samihah's reviews
25 reviews

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Hafsah's writing is really beautiful. There are so many quotes I highlighted. Sometimes the flowery descriptions did irk me though, especially in Jin's POV, they felt unnecessary or silly. What does sunshine smell like??? I'm so tired of Flick being compared to sunflowers! The world and characters also didn't feel well fleshed out. I love the concept of the book and some of the characters are very likeable, but things didn't feel 'tangible' enough to get me fully invested. Very odd pacing, too much info dumping and some plot conveniences. I'll check out the sequel though, hopefully it maintains the momentum from the end of the book and is much better.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

4.75

Scrumptious

My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara

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adventurous hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

The Theban Plays by E.F. Watling, Sophocles

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

4,5 stars.
I'm not into Greek mythology and I falsely assumed these plays would be boring because they're so old. But I was pleasantly suprised!! They were such entertaining reads and the language is gorgeous 🥺

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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

5.0

I can't express how much I love this book and how emotional the ending made me. What a joy to read. I felt so warm and cosy throughout

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I really, really enjoyed this book. Couldn't get enough and I read it as fast as my time allowed me too. The setting was so immersive and the writing beautifully descriptive, rich and vibrant. I loved Inez.. most of the time. I loved her and Whitford's banter. Also really loved the Egyptian setting and how mysterious the story is.

Once Elvira came to Cairo, the plot slightly went downhill though and the ending was very much out of left field.

I'm a bit dissapointed and unsatisfied overall. But still highly recommend this book! It's definitely worth the read.

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