roniboi's reviews
546 reviews

The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

Guardian: Zhen Hun (Novel) Vol. 2 by priest

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

I've dropped this book twice in the span of just two weeks. I simply couldn't handle the subject matter. I never really think I'll be affected by things until I'm in the middle of them and I start feeling ill and I just have to stop. This has nothing to do with the way the story was told (it was amazing as far as I got) or the way the author handled the subject matter (it was tender and harsh and painful). It is all about me.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

I didn't like this book. Nothing about it made me like it. I knew that pretty quick so I was mainly just going through so I had a book to read for a 5 hour drive. First, world building: It was dodgy at best. Even the house that was meant to have the thickest atmosphere, felt lacking. I didn't fully understand the advancement of technology, or how society actually worked. All I can say about this world was that it was wet and falling apart in this town. Second, the characters: I didn't like any of them. What was I supposed to like? Third, the plot: I was make a bunch of theories through the second half of the book. I was excited to see if any of them would happen, but no, it was just the turnout that I had suspected as soon as Preston brought up the dodgy evidence that the author was the author. Wow. Lastly, I did not like the way the author made it so Effie, for whatever reason, suddenly wasn't socially anxious around Preston even while she was being a xenophobe and all around asshole to Preston. Then they trauma dump and talk about their geographical background. Then they sleep together and suddenly, Effie has the will to live. Such a strong will to live that she is able to defeat the Fairy King. Like kill me now. The only thing that I liked about the book was the ambiguity of the Fairy King being real. Even until the end, you don't really know. He was real, perhaps just in womens' minds? It didn't really matter. It doesn't make up for the trite plot, uninteresting characters, shoddy worldbuilding etc. etc.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Sexism, War

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Phantom Tales of the Night, Vol. 1 by Matsuri

2.0

Waiting for the day manga stops portraying immortal beings as children while also drawing them in questionable poses. The 2 stars are just for the premise and the artwork.

Guardian: Zhen Hun (Novel) Vol. 1 by priest

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

tense medium-paced

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

2.0

This novel was not what I thought it was going to be. Not nearly as dark or interesting as I expected. The romance was non-existent and when it tried to scrounge to life, it was weird af. All around a huge disappointment and waste of time for me :(

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.

I really love an unlikable main character . . .when they are done well. It was so obvious from the get go that the author did not want you to actually think she was unlikable which instantly made her boring and *actually* unlikable if you understand what I mean. The writing was really bad just two chapters in. I cannot fathom ppl slugging through for the rest of it.

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante

medium-paced

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

4.0

I liked how the main character was so selfish and self-absorbed. It felt realistic in a good way. She was interesting to read about because of how compelling she could be.