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stayshiny's reviews
51 reviews
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
I almost never read first person POV but I really enjoyed this. The ending kept it from being a full 4 stars. And the author needs to calm down on using italics.
Valley of Bones by Michael Gruber
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Another excellent Jimmy Paz book. Like the first book's field guide notes, the flow of the confession can be a bit jarring, but I was better prepared and it didn't bother me as much. I've grown very fond of Iago Paz! Gruber is very good at what he does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault
Tropic of Night by Michael Gruber
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Started out slow and initially I struggled with the different character perspectives, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Gruber is an excellent writer and really knows how to capture a sense of urgency and fear. The Olo are an invented tribe and he uses a LOT of foreign words, which I also struggled with, but the glossary in the back helped. Really good police procedural mixed with occult thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Pregnancy
The Hunger by Alma Katsu
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
3.75
Fear by Ronald Kelly
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness
Diablo Mesa by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
The Scorpions Tale by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Old Bones by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson have become my two favorite characters. Love that some minor characters from the main Pendergast series have evolved and grown so much on their own. Strong women who don’t take any shit from men. The ending made me roll my eyes a bit but still enjoyable. I like the air of supernatural the books often have, even if it usually turns out to have an explanation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder