rehtaehwashere's reviews
12 reviews

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

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adventurous dark mysterious

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

4.0

What I liked: I loved the scientific take on superhumans, and that they're called EOs. I also liked that,
unlike superhero movies and comics, they're viewed as anomalies because they're people who have technically died and something about their death is what gave them those abilities.
I like that the most powerful person in the book wasn't the villain
, Eli, but a woman named Serena who could get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.
I also like that Serena HATED that no one would fight her on things.
I felt bad for Sydney because her sister
bought into Eli's 'holier than thou' shit and helped him find her to kill her.
I like that Victor struggles with his humanity
but that it isn't because he's an EO - it's
because he always has. Mitch and his chocolate milk were great, too. I like that Eli's religious delusions make him more and more crazy as the book goes on - true to life, right there.
What I disliked: Near the end the author unnecessarily draws out a scene where they're just entering a building (super annoying) and I disliked the dog killing scene.
I know they brought Dol back immediately, but it just made the killing seem even more unnecessary than it already was like… what's the point of that? Maybe there's a point later on.
The bouncing back and forth between current time and '1 year ago' or whatever every other chapter was annoying too. I get the author didn't want to give away the backstory all in one but I hate time bouncing in books. It was done well enough in this book for the most part which is why it wasn't a DNF but especially in the beginning it was annoying.
Overall thoughts: A really cool book with an interesting take on superheroes overall. I like how realistic the villain felt and that his own discovery combined with his already insane religious beliefs and psychotic personality made his dive into psychosis after his change feel more real and gave him a good enough motive
to kill other EOs 'at the will of God' or whatever.
Especially after taking a last name that's alliterative like Victor's - his friend/enemy - despite thinking he's better than him the entire book. I want to know more about Victor's relationship with his parents which is mentioned frequently but not in any detail,
and what is happening with Victor after being revived at the end of the book.
I immediately went out and bought the second one so obviously I liked it.
Recommend to a friend? Y

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

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adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

What I liked: I liked the portrayal of the gods as they were brought over and believed in by immigrants. I liked that they aren't the ONLY version of that god - that there are multiple Odins and Lokis out there, that there and they differ from the American ones because the beliefs differ in the areas they reside in.
What I disliked: I disliked that Shadow was Odin's son and a demigod and had no idea. I'm also tired of the 'ex-con with a heart of gold' story. I didn't like Shadow's wife coming back as a corpse multiple times or that Shadow was too dumb to realize he was being used when he was literally hired TO BE USED.
Overall thoughts: Really cool concept, very well written (of course it was, it's Neil Gaiman). The story overall was interesting and a cool concept but I do feel like it dragged unnecessarily in some places and used a trope I'm not a huge fan of in general. Might need a re-read at some point because I'm sure I missed some nuances.
Recommend to a friend? Depends on the friend

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate, Gennifer Choldenko

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

What I liked: I loved how heartfelt this book is, and how Chance
grew to love Metal Head throughout the book
. I love how Chance and the other 'real dogs' were so bitter about robot dogs
until they saw Metal Head help an autistic child become more confident, especially with reading, with the lesson that everyone has different skill sets to offer.
I liked seeing the dogs backstories with their previous lives and how they ended up in the shelter, and the realism with struggling to get bigger dogs adopted.
I love that Chance found her way home eventually.
What I disliked: That the shelter staff were displayed as disliking the animals in their care and that certain sections of the shelter were there to keep dogs out of sight of adopters and were significantly worse than the main areas of the shelter. I disliked that the author quoted the 'one human year is seven dog years' rule which has been disproved, and I disliked that Metal Head
was depicted as the only robodog WORTH respecting because he was 'different than the others' which just gives bad vibes all around.
I know it's simplistic because it's a children's book, but still. I also disliked the use of punishment for dogs - people who work with animals know very well that this doesn't actually work to teach them good behaviors and that shouldn't be a modality used in a shelter, fictional or otherwise. I hate that the owners didn't try harder to find Chance after she ran away and that they were never
suspicious of that dog sitter, and clearly didn't vet her very well, either. Good pet owners know you don't leave your animals with just ANYONE, especially not someone jumping away from your pets affection, and they don't choose someone they don't know or someone last minute. Yikes.
Overall thoughts: Cute story overall, I loved the relationships between the dogs and how they all dream of finding homes. I do think the authors need to do a bit more research on what they're writing about overall, though. For children's books they could have simply avoid listing inaccurate numbers (the age 'rule' mentioned above) and they definitely could've given Chance the push to
run away again without the punishment aspect which, again, is inappropriate. And they could've made Management not act so petty about it the first time Chance returns
- it doesn't put shelters in a good light when the people working/volunteering there are depicted so poorly and shelters need all the support they can get. Authors really needed to be more careful with this, even in children's books.
Recommend to a friend? Maybe not - I work with animals and I don't like how shelters are depicted here even if the overall story is cute.

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The Princess Bride by William Goldman

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

What I liked: I loved how fun and silly and uplifting this book is. I liked that the characters are just as kooky as they are portrayed in the movie. I love that Buttercup isn't this delicate perfect thing that she is portrayed as in the movie and is actually
incredibly awkward and weird and ostracized from the town for being awkward and weird, and then for being beautiful. I like that she's headstrong and rude and jealous and kind and empathetic.
She's so well rounded and well written it's amazing. I liked the backstory for both Inigo and Fezzick, and that the Prince is always the Prince and just wants war and fighting and death all the time. I like the speech impediment is written into the book. All the characters except for Vizzini
(in his defense he died)
were very well rounded and had strong motives that the reader got to find out. We knew WHY they were with Vizzini and helping the prince in the first place, what brought them to where they were and how they got their particular skills, and their motivations and values. Fezzick's backstory was especially sad.
What I disliked: I don't like the asides put in the book. I know they're supposed to be funny but they interrupted the flow so much for me that I skipped over them occasionally because they were annoying. I was hoping for more depth than what was in the movie (not the book's fault, just me expecting the movie fucked it up as usual and also being very impressed it didn't) and there were instances where there definitely could be… then you'd get one of those asides pretending that it was cut out. Irritating as a fantasy reader who WANTS the monotonous boring stuff lmao.
Overall thoughts: The strengths of this book are in the characterizations. They are well rounded, well written, have depth, have motives, everything you could want in a well written character. The only exception is Vizzini
because he dies
. The story is fun and cute and uplifting, and I love that the movie is just like the book with some backstory taken out for time. I like that the characters are goofy and fun and that Wesley and Buttercup go from being lovers to arguing every couple of minutes just because they can.
Recommend to a friend? Y but before the movie if that's even possible so it doesn't feel so monotonous lol

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

What I liked: I LOVED how this was pure fantasy/fairytale. It was well written (ofc it was it's fucking Neil Gaiman) and everything the characters did had a point/appropriate reaction from others. I liked that everyone
going after the star
had a well-defined motive.
The king who knocked it from the sky wanted the correct heir; the sons going after the star wanted to BE the heir; the witches wanted their youth back. The main character wanted to impress a girl in his village that he thought he was in love with.
I loved that the plot came full circle at all points.
The witch cursed a sister witch to never recognize the star and when the witch was desperate to find her this curse fucked her over big time. That main character did find a girl he loved, it just wasn't the one he thought. That he didn't force her into the town and kill her even without knowing that would happen simply because he respected her wishes to not enter town. That when the male heirs all died pursuing the star, the slave girl the main character's dad impregnated in the beginning was revealed to be the only daughter of that king and thus the throne still had an heir. That the main character was the first heir to find the star but for completely different reasons than his uncles.
I like that all the story lines tied in together and that all the characters came across each other without really necessarily realizing it and that it was wrapped up neatly in the end the way a fairy tale is.
What I disliked: I disliked that the main character's dad
cheated on his wife for a one night stand with a cat-themed slave girl
that really grossed me out. I also didn't like that when our main character realized the
star was a woman,
he was still incredibly willing to kidnap her. I don't like that she was so willing to forgive him for that. It fits the fairy tale theme but also feels like it damages her strong character a bit.
Overall thoughts: Really cute story, that's fun and lighthearted and has some great character growth all at the same time, with story lines that fit together amazingly. I feel like the fae fear wasn't as big as it was implied with the guards to the town with everyone willing to go to the fae market and risk it all every 10 years but to be fair, I get it. It's like the one exciting thing they get.
Recommend to a friend? Y 100%

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The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

What I liked: I liked the play on Norse mythology with the magic in the alternate universe he ends up in. I like that both the
cop he's friends with and the gang he was actually in
are full of trash people which is very realistic. I liked that in the end he got to
stay with Sefawynn without hurting the wights
. Really concerned about what that alternate universe's Loki is doing
with his laptop though that's sus as hell and very in character for him
. I liked the version of Vikings in this book, too, and that the magic of this world was in being able to read, but it was done in a way that wasn't childish cringe/tacky but in a way that actually worked really really well
What I disliked: It was misleading in the title in that it sounded like fantasy-fiction which is what he TYPICALLY WRITES and was actually science fiction. That
it started off convincing us
the main character is a cop in a sci-fi novel which almost made me DNF it
Overall thoughts: A really cool book with an interesting take on alternate universes and that supposedly magic isn't real in any of them
and yet he found the one real fantasy world
. The cross over between sci-fi and fantasy that happened in this book.
That it WASN'T the cop book it felt like it was in the beginning and that the romance in the book wasn't the whole point of the book but it was a nice side plot.
That the whole book was the main character redefining who he is to himself and eventually figures out who he wants to be and
helps save this alternate reality and build a home there where he felt wanted and appreciated.
Finding himself and making a home
Recommend to a friend? Y but would depend on the friend

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Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

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

2.5

What I liked: I liked Andarna's sass, I liked that Xaden was so badass
until the very end of the book
, I liked that Mira
didn't even question her sister even though she defied their mother
. I like that Brennan was doing everything he could for the resistance and that the dragon riders were so ready to accept and help the griffon riders. I like the beginnings of a union against the venin for the people that could see it.
What I disliked: Xaden's choice at the end, that Violet was so focused on Xaden 'lying' to her that she was a fucking moron through the whole book. The first book she poisoned everyone
and yet she drank suspicious water THREE TIMES?? THREE TIMES VIOLET YOU FUCKING IDIOT
. That she couldn't solve the incredibly obvious riddle about the wards and that she couldn't figure out
Andarna ISN'T A BLACK DRAGON even with her weird abilities and shifting scale colors
. That she DOESN'T ASK QUESTIONS and then gets mad she doesn't know things. That she went from strong smart and resourceful to a fucking idiot in one book.
Overall thoughts: Poorly edited, a lot could've been chopped out to make for better characterization and letting us understand WHY Violet is being so stupid, that a strong woman got ruined by a hot guy for the sake of plot and she's no longer intelligent and resourceful just because she wants to be petty, the ending sucked and the book was a slog.
Recommend to a friend? Y if someone wants to continue the series but N if someone is on the fence about the series

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Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What I liked: The story concept, the addition of magical creatures (really wasn't expecting that at all), family dynamics, a realistic feeling sibling relationship (even if it was minimal). The slow burn romance and will-they-won't-they, and the thirsting wasn't excessive at all
What I disliked: the twist where
the villain isn't actually the villain (that's what SOLD me on the book)
, that the character was an obvious author insert plus the cringey quirkiness (typical romance-fantasy style) and inserting outfits randomly everywhere. Plus the
<'dating her boss' /spoiler> trope was kinda eh
Overall thoughts: really cool story and I love the concept! Much better writing than fourth wing even if the characters are still the author-insert quirky girl thing which was less bothersome here because the story was interesting and was advertised PURELY as a romance so it is almost expected. Crabby male characters will always win me over because it's funny. The
fake-trustworthiness of the 'good' people being pretty convincing
was good too.
Recommend to a friend? Y

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Dracula by Bram Stoker

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challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

What I liked: The DRAMA, the characterization of Dracula, how hell-bent they were on catching him after he corrupted Lucy,
that Lucy's mother fucked her over by not just leaving her and her flowers the hell alone and opening windows.
The wolves and the bats. The suspicions of Dracula's neighbors and that everyone knew and just said LITERALLY NOTHING.
Dracula throwing the mirror out the window lmao
What I disliked: that they equated soft feminine virginal girls with morality and goodness implying that Lucy deserved what happened because she wasn't 'pure' enough. That women were written as such weak little things and that they only got praise when they 'thought like men'. That the story was basically men saving 'women in distress'. That the language was so flowery and annoying to parse through.
Overall thoughts: I think I'll stick to modern adaptations because the flowery language was so annoying to get through and I loved how dramatic Dracula was but the characterization of women left a lot to be desired. It was definitely a product of its time and a good story none-the-less if you can overlook the 1 dimensional female characters but it's hard for me to do. The men are well written, rounded out characters that show emotion which is a bright spot in this.
Recommend to a friend? Y

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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous medium-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

What I liked: the story concept was really cool with the dragon army being an elite group of warriors to even survive long enough to GET a dragon and train with one. The school hierarchy was cool, too.
What I disliked: overused the word 'ribs' (it really bothered me), excessive thirsting and the fact you immediately knew
she'd go for the guy she was TOLD NOT TO GO NEAR OR BE MURDERED
, the obvious 'oh she's so special' aspect where she not only survives but
gets two dragons
, and I didn't feel how she described chronic pain was accurate at all (though maybe it is for EDS, which I do not have).
Overall thoughts: still not sure how I feel about the
secret rebellion
and the mom being the 'bad guy' felt pretty obvious based on her disdain for her disabled child.
Recommend to a friend? Maybe

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rehtaehwashere's reviews 12 reviews

rehtaehwashere's reviews
12 reviews