stargoddess's reviews
277 reviews

Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman

emotional 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

I found this book to be fine. The writing was solid, and the historical details were interesting, but for whatever reason it just didn’t grab me. I think maybe I found the fairytale elements a bit too forced, and Sol wasn’t a particular interesting male lead. I found myself wanting more of the side characters and less of the leads in general. But it was still worth reading, especially if you like fairytales twists and/or historical romances that highlight Jewish culture.
Thank you to NetGalley & Forever for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Selected Poetry by John Keats

reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Interesting to compare with the more modern poetry that I’ve been reading lately. I love the Audrey guides, as they are a great way to engage more deeply with the material. 

Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

challenging reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

This book is an interesting examination of the Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer experience. It was well-written but just not to my personal taste. The story jumped around in time, which I found difficult to follow, and was graphically sexual, in a way that I found off putting. I am glad I read it but it is not something I would revisit.

The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved the atmosphere the author creates. I got a deep sense of place from this book. The monsters and jump scares were also highly effective - some of the images will stay with me for a long time! However, this book is targeted at a YA audience, and as such, there is nothing that I would consider over the top as far as horror. There is also a lovely slow burn romance subplot that I really enjoyed as a counterpoint to the darkness of the main story. I also did not see the ending coming, and found it very effective, if a bit oddly paced.
My one complaint - and this may have been partially a function of listening to the audio book - was that some characters had names and others had descriptors (Hawaiian Shirt, Goatee, etc.) but at some points, the characters who had previously been identified by descriptors started having names and if you missed the connection, you would have no idea who someone was or if they were an already identified character. I also felt the villain’s motivations were a bit mustache-twirling, I’m evil to be evil, but again I think that was a function of the genre, so I don’t fault the book too much for that. Well worth a read if you enjoy horror and/or folklore inspired own voices stories.

DnDoggos: Get the Party Started by Scout Underhill

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

I have been a fan of the DnDoggos webcomic and Scout’s work in general for a number of years, so I was very excited to read the first graphic novel featuring the characters I know and love.  You don’t need to know D&D to appreciate this book, although it does make some of the references more fun, and it does a good job of explaining most of the basic mechanics (although a few things are hand waved in service of moving the story forward, just like in a real game). The jokes are funny for an adult reader but would absolutely be appropriate to share with younger readers as well. It’s basically just a feel good romp with dogs!

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 by Tatsuya Endo

funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Not quite as strong as the first entry, but still cute and a fun read

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.0

I think this book suffered in my estimation because a) I had loved its predecessor so much and b) as fond as I am of Much Ado, I feel like it’s a bit overplayed in romance right now. This story was fine, but nothing about it really grabbed me. Iris and Stevie both seemed to struggle with knowing themselves, and that made them probably realistic characters but less enjoyable to read.

They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom by Dena Takruri, Ahed Tamimi

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

This book was an interesting insight into the lived experience of a young woman under occupation. She discusses growing up, surviving a variety of traumas, and going viral as symbol of resistance, for which the Israeli government punished her severely. The tone of the book is almost conversational, which served to remind the reader just how young she was for the majority of these events. At times it was almost jarring, but I appreciated her honesty and willingness to open up her life in the hopes of bringing attention to the Palestinian cause.

The Misdirection of Fault Lines by Anna Gracia

emotional 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

4.75

This book felt so real to the experience of being a high-achieving teenage girl. Alice, Leylah, and Violetta each face unique challenges but share common bonds of trying to navigate tennis, education, boys, social media, and racism. I appreciated that while they all came from different backgrounds, including different heritages, economic status, and family makeup, the book didn’t shy away from showing that they all faced both external racism and internal pressures of personal and familial expectations. The raw emotion was sometimes hard to read, especially from the characters who were making decisions that were harmful to themselves, but always well written and genuine. 
As someone who played tennis in high school and still enjoys catching a match on TV now and then, there were some fun tennis facts, but I think this book would be easy to follow even if you had no background in tennis. I also loved the side characters who brought more depth to the narrative as well as providing some much needed moments of levity. 
Thank you to NetGalley & Peachtree Teen for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. Lucy gave  me vibes of Anne from Anne of Green Gables and Lyra from His Dark Materials - girl who is trying to figure out where she fits in the world and doesn’t always get it right but keeps learning and growing. I found her really compelling and loved discovering with her more about the Anishinaabe culture. The Martin family was also delightful, each of them having a distinct voice and personality. The conclusion of the story felt a bit pat as an adult reader but would absolutely be appropriate for the target audience. I look forward to discovering more works by this author, who has become a must read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Holiday House for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.