spootilious's reviews
115 reviews

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

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

3.0

 
 

Read: April 6, 2024
 Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
 Author: Mark Haddon 

Genre:  Young Adult Fiction 

Rating: 3/5
 Review: 

If I had to choose one word to describe this novel it would be… Overhyped. 

It wasn’t bad by any means, but it certainly wasn’t as good as everyone that has recommended it to me has made it seem. It seems that the recommendation was more of a “You’re Autistic? You should read this book!” Kind of recommendation. 

To be honest, the autistic representation in the novel is refreshing though I wouldn’t call it accurate, at least in my opinion (though accurately describing what it is like to be autistic is difficult in itself because there is not a ‘norm’ within the global experience (i.e. autism is different for each person)). Still, the fact that Christopher is not written poorly or negatively (despite how he is treated) is a nice change of pace compared to the rest of the fiction stories I have read with autistic characters. Though this says more about our standard of literature than it does about the author. Regardless, I enjoyed the novel. 

From a plot standpoint, the book was a bit bland, there was no real mystery or suspense. All in all, this was a novel that is a novel whose fame comes from the fact the main character is autistic and not the story itself. There is no shame in that, and I would love to see more of this kind of representation through genres and mediums. 

QUOTES: N/A 

 

 

Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

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

2.0

 
 

Read: March 22,2024
 Title: Talking to Dragons
 Author: Patricia C. Wrede 

Series : The Enchanted Forest Chronicles #4 

Genre:  Middle Grade Fantasy 

Rating: 2/5
 Review: 

As a child I loved the entirety of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. As an adult, I feel as if more than anything I enjoy these books for nostalgia’s sake. 
 
 Recap of thoughts on each book: 

I will say Wrede has a unique world and fun characters, and she can definitely put together a one of a kind plot. However, there were a lot of downfalls to this book. Wrede doesn’t seem to have any rhythm, making the writing monotonous and telling, rather than showing experience which I have mention in each of these reviews. It is good for children learning to read but not for those who already enjoy it. 
 
 Thoughts on This book: 

There is very little detail in the book. It reads more like a list of what happens to the main character more than anything. I also don’t care for first person unless its done really well or adds something to the story. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. The story being told in first person adds nothing especially considering there is no emotion or reaction from him. It makes the entirety of the story a bit cold and impersonal. 

The novel is also a product of its time and could be taken offense to by individuals that have non-traditional pronouns; considering that the young dragon who has not chosen a sex or gender in the novel is referred to as an ‘it’ repeatedly. 

Other than that this has the same things I do like about the other books: Fun themes, fun characters and a unique plot and setting. 

Overall, I loved this book as a child and still recommend it to early readers but for learning purposes not entertainment. 

 

QUOTES: N/A 

 

 

Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

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

2.0

 
 

Read: March 14,2024
 Title: Calling on Dragons
 Author: Patricia C. Wrede 

Series : The Enchanted Forest Chronicles # 3

Genre:  Middle Grade Fantasy 

Rating: 2/5
 Review: 

As a child I loved the entirety of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. As an adult, I feel as if more than anything I enjoy these books for nostalgia’s sake. 

I will say Wrede has a unique world and fun characters, and she can definitely put together a one of a kind plot. However, there were a lot of downfalls to this book. Wrede doesn’t seem to have any rhythm, making the writing monotonous and telling, rather than showing experience which I have mention in each of these reviews. It is good for children learning to read but not for those who already enjoy it. 

Throughout the book the reoccurring jokes seem to be twofold: Telemain not being understood and Killer being hungry. It got old very quickly. That paired with the unnecessary tangents just to set up these jokes was a bit bulky. 

Overall, I loved this book as a child and still recommend it to early readers but for learning purposes not entertainment. 

 

QUOTES: N/A 

 

 

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

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

2.5

 
 

Read: February 13, 2024
 Title: Searching for Dragons
 Author: Patricia C. Wrede 

Series : The Enchanted Forest Chronicles #2 

Genre:  Middle Grade Fantasy 

Rating: 2.5/5
 Review: 

As a child I loved the entirety of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. As an adult, I realize that the stories are most certainly a product of their time. With some offensive words (like G*psy) and comedic relief stereotypes it most certainly wouldn’t have been published in todays world. 
 
 With that said, however, I still enjoyed the second installment. The unique plays on traditional fairytales and folklore, along with the whimsical humor make the novel fun. Though I will admit that the second book seems far slower than the first, the writing seems to be better. The same writing is simplistic and straightforward, ideal for any growing middle schooler trying to hone their reading skills and move to more advanced series.  
 
 Over all, not ideal for adults in the least, a bit archaic but ideal for middle graders still finding their footing. 

 

QUOTES: N/A 

 

 

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

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

2.5

 Read: February 2, 2024
 Title: Bookshops & Bonedust
 Author: Travis Baldree 

Series : Legends & Lattes #0 

Genre:  Cozy Fantasy 

Rating: 2.5/5
 Review: 

I really enjoyed reading Legends & Lattes, it was such a delightful and engaging book! Although this particular book had more of a slice-of-life feel and lacked some excitement, I still managed to find some enjoyment in it. At times, it did feel a bit slow-paced, but overall it was a charming read. 

I must say, I really appreciated Baldree's use of descriptive language. It's clear that he is refining his skills in this aspect, and it added an extra layer to the book. However, I personally felt that the story itself wasn't as compelling as I had hoped. The only part that truly captured my attention was the epilogue. 

Nevertheless, I really appreciate Baldree's writing style, and I'm eager to see more of his work in the future. I also like him narrating his own work, it's always impressive to see him excel in both aspects of storytelling. 

QUOTES: N/A 

 

 

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

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lighthearted medium-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? It's complicated

2.5

 Read: January 9, 2024
Title: Dealing with Dragons 

Series : Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1 

Genre:  Middle Grade Fiction 

Rating: 3/5
Review: 

I will be the first to admit that nostalgia really shaded my view on this one. This is a series that I read in middle school (a few decades ago) and absolutely adored. Now, rereading it as an adult I can see where the story may have shaped me here and there. 

Let me be clear, I still LOVE this book but I know it is nowhere near as good as I thought it was. Still I’ve never read a book quite like it (then or now) and I think it’s uniqueness is perhaps the most appealing aspect of the book (and by extension the series). 

While I wouldn’t say that the novel rejects the traditional view of women, it is, most certainly an ode to finding one’s own place in the world. It is an adorable wakey play on all the fairy tales we know and love, nothing more, nothing less. 

The writing is what you would expect from a grade school book and I cannot fault it for that. 

There will always be a place in might heart for this work. 

 

 

QUOTES: N/A 

 

TW (Moderate to Minor): Misogyny, Sexism, Fire / Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Muder 

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

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

4.0

 Read: January 4, 2024
 Title: Station Eleven 

Genre:  Science Fiction / Dystopia 

Rating: 4/5
 Review: 

To be honest there isn’t much I can say that is bad about this book. 

Emily St. John Mandel has a talent for writing that I haven’t seen in quite some time. Her transitions, imagery, voice, pacing… it’s all breathtaking. She could write a dictionary and I doubt I’d be able to pull my gaze away. Granted this is the only book of hers I have read but if this is parr for the course I am not disappointed. 

That being said, there were many points in which the supporting characters became a bit blurred, this name or that blending with another until I wasn’t sure who was who. Still, even with this issue it never took away from the story and the characters in question never affected the story enough to really call for such unique-ness. The important supporting characters were always distinct enough that it didn’t matter. 

The only other true flaw I could find in this novel was an anti-climatic ending that left me wanting. 

Still, this is a unique dystopia that caught me off guard. While there is nothing too unique in the setting the feel of the entire story places a haze of sincerity and empathy that you don’t find often in post-apocalyptic stories. St. John Mandel manages to provide a study in humanity, exploring a devastated world while studying family, the human condition, passion, sanity, home, and grief. It’s a strange mix of concepts that really leaves the reader questioning what it means to be human and how we need those around us. 

I am curious as to how I might of reviewed this book before the COVID 19 pandemic but can appreciate how it has become even more impactful since the outbreak. 

Station Eleven is simply a beautiful work that I will be recommending for years to come. 

 

 

QUOTES: 

“No one ever thinks they’re awful, even people who really actually are. It’s some sort of survival mechanism.” 

"She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or unseen and infrequently thought of. How without any one of these people the world is a subtly but unmistakably altered place, the dial turned just one or two degrees.” 

 

TW: Death, Violence, Murder, Suicide, Gun Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Adult/Minor relationship, Pandemic / Epidemic, Grief, Terminal illness, Medical Content, Kidnapping, Death of a parent, child death, blood, injury / injury detail, infidelity, confinement, abandonment, animal death, mental illness, pedophilia, pregnancy, emotional abuse, gaslighting, cursing, misogyny, sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, toxic relationships, trafficking, child abuse, gore, physical abuse, stalking, suicide attempt, alcohol, ableism, panic attacks / disorders, 

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

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

4.0

 Read: December 22, 2023
 Title: He Who Drowned the World 

Series: The Radiant Emperor #2 

Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction / LGBT 

Rating: 4 / 5
 Review: 

I occasionally come across a book that I really struggle rating and I was shocked to find that this is one of those books. 

I came into He Who Drowned the World with very low expectations. I didn’t care for She Who Became the Sun, for a number of reason listed in my previous review. 

However, almost everything that made me dislike She who Became the Sun didn’t make it into the sequel which I am very thankful for. To be honest, I was concerned with the massive amounts of recommendations I received in regard to this series and how many awards She Who Became the Sun has won. I was praying that He Who Drowned the World would make up for what (I felt) was an extremely lacking novel. I was not disappointed. 

Parker-Chan is a beautifully talented writer (Which I knew from book 1) and tends to lean towards the very dark and morose. In fact, a bit too dark for my usual taste which may be why I wanted to give this book (He Who Drowned the World) a 3.5 and not a 4. However, Parker-Chan’s ability to write horrific imagery in a such a simplistic and straightforward manner makes the imagery all the more effective. This includes a number of sexually explicit scene, which paints sex as nothing more than a tool, punishment, or means to an end which, while I once again did not like, I can respect. The reader’s response to a story is just as much of a plot device as the sentences on a page. I was appropriately repulsed. 

I will also say that I didn’t care much for the lack of morality in ALL the characters in the novel. It left me without a ship to sail and was, perhaps, the main issue that I still hold over from She Who Became the Sun. 

All that being said, the fast pace and action-packed plot had me devouring this book, and I could not in good faith rate it lower than 4 simply due to my distaste. (i.e. the 4 star rating is more my personal rating of 3.5 and the acknowledging that some of the reasons it’s a 3.5 is because of my own personal biases against the lack of moral characters, rape, and very dark tones). 

Overall, one of the best books I’ve read this year. I will definitely recommend to individuals who love reading Dark Fantasy and Historical Fiction. 

 

 

QUOTES: 

“The most dangerous person in a game is the one nobody knows is playing.” 

“Nobody would lift a finger to change the world for us. To make a place for us. What choice did we ever have, but to do it ourselves?” 

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She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

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

3.0

 Read: December 17, 2023
 Title: She Who Became The Sun 

Series: The Radiant Emperor #1 

Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction / LGBT 

Rating: 3 / 5
 Review: 

I went into this book looking to expand my reading to other cultures and in that aspect I wasn’t disappointed. 

From the beginning this book had an entirely different feel than the fantasy novels I have been used to. There’s such a beautiful cadence to it and the cultural aspects from names and titles to imagery are breath taking. Shelley Parker-Chan is a stunningly talented artist! 

With that being said there were some ups and downs with this book. First and perhaps my biggest complaint is the marketing (which has little to do with the book but) it was pitched as Song of Achilles meets Mulan. If you go into this book with the hope of that kind of story you be SORELY DISAPPOINTED. This is no love story, there are no ‘feel good’ moments. This is pain, sorrow, duty and ambition. There is no sugar or softness. 

That isn’t to say there isn’t a romance, simply that the romance in the book is in the background and has very VERY little to do with the story. 

Now, the thing I loved most about the novel is the exploration of the gender spectrum and the comparison and contrasting roles of the two main characters. I found it intriguing and something I haven’t seen in many books. Being cis I am curious how individuals that identify with these characters feel about their representation. I for one and simply happy to see it in a (for the most part) positive light. 

I also feel that while Parker-Chan’s writing is what had me turning the pages, the plot was inconsistent and left something to be desired. The beginning and the end were certainly a meal but the middle felt like a fasting that lasted far too long. The book became very politically focused and with so many names to characters that weren’t very distinguishable that it all just formed into one incoherent blob I was forced to trudge through. 

Again, that is not to say it was bad, simply that it was a struggle. 

In fact, most of the characters were a bit formless, fading into the background until something important happened and I was forced to try and recall who they were. This also left the feeling of a disconnect with the characters. I never really warmed up to anyone or felt on edge. I don’t think I would have shed a tear if either of the main characters or their loved ones died and for me that it a tragedy when examining how stunningly well written this book is. 

I hold out hope that book 2 will change my mind but regardless I recommend this book for anyone looking for stunning writing, multi-culturalism, beautiful imagery, and LGBT representation. 

 

QUOTES: N/A 

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