sarah_cameron's reviews
103 reviews

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

This book is a tricky one to review, because I feel like it had all the right ingredients, and a lot of the time they were actually executed pretty well, but something just didn’t quite hit exactly the right mark for me?

I loved the characters, they were given a lot of space, well-developed backstories, and felt very three-dimensional

I also loved the world building. It was clearly defined, the magic system was pretty unique and interesting, and the realism of it was very well done

The plot was also solid, though a little slow at times, and each character’s motivation was well linked here

The thing is, I just wasn’t gripped or consumed the same way I thought I would be. I would have liked to see more character development - they are very well-developed at the beginning which is great in a book with a large cast of characters, but I would have liked to see them change more during their journey

if anything, after Tristan’s death, there’s almost a regression of some of the characters, and they don’t quite get the space to progress from there before the book ends

. It seems a lot of the decisions made at the end would also have been made at the start, rather than seeing the characters be pushed and have to respond and change in response to their experiences

For sure last 100 pages were probably the best, and it sets up very well for what may come in the future! Given this, as I liked Chokshi’s writing style, I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of her work!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book made me so soft I’m melting 🥹

Our two MMCs are complex, complete people who’s emotions and histories are well fleshed out. I want what they want and feel what they feel, and love their relationship not just with each other, but all the people in their lives.

The secondary characters are also complicated and given space to shine and grow which is pretty rare to see done well, and I thought McQuiston did a great job here!

Given the roles of our MMCs, I was a little concerned about how the politics would be written, but I think this was actually really well done! There was so much awareness, and a good balance of the scary realities and histories of the UK and US with the hope for the future stories like these can provide. The discussions of intersectionality are also thoughtful and natural, and though it’s not a focus of the book in the way that sexual identity is, I’m glad it was included and thought it was built-in in a realistic way.

On the whole I’m so impressed with this, it really did live up to the hype. It’s been a while since a book left me feeling warm and comforted and just happy. I hope it leaves you feeling the same!

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

This one hurt my feelings :((

First up, check the content warnings and look after yourself

Wow. Okay. Probably not the best book to consume in one day and write a review while trying to process everything it covers but here we are.

I’m very glad I read this book. It was well written, it was honest, and I think it covered the topics of domestic abuse in a graceful but very frank way.

The characters - yes all of them - are sympathetic and realistic. I loved someone one scene and hated them the next. It was complex and truthful.

This book hurt to read, but it was also a little healing. Thanks to everyone who recommended it. If you read this one, I highly suggest checking out the author’s note at the end also.

Much like The Midnight Library, this book speaks to one person’s circumstances and experiences and is obviously not generalisable. It’s not a trope or a genre, it’s a story about a person who goes through some really shitty times, and I am impressed by Hoover’s telling of this story. It was my first introduction to her work, and I’ll definitely be reading more, though after an emotional reprieve and a lot of ice cream 🥲

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I’ll write a full review tomorrow, too busy drowning in my tears to be coherent right now

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book was infinitely better than the first - I feel like it lived up to and explored all the potential that I had wished Strange the Dreamer was.

It absolutely hit the mark for character exploration, and I’m so glad we spent more time with the secondary characters as they really made this book and added such a complex and emotional layer.

I’m also a sucker for good world building, and Muse of Nightmares did more than deliver on this front. Despite the complex layers it was done convincing and with clarity, and I was particularly impressed by this.

Though this book  wasn’t a 5 star for me with regards to the actual plot (though it was very good!!) I think the concepts, emotions, reflexivity and ideas that underlie this story are what really make it and why it appeals to so many readers.

I’m so glad I stuck with the series, this story was seriously impressive, lyrical, and a lovely follow up to the set up and world building of the first book that went beyond doing it justice.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

On the whole I really enjoyed this book!
I was able to fly through it in about a day and the narrators were all really great!
Despite the large A-Cast, I felt each character was fairly well fleshed out and unique.
At some points I think it fell into stereotypes, not in a negative way, more in a way that made some parts predictable.
It was still a super fun read though, and a genre I haven’t read much of so I really enjoyed that exciting!

I would note that a lot of stuff came up that I didn’t expect, so check the CWS before you dive into it! 

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

[EDIT: it has recently come to my attention that Kristoff has written some pretty problematic stuff (eg, anti-Semantic, anti-Asian, fetishised underaged sex, appropriation of Māori culture, etc). For this reason I won’t be reading or recommending other books of his]

I was pretty unsure how I would feel about this book going into it but holy heck it was good!
For such a long book, it wasn’t until the last ~20% that I felt myself running out of steam, so it was a pretty impressive feat for Kristoff to hold my attention for that long!
This book was intriguing, dark, and emotional. Some parts were a little predictable - other plot twist threw me entirely off guard. The world building solid, particularly with regards to the geography. I’d be keen to see more of the other creatures in the sequel!
The multiple-time design was executed really effectively and I thought it was a great choice for a story like this!
I definitely enjoyed the beginning of the book and getting to know the characters backgrounds and motivations more than the action at the end, but on the whole I highly recommend this one!

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Holy sh*t

This book was everything. Screaming, crying, throwing up. Please read it

Such an impressive follow up, somehow even better than the first book. The character development and fleshing out of the backstories was immaculately done

The trauma and horrors of war, genocide, politics, colonisation, and all the other atrocities this book deals with were talked about in a really impressive way where you actually sat with the consequences and PTSD resulting from these events

Also

Fucking Nezha you bitch you really had me going Jesus why why why why why, if only I wasn’t such a sucker for an enemies to lovers I might have been spared from this pain 😭😭

Idk at which point exactly I dropped my jaw but if you see it lmk

Cress by Marissa Meyer

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Loveddddd this book!
The pacing was great, keeping you in suspense while being balanced with slower scenes were we got to know the characters more. We really got to know our fast way better, and explore new dynamics between them.
The action scenes were really well done and all served a purpose in furthering the plot.
The nods to the classic fairy tales were all really nicely woven in
The book also did a great job of getting everything into place for Winter without feeling stagnant, you could tell the writing was really purposeful and Meyer’s talent really shone in this one

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

100% my favourite book of the series so far!
I liked that we got to explore the world a lot more, and get some new character interactions and see how different dynamics played out. I really enjoyed getting to know Elide and the cadre more. I also did not expect

SJM to actually commit to that ending - really thought people would show up in time to prevent it but damn.

There were some great call-backs to plots set up in previous books. Despite how cast-heavy this is, for the most part I felt we got to explore at least a part of each character a little deeper. I do need more Fenrys though!
The drawbacks are mainly that especially towards the end I was pretty frustrated by some characters and their motivations, and also for such an action-filled book there were sometimes a few chapters in a row where it seemed a little stagnant in a 'tell not show' kind way.
Overall I'm liking where we've ended and how the next book is very well set up. I'm not especially excited to hang out with Chaol again as I find him a bit tiring and repetitive but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Both excited and nervous that I'm slowly creeping towards the end of this series.