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rachachisaur's reviews
338 reviews
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
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? No
2.75
For a plot predicated on solving a murder, there is little to no sleuthing or murder solving attempted.
I liked the world a lot, but the characters were very basic, had no chemistry, and didn’t seem to be motivated to do anything related to the plot.
I liked the world a lot, but the characters were very basic, had no chemistry, and didn’t seem to be motivated to do anything related to the plot.
Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
There is a really fascinating concept here, and copious amounts of diversity and lgbtq+ and chronic illness/mental health rep. We need more books like that.
Unfortunately none of the characters felt well-developed or real. Very two-dimensional paper cutouts of personalities. The characters are also very inconsistent across scenes, possibly due to being underdeveloped. Rory is a horrible reincarnation of the manic pixie dream girl for the new generation and has no chemistry with Gem or any other characters despite being one of the three most important players.
Additionally, I do not think this will age well in terms of technology referenced and dialogue used. It isn’t automatically bad that the references are so current and of-the-moment, but they are used in a way that I fear will be very cringey in about ten years and make this book hard to reread. It’s already a little cringe and outdated.
I am not the target age group for this book, so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, but it felt like the main character’s struggles with their own identity were overbearing and overshadowed the plot rather than informing it. A lot of the diverse representation felt like it was shoved into each character rather than a natural part of how that character was built and often didn’t impact who that character was in any way.
Unfortunately none of the characters felt well-developed or real. Very two-dimensional paper cutouts of personalities. The characters are also very inconsistent across scenes, possibly due to being underdeveloped. Rory is a horrible reincarnation of the manic pixie dream girl for the new generation and has no chemistry with Gem or any other characters despite being one of the three most important players.
Additionally, I do not think this will age well in terms of technology referenced and dialogue used. It isn’t automatically bad that the references are so current and of-the-moment, but they are used in a way that I fear will be very cringey in about ten years and make this book hard to reread. It’s already a little cringe and outdated.
I am not the target age group for this book, so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, but it felt like the main character’s struggles with their own identity were overbearing and overshadowed the plot rather than informing it. A lot of the diverse representation felt like it was shoved into each character rather than a natural part of how that character was built and often didn’t impact who that character was in any way.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I’ve seen a lot of praise for the worldbuilding, but it’s been several chapters and while the world is really interesting as it exists, there hasn’t been any actual worldbuilding so far. We just get tiny little glimpses of the world with no introduction, no idea what the magic or rules of reality are, no political or governing or religious systems described.
I have a pretty high tolerance for not totally understanding what’s going on in a book initially, but this one is written to be annoyingly obtuse for the reader.
I have a pretty high tolerance for not totally understanding what’s going on in a book initially, but this one is written to be annoyingly obtuse for the reader.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
The consistent graphic depictions of violent sexual assault, and aside from that just the wholly mysoginistic undertones to every single mention of a woman, make this an absolute no for me. And apparently it gets much worse.
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Absolutely in love with the premise of the story and the concept of the world, but there was just something missing that kept me from full immersion. I wish I could pinpoint what it was. That missing factor is all that’s keeping this from four stars.
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
slow-paced
2.0
I was so excited to read this, but the title is kind of a bait-and-switch. Less than 15% of this memoir touches on Kelly’s experiences filming Gilmore Girls.
I did like the bits of her personality that came through, especially in the audiobook, but overall the telling feels kind of like reading a list of her acting experiences and less like getting to know her life. The interesting parts were rushed past. I was sadly bored most of the time.
I did like the bits of her personality that came through, especially in the audiobook, but overall the telling feels kind of like reading a list of her acting experiences and less like getting to know her life. The interesting parts were rushed past. I was sadly bored most of the time.
A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
A long slow build up to a story that just….ends. This is a great example of why you should always kill the super evil soulless villain the very first chance you get instead of letting them live bc you’re “morally superior” to them.
There is too much superfluous detail and too many threads that could have been cut out. This series would have better served as a trilogy.
Laia and Elias don’t make any sense as a couple and Elias doesn’t really make sense as a main character. He contributes so little to the entire plot that we could have largely done without him.
There is too much superfluous detail and too many threads that could have been cut out. This series would have better served as a trilogy.
Laia and Elias don’t make any sense as a couple and Elias doesn’t really make sense as a main character. He contributes so little to the entire plot that we could have largely done without him.
Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Another book giving very much The Mummy and Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider vibes, but with Mayan/Aztec cultures as the setting.
I really enjoyed the two main characters, their dynamic was very cute. A few cringy cliche lines here and there but otherwise solid banter and somewhat slow burn romance.
The plot was intriguing but got a little lost in the multiple mazes and false starts. A strong start, but the middle wandered too much and took a bit too long to bring the magical artifact elements into play. I wish there had been more of the “mystery” and supernatural elements and a bit less time spent in the maze type settings.
The audiobook narrator did a good job with the various accents represented amongst the background characters.
I really enjoyed the two main characters, their dynamic was very cute. A few cringy cliche lines here and there but otherwise solid banter and somewhat slow burn romance.
The plot was intriguing but got a little lost in the multiple mazes and false starts. A strong start, but the middle wandered too much and took a bit too long to bring the magical artifact elements into play. I wish there had been more of the “mystery” and supernatural elements and a bit less time spent in the maze type settings.
The audiobook narrator did a good job with the various accents represented amongst the background characters.
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
3.25
A solid unreliable narrator story. I loved the twist, but was underwhelmed by the ending.
I do love the feel of the writing, especially for a ya horror book.
Huge pacing issues, and a bit heavy-handed on the dramatic language, but as this is a debut book I am optimistic about the author’s other books coming out.
I do love the feel of the writing, especially for a ya horror book.
Huge pacing issues, and a bit heavy-handed on the dramatic language, but as this is a debut book I am optimistic about the author’s other books coming out.