shybearfog's reviews
29 reviews

Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman

medium-paced

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

3.0

This book was just okay in my opinion. I liked the cultural references and use of food and music. But I found myself kind of bored reading the story. I considered not finishing it a couple times but I was already more than halfway so wanted to finish it. Mon was pretty cool but I wish more characters were likable.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I've read Tokyo ever after, Tokyo dreaming, and Mika in real life and I really enjoyed all of them so I was excited to see that the author had a new thriller coming out. It kicks off right away with action and mystery. It's definitely dark, sad, tense, and heavy. I felt like it was a Criminal Minds episode in a book form. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery and alternating between what was going on with the lead detective and the victim helped move the story along at a fast pace. The ending did feel like it wrapped up slightly too quickly, but for the most part there weren't really any major lingering questions or loose ends. I'd recommend this book if you like thrillers and mysteries. I suggest taking a look at content warnings before reading it.

Content Warnings

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book was an enjoyable, quick read. I didn't see the twists coming. I liked the mix of diary entries in the writing.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

This was a great read; it was heart warming while still having some real complexities to the people and relationships. The art was beautiful. I liked the use of color for the different "spiritual" characters or feelings of the main character. I liked the use of small visual details, like facial expressions of non-main characters or characters' clothing. It was also funny; the grandma and uncle were especially fun characters. Culturally, I liked that there were different east Asian ethnicities (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese) and their Lunar New Year traditions and beliefs represented.

Content Warnings

At First Spite by Olivia Dade

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-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

4.5

This was my first time reading a book from this author. I really enjoyed the writing style and how there were serious topics but also a lot of humor too. It felt very modern and relevant. The characters seemed complex and dynamic. I'm looking forward to reading more Harlot's Bay books.

Content Warnings