orangewitchling's reviews
90 reviews

Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

4.0

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

4.0

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

4.0

Circe by Madeline Miller

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I don’t thing this book requires any review, but still…Hands down one of the best mythological retellings I’ve ever read. The exploration of the character was very relatable, it was emotionally challenging and the ending was superb for a myth. 

Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed

adventurous challenging emotional sad 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? No

4.0

I enjoyed this book, it was a better retelling than another one I started and DNF because the YA arc grated on me. 
This book focused a bit more on the historical and cultural moment the story took place, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My favorite character in the whole book was Dunya, because she felt relatable and I wished there had been more of her. Shaherazade's exploration was not
quite as relatable and it was a bit more YA. 
My issue with a lot of heroines is that their decision making and personalities do not align with the situations they encounter, which was the case in this book. I still think it was a decent retelling all and all.

Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley

dark mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

The story was interesting, but I didn’t find it necessarily scary. I enjoyed the writing style and the exploration of how grief affects a person’s personality and make them vulnerable. It was a bit unsettling at times and I didn’t care too much about the characters, but it was an interesting read.

Cunning Folk by Adam L.G. Nevill

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

The story was good and very creepy, but I almost DNF. My only complaint is the incessant descriptions! Personally, the descriptions were dreadful because they were so extremely descriptive not because whatever was being described was scary. I honestly, spaced out a lot, but the end was twisted enough to make it worth finishing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee

emotional funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

This was a very interesting and refreshing cozy murder mystery. It revolved around family and friendship, with a very light touch of romance. It showed in the background the issues that took place during the historical time the story took place. I enjoyed reading it and the plot was predictable, but still nice to read. It’s not a head banger or mysterious, but I found it it entertaining.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

This was an interesting book, it read easily enough through a self-proclaimed unreliable narrator. It started simple enough and didn’t feel unnecessarily convoluted, but toward the end everything unraveled quite nicely.

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This book was difficult and interesting to explore, it wasn’t something I could read in one sitting. The short story collection was heartbreaking, scary and enthralling at the same time. My favorite story remained the first one and I cannot wait to read more from the different authors showcased.