orangewitchling's reviews
90 reviews

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub

adventurous funny lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? Yes

4.5

This book was surprisingly refreshing and enjoyable. I’ve read many Austen books and I’ve found that I don’t enjoy retellings, but this one is far away enough from Lizzy/Darcy and it simply uses Pride and Prejudice as a frame from the characters instead of turning out to be the “same dog different collar”. 
I liked the whole Lydia magical story, it was silly and whimsical, but surprisingly relatable.  

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

These are my favorite horror short stories I’ve read so far. I’ve found that I struggle with horror plots, but I enjoy them in short stories and these were amazing.

Cat Person and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is compiled by short horror stories. They were as entertaining as they were disturbing, in a way that was human…I could see human nature taking over the plot, the stories were not pretty to read but they were “real” in the way human beings tend to behave when our baser instincts take over.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, and Blood

A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey

lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed reading this even though I could see exactly where the plot was heading, it’s a romance but it showed sibling relationships and family trauma. I enjoyed reading how the sisters interacted and how the main character learn to stand up for herself.

Dear Fang, With Love by Rufi Thorpe

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This was an intriguing book, it touched on mental health and generational trauma from a father/daughter perspective. I really enjoyed it, it was heartbreaking and I couldn’t put it down. 

Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

My favorite book ever! I’ve always loved mythology and this book was what I’ve always wanted to read. Myths always felt incomplete and lacking whenever I read them, but the Natalie Haynes has a way to bring life to the characters and make them feel relatable. I could put myself in the shoes of the many characters and see their perspectives and personalities come to life. I already knew how the stories ended so I wasn’t invested in the plot, but solely in the characters and it was very refreshing.

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book left me emotionally wrecked when it came to Medusa and so disappointed on Athena as a mythological figure (I’ve always loved what she represented without paying much attention to her actions in the myths). However, this book gave me a rounded perspective on both Athena and Medusa as female characters in the myths, I could understand them toward the end of the book and what the author wanted to accomplish.

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Natalie Haynes doesn’t disappoint when it comes to her mythological retellings. She managed to give voice to the characters that have been misunderstood and ignored in every myths, specifically the women. No matter the perspective, she’s able to showcase the emotion and reason of the character in a way that feels relatable. 

The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

I loved the writing style, it went back and forth in the timeline, but it never felt arbitrary. The plot and character development were cohesively entwined, in my opinion. 
I personally do not enjoy unnecessary descriptions and slow pace, but all the descriptions and pace of the book felt intentional and helped with the ambiance. I couldn’t put this book down and I would definitely reread.
Additionally, even though I could see where the story was going and where the characters were most likely headed, they never made me roll my eyes as I found it relatable.
As a true crime follower, this book felt like an homage to the victims and a hopeful outlook to the way women live in a world that constantly makes us feel victimized.

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, and War