renstrange's reviews
179 reviews

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons

adventurous fast-paced

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

1.75

boy did this book fall in my esteem so fast. i started off liking it, but the more i read it, the more problems i had. these characters were so flat, some feeling like little more than set dressing. moreover, the romances were so underdeveloped. and there was never any tension in the story because every problem was resolved so easily (some of which off page!). the writing doesn’t allow for the reader to make inferences because everything is spelled out. 

additionally, i’m left with so many questions. why does anahrod have her powers? where do they come from? how are there human governments if the dragons are in charge? is everything seriously just okay at the end? basically, the world-building is bad and the story is riddled with plot holes.

also, the summary says this is about a heist but the heist is barely in the story and completed so fast/easily. 

this was just a real bummer and i’m sad that this is probably going to be the last book i finish this year ☹️

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

reread this book for the first time in ten years and loved it just the same

A Wild and Ruined Song by Ashley Shuttleworth

adventurous dark tense fast-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

i liked this conclusion, but it could’ve been better developed. it felt too quick and easy after the challenges of the previous two books. still, a fun series that i’m glad i read 

Crypt of Shadows (2024) #1 by Various

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

3.0

agatha is cruel and hot and i love her

Agatha Harkness: The Saga of the Salem Witch by Marvel Various, Stan Lee

adventurous fast-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

3.0

i really liked the midnight suns excerpts, but didn’t really care for the old fantastic four issues… regardless, i loved seeing agatha in a new light

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

another great installment, if a bit too long

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

this was a lot of fun and that ending was CRAZY

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

i liked this book, but it just feels like it’s… missing something. a lot of questions are left unanswered and there’s no time to fully develop the characters. i feel like the ending is supposed to be ambiguous, but it’s not nearly as effective as the ambiguous ending in if we were villains. it also felt like we were racing through plot points to get to the end. the rat scene was horrifying though *shudders*. 

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

so… i wasn’t really a fan. it gave me a few good scares and i like the anti-corporation angle, but that’s about it. i couldn’t stand any of the characters (except nysus, my brother in autism). they were all cardboard cutouts. the romantic subplot was forced and unnecessary. and i didn’t like the flashforwards and flashbacks. i would’ve had the first half be claire and her crew on the ship and the second half be all of the present-day stuff. cut off part one at the last memory claire has. that will maintain mystery and suspense. but also, i felt like the big reveal was underwhelming and some questions are just never answered. i keep hearing that this is the author’s best work, so i think maybe her stuff is just not for me. 

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

challenging dark hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

it wasn’t until i read the afterward, where ward describes this book as “a book about survival, disguised as a book about horror” that i was able to decide how i felt about this book. i predicted the big twist from the beginning, but not the end way it would play out in the end or the direction ward would take with it. so, overall, i’d say it’s a good book that is very mindful with its subject matter.