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pandaorb's reviews
332 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I wish there'd been more depth rather than having a hundred problems instantly solved by a nine year old; and I felt like the mood of the book was so light that it was terribly jarring every time the tone got dark for a few pages. The flow did not work for me, but overall I could tell it was trying to tell a cute story.
Graphic: Violence and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Death
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Now for the story - what a doozy! It felt just like an episode of the show, and it gave some insight into Azula's internal state. It's always great to see the spirits, especially in such an angst-ridden story as this.
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I never really grew to love Cassie, and I especially never found any sympathy for Diana. Good grief, what a selfish woman. I did really like Owen (although I had to stop myself from gagging at the fact that Cassie didn't bother to learn his name until halfway through the book), but their romance felt very shallow. It was basically insta-love because he's hot and she's strong. They had very little foundation or growth and it felt ridiculous.
But Things You Save In A Fire was a quick and moderately enjoyable comfort read when I needed something light, so it has earned its three stars.
Graphic: Sexism and Stalking
Moderate: Rape and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cancer and Suicide attempt
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Racism and Animal cruelty
Minor: Blood
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I have a strict rule of putting down a book if I don't like it by 50 pages. Unfortunately for me, I started to get interested in this around page 47, only to quickly lose interest again. For 16 hours, this spectacularly narrated story could only be described as a glacially paced beast meandering between segments that I couldn't get enough of and segments that, frankly, should have been edited out entirely.
I'm working through Wheel of Time. I'm re-reading Stormlight Archives for fun. It is hard to convince me that I don't need any more characters or any more backstory about those characters, but wow, I did not need 90% of the backstory for 90% of these characters. If I hear the phrase "dot dot dot" one more time I will throw the nearest Tom Hanks movie I can find against a wall with all my limited strength.
There was a good story in here, heck, there was even a great story in here! But no editor did Hanks the favor of telling him what to cut so that the diamond would be visible without readers chiseling through layers upon layers of irrelevant character building. Tom Hanks is a successful actor. He should know that the finished product only needs to display the bits of the iceberg that move the story forward, however, he does not exercise this knowledge as an author, instead opting to drop the entire iceberg upon readers in the name of informing them about the reality of showbiz.
Big props to the talented cast of narrators who made it possible to get through this book. It was a pleasure to listen to every single one of you, Mr. Hanks included, but I can't bring myself to have even marginally similar sentiments about the contents of what you narrated.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Cursing
Minor: Drug use