orchids's reviews
120 reviews

Key Player by Kelly Yang

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

another incredible addition to the front desk series!!! i love how kelly yang is able to masterly write about various topics in a digestible way, in this instance about women empowerment and xenophobia! is there any that mia tang can't do?! i think not! i'm excited to see what else the front desk series has in store!  

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

very cute and light read! i haven't read the other books in the series, but that didn't negatively effect my reading experience. raine and jack's interactions started as a slow burn which was enjoyable to read, but i feel like the last third of the book had so many time jumps that gave me whiplash!! i felt like i barely had enough time to savor them as an official couple! i will give this book bonus points though for talking about how neurodivergence can affect someone's life! you don't see that a lot in romance books! 

Room to Dream by Kelly Yang

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

KELLY YANG NEVER MISSES!!! 🗣️🗣️🗣️

another incredible book in the front desk series!! i appreciate how kelly yang discusses themes of colorism, racism, consent, and gentrification in an approachable way to younger audiences. she doesn't sugarcoat anything either and shows how these issues not only affect the child characters but also the adults in the story. yet, there is still a sense of hope while talking about these heavy topics, and seeing the characters pushing for change is so heartwarming. it gives me hope that the next generation reading this series will have as much empathy and compassion as kelly yang infuses in her characters.  

Ultimate X-Men, Vol. 1: Fears and Hates by Peach MoMoKo

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

read these as single issues, but i was excited to see that the first volume just came out! 

i absolutely love the art of this series! it's initially what drew me into buying the first two issues at my local comic shop because i haven't read any previous x-men comics before. additionally, it's been a while since I've read a comic book at all (i'm more of graphic novel person). however, i loved how unique this series is, and it pushes the boundaries of the classic superhero comic genre. so far it's a fantastic retelling, and i can't wait to see what's next!

Root: The Roleplaying Game by Mark Diaz Truman, Brendan Conway

adventurous funny informative reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

what a great little ttrpg! it reels you in with all the amazing art of the little critters you can play as, but deep down it's such a complex game that has this rich lore infused with socioeconomic politics. i love how modular the game can be where you can set it up for longer campaigns or quick one-shots as well as allowing players to adapt and evolve their characters as a campaign goes on. i'm completely new to the pbta game system, so i appreciated just how detailed this core book got into explaining how all the mechanics worked! the information was laid out in such an intuitive manner that made it easy to flip back and forth as i gm'ed a one-shot!

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

anne ursu is truly a master at worldbuilding and making complex, believable characters. middle schooler me would have resonated with this book soooo much. my only criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed, but this is still a pretty incredible book! 

Imago by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

5.0

this is truly a perfect way to end a trilogy. i am always in awe of how octavia butler was able to step it up with every book in this series, especially with the plot in each book spanning many years from each other. she continued to expand the xenogenesis universe in such a rich and compelling way, and the two tales she has woven here are my favorite in the series by far. 

i loved reading about the first ooloi construct, jodahs. since this book was told from his first-person point of view, it's as if we are discovering how oankali society will work now along with jodahs. i also loved learning more about the village jodahs discovered later in the book, the last group of humans who have been untouched by the oankali. yet again, octavia butler has flawlessly woven in messages about our own present-day society with tales of an alien species domination of human social structures. the xenogenesis series is must read for everyone!! 

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

dark funny sad tense slow-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

3.0

i can see why some people LOVE this book and why others LOATHE this book. 

ripe follows cassie who is currently in the throes of silicon valley's hellscape. most of the time, she feels empty inside while she watches a black hole hovers around her, growing and shrinking as her days tick away. in some moments, we see cassie try to retain some of her mortality, but with the stress of work and situationship, she consistently gives in and dawns a mask, a version of herself to please everyone, while sometimes making questionable life choices. 

sarah rose etter can write metaphors and allegories like there is no tomorrow. she is able to weave the most tense and excruciating scenes of brutal workplaces and toxic relationships. however... that's all there really is. not saying that all books have to have a message, but so much of the book states "corporate america sucks" and "adulthood is the worst" and just sort of leaves it at that. while some people can find solace in seeing part of themselves reflected in cassie, all i could think about is how thankful i am that my job and workplace is the farest thing from cassie's. 

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader's Copy! 

A Song to Drown Rivers is a retelling of the legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Xishi is a woman from a small village who is recruited and trained to become a concubine spy to take down a neighboring kingdom. The bulk of the novel follows the trials and tribulations of Xishi as she navigates blending into an enemy's royal court while trying to complete her mission with hints of a slow-burn romance. 

Once this book hits its stride (which, for me, is around the end of Xishi's training montage), IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN !! I've never heard of this legend before, but I do love reading historical fiction, so I enjoyed reading about the royal courts and kingdom drama thoroughly! I won't really classify this book as a fantasy, though. There weren't really any fantastical elements that would bring the book into that category. The romance elements were enjoyable to read (they got me giggling and kicking my feet), and they didn't overpower the other central themes. I felt like the recurring thought of "Who are truly the good guys? Who are really the monsters?" could have been pushed a bit further. There were so many aspects to the rival kings' characters as well as the people of the rival courts that felt superficial and didn't go past, "Hmmm... maybe they aren't the bad guys after all..." The complexity of the characters and their potential were there!! Regardless, that ending was BRUTAL!! (in a good way!) I definitely recommend this book for folks who love historical dramas and romances!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious reflective 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

such an interesting storyline! it gives a killing eve vibe with the cat-and-mouse chase being the main throughline but set in a private high school in alabama. the world building feels all-encompassing and the side characters are anything but two-dimensional. there were some cliché plot points that are akin to a classic tv high school drama like degrassi and glee, but i found the book charming and engaging nonetheless!