I almost didn’t continue reading this book because the beginning is slow and I am not too fond of the author’s writing style, but I pushed ahead because I was really curious about the magic system. I’m glad I did! What really caught me was the court drama. I think it’s written well and I am curious to see where it goes in the next book.

I feel complicated in regards to Ning because in some ways I appreciate her character, in other ways I find her boring. She is the type of protagonist who you can’t really tell the personality of because the author really does not get it across well. I would find myself surprised by her actions because I didn’t know that she would do that. It felt like her inner monologue was a lot more peaceful(???) compared to how she expressed herself, which seemed to perhaps be loud and brash. I don’t really know how to describe it further. I also dislike how pretending to be a shennong-tu lacked difficulty for her. I would’ve been super interested in seeing a lot more challenge in regards to that. However, I do appreciate how she actively takes a role in the story. She makes decisions herself instead of the story sweeping her along.

In regards to the pace, I’ve labelled this medium paced in my review but I’d say it’s slow paced in the beginning and then fast paced somewhere towards the middle.

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

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dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

I was craving a book about messy lesbians and/or bisexuals, and absolutely got it in this one. It’s a super fun read.

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

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reflective

4.0

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

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emotional reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

This book was somehow interesting and incredibly boring at the same time. The worldbuilding is interesting but I think what’s lacking is any interesting observations about this world from the POV of our main character. There is so much she could comment on and notice throughout the book but a good chunk of it is just her stuck in a palace describing her day and romantic situation with the Darkling. Like sure she’s there and she feels alienated. But what about it? She’s not observing the world outside of herself and it makes the story an absolute bore. Maybe the two other books are a bit better, but considering that the whole first book was a chore to get through… I’m not trying it.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

This was an absolutely amazing prequel. I know there’s a lot of worry among people coming to this book that it’ll try to make Snow out to be a sympathetic person, but it was the opposite. He is a very unlikeable character and in my opinion, an incredibly interesting point of view to read because of that. Reading this book also gives you perspective into how Lucy Gray and the Covey are just sprinkled throughout the trilogy and live on with Katniss. That being said, I feel like I wouldn’t recommend this book if you haven’t read the trilogy yet. I think it would be interesting regardless, but having read the trilogy really added a lot more to it.

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shimelyasmin's reviews 25 reviews

shimelyasmin's reviews
25 reviews