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skylarkblue1's reviews
210 reviews
Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
Representations: https://trello.com/c/QAC6AKWA/107-miss-bensons-beetle-by-rachel-joyce
CONTENT WARNING NOTES: I have no idea why people haven't been tagging this with graphic animal death and fatphobia, both are very graphic, very detailed and very much on-page. The animal death especially was really bad as it was also pet related. Hopefully sending a quick email to storygraph overrules that and adds them to the main page as that's 2 of the biggest content warnings of this book. If you write a review and add content warnings, either add them all or none at all.
I didn't think I'd like it this much when I started, but I really grew to love the 2 main MCs and really was with them for their adventure! The only thing I'm still not too sure about is the stalking sub-plot... I don't think the book needed it in all honesty. Every time it went to Mundic's POV it just felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over.
I really liked the characters - except Mundic lmao - and despite being a bit weary at first I really liked Enid's and Margery by the end and grew to appreciate them through the book. There's really strong character development through the 2 women bonding and becoming firm friends and I really liked how their (platonic) relationship grew. I also appreciated that despite a lot of talks around past relationships and such, there's no actual on-page romance which was a very nice breath of fresh air.
Mundic was both complicated, and very 2D feeling. His whole character was this prisoner of war, PTSD troubled man and every chapter from him was just this breakdown of all his delusions and mental health just snapping. I honestly think this book would be almost perfect if he was either removed, or his chapters where removed and we didn't see his POV - I think that would have made the ending a lot more impactful... cause honestly even with his POV chapters I don't really know what the point of his character is.
The story was really good, I loved reading a realistic adventure - I can't really think of any books like this that I've read and honestly I want more! Normally when I read an adventure book, it's fantasy and mainly middle grade, so an adult adventure book seeking beetles was really quite interesting to me. Though I do wish there was more on the actual searching part, that was quite little compared to the rest, they where some of my favourite parts! The main story is just about the 2 women trying to survive, trying to work out what their true goals are and what they care most about in life. Alongside the mysteries of who people actually are....
The themes where quite obvious, it was nice to have a book a about female empowerment and friendship without romance getting in the way though. Morally grey women and impulsive actions was pretty fun to read - though I still have some questions about stuff that happened like at the very start.. what *did* happen with Marge quitting the school? Was that just a mental breakdown?
I think it's set up to have twists, but the way information is provided it's pretty obvious while reading without thinking that much who is who and who's done what. But the story beats towards the end doesn't lean that much on them being a surprise so it doesn't matter that much. I found this to be quite a quick read, I read through it in a couple sittings, it was a pretty easy read as well which was quite nice.
CONTENT WARNING NOTES: I have no idea why people haven't been tagging this with graphic animal death and fatphobia, both are very graphic, very detailed and very much on-page. The animal death especially was really bad as it was also pet related. Hopefully sending a quick email to storygraph overrules that and adds them to the main page as that's 2 of the biggest content warnings of this book. If you write a review and add content warnings, either add them all or none at all.
I didn't think I'd like it this much when I started, but I really grew to love the 2 main MCs and really was with them for their adventure! The only thing I'm still not too sure about is the stalking sub-plot... I don't think the book needed it in all honesty. Every time it went to Mundic's POV it just felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over.
I really liked the characters - except Mundic lmao - and despite being a bit weary at first I really liked Enid's and Margery by the end and grew to appreciate them through the book. There's really strong character development through the 2 women bonding and becoming firm friends and I really liked how their (platonic) relationship grew. I also appreciated that despite a lot of talks around past relationships and such, there's no actual on-page romance which was a very nice breath of fresh air.
Mundic was both complicated, and very 2D feeling. His whole character was this prisoner of war, PTSD troubled man and every chapter from him was just this breakdown of all his delusions and mental health just snapping. I honestly think this book would be almost perfect if he was either removed, or his chapters where removed and we didn't see his POV - I think that would have made the ending a lot more impactful... cause honestly even with his POV chapters I don't really know what the point of his character is.
The story was really good, I loved reading a realistic adventure - I can't really think of any books like this that I've read and honestly I want more! Normally when I read an adventure book, it's fantasy and mainly middle grade, so an adult adventure book seeking beetles was really quite interesting to me. Though I do wish there was more on the actual searching part, that was quite little compared to the rest, they where some of my favourite parts! The main story is just about the 2 women trying to survive, trying to work out what their true goals are and what they care most about in life. Alongside the mysteries of who people actually are....
The themes where quite obvious, it was nice to have a book a about female empowerment and friendship without romance getting in the way though. Morally grey women and impulsive actions was pretty fun to read - though I still have some questions about stuff that happened like at the very start.. what *did* happen with Marge quitting the school? Was that just a mental breakdown?
I think it's set up to have twists, but the way information is provided it's pretty obvious while reading without thinking that much who is who and who's done what. But the story beats towards the end doesn't lean that much on them being a surprise so it doesn't matter that much. I found this to be quite a quick read, I read through it in a couple sittings, it was a pretty easy read as well which was quite nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Colonisation, Death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: War, Miscarriage, and Gun violence
The House at the End of the Sea by Victoria M. Adams
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Representations: https://trello.com/c/eaeLp1FJ/106-the-house-at-the-end-of-the-sea-by-victoria-m-adams
This was quite a quick read, I think my only criticism is the length of the book wasn't quite enough to tackle all the topics it tried to. A lot seems to happen off-screen, reveals and twists have to be resolved very fast, and I'm honestly not sure over how many days this takes place but it feels like only a couple despite everything happening really quickly.
I loved the characters, they did feel mostly flat but I liked especially the kids anyway. The adults, really felt like there was way too many of them and most of them served to only progress the plot a little or fit into a single scene and that was it. There was quite a lot of character development, but again it felt pretty rushed.
The story I did really quite enjoy though and the magical world as well. It didn't feel overly unique, but it was pretty tense and intriguing! The magical creatures as well I felt where pretty neat characters and I'll be honest, some of them felt more rounded out than the main characters!
I think if you want a nice, simple, coast-side magical tale that's a quick read you'll like this. If you're wanting something deeper and something that explores the proposed themes more, you might want something else.
This was quite a quick read, I think my only criticism is the length of the book wasn't quite enough to tackle all the topics it tried to. A lot seems to happen off-screen, reveals and twists have to be resolved very fast, and I'm honestly not sure over how many days this takes place but it feels like only a couple despite everything happening really quickly.
I loved the characters, they did feel mostly flat but I liked especially the kids anyway. The adults, really felt like there was way too many of them and most of them served to only progress the plot a little or fit into a single scene and that was it. There was quite a lot of character development, but again it felt pretty rushed.
The story I did really quite enjoy though and the magical world as well. It didn't feel overly unique, but it was pretty tense and intriguing! The magical creatures as well I felt where pretty neat characters and I'll be honest, some of them felt more rounded out than the main characters!
I think if you want a nice, simple, coast-side magical tale that's a quick read you'll like this. If you're wanting something deeper and something that explores the proposed themes more, you might want something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Racism
Toxic relationship is in regards to family relationships (child and parent)
The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/QIHsqmLf/105-the-uncommoners-1-the-crooked-sixpence-by-jennifer-bell
I had no idea what to expect from this, I only picked it up in the library because it had such a pretty cover. What it gave me was incredible: A story of a magical, mysterious, underground society filled with conspiracy and danger!
I really loved the world building and the plot, it was so intriguing and cool! The whole uncommon items system was really unique and cool, I loved going through all the different items throughout the journey to see what they all did. The world felt so rich and really detailed despite so much happening, and without feeling like it was constant lore dumps either.
The characters where excellent, I loved the sibling dynamic and the addition of the "new kid" served as a great world explanation for readers but added in an additional side to the mystery that played off really well. There was a lot of characters, but I didn't have any issues following who was who for once! I really cannot wait to see how they're expanded upon in the next book, especially the family.
I really loved this, I absolutely will be reading the next book - I might even try and see if I can still pick up some copies for my own collection 👀 I will note though, the body horror content warning isn't a joke. It's weirdly very graphic with some aspects that even grossed me out!
I had no idea what to expect from this, I only picked it up in the library because it had such a pretty cover. What it gave me was incredible: A story of a magical, mysterious, underground society filled with conspiracy and danger!
I really loved the world building and the plot, it was so intriguing and cool! The whole uncommon items system was really unique and cool, I loved going through all the different items throughout the journey to see what they all did. The world felt so rich and really detailed despite so much happening, and without feeling like it was constant lore dumps either.
The characters where excellent, I loved the sibling dynamic and the addition of the "new kid" served as a great world explanation for readers but added in an additional side to the mystery that played off really well. There was a lot of characters, but I didn't have any issues following who was who for once! I really cannot wait to see how they're expanded upon in the next book, especially the family.
I really loved this, I absolutely will be reading the next book - I might even try and see if I can still pick up some copies for my own collection 👀 I will note though, the body horror content warning isn't a joke. It's weirdly very graphic with some aspects that even grossed me out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent and Medical content
The Girl Who Wasn't There by Jacqueline Wilson
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/pp3rZzFM/104-the-girl-who-wasnt-there-by-jacqueline-wilson
"Traumatised by my sister jodie as a kid" gang, we're gonna have a lotta anxiety with this one xD
I don't think this book knew if it wanted to be a mental health/parenting story, or a ghost story. The "girl who wasn't there" is only hinted at once until around the 60% mark, and even after that it seems pretty confused on what story it's trying to tell. But... I still liked it! I really loved the tension and danger of the tower, I really loved the relationships between the characters and the characters themselves.
The sibling pair I think where a pretty unique show of siblings, dysfunctional but with love there still. The different relationships they have with the parents was really interesting and well done - especially in the amount of pages. There was so many complex emotions, backstory that doesn't need to be explicitly said because it's all there with the reactions and emotions and it really build up some quite wonderful characters.
Honestly I didn't realise this was exactly the kinda book I've been waiting for from Wilson for years until I started reading this - I just wish it committed enough to one side or the other like mentioned before. I read my sister jodie as a kid around when it released and that shit fucked me up lmao, that history absolutely did up the tension and anxiety I got while reading this (in a... fun? way? lmao) but she's also really damn good at writing peril and danger like this.
I think my main issue is just the ending wasn't as punchy as I would have liked it to be. The climax was excellent, really gripping and tense, but then the final bit was a bit of a let down honestly. Not sure what it is with books with fantastic stories but middling endings recently.
"Traumatised by my sister jodie as a kid" gang, we're gonna have a lotta anxiety with this one xD
I don't think this book knew if it wanted to be a mental health/parenting story, or a ghost story. The "girl who wasn't there" is only hinted at once until around the 60% mark, and even after that it seems pretty confused on what story it's trying to tell. But... I still liked it! I really loved the tension and danger of the tower, I really loved the relationships between the characters and the characters themselves.
The sibling pair I think where a pretty unique show of siblings, dysfunctional but with love there still. The different relationships they have with the parents was really interesting and well done - especially in the amount of pages. There was so many complex emotions, backstory that doesn't need to be explicitly said because it's all there with the reactions and emotions and it really build up some quite wonderful characters.
Honestly I didn't realise this was exactly the kinda book I've been waiting for from Wilson for years until I started reading this - I just wish it committed enough to one side or the other like mentioned before. I read my sister jodie as a kid around when it released and that shit fucked me up lmao, that history absolutely did up the tension and anxiety I got while reading this (in a... fun? way? lmao) but she's also really damn good at writing peril and danger like this.
I think my main issue is just the ending wasn't as punchy as I would have liked it to be. The climax was excellent, really gripping and tense, but then the final bit was a bit of a let down honestly. Not sure what it is with books with fantastic stories but middling endings recently.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/IxAZRQHp/103-like-a-charm-1-like-a-charm-by-elle-mcnicoll
I am slightly conflicted on this one. While yes, I absolutely love Ellies work and the representation in this was so incredibly authentic and lovely to read - really need a lot more diverse neurodiversity representations <3 - but it does have the one trope I absolutely hate. The "disability is a superpower" trope. However it does still keep true to the thought of "I am still disabled, I do need to work harder than others still" because that trope goes the other way far too often. Most of the time magic with that kind of trope just "cures" a disability, or makes it so that disability is kinda just nulled out by said magic and it's just sad to see because in reality, we don't have magic to just "remove" those disabilities. Seeing that trope become so common - and pushed by so many shitty "advocates" and "charities" that refuse to use the word disability - just makes it feel like we're lesser for not having magic, we're just broken with no hope except for a fantasy.
So yeah, good ending, just gave me anxiety while reading lmaoo
I loved the characters, funnily enough I loved how dysfunctional the family is. It's strangely nice (for me) to read about a family who aren't perfect, who fall out, who even go no-contact. I loved the 2 kids, though I feel like Marley was pretty underused. I wonder if in the sequel more characters get introduced - already feels like a pretty stuffed cast with a lot of underused characters - or if the existing ones will get fleshed out a lot more.
I would love to learn more about the side characters, the world building was really cool. This was quite similar to the Gargoyles book I read recently, but also incredibly different. The use of glamour to be a (pretty explicitly spelt out) metaphor for ND masking was pretty neat, and I honestly really can't wait to see how the magic system and everything gets expanded on in the next one!
I am slightly conflicted on this one. While yes, I absolutely love Ellies work and the representation in this was so incredibly authentic and lovely to read - really need a lot more diverse neurodiversity representations <3 - but it does have the one trope I absolutely hate. The "disability is a superpower" trope. However it does still keep true to the thought of "I am still disabled, I do need to work harder than others still" because that trope goes the other way far too often. Most of the time magic with that kind of trope just "cures" a disability, or makes it so that disability is kinda just nulled out by said magic and it's just sad to see because in reality, we don't have magic to just "remove" those disabilities. Seeing that trope become so common - and pushed by so many shitty "advocates" and "charities" that refuse to use the word disability - just makes it feel like we're lesser for not having magic, we're just broken with no hope except for a fantasy.
So yeah, good ending, just gave me anxiety while reading lmaoo
I loved the characters, funnily enough I loved how dysfunctional the family is. It's strangely nice (for me) to read about a family who aren't perfect, who fall out, who even go no-contact. I loved the 2 kids, though I feel like Marley was pretty underused. I wonder if in the sequel more characters get introduced - already feels like a pretty stuffed cast with a lot of underused characters - or if the existing ones will get fleshed out a lot more.
I would love to learn more about the side characters, the world building was really cool. This was quite similar to the Gargoyles book I read recently, but also incredibly different. The use of glamour to be a (pretty explicitly spelt out) metaphor for ND masking was pretty neat, and I honestly really can't wait to see how the magic system and everything gets expanded on in the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Violence
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Representations: https://trello.com/c/7gXn3cfF/102-a-series-of-unfortunate-events-1-the-bad-beginning-by-lemony-snicket
I was so incredibly lucky to get the first 6 books of this series in the delightful 25th anniversary editions on an author's evening with Lemony Snicket himself :3 I cannot state just how lovely he was, so many fantastic stories! And these editions, just absolutely breathtaking! Emily Gravett did an excellent job with them.
I think we all know these books, even if you haven't read them (yet!). I read these as a kid back in the early 2000s, lost my old copies though so I grew up re-watching the film to give me my fix (Yes, I know it's really bad... I can't help but love it still though in it's own, quirky book chopping ways :3). It's been so long I've practically forgotten all of the stuff from the books so getting the opportunity to re-read them is such a delight!
I was pretty surprised by how short and light on character development this was though. I guess iirc it was originally made to be 13 books so I guess I should look at it like that, but if I went into this with no additional context, no history, etc I don't think I'd get as hooked into it from this starter alone. But I think nowadays it's pretty hard to separate it's fame from what it is, and we have all 13 books out to binge read at once so I don't think that's much of an issue at all to be honest.
Characters are just as loveable and creative as always, the writing is very creative and while it might repeat a bit too many things (like for example, if one of the kids does something while another of the kids isn't there, what they did will get repeated back even though it only happened a page or so ago). The humour was dry, but in a very good way - the classic Snicket way.
One thing I've never really realised before though about these is somehow despite being so incredibly dark and heavy with it's topics while being also humorous, it does actually handle the topics pretty well. The abuse itself isn't a joke, nor are the after-effects, and it doesn't feel like tonal whiplash either. I also get it's the whole "the kids have severely bad luck" but children being ignored and "parents know best" in this is sadly pretty realistic. It's not until the abuser slips up and shows themselves in-front of others that people actually take note finally.
I do really recommend this though, and if you're looking for some beautiful covers look no further than these 25th anniversary ones, my favourite so far has to be the second book with the snake wrapping around both sides though, it's so cool!
I was so incredibly lucky to get the first 6 books of this series in the delightful 25th anniversary editions on an author's evening with Lemony Snicket himself :3 I cannot state just how lovely he was, so many fantastic stories! And these editions, just absolutely breathtaking! Emily Gravett did an excellent job with them.
I think we all know these books, even if you haven't read them (yet!). I read these as a kid back in the early 2000s, lost my old copies though so I grew up re-watching the film to give me my fix (Yes, I know it's really bad... I can't help but love it still though in it's own, quirky book chopping ways :3). It's been so long I've practically forgotten all of the stuff from the books so getting the opportunity to re-read them is such a delight!
I was pretty surprised by how short and light on character development this was though. I guess iirc it was originally made to be 13 books so I guess I should look at it like that, but if I went into this with no additional context, no history, etc I don't think I'd get as hooked into it from this starter alone. But I think nowadays it's pretty hard to separate it's fame from what it is, and we have all 13 books out to binge read at once so I don't think that's much of an issue at all to be honest.
Characters are just as loveable and creative as always, the writing is very creative and while it might repeat a bit too many things (like for example, if one of the kids does something while another of the kids isn't there, what they did will get repeated back even though it only happened a page or so ago). The humour was dry, but in a very good way - the classic Snicket way.
One thing I've never really realised before though about these is somehow despite being so incredibly dark and heavy with it's topics while being also humorous, it does actually handle the topics pretty well. The abuse itself isn't a joke, nor are the after-effects, and it doesn't feel like tonal whiplash either. I also get it's the whole "the kids have severely bad luck" but children being ignored and "parents know best" in this is sadly pretty realistic. It's not until the abuser slips up and shows themselves in-front of others that people actually take note finally.
I do really recommend this though, and if you're looking for some beautiful covers look no further than these 25th anniversary ones, my favourite so far has to be the second book with the snake wrapping around both sides though, it's so cool!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Grief
Lie or Die by A. J. Clack
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.25
Representations: https://trello.com/c/NdCdD2wm/101-lie-or-die-by-a-j-clack
Oooooh I loved this. Started off really slow, but once things started happening it was really fast paced right up until the final page! But even then, the slower paced parts still kept me really hooked! I sped through this mostly in a single sitting, I just couldn't put it down.
The characters where a right mix, all different kinds of tropes (something that's jabbed at in the book by the characters themselves which was pretty fun). Some aggravating, some kind and lovely to read. Some where of course more 2d than others, but that's pretty understandable due to the nature of the plot. It was pretty surprising but a lot of the deaths did get emotion from me, even near the start with the characters that weren't too fleshed out.
I don't think the book was trying to be too smart, there was some pretty good twists though that I didn't fully predict. The characters felt like they where acting their age for sure (I think? I read them as mostly pretty young but I honestly can't remember any of their ages lol), but in a realism way and not an annoying way honestly. Plans aren't super complicated, actions fit to the character types and in general it flowed pretty well. It's not fully realistic, naturally, it's a pretty out-there plot with exaggerated characters and a semi-cartoon villain. But it makes for an incredibly fun, tense and mysterious read!
Loved the slight touch of Welsh, always appreciate that done well in books! The romance as well I felt was pretty good, there's not a massive focus on it and it can mostly be ignored pretty easily. Main focus is on strong friendships and the bonds made through trauma. The romance-type relationships are pretty realistic for the type of situation. Single weekend, very high stakes, more concerned with surviving than making out - you'd think that was a low bar to pass but like, that was pretty refreshing to read honestly.
I'm not sure if there'll be a sequel, but the final page seems to imply there will be? Or at least, it's open to another. But this absolutely can be a standalone without feeling like you're missing anything. If there was a sequel, the only way it'd make sense was if it does like what the film Escape Room: Tournament of Champions does, but I'd also like for it to go a lot deeper into the aftermath. I felt like that was cut really short and the very important messages and points there didn't have enough time to really evolve honestly.
Oooooh I loved this. Started off really slow, but once things started happening it was really fast paced right up until the final page! But even then, the slower paced parts still kept me really hooked! I sped through this mostly in a single sitting, I just couldn't put it down.
The characters where a right mix, all different kinds of tropes (something that's jabbed at in the book by the characters themselves which was pretty fun). Some aggravating, some kind and lovely to read. Some where of course more 2d than others, but that's pretty understandable due to the nature of the plot. It was pretty surprising but a lot of the deaths did get emotion from me, even near the start with the characters that weren't too fleshed out.
I don't think the book was trying to be too smart, there was some pretty good twists though that I didn't fully predict. The characters felt like they where acting their age for sure (I think? I read them as mostly pretty young but I honestly can't remember any of their ages lol), but in a realism way and not an annoying way honestly. Plans aren't super complicated, actions fit to the character types and in general it flowed pretty well. It's not fully realistic, naturally, it's a pretty out-there plot with exaggerated characters and a semi-cartoon villain. But it makes for an incredibly fun, tense and mysterious read!
Loved the slight touch of Welsh, always appreciate that done well in books! The romance as well I felt was pretty good, there's not a massive focus on it and it can mostly be ignored pretty easily. Main focus is on strong friendships and the bonds made through trauma. The romance-type relationships are pretty realistic for the type of situation. Single weekend, very high stakes, more concerned with surviving than making out - you'd think that was a low bar to pass but like, that was pretty refreshing to read honestly.
I'm not sure if there'll be a sequel, but the final page seems to imply there will be? Or at least, it's open to another. But this absolutely can be a standalone without feeling like you're missing anything. If there was a sequel, the only way it'd make sense was if it does like what the film Escape Room: Tournament of Champions does, but I'd also like for it to go a lot deeper into the aftermath. I felt like that was cut really short and the very important messages and points there didn't have enough time to really evolve honestly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Suicide
Wrath of the Talon by Sophie Kim
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to Entangled Publishing for a free e-ARC in return for an honest review!
While I'm not sure this was better than the first book in some aspects, in others it was for sure! Was a lot more romance than I was hoping for though and not really too much plot progression. Most of the plot happens near the end, the rest is quite a slow, drawn out "this is what the 3rd book will be about" and a hell of a lot of romance in it (and a fair bit more sexual content than I'd expect from a YA book?).
The characters were mostly the same, I didn't quite like the slight POV change however but it wasn't too bad overall.I mainly just didn't like how overly aggressive and demanding the voice was, it was a stark contrast to Lina yes but it was also kinda just aggravating to read through honestly aha. It was a pretty nice twist on the prophecy cliche though! Eunbi was as great as ever, she's been what was getting me through these 2 books mainly because I just loved her so much. Major spoilers but needs to be said: I do wonder how the 3rd book will go with that ending now. I think the 3rd book will be a lot more of my think, focusing more on the world and the action happening rather than bedroom romances, but with that ending and loosing the "light" character.. I'm not sure lol.
The plot was a tad all over the place. It seemed to want to focus on Rui and Lina's romance mainly rather than progress too much plot. I think it suffers from middle book syndrome a fair bit, not quite sure how to move from the start to the end (book one to book two) and wants to leave the big action ending all to the last book? Though the finale of this one was certainly interesting and it did pick up the pace a fair bit, even if sadly it wasn't for too long.
In the middle of the book the pacing does slow down to a crawl while there's a *massive* lore dump that goes on for quite a while. It's just text book lore dumping and does get to be a bit of a slog to get through even if the world building is interesting.
Through my reservations though, I will be reading the 3rd book - mainly, honestly, because it seems like there might be less romance so I can read more of what I'm enjoying which is, ofc, the action and world building haha! I did quite enjoy the world building in this (even if I didn't quite appreciate the delivery of it) and how the history of everything got fleshed out. I'm quite interested in what action will take place next!
While I'm not sure this was better than the first book in some aspects, in others it was for sure! Was a lot more romance than I was hoping for though and not really too much plot progression. Most of the plot happens near the end, the rest is quite a slow, drawn out "this is what the 3rd book will be about" and a hell of a lot of romance in it (and a fair bit more sexual content than I'd expect from a YA book?).
The characters were mostly the same, I didn't quite like the slight POV change however but it wasn't too bad overall.
The plot was a tad all over the place. It seemed to want to focus on Rui and Lina's romance mainly rather than progress too much plot. I think it suffers from middle book syndrome a fair bit, not quite sure how to move from the start to the end (book one to book two) and wants to leave the big action ending all to the last book? Though the finale of this one was certainly interesting and it did pick up the pace a fair bit, even if sadly it wasn't for too long.
In the middle of the book the pacing does slow down to a crawl while there's a *massive* lore dump that goes on for quite a while. It's just text book lore dumping and does get to be a bit of a slog to get through even if the world building is interesting.
Through my reservations though, I will be reading the 3rd book - mainly, honestly, because it seems like there might be less romance so I can read more of what I'm enjoying which is, ofc, the action and world building haha! I did quite enjoy the world building in this (even if I didn't quite appreciate the delivery of it) and how the history of everything got fleshed out. I'm quite interested in what action will take place next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Sexual harassment, and War
Graphic: Manipulation, Child Death, Loss of a Loved one
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I'm torn between recommending this or not. I'm not fully sure if it's just, I'm not a regular to the crime fiction genre or if there is just something amiss about this one. I liked the characters well enough, story was ok even if fairly predictable.. It just left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Maybe it's because I'm not religious at all so the ending (which got very religious, even compared to the rest of the book) just didn't interest me whatsoever?
The characters where not the worst, the detective was very cliche and 2d feeling, the other cops where kinda feeling like cardboard stand-ins that did not much at all. Sister Holiday first started as a "not like other girls" kinda vibe but I grew to actually kinda like her. The rest of the sisters where ok, but I did absolutely keep confusing who was who even at the end aha.. The kids where fun though, Prince was cliche but not the worst character at all, the other kids didn't appear enough to feel like they where actually important which was weird as their storylines felt very important overall? I think there was just way too many characters and the author only wanted to mainly write about Sister Holiday and Riveaux and what they did together.
The story felt pretty standard and predictable, the reveal at the end wasn't shocking at all to me. The "mysterious" events that happen throughout either have throwaway answers or uh, don't really get answered at all? How on earth did no one realise who the shadow was going through the school in the first fire? Like genuinely, they got spotted multiple times. But it also meant it was a very easy read that didn't take much thinking or brain power so I did kinda like that.
Idk, maybe this book just caught me on a good mood where I just wanted something to zone out to but it wasn't the worst book I've read. The writing was pretty good, and the way the dialogue was written also wasn't that bad. I don't know if I agree with the "cozy" tag this keeps getting, there's a hell of a lot of heavy topics discussed and it's not exactly what I'd call "cozy" (especially with the animal death part.... would have been nice if storygraph had that as a content warning on graphic or like... at all🙃).
The characters where not the worst, the detective was very cliche and 2d feeling, the other cops where kinda feeling like cardboard stand-ins that did not much at all. Sister Holiday first started as a "not like other girls" kinda vibe but I grew to actually kinda like her. The rest of the sisters where ok, but I did absolutely keep confusing who was who even at the end aha.. The kids where fun though, Prince was cliche but not the worst character at all, the other kids didn't appear enough to feel like they where actually important which was weird as their storylines felt very important overall? I think there was just way too many characters and the author only wanted to mainly write about Sister Holiday and Riveaux and what they did together.
The story felt pretty standard and predictable, the reveal at the end wasn't shocking at all to me. The "mysterious" events that happen throughout either have throwaway answers or uh, don't really get answered at all? How on earth did no one realise who the shadow was going through the school in the first fire? Like genuinely, they got spotted multiple times. But it also meant it was a very easy read that didn't take much thinking or brain power so I did kinda like that.
Idk, maybe this book just caught me on a good mood where I just wanted something to zone out to but it wasn't the worst book I've read. The writing was pretty good, and the way the dialogue was written also wasn't that bad. I don't know if I agree with the "cozy" tag this keeps getting, there's a hell of a lot of heavy topics discussed and it's not exactly what I'd call "cozy" (especially with the animal death part.... would have been nice if storygraph had that as a content warning on graphic or like... at all🙃).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Addiction, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Homophobia
Minor: Rape, Incest, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Self harm
Animal Death: Death of a pet cat. Quite a long scene, quite a lot of detail. Death isn't on-page but there's a lot about the aftermath and a lot about how the death happened.
The doll twin by Janine Beacham
Attempted murder of a child, Drowning/Near-Drowning experience. Both graphic, on-page.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/JPNLWUCY/100-the-doll-twin-by-janine-beacham
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster! Good, fast pacing, great characters and just one hell of a story.
The pacing was good and quick all throughout, but it fell apart a little at the very end and I felt it was a tad rushed unfortunately. But it still felt decently well put together and the ending was satisfying enough honestly! The pacing also kept up all throughout, it didn't feel like it changed or slowed down anywhere which made for quite a quick read.
One thing that did slightly slow down the reading though is just how advanced the language used is? It's not overly frequent, but there's a few parts where it feels like the book ate a thesaurus and threw it up. Wasn't expecting to use a dictionary as much as I did for a middle grade book, and even for words I didn't need to I felt like there was still more that might be a bit too advanced for this age range.
The characters were awesome! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Ani and Una, the 2 of them played off of each other really well and both despite being "twins" where really quite unique to each other. Mary was also really cool, but I wish we got to see more of her. She seemed to mainly be there to progress the plot a little at the end and just provide a space for Uni to get told what to do and be a vessel for infodumps.
The foster parents where very interesting characters, but I would have loved to see the dynamic shown at the end a little more throughout the story from the start.Reminded me a ton of coraline though which was quite fun, but not quite as well executed imo, but that is a very high bar to pass so that's not really a big negative for me.
Overall, a very good story with spooky tense moments and a decently dark storyline. Would loved to have the world building a bit more fleshed out and a bit more time with the characters and especially that ending, but it's a good quick read. The steampunk touch was wonderfully done as well <3
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster! Good, fast pacing, great characters and just one hell of a story.
The pacing was good and quick all throughout, but it fell apart a little at the very end and I felt it was a tad rushed unfortunately. But it still felt decently well put together and the ending was satisfying enough honestly! The pacing also kept up all throughout, it didn't feel like it changed or slowed down anywhere which made for quite a quick read.
One thing that did slightly slow down the reading though is just how advanced the language used is? It's not overly frequent, but there's a few parts where it feels like the book ate a thesaurus and threw it up. Wasn't expecting to use a dictionary as much as I did for a middle grade book, and even for words I didn't need to I felt like there was still more that might be a bit too advanced for this age range.
The characters were awesome! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Ani and Una, the 2 of them played off of each other really well and both despite being "twins" where really quite unique to each other. Mary was also really cool, but I wish we got to see more of her. She seemed to mainly be there to progress the plot a little at the end and just provide a space for Uni to get told what to do and be a vessel for infodumps.
The foster parents where very interesting characters, but I would have loved to see the dynamic shown at the end a little more throughout the story from the start.
Overall, a very good story with spooky tense moments and a decently dark storyline. Would loved to have the world building a bit more fleshed out and a bit more time with the characters and especially that ending, but it's a good quick read. The steampunk touch was wonderfully done as well <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Bullying