeth 4/5 stars
The Return 4/5 stars
So Thirsty 4/5 stars
I mostly listened to this as an audiobook while occasionally picking up the ebook to read along. I actually had to restart this book because I fell asleep while listening to the audio and woke up to the whole book finished.
Vesper returns to her estranged family's home after receiving an invitation to her cousin's wedding. Vesper originally left home because she stopped agreeing with her family's demanding religion. Soon after arriving, she realizes that things haven't changed but also that there is something deeper going on at the family farm. Vesper doesn't have the greatest relationship with her mother and begins demanding that she tell Vesper who her father is. She has some memories of him, but really doesn't know much about him.
This was a decently fast-paced, entertaining read. While being horror, it also had some comedic relief that added an air of lightness to the story. I thought this whole book was fun. I loved the premise and the reveals along the way. I also really enjoyed Vesper as a character. She's at times abrasive and isn't always the easiest person to befriend. Even still, she is trying to be a good person and stay true to her moral compass even in the face of her family and their religion.
I'm excited to continue reading Harrison's books.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5828273862
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/c9fe40df-dc1b-4a15-9932-7b44219766bd/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
Sooo much better than The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
This felt like a Hunger Games book again. I'm sure that sounds ridiculous to say, but for me, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes felt far removed from this series. Truthfully, I didn't really enjoy Songbirds and Snakes and it made me a bit worried to read this one. Thankfully, Sunrise on the Reaping was a major redemption.
Sunrise on the Reaping followed a more traditional Hunger Games as opposed to Songbirds and Snakes with the change of the tributes being doubled. This book left me feeling and experiencing the same things that I did when reading the original trilogy.
Although we already knew that Haymitch was a victor, it didn't detract from the excitement of the story. Sometimes I feel as though knowing the "ending" makes the rest of the story less intriguing, but that didn't happen here. It was curious to see why Haymitch took such a liking to Katniss as well. I felt like a bunch of dots were connected by reading this book. I also devoured this book. It ended up being a binge-read on release day.
Not to say that Haymitch was ever unloveable to me in Hunger Games, but his story really helped the readers understand what exactly led to him becoming drunken and despaired Haymitch. If you didn't feel sympathy for him before reading this, I can guarantee that you will afterwards. Not to mention that his character shares many similarities (in my opinion) to Katniss.
I don't know that I really have anything bad to say about this book. If you're like me and didn't enjoy Songbirds and Snakes and are cautious to read this one, I would say you have nothing to worry about.
This honestly made me have a desire to reread the original trilogy too. I'm highly considering a revisit.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7010669454
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/7ce1990f-edc3-44ee-804d-46c5752373b2/share
This felt like a Hunger Games book again. I'm sure that sounds ridiculous to say, but for me, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes felt far removed from this series. Truthfully, I didn't really enjoy Songbirds and Snakes and it made me a bit worried to read this one. Thankfully, Sunrise on the Reaping was a major redemption.
Sunrise on the Reaping followed a more traditional Hunger Games as opposed to Songbirds and Snakes with the change of the tributes being doubled. This book left me feeling and experiencing the same things that I did when reading the original trilogy.
Although we already knew that Haymitch was a victor, it didn't detract from the excitement of the story. Sometimes I feel as though knowing the "ending" makes the rest of the story less intriguing, but that didn't happen here. It was curious to see why Haymitch took such a liking to Katniss as well. I felt like a bunch of dots were connected by reading this book. I also devoured this book. It ended up being a binge-read on release day.
Not to say that Haymitch was ever unloveable to me in Hunger Games, but his story really helped the readers understand what exactly led to him becoming drunken and despaired Haymitch. If you didn't feel sympathy for him before reading this, I can guarantee that you will afterwards. Not to mention that his character shares many similarities (in my opinion) to Katniss.
I don't know that I really have anything bad to say about this book. If you're like me and didn't enjoy Songbirds and Snakes and are cautious to read this one, I would say you have nothing to worry about.
This honestly made me have a desire to reread the original trilogy too. I'm highly considering a revisit.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7010669454
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/7ce1990f-edc3-44ee-804d-46c5752373b2/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
I loved this book! Not surprising though since I loved the first one as well. I had some issues with this book but the vibes were immaculate, so I'm overlooking them and still giving this 5 stars.
The plot, the characters (except Gideon is meh), the writing, the magic! I also binge-read this book. I had to stop reading around 2am on a weekday. Ended up finishing this the first chance I got at work the following morning!
When I first started reading Heartless Hunter, I really wasn't expecting to love the book as much as I did and then I had to very impatiently wait for this book to drop. I'm so glad that this left me feeling the same way.
The characters were lovable, with exception to Gideon (lol). I honestly was thoroughly annoyed with Gideon in both books. His character rubbed me the wrong way. He constantly had the chance to be reassuring to Rune but his internal struggles with being a brainwashed soldier, held him back. I understand that this was enemies-to-lovers but sheesh, he irritated me! Book 1, we had him struggling with Rune and then book 2 we ended up with the same thing. I found their romance to be underwhelming and it felt a bit forced to me (on Gideon's end).
Rune I think was much more likable. Though she had her own flaws and struggles, she would still openly choose Gideon even though she had an inherent dislike for his "kind" as well. Rune really pulled this series for me. The writing and pacing was fantastic. There really weren't any moments where I found myself losing steam for this book.
I will say, I wish there was more magic and conflict though. I was a bit underwhelmed in this regard. Although there was a war, I feel like we really didn't see much of it on the page. Most of the conflict was implied and happened off of the page. Cressida also wasn't as up front in this story as I expected her to be. We saw her strongly in the beginning and then also in the end, but within the middle of the story, she wasn't present. Also, around 7% I was able to figure out what the "twist" of this book's ending was. I'm really not sure if it was meant to be obvious, but to me, it was both obvious and predictable. It still didn't detract from my enjoyment.
I thought the ending was a bit predictable but it was still satisfying to me. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed and less developed than the rest of the story. Even so, I still loved this book. If a bit more time and effort was put into the ending, I think it could've been stronger though and left me feeling more solid in the story ending.
Definitely not a perfect story by any means, but it was addictive to me and the characters kept me wanting more. I felt great while reading this and I think that's partly what is driving my high rating.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7332722963
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/44e2d0f6-55f3-4e86-ba20-360f14475972/share"
The plot, the characters (except Gideon is meh), the writing, the magic! I also binge-read this book. I had to stop reading around 2am on a weekday. Ended up finishing this the first chance I got at work the following morning!
When I first started reading Heartless Hunter, I really wasn't expecting to love the book as much as I did and then I had to very impatiently wait for this book to drop. I'm so glad that this left me feeling the same way.
The characters were lovable, with exception to Gideon (lol). I honestly was thoroughly annoyed with Gideon in both books. His character rubbed me the wrong way. He constantly had the chance to be reassuring to Rune but his internal struggles with being a brainwashed soldier, held him back. I understand that this was enemies-to-lovers but sheesh, he irritated me! Book 1, we had him struggling with Rune and then book 2 we ended up with the same thing. I found their romance to be underwhelming and it felt a bit forced to me (on Gideon's end).
Rune I think was much more likable. Though she had her own flaws and struggles, she would still openly choose Gideon even though she had an inherent dislike for his "kind" as well. Rune really pulled this series for me. The writing and pacing was fantastic. There really weren't any moments where I found myself losing steam for this book.
I will say, I wish there was more magic and conflict though. I was a bit underwhelmed in this regard. Although there was a war, I feel like we really didn't see much of it on the page. Most of the conflict was implied and happened off of the page. Cressida also wasn't as up front in this story as I expected her to be. We saw her strongly in the beginning and then also in the end, but within the middle of the story, she wasn't present. Also, around 7% I was able to figure out what the "twist" of this book's ending was. I'm really not sure if it was meant to be obvious, but to me, it was both obvious and predictable. It still didn't detract from my enjoyment.
I thought the ending was a bit predictable but it was still satisfying to me. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed and less developed than the rest of the story. Even so, I still loved this book. If a bit more time and effort was put into the ending, I think it could've been stronger though and left me feeling more solid in the story ending.
Definitely not a perfect story by any means, but it was addictive to me and the characters kept me wanting more. I felt great while reading this and I think that's partly what is driving my high rating.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7332722963
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/44e2d0f6-55f3-4e86-ba20-360f14475972/share"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
The Whistling by Rebecca Netley
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
4.25/5 stars, rounded down to match with Goodreads.
This book satisfied my desire for some gothic horror. It honestly reminded me a bit of The Woman in Black, The Turning, and The Haunting of Bly Manor. It at least gave me the same type of experience as those two stories.
Unexplained deaths and disappearances, rumors of witchcraft and ghosts, unnerving children, and a haunting manor. I pretty much loved everything about this book. All of the things just listed as well as the setting: a secluded Scottish island.
While Elspeth arrives to help with Mary, a young child who hasn’t spoken in months after the death of her brother, she begins to have some harrowing experiences within this house. She can’t explain what she is seeing, hearing, and feeling. The only explanation might be a supernatural one.
I really loved the tension between the characters. This book had an air of mystery to it on top of everything else. Elspeth goes looking for the truth and we get to follow her on the journey. We get to see Elspeth and Mary’s relationship develop. They both are grieving from recent deaths and really lean on each others.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5888608839
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/63914a56-b6a5-40e9-8110-d3eb7bd9bef6/share
This book satisfied my desire for some gothic horror. It honestly reminded me a bit of The Woman in Black, The Turning, and The Haunting of Bly Manor. It at least gave me the same type of experience as those two stories.
Unexplained deaths and disappearances, rumors of witchcraft and ghosts, unnerving children, and a haunting manor. I pretty much loved everything about this book. All of the things just listed as well as the setting: a secluded Scottish island.
While Elspeth arrives to help with Mary, a young child who hasn’t spoken in months after the death of her brother, she begins to have some harrowing experiences within this house. She can’t explain what she is seeing, hearing, and feeling. The only explanation might be a supernatural one.
I really loved the tension between the characters. This book had an air of mystery to it on top of everything else. Elspeth goes looking for the truth and we get to follow her on the journey. We get to see Elspeth and Mary’s relationship develop. They both are grieving from recent deaths and really lean on each others.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5888608839
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/63914a56-b6a5-40e9-8110-d3eb7bd9bef6/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3.25/5 stars, rounded down to match Goodreads.
I enjoyed the gore, suspense, and drama but something about this didn't connect with me. I think if I had enjoyed the characters more, this would've drawn me in stronger than it did. This unfortunately felt lacking although I thought it did a great job at being horror.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5049050942
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/0ed06cae-9642-40d8-b2e0-9869bfc229af/share
I enjoyed the gore, suspense, and drama but something about this didn't connect with me. I think if I had enjoyed the characters more, this would've drawn me in stronger than it did. This unfortunately felt lacking although I thought it did a great job at being horror.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5049050942
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/0ed06cae-9642-40d8-b2e0-9869bfc229af/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail