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squids_can_read's Reviews (706)
This book is basically a set of interconnected short stories about this magical neighborhood. The characters were really interesting. The stories were really interesting. Overall, it was a really interesting read if a bit weird.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
Kari is worried about finding out who her sympathetic is, the person that she will be bonded to for as long as she is in the military. When she finds out it’s Drae, a massive bully from her high school, she thinks that nothing could be worse. But as she goes through basic training and Drae goes through school, their relationship grows. But war is brewing and it may bring them closer together than ever.
The characters in this book were really well written. I really liked the way that different backgrounds were explored and how a militarized government affects characters. The one thing that I didn’t like about the characters was the romance. I just didn’t think it developed enough on the page.
The world-building was done amazingly. I thought that it was amazing the way that the world-building was sprinkled throughout was really well done. It was just really great. Except for the twist but I don’t want to spoil it.
The plot of the book was very reminiscent of Starship Troopers but more contemporary and with romance. But that changed in the last 100 pages. It was really disappointing and I’m not sure that I want to keep reading the series based on the twist.
Overall, an extremely well-crafted world with an underdeveloped romance and, for me, an aggravating twist. If you enjoy science fiction with alternate history and some romance, this book is probably for you.
The characters in this book were really well written. I really liked the way that different backgrounds were explored and how a militarized government affects characters. The one thing that I didn’t like about the characters was the romance. I just didn’t think it developed enough on the page.
The world-building was done amazingly. I thought that it was amazing the way that the world-building was sprinkled throughout was really well done. It was just really great. Except for the twist but I don’t want to spoil it.
The plot of the book was very reminiscent of Starship Troopers but more contemporary and with romance. But that changed in the last 100 pages. It was really disappointing and I’m not sure that I want to keep reading the series based on the twist.
Overall, an extremely well-crafted world with an underdeveloped romance and, for me, an aggravating twist. If you enjoy science fiction with alternate history and some romance, this book is probably for you.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lionyra has finally found her home. A bakery that she runs away from everything that she is running from. But when Lio helps a friend flee from the guard she is captured and handed over to her worst enemy, the head guard of the kingdom that she fled. Now she is on an adventure to escape the head guard, find her decoy, and leave the kingdom she fled far behind.
The characters in this book were really interesting. I thought that they were fully fleshed out and made sense on the page. They all had trauma but it didn’t seem to be their whole character. The interactions between the characters were really interesting and well-written. I thought that the romance was developed really well.
The world-building was where I had a problem. There was magic in the world but the way that the magic worked wasn’t explained at all. There wasn’t a description of how the kingdoms work or any of the history of the world that I thought would be important to my overall understanding of the book. I just wasn’t impressed with the world-building.
The actual writing of the book was pretty good.
Overall, I liked the romance of the book was really good but the world-building left much to be desired for me. But if you like romance with a bit of fantasy this would be right up your alley.
The characters in this book were really interesting. I thought that they were fully fleshed out and made sense on the page. They all had trauma but it didn’t seem to be their whole character. The interactions between the characters were really interesting and well-written. I thought that the romance was developed really well.
The world-building was where I had a problem. There was magic in the world but the way that the magic worked wasn’t explained at all. There wasn’t a description of how the kingdoms work or any of the history of the world that I thought would be important to my overall understanding of the book. I just wasn’t impressed with the world-building.
The actual writing of the book was pretty good.
Overall, I liked the romance of the book was really good but the world-building left much to be desired for me. But if you like romance with a bit of fantasy this would be right up your alley.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
Thank you Wednesday Books for the ARC.
Eleanora just wants to make sure that the LGBTQ+ club survives after she graduates. But all of that is put in jeopardy when she and her other club members are found standing around a cheerleader who has been assaulted. Now they all have to work together to clear their name or the LGBTQ+ club will never survive.
The thought that the characters in this book really shone. They were all really interesting and compelling. As the book continued more layers were revealed and I thought that it was really amazing.
The plot was the part of the book that I didn't super enjoy. It just seemed very surface-level. The character who got assaulted didn't die, the characters seemed to put themselves in danger for no reason, and there were no consequences for anybody. It just seemed like the author had the characters and the idea but didn't know how to fully flesh it out in a YA book.
Overall, I really enjoyed the characters but I wanted more from the plot. The book was well written and I look forward to more from this author.
Eleanora just wants to make sure that the LGBTQ+ club survives after she graduates. But all of that is put in jeopardy when she and her other club members are found standing around a cheerleader who has been assaulted. Now they all have to work together to clear their name or the LGBTQ+ club will never survive.
The thought that the characters in this book really shone. They were all really interesting and compelling. As the book continued more layers were revealed and I thought that it was really amazing.
The plot was the part of the book that I didn't super enjoy. It just seemed very surface-level. The character who got assaulted didn't die, the characters seemed to put themselves in danger for no reason, and there were no consequences for anybody. It just seemed like the author had the characters and the idea but didn't know how to fully flesh it out in a YA book.
Overall, I really enjoyed the characters but I wanted more from the plot. The book was well written and I look forward to more from this author.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is comprised of two books, one which is a retelling of the Hocus Pocus movie and the other is a story set in the future following Max and Allison's daughter.
I thought that the first story was a pretty faithful retelling of the story. I did like it because it did give a little bit more background for the Sanderson sisters. Other than that though, this book is basically word for word and scene by scene the movie.
For the second story, I thought that it was pretty lacking. It seemed like the author was trying to retell the original Hocus Pocus movie with a modern twist but it fell flat. The characters were extremely 1-Dimensional and the plot really didn't make sense with the confines of the movie. Additionally, the climax of the story was sped through and I didn't think that it made much sense.
Overall, I really liked the first story and I thought that the second story was just okay.
I thought that the first story was a pretty faithful retelling of the story. I did like it because it did give a little bit more background for the Sanderson sisters. Other than that though, this book is basically word for word and scene by scene the movie.
For the second story, I thought that it was pretty lacking. It seemed like the author was trying to retell the original Hocus Pocus movie with a modern twist but it fell flat. The characters were extremely 1-Dimensional and the plot really didn't make sense with the confines of the movie. Additionally, the climax of the story was sped through and I didn't think that it made much sense.
Overall, I really liked the first story and I thought that the second story was just okay.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ten strangers are invited to an island by someone that they think they remember knowing. All of them have secrets that they are hiding from the world and maybe themselves. One by one they start dying. But there is no one else on the island, so who is Mr. Owen?
I think that this is my favorite Agatha Christie book that I have read. The characters were really interesting and I really enjoyed the way that I really didn't know what was happening until the end.
In terms of the characters, they are all really fleshed out. Each character has a set of characteristics that they follow throughout the whole book. The characters were all really interesting and I was on the edge of my seat trying to guess what would happen next.
In terms of the plot, I think that this is the most interesting plot that I have read in a very long time. It was super twisty and I could not figure out what was going to happen next no matter what. The overall idea was super interesting and I really enjoyed how she committed to the way that the people were murdered. It was really interesting to see how each character would be murdered.
Honestly, I think that this is a very easy book to start the mystery/thriller genre. It was extremely well written and I thought that the plot was really interesting. I would definitely recommend this book.
I think that this is my favorite Agatha Christie book that I have read. The characters were really interesting and I really enjoyed the way that I really didn't know what was happening until the end.
In terms of the characters, they are all really fleshed out. Each character has a set of characteristics that they follow throughout the whole book. The characters were all really interesting and I was on the edge of my seat trying to guess what would happen next.
In terms of the plot, I think that this is the most interesting plot that I have read in a very long time. It was super twisty and I could not figure out what was going to happen next no matter what. The overall idea was super interesting and I really enjoyed how she committed to the way that the people were murdered. It was really interesting to see how each character would be murdered.
Honestly, I think that this is a very easy book to start the mystery/thriller genre. It was extremely well written and I thought that the plot was really interesting. I would definitely recommend this book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nora and Sam haven't seen each other in years. There really isn't a reason for them to until Liam, their shared father, dies. Sam thinks that Liam couldn't have died naturally, not in a place that he knew well. Now Nora and Sam are on a journey to find out all the secrets that Liam hid from them.
I thought the characters in this book were pretty boring. Nora and Sam both seemed to be very 1-dimensional. They just didn't really seem to change throughout the book and kept making bad decisions despite knowing that they were bad decisions. The only characters that I really liked were Liam and the girl he was in love with in the past. they seemed to have actual chemistry and reading about them was really interesting.
The plot was actually the best part of this story. I thought that Nora and Sam chasing around Liam's past until they find out what happened was really interesting. I also thought that the twist was really good and I didn't see it coming. The only thing that I didn't really like about the plot was where the book ended. It seemed to me that Sam and Nora both made bad decisions based on what they learned about their father. I don't know, it just seemed to me that they didn't really learn anything during their journey.
Overall, though, this book was really interesting and I would recommend it to any one who wants a low-stakes thriller/mystery.
I thought the characters in this book were pretty boring. Nora and Sam both seemed to be very 1-dimensional. They just didn't really seem to change throughout the book and kept making bad decisions despite knowing that they were bad decisions. The only characters that I really liked were Liam and the girl he was in love with in the past. they seemed to have actual chemistry and reading about them was really interesting.
The plot was actually the best part of this story. I thought that Nora and Sam chasing around Liam's past until they find out what happened was really interesting. I also thought that the twist was really good and I didn't see it coming. The only thing that I didn't really like about the plot was where the book ended. It seemed to me that Sam and Nora both made bad decisions based on what they learned about their father. I don't know, it just seemed to me that they didn't really learn anything during their journey.
Overall, though, this book was really interesting and I would recommend it to any one who wants a low-stakes thriller/mystery.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sibylla doesn't know what to do with her son Ludo. He's an incredibly intelligent boy who has no father figure. How is Sibylla supposed to balance raising Ludo and working a dead-end job? And how is Ludo supposed to find a father figure?
The characters in this book were really sweet. I loved the way that Sibylla and Ludo were characterized. They felt like extremely intelligent people who were stuck in their circumstances. The rest of the background characters were interesting but it felt like they only existed to further Sibylla and Ludo's story rather than being characters in their own right.
The plot was amazing. I loved the family aspect and the way that intelligence can be a hindrance in everyday life. I didn't love the switch between Sibylla and Ludo's perspectives because it felt inconsistent and unnecessary because I felt like we didn't really get a resolution for either story. However, I felt like the whole book didn't really have a distinct plot. It was honestly more vibes than any actual plot. The real issue that I have with the story is the ending. The book just ends. There is no resolution, not even close. It felt like the author just decided to stop writing and didn't bother thinking of an ending. It made me really annoyed because this was the type of story that needed an ending even if it was open-ended.
Another thing that annoyed me a little was the way that the book was actually written. In the beginning, it's very hard to understand because there are no quotations or dialogue tags. Additionally, there are sometimes several different lines of conversation or inner thoughts happening at the same time where they interrupt each other. The more of the book that I read, the more that I understood the writing but I still think that it could be a significant barrier to most people.
Overall, I really liked Sibylla and Ludo along with the discussion of family and intelligence but everything else fell flat.
The characters in this book were really sweet. I loved the way that Sibylla and Ludo were characterized. They felt like extremely intelligent people who were stuck in their circumstances. The rest of the background characters were interesting but it felt like they only existed to further Sibylla and Ludo's story rather than being characters in their own right.
The plot was amazing. I loved the family aspect and the way that intelligence can be a hindrance in everyday life. I didn't love the switch between Sibylla and Ludo's perspectives because it felt inconsistent and unnecessary because I felt like we didn't really get a resolution for either story. However, I felt like the whole book didn't really have a distinct plot. It was honestly more vibes than any actual plot. The real issue that I have with the story is the ending. The book just ends. There is no resolution, not even close. It felt like the author just decided to stop writing and didn't bother thinking of an ending. It made me really annoyed because this was the type of story that needed an ending even if it was open-ended.
Another thing that annoyed me a little was the way that the book was actually written. In the beginning, it's very hard to understand because there are no quotations or dialogue tags. Additionally, there are sometimes several different lines of conversation or inner thoughts happening at the same time where they interrupt each other. The more of the book that I read, the more that I understood the writing but I still think that it could be a significant barrier to most people.
Overall, I really liked Sibylla and Ludo along with the discussion of family and intelligence but everything else fell flat.