spinstah's reviews
1405 reviews

Private Rites by Julia Armfield

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

This starts slow but becomes more and more compelling, paralleling the changes in the environment. Once I settled in with these characters and their tense dynamic I enjoyed it. I do think there needed to be a little bit more time spent with the weird religious stuff that comes up, because it felt a little out of left field. But overall this was an interesting story, and the world felt scarily possible. 

My Husband by Maud Ventura
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.

Not really interested in being inside this character’s head. 

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

fast-paced

4.0

This was cute but I didn’t realize it was YA until I’d already borrowed the ebook. YA is not normally my jam as I prefer a little more complexity in the language. But this was an interesting world with a double “chosen one” plot. 

White Ivy by Susie Yang

dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

There isn’t a lot of plot here, but it is an interesting look at a very flawed character who goes after the life she thinks she’s supposed to want, while nearly undermining herself at every turn. No one was particularly likable. I did not see the twist coming (by the time it arrived I thought we weren’t getting one) and I think it worked, bit it also felt a little like it was out of left field. 

The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter

dark sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

This starts off slowly with a ton of worldbuilding, almost at the expense of establishing the plot. Once it does get going it’s interesting, but it doesn’t get compelling until the last third. I ended up liking it but I did have to push through the first bit. 

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

funny 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

5.0

This was really good and I'm so glad I listened to it, because the narration (by the author) is on point. She doesn't try to change her voice for various characters, but she varies her speed and intensity and it works so, so well. You can hear all the emotions - exhaustion, exasperation, everything. The story organizes itself around Medusa, and is told from many perspectives, and follows other related paths, but it always comes back to Medusa. One thing I really enjoyed about this was how exasperated pretty much all the women were (goddesses and demigoddesses included) at one point or another, and also the perspective on Perseus was perfect.

Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This was so compelling, I had to force myself to slow down while I was reading. I did not see the twist coming and thought it was very clever. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the main character’s paintings. 

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

dark slow-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

3.0

This didn't work for me. The story is told in transcripts of text messages, emails, excerpts from longer writings, etc. That in and of itself worked well but the thing with that format is that you don't have much of an opportunity to get to know the characters. I had zero empathy for the main POV character until almost the end of the novel, and even then I was like "really? that's what's motivating her?" And as you can imagine there is also zero character development. The mystery itself was interesting which is why I kept reading, but it got so convoluted and I honestly didn't like the way it was tied up at the end.

Wild Houses by Colin Barrett

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This was pretty good but it was lacking in character development for me. I'd have loved to see more time spent with Dev and Nicky in particular. As it is they are central characters who somehow still feel peripheral.

Time's Agent by Brenda Peynado

dark sad fast-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

4.0

There’s a lot of worldbuilding crammed into this short novel, but it doesn’t overwhelm. The story moves fast but is so very sad the moment you stop to think about what’s happening.