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omnombailey's Reviews (111)
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was technically a reread, but I hadn't read this book since I was a teenager, so it might as well have been a new read. I remembered loving it when I first read it and honestly? I have mixed feelings about it now as an adult.
Eleanor is a lovely character and painfully relatable. I enjoyed her years ago and I still enjoyed her now. The cast was absolutely unbearable in a good way and I loved seeing them exacerbate Eleanor's Everything. The setting was wonderful as was the overall premise. Sadly, outside of the first 25% and the last chapter and a half, this was such a damn slog to get through. I had to force myself to read the middle chapters that bored me to death and did not enjoy that. What sucks is that I understand the structure of the narrative and what it was setting up and playing out, but the way it was presented via the prose just did not hold my interest. Like I literally read two pages over the weekend and chose to do the dishes instead. I was THAT bored.
My own frustrations and disappointments aside, this is a good book and definitely deserves being called a classic. When the horror elements kick in, it's great. I just wish I had enjoyed it more bc I ended up feeling so disappointed, like I ordered a medium rare steak, only to get a medium steak that was always unsalted, but hey at least the appetizers and dessert were delicious.
Eleanor is a lovely character and painfully relatable. I enjoyed her years ago and I still enjoyed her now. The cast was absolutely unbearable in a good way and I loved seeing them exacerbate Eleanor's Everything. The setting was wonderful as was the overall premise. Sadly, outside of the first 25% and the last chapter and a half, this was such a damn slog to get through. I had to force myself to read the middle chapters that bored me to death and did not enjoy that. What sucks is that I understand the structure of the narrative and what it was setting up and playing out, but the way it was presented via the prose just did not hold my interest. Like I literally read two pages over the weekend and chose to do the dishes instead. I was THAT bored.
My own frustrations and disappointments aside, this is a good book and definitely deserves being called a classic. When the horror elements kick in, it's great. I just wish I had enjoyed it more bc I ended up feeling so disappointed, like I ordered a medium rare steak, only to get a medium steak that was always unsalted, but hey at least the appetizers and dessert were delicious.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Still thoroughly enjoying this series, but this was the first time I found myself mentally wandering a lot while listening to the audiobook. Some of that is on me for listening during stressful days, but also I feel the narrative suffers a bit from how extensive this book is. Every new floor takes a while to adjust to (both for the characters and the readers), but this one took way too long to get the ball rolling, so to speak. That plus all the new characters that were introduced made it hard to keep up with everything, but I stuck around because I knew it would payoff. (Spoilers - it absolutely did)
The first half or so of the book was a bit of a slog and more of a 3 star for me. However, any interpersonal moments throughout that portion of the book was easily a 5. Honestly, this whole damn series shines with its quiet lulls and mundane moments. Seeing the human sides of people, even the aliens, is what gets me SO insanely invested with this cracked out series. And after I got to the halfway-ish point? Yeah I couldn't stop listening. I literally just sat on my bed for roughly an hour over the weekend to KEEP LISTENING bc I was literally on the edge of my seat as to what happened next.
So with all that in mind, I have to average out the rating as a 4, but even that is really generous. I know there are SO many characters and moving pieces involved in this plot, but I feel this could've been a few hours shorter and still gotten the point across.
The first half or so of the book was a bit of a slog and more of a 3 star for me. However, any interpersonal moments throughout that portion of the book was easily a 5. Honestly, this whole damn series shines with its quiet lulls and mundane moments. Seeing the human sides of people, even the aliens, is what gets me SO insanely invested with this cracked out series. And after I got to the halfway-ish point? Yeah I couldn't stop listening. I literally just sat on my bed for roughly an hour over the weekend to KEEP LISTENING bc I was literally on the edge of my seat as to what happened next.
So with all that in mind, I have to average out the rating as a 4, but even that is really generous. I know there are SO many characters and moving pieces involved in this plot, but I feel this could've been a few hours shorter and still gotten the point across.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was super refreshing and I appreciated its wit and variety of adult characters. The interactions were lovely (especially loved the queer poly interactions as a side plot) and it was a relatively easy read, but I do feel the story kinda outstayed it's welcome. It takes A While for the heist plot to get going and once they finally execute it, you blink and it's over.... then there's still another 100 pages to go in the book. This book could've easily cut 50-100 pages by just scaling back the repetition and info dumping in favor of speeding up the pacing, but I still had a lot of fun with it, thanks to all the characters being fantastic.
Also random, but I listened to the audiobook on and off (mostly while driving to work and then picking up where I left off in the book) which was also mostly good. I wasn't a fan of how the narrator voiced any of the dragons; they came off as Saturday Morning Cartoon Villains than how I imagined them, which was a shame, but the other voices were fine.
Also random, but I listened to the audiobook on and off (mostly while driving to work and then picking up where I left off in the book) which was also mostly good. I wasn't a fan of how the narrator voiced any of the dragons; they came off as Saturday Morning Cartoon Villains than how I imagined them, which was a shame, but the other voices were fine.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Still absolutely loving this series and it's blend of humor, horror, and genuine heartfelt moments, but this one was much longer than the first two books and it definitely felt like it at times. Pacing could've been tighter, especially when there were TONS of character interactions, but I enjoyed it regardless. Especially loved Katia's arc (I hope that's how you spell her name; I'm listening to the audiobook) and how I nearly pulled over into a parking lot while driving home when That Happened (iykyk).
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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:
Complicated
It's more of the first book, but what I really enjoyed in this one in particular was how the narrative focused on more of the accompanying dread as the reality of Carl and Donut's situation sank in. A lot more flashbacks and mentions to past stuff that happened, which clearly still haunt Carl and Donut alike. For all the silliness and comedy that's in this book, the genuinely heartfelt moments cut the deepest. I've just sat in my car after arriving home for work, just to listen to the end of a chapter. That's how hooked I am.
Also specifically for the audiobook, I REALLY loved the audio cues for when text chats were being sent! That plus the texts being spoken in the characters' voices was a lovely touch and super helpful while listening.
I didn't expect myself to be binge-listening to this whole series but holy shit I love this dumb man and his ex-girlfriend's cat.
Also specifically for the audiobook, I REALLY loved the audio cues for when text chats were being sent! That plus the texts being spoken in the characters' voices was a lovely touch and super helpful while listening.
I didn't expect myself to be binge-listening to this whole series but holy shit I love this dumb man and his ex-girlfriend's cat.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to my boyfriend playing random snippets of the audiobook in the car, I decided to check this out and I am HOOKED. The story is like Hunger Games meets Deltarune with a dash of Fallout/Borderlands-inspired dark humor. I expected a silly video game-esque story about the apocalypse and was NOT prepared for all of the feels and emotional beats woven throughout all the horrors being televised for entertainment. I love Carl and Princess Donut so so much and would sponsor them in a heartbeat if it helped them win this game. Also I am not a fan of most audiobooks, but this one? This audiobook slaps. It's very reminiscent of a radio play and I just couldn't stop listening to the point I've done so many chores this past week so I could have an excuse to listen to more.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Holy fucking shit, what a phenomenal book.
I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and I'm glad I finally did. It's such a wonderful slice of life, found family sci-fi story that still remains very grounded and raw in the heavier themes it tackles. It is equal parts cozy and devastating. It was genuine and held no punches, which led to me laughing and crying the hardest I have recently while reading a book.
My only criticisms are that I wish the text was formatted better. Chapters are VERY long and there were often walls of text making up a single paragraph. Yet despite that, I loved the characters and their journey enough to stomach that, much like how they learned to work together and coexist despite all the nuances that ticked them off.
I know this is just me rambling into the void and not really digging into specifics, but that's bc I'd really want other readers to go into this blind, like I did. I cannot recommend this book enough. Gonna be thinking about it for a long while. Damn, it was excellent.
I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and I'm glad I finally did. It's such a wonderful slice of life, found family sci-fi story that still remains very grounded and raw in the heavier themes it tackles. It is equal parts cozy and devastating. It was genuine and held no punches, which led to me laughing and crying the hardest I have recently while reading a book.
My only criticisms are that I wish the text was formatted better. Chapters are VERY long and there were often walls of text making up a single paragraph. Yet despite that, I loved the characters and their journey enough to stomach that, much like how they learned to work together and coexist despite all the nuances that ticked them off.
I know this is just me rambling into the void and not really digging into specifics, but that's bc I'd really want other readers to go into this blind, like I did. I cannot recommend this book enough. Gonna be thinking about it for a long while. Damn, it was excellent.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
I DID thoroughly enjoy this (especially when it went from dry humor one moment and then explicit body horror murder the next, while also being queer about it), but I wish this book was messier. Especially near the end, it felt like there was a lot of handholding with explaining to the reader that A Bad Happened while also being a bit hamfisted in how the villains were portrayed. There wasn't any breathing room for nuances or implications, which was a shame. Still, I did really enjoy this and I hope more books like this crop up in the future.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was told this book was "Project Runway meets Mulan". And it was for the first third or so of the book. After that, it takes a left turn into shallow, forced YA romance territory and I could not be bothered to give a shit.
The only reason I was able to get through this and finish it was bc I also had access to the audiobook alongside the ebook, which I listened to multiple long drives (I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook reader either). And it's a shame, bc the worldbuilding and fantasy elements are super fascinating, but it takes a backseat to a petulant main character and her love interest (which was all painfully straight - a huge disappointment when you're claiming your book is like Mulan in this day and age. So many missed opportunities for a more queer interpretation, especially when Ammi was swooning for Maia. I had my hopes up for some Maia/Lady Sarnai, but here we are....). I honestly had zero idea there was even romance in this bc nothing in the marketing even hints at that. Literally the only reason I decided to dive into Yet Another YA Novel was bc the pitch intrigued me. And that part of the novel WAS decent!
Unfortunately, all of this disappointment + the bland prose = a very not compelling story. By far the most disappointing thing I've read in a long time.
The only reason I was able to get through this and finish it was bc I also had access to the audiobook alongside the ebook, which I listened to multiple long drives (I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook reader either). And it's a shame, bc the worldbuilding and fantasy elements are super fascinating, but it takes a backseat to a petulant main character and her love interest (which was all painfully straight - a huge disappointment when you're claiming your book is like Mulan in this day and age. So many missed opportunities for a more queer interpretation, especially when Ammi was swooning for Maia. I had my hopes up for some Maia/Lady Sarnai, but here we are....). I honestly had zero idea there was even romance in this bc nothing in the marketing even hints at that. Literally the only reason I decided to dive into Yet Another YA Novel was bc the pitch intrigued me. And that part of the novel WAS decent!
Unfortunately, all of this disappointment + the bland prose = a very not compelling story. By far the most disappointing thing I've read in a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This could've been an excellent book, but the middle was just painfully boring. I really enjoy the ending (albeit rushed) and the intro was interesting enough to get me to keep reading, but I can't get over how terrible the middle was. I had to borrow this from the library at least four times until I finished it due to that slog. I'm really glad I read a different Brandon Sanderson book as my intro to him because if it had been this one??? I'd write him off entirely. Everyone keeps saying this was "like The Princess Bride if Buttercup was the heroine" and... sure, you see bits of that, but it's literally just the first 15-20 minutes of The Princess Bride dragged out for an entire novel. I had such high expectations and was extremely disappointed :/