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path_through_pages's reviews
169 reviews
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
I'm so genuinely disappointed.
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I'm so genuinely disappointed.
The fanfic aspect was vague if I'm being totally honest. I didn't get Reylo from this and I barely got any star wars at all.
The 'will they won't they' romance bored me to tears. Like just the dualogue and the interaction between them. The author tried too hard for a buildup and it just came across as repetitive.
The saving grace is the actual plot was extremely interesting. The universe was unique, I enjoyed the dynamics and the world building, but the boring dragging out of the romance genuinely ruined it for me. Like the book could have been an novella without it 🤷♀️
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Pregnancy content warning: contains pregnancy, traumatic birth, and traumatic situations surrounding birth
As someone who hates pregnancy tropes I have to say, I am beyond pleasantly surprised by this book.
This is one of the few instances that given the time period, situation, and context that the pregnancy actually makes sense and adds to the story. I was initially disappointed at it's use since pregnancy is often an easy method for character and story development, but this one was so impactful to the ending I genuinely can't be mad at it.
I'm typically extremely critical of this trope so for me to be okay with it is actually saying a lot!
This was an easy to read, easy to follow, fun, twisting thriller that I genuinely enjoyed!
I've also never read a thriller where the ending felt so hear warming!
Absolutely recommend!
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
First off, I think it's super important to remember this book is YA before writing a review or being super critical. I find a lot of readers will go from high fantasy to YA and then complain about the characters being immature or irrational or the story being predictable. It's YA for a reason, so keep that in mind.
If I was going to rate this as a standard fantasy, it would be a 3 star, but as a YA, it's for sure a 4.
A few things, LOVE that the FMC is vocally childfree! This is rare and SO nice to see, especially in YA!
I love that she's strong and independent but not invulnerable, and I love they neither her nor the MMC thought of changing their lives or their goals for each other. They talked and worked to find a way so they both could achieve what they wanted and needed to.
Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable story!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First off, I think it's super important to remember this book is YA before writing a review or being super critical. I find a lot of readers will go from high fantasy to YA and then complain about the characters being immature or irrational or the story being predictable. It's YA for a reason, so keep that in mind.
If I was going to rate this as a standard fantasy, it would be a 3 star, but as a YA, it's for sure a 4.
A few things, LOVE that the FMC is vocally childfree! This is rare and SO nice to see, especially in YA!
I love that she's strong and independent but not invulnerable, and I love they neither her nor the MMC thought of changing their lives or their goals for each other. They talked and worked to find a way so they both could achieve what they wanted and needed to.
Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable story!
Defending Elysium by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
2.0
I have never been so sad about low rating a book in my life.
This book has so many amazing qualities. Beautiful found family, true, deep, and emotional connections to the MC, in the first 20 pages I thought, this is it, this book is going to make me cry a thousand times... but then.. it happened...
Okay I get it, this is a book with werewolves and pair bonding, and the age difference between Joe and Ox wasn't an issue for me, it was the whole construct around their relationship that just completely pulled me out of the story and gave me ick.
So they unknowingly pair bond when Joe is 10. I'm okay with this, I can wrap my brain around this because he was a hurt, broken child and Ox was this beacon of safety and security. To me that wasn't romantic but was the filling of a desperate familial need.
What I COULDNT wrap my brain around was how Ox could love and care for Joe from the time he was a child, a vulnerable and hurt 10 year old, watch him grow, protect him, guide him as a sibling or parent would, and then the MINUTE Joe is about to turn 18 he experiences uncontrollable lust?? It wasn't framed as grooming and it wasn't grooming but I CANNOT understand how someone could be in such a parental position and then the minute some social construct about age is reached its just... game on? Yeah he 'struggled' but did he really? The reaction was so physical that it made me uncomfortable and unfortunately... I just couldn't keep going...
This book has so many amazing qualities. Beautiful found family, true, deep, and emotional connections to the MC, in the first 20 pages I thought, this is it, this book is going to make me cry a thousand times... but then.. it happened...
Okay I get it, this is a book with werewolves and pair bonding, and the age difference between Joe and Ox wasn't an issue for me, it was the whole construct around their relationship that just completely pulled me out of the story and gave me ick.
So they unknowingly pair bond when Joe is 10. I'm okay with this, I can wrap my brain around this because he was a hurt, broken child and Ox was this beacon of safety and security. To me that wasn't romantic but was the filling of a desperate familial need.
What I COULDNT wrap my brain around was how Ox could love and care for Joe from the time he was a child, a vulnerable and hurt 10 year old, watch him grow, protect him, guide him as a sibling or parent would, and then the MINUTE Joe is about to turn 18 he experiences uncontrollable lust?? It wasn't framed as grooming and it wasn't grooming but I CANNOT understand how someone could be in such a parental position and then the minute some social construct about age is reached its just... game on? Yeah he 'struggled' but did he really? The reaction was so physical that it made me uncomfortable and unfortunately... I just couldn't keep going...
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I hate Mal 🤷♀️
I really like the writing, the story, the characters, all except Mal. I not only dislike him as a character but I HATE the relationship.
Actually I'd probably like Mal a lot more if this relationship never happened. This is one of those situations where it would have been better if the FMC was just single. The relationship does nothing but make them both worse.
Genuinely it feels like your first high-school relationship where the girl does everything to try and please her boyfriend only for them both to end up miserable. It just feels juvenile and pointless.
Other than that, love everything else 🤣
I really like the writing, the story, the characters, all except Mal. I not only dislike him as a character but I HATE the relationship.
Actually I'd probably like Mal a lot more if this relationship never happened. This is one of those situations where it would have been better if the FMC was just single. The relationship does nothing but make them both worse.
Genuinely it feels like your first high-school relationship where the girl does everything to try and please her boyfriend only for them both to end up miserable. It just feels juvenile and pointless.
Other than that, love everything else 🤣
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was fun! I enjoyed the characters, the comedy, the wit, and the juxtaposition of famle piracy and Victorian manners.
It just didn't grab me the way I hope it would.
Other than that it was fun and light!
It just didn't grab me the way I hope it would.
Other than that it was fun and light!
Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I'm genuinely disappointed in this one.
I got the SE as a gift and it truly is a stunning looking book. I'm a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi but this just felt complicated for the sake of being complicated.
It was so incredibly hard to get invested in any of the characters. There were multiple POV but there were such big gaps between characters i couldn't connect with them.
Also almost every sentence then had a full paragraph following it explaining yet another war and the history of the war. I felt like I needed to take notes so I could see who did what and when so I could reference it and understand what was going on.
It's a shame I couldn't enjoy it.
I got the SE as a gift and it truly is a stunning looking book. I'm a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi but this just felt complicated for the sake of being complicated.
It was so incredibly hard to get invested in any of the characters. There were multiple POV but there were such big gaps between characters i couldn't connect with them.
Also almost every sentence then had a full paragraph following it explaining yet another war and the history of the war. I felt like I needed to take notes so I could see who did what and when so I could reference it and understand what was going on.
It's a shame I couldn't enjoy it.
The Beauty of Falling: A Life in Pursuit of Gravity by Claudia de Rham
informative
medium-paced
4.0
As someone who primarily reads non-fiction but then gets in moods where I'll read nothing but astrophysics, this was a fun and enlightening journey into science and personal experience.
The author was able to weave their own story with the tale and science of gravity in a unique, entertaining, and educational way.
It's also a great reminder that science is fact until those facts change. As we as a species continue to evolve, we will keep seeing our theories tested.
The author was able to weave their own story with the tale and science of gravity in a unique, entertaining, and educational way.
It's also a great reminder that science is fact until those facts change. As we as a species continue to evolve, we will keep seeing our theories tested.
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I genuinely appreciate the ending of this book, especially the closure for the side characters.
I think Madoc's fate is hilarious and I appreciated everything being tied into stories and fairytales in the end.
But this was probably my least favorite book in the series. I kind of feel like I just wanted more and the worst part is I can't say what that more was.
I feel like if he had more of the fairytale back story and not this coincidental happenstance with a book found in a library it would have felt more satisfying.
But I just don't know 🤷♀️
I think Madoc's fate is hilarious and I appreciated everything being tied into stories and fairytales in the end.
But this was probably my least favorite book in the series. I kind of feel like I just wanted more and the worst part is I can't say what that more was.
I feel like if he had more of the fairytale back story and not this coincidental happenstance with a book found in a library it would have felt more satisfying.
But I just don't know 🤷♀️