riley_rogers's reviews
192 reviews

Recursion by Blake Crouch

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.0

Audited By The Anubis by Wendi Gogh

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

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challenging funny lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

Ark by Veronica Roth

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dark emotional sad tense medium-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

3.0

This was so sad. It wasn't at all about a frantic, mad dash to leave the earth due to a meteor. Instead, as the world has known for over 20 years, this story was a way to say goodbye to the known, and to venture into the unknown. 

"So maybe he had been apologizing for giving her life in the first place, when he knew it would be full of dread."

"There was nothing you could have that you couldn't one day lose."

This was a melancholic goodbye to the earth, to friends, family and loved ones. However, short stories are hard to make good. With multiple different characters being introduced, it was hard to keep track. That was my only major issue with the story - otherwise, it was quite good!
Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin

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1.0

Out of the all of the forward collection so far, in my opinion, it is the weakest.
It's told through the voices of an AI intelligence tasked with leading a militarus on a mission to Earth, feared to be desolate and poisonous, to get necessary cells. What they find is the complete opposite. Chaos ensues. I didn't care for the POV, and while the background information mirrors billionaires today, it didn't feel particularly imaginative on any part. Also, the political notions were heavy handed, as well as the bigotry. I find it quite difficult to believe just chucking the rich people into space solves all the world's problems, and now everyone's a socialist??