readingrainbill's reviews
475 reviews

The Windweaver's Storm: An Old Gods Story by Antoine Bandele, Arthur Bowling

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

4.5 stars. A very good YA book the lags just a bit in the middle. The story has a solid ending but sets up book 3 perfectly. Antoine Bandele is a master of his craft.

Thanks to Net Galley and the Publisber for letting me read this for an honest review. But if I'm being honest I was going to read it anyway.

TJ Young makes me say Potter who?

The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park

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lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.5

2.5 stars

The Christmas Clash is a YA Romcom but there's big emphasis on the young aspect. It's a cute story that's ultimately predictable just how we all know how a Cheesy Christmas movie is going to end.

I felt like the characters were a little too over the top. Like Suzanne Park got her idea of teen life from a 2000's teen comedy. Everyone was over the top and I couldn't relate to anyone. I am saying that as an adult reading a YA book, but a good YA book should speak to everyone and this fell a bit short.

In the end it was cute but skippable. Great for a younger audience but any more mature young adults and older should skip it

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

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dark medium-paced

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

2.0

The Deep by Nick Cutter

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dark sad slow-paced

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

1.5

This book is on every "scary books" list, but it probably should be put on the "books to fall asleep to" list.

The "horror" is ham handed and there's an attempt at subtly with how it builds but it just doesn't work. The back story of the main character is so over the top that I felt nothing for him. When his back story and the horror element starts to merge it comes across as try-hard. The brother served no real purpose no matter how hard Cutter tried to force the point. If he was taken out you could still tell the same story and it wouldn't have changed.

A major event in the book happens off screen and it feels like we, the readers, got screwed. Like not even the author gave a flying damn about the character.

The ending is stupid. Plain and simple and ruins what was trying to be an atmospheric horror with a silly antagonist. While everything technically ties together, it does so in an unsatisfying way that I was just angry. This was a bad book.

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