Scan barcode
roseleebooks's reviews
227 reviews
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I usually don't read murder mysteries as I prefer to watch them in film version. However this book was a delightful combination of murder mystery and fantasy.
Dee's narration of the story grew on me as it went on. Initially I was frustrated by his inner monologue but after a few chapters as we get to know him it started to be endearing.
I won't give away any of the plot, but the story was paced well with a few twists I didn't predict. Grasshopper was by far my favorite character and her friendship with Dee heartwarming.
Overall a solid read that I will likely revisit again.
Dee's narration of the story grew on me as it went on. Initially I was frustrated by his inner monologue but after a few chapters as we get to know him it started to be endearing.
I won't give away any of the plot, but the story was paced well with a few twists I didn't predict. Grasshopper was by far my favorite character and her friendship with Dee heartwarming.
Overall a solid read that I will likely revisit again.
The Stars are Dying by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
Just couldn't get into it enough to want to finish. Narration style and plot were dragged out over way too many pages.
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This contemporary romcom was sweet and exactly what I was hoping for it to be.
The setup was great, workplace drama believable, and the romance kept me reading.
I appreciated the character growth that Ember goes through and was rooting for her even when she made mistakes.
My only (mild) criticism is that I was wishing for more scenes with Ember and Danuwoa in the first half of the book. Their interactions were well written and I wanted more of them together. There's some small time jumps that prevent us from seeing more day to day interactions.
Overall a really great read and I can't wait to read more from Danica Nava.
The setup was great, workplace drama believable, and the romance kept me reading.
I appreciated the character growth that Ember goes through and was rooting for her even when she made mistakes.
My only (mild) criticism is that I was wishing for more scenes with Ember and Danuwoa in the first half of the book. Their interactions were well written and I wanted more of them together. There's some small time jumps that prevent us from seeing more day to day interactions.
Overall a really great read and I can't wait to read more from Danica Nava.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
And the Sky Bled by S. Hati
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.5
I don't quite know how I would describe this book, other than as an intense novel about an unexpectedly interconnected group of characters trying to survive a catastrophy that has been building for generations.
The reader is thrown in to the story and while there were some things that I wish were developed a bit more (some of the relationships for example), I can appreciate the way the story was told. Tension was carried consistently throughout and I was emotionally invested at the end.
We are left guessing much of the time as to the characters motives, but I appreciated the mystery and felt that the pace kept me reading once I got to the 30-40% mark.
Overall a good read and I look forward to more by S. Hati.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery books for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication.
The reader is thrown in to the story and while there were some things that I wish were developed a bit more (some of the relationships for example), I can appreciate the way the story was told. Tension was carried consistently throughout and I was emotionally invested at the end.
We are left guessing much of the time as to the characters motives, but I appreciated the mystery and felt that the pace kept me reading once I got to the 30-40% mark.
Overall a good read and I look forward to more by S. Hati.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery books for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline
4.0
This book took a bit to get into, but by the end I was invested in the story.
Winifred's POV is at times immature and at others profound. She makes many mistakes and is judgemental of herself and others. The cringy moments were difficult to read through in the same way going back to read your high school journal would be, but made her feel more real.
The humor infused into parts of this book helped to balance the heavier themes, and Dimaline does an amazing job of capturing the intensity of Winifred's emotions. Her first person narration occasionally wanders into memories, which was a bit disorienting but overall adds to the story.
I appreciated the way that Phil's story was told as well. Her POV interspersed with Winifred's is a counter and a window into a life that is years removed but feels immediate.
There is a lot happening in this book, and it wasn't always clear where the events were leading. Overall I appreciated the way that things were tied together at the end. Winifred grows as a person, but still is flawed.
I think if some of the plot and characters had been a little more developed this would be a new favorite by this author.
Winifred's POV is at times immature and at others profound. She makes many mistakes and is judgemental of herself and others. The cringy moments were difficult to read through in the same way going back to read your high school journal would be, but made her feel more real.
The humor infused into parts of this book helped to balance the heavier themes, and Dimaline does an amazing job of capturing the intensity of Winifred's emotions. Her first person narration occasionally wanders into memories, which was a bit disorienting but overall adds to the story.
I appreciated the way that Phil's story was told as well. Her POV interspersed with Winifred's is a counter and a window into a life that is years removed but feels immediate.
There is a lot happening in this book, and it wasn't always clear where the events were leading. Overall I appreciated the way that things were tied together at the end. Winifred grows as a person, but still is flawed.
I think if some of the plot and characters had been a little more developed this would be a new favorite by this author.
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
adventurous
fast-paced
4.0
I've been in a YA Fantasy reading streak lately and this was a strong addition to the list.
It was a fun read overall and the narrator was amazing on the audiobook. The pacing is fast, with flashbacks and reveals of past events to help build context and understanding of motives.
I did feel that some of the twists seemed a bit forced at the end.Also a death that just seemed to be very sudden and did not really add to the story.
I also would categorize the romance as a side plot.
The style of storytelling still worked for me and despite some flaws I would recommend this book.
It was a fun read overall and the narrator was amazing on the audiobook. The pacing is fast, with flashbacks and reveals of past events to help build context and understanding of motives.
I did feel that some of the twists seemed a bit forced at the end.
I also would categorize the romance as a side plot.
The style of storytelling still worked for me and despite some flaws I would recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I overall liked this duology. Going back to the world of the Folk of the Air series was comforting in a way. Holly Black embraces morally grey in her characters which I always appreciate. No one is truly admirable in her stories, but she writes in a way that lets you empathize and care about characters who are making bad decisions.
I liked that the POV in the first and second book change from Ren to Oak, it helped to keep me guessing what was going to happen next. I'm thinking I let too much time pass between reading book one and book two, though, as I had forgotten some details.
Similar to Folk of the Air, the romance is there but the plot really focuses a lot on the politics and power plays happening in the world. The family dynamics were great,but I did wish Taryn was given more characterization on page instead of once again being a victim of tragedy that is barely acknowledged by the others .
Overall I thought the duology was ended well and liked the flow and format of the book. The audiobook for both the first and second books had outstanding narrators as well.
I liked that the POV in the first and second book change from Ren to Oak, it helped to keep me guessing what was going to happen next. I'm thinking I let too much time pass between reading book one and book two, though, as I had forgotten some details.
Similar to Folk of the Air, the romance is there but the plot really focuses a lot on the politics and power plays happening in the world. The family dynamics were great,
Overall I thought the duology was ended well and liked the flow and format of the book. The audiobook for both the first and second books had outstanding narrators as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
fast-paced
3.5
This book had a lot of elements I enjoy in a YA fantasy. The mythology retelling, the worldbuilding, and side characters were definitely strengths. I think my favorite scenes were all ones in which Mina was interacting with someone who wasn't the sea god or Shin. The family dynamics and flashbacks as a way to build connections and explanations were also a key part of the story and helped to make Mina's character more dimensional.
The plot and the romance aspects of the story were rushed throughout. I appreciate that there was a lot of story to cover in a relatively small number of pages, but as a reader it felt like I was expected to accept this as part of the story without any of the background that was built in for other relationships.
Overall I enjoyed the story and read it very quickly. The fantasy retelling and family dynamics were my favorite aspects. I think as a teenager I would have had no complaints about this book.
The plot and the romance aspects of the story were rushed throughout. I appreciate that there was a lot of story to cover in a relatively small number of pages, but as a reader it felt like I was expected to accept this as part of the story without any of the background that was built in for other relationships.
Overall I enjoyed the story and read it very quickly. The fantasy retelling and family dynamics were my favorite aspects. I think as a teenager I would have had no complaints about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
Just could not get into the story, probably would have stopped sooner if it wasn't an audiobook