paxihayes's reviews
51 reviews

Pax, Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

3.5

Middle-grade book, super cute and many things kids can learn from. I love these stories and the unique perspective of Pax the fox. A realistic HEA for all involved. Cozy vibe and easy read.

Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo

adventurous reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Realistic, age-appropriate relationships. Loved this take on the fairytale narrative. 

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

adventurous dark hopeful 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

Enjoyed this story up until the battle with the BBEG. Very interesting twist on the fairytale narrative.

Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Did not like this one nearly as much as the first one. It felt a little rushed and the plot points didn’t connect fully for me. Still kept me engaged enough to want to read the third one when it releases later this year. 

Promises and Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Picked this up to read a genre I normally don’t. It was ok, not for me.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Another teenager-immortal being pairing, but this one kept me hooked. Gothic Bridgerton with actual consequences. Enjoyed the writing style enough to order the second one.

The Coworker by Freida McFadden

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Every time I would guess the twist, there would be another one around the corner. A great study in understanding what happens when people never grow up.

Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I loved this story and the writing style. One of my favorites now.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

The letter format was really effective. Good food for digestion. 

All of Our Demise by C.L. Herman, Amanda Foody

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Too long, in completely honesty. A lot of the plot could have been cut and the story would have been more compelling. It also caused the characterization to be annoying and grating at times. At least the ending was more realistic than a straight HEA.

For a magic-based Hunger Games, it was oddly hollow and felt like I significant suffering for minors. Which may have been the point, but it was unclear at best what the point actually was.