sarahsbooklife's reviews
475 reviews

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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

4.25

I really liked this book it was a very interesting start to a series. A lot happened, and some characters didn't stick around as long as I expected catching me off guard. This book had a few hidden surprises.
I liked the characters and how the main four; Cleo, Magnus, Lucia, and Jonas, developed as the story progressed.
Great start to a series and I can't wait to see what happens next.

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A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

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adventurous dark inspiring fast-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

3.25

This was an interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Zinnia, a girl from our world, loves Sleeping Beauty and fairy tales; is thrust into another world where she meets Primrose who is destined to prick her finger on a spindle and sleep for a hundred years.
The two young woman are both cursed, one through magic and another through a disease that is slowly killing her. Together they try to change their fates and break their curses.
I thought that this was an unique take on this classic fairy tale and I loved the references to the Disney version, the Brothers Grimm version (Little Briar Rose), the Italian 17th century version (Sun, Moon, and Talia), and a few more. Zinnia's knowledge about fairy tales help her to navigate the world she is thrown into and helps her to save Primrose and herself. It's a good short story and it's a good story to listen too.

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I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee

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relaxing slow-paced

2.25

It was an interesting book. There were some parts that I found myself connecting and sympathising with.

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The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

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fast-paced

3.0

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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

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adventurous funny hopeful relaxing fast-paced

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

5.0

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Medusa by Jessie Burton

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emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Really enjoyed this story; imaginative and intriguing. A Greek retelling that doesn't end in complete tragedy for a change! 😅
It was short and easy to breeze through in a few hours. A great bitesize Greek myth with modern twists and insights.

Although I did find that the narrator talked a bit too slow for my liking so I did have to speed it up. But that's just personal preference 🤷‍♀️

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The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

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sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I like this story but I struggle to put my finger on what I did and didn't like about this book.
Maybe it was the characters or the writing or the story itself. But I struggled to regain interest in this book each time I stopped reading and put it down.
I think I liked this book because I like Greek myths and legends. It was quite interesting to read about a different side of the myth that goes into what it was like for the women that were taken as slaves by the Greeks.
It's an interesting take on a classic Greek tale.
But it's not the epic story that some people make it out to be. It felt a little lacklustre to be to be honest.

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