stewardofbooks's reviews
197 reviews

A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? N/A

5.0

Inspector Pim and the Blood of Inferium by Riley Perrie

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

3.0

 What starts as a murder mystery quickly turns into so much more! Seven intertwined lives, a war, love, loss, second chances...this story has so much depth. I enjoyed the multiple POV's and the flashbacks that all give hints of what will happen. I liked the unique world and the diverse set of characters.

I did feel disappointed that the murder mystery took a back seat at some points. It seemed secondary to the rest of the story. And while I did enjoy the story, I did expect more focus on the investigation. 

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced

4.5

Thread of Dreams by Emily Barnett

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Two worlds linked by strange rips in space and time. A boy and a girl who aren't supposed to meet but find each other in a dream. 

Emily Barnett has such a way with words! Her writing captures the dreamy, otherworldly lyrical feel of the story so perfectly. It draws the reader to Lyra, a planet with moon magic, strange and wonderful bioluminescent creatures, and dream Threads. But amidst the beauty there is danger too, a darkness intent on devouring everything in its path. 

I loved that the story makes time for quiet, beautiful moments in the midst of all the action and adventure. I loved the depth of relationships, not just romantically but between family and friends. That's such an important aspect to include in a YA book. I loved the innocence and hope woven into the story even though the characters have to deal with some dark and difficult things. 

Thread of Dreams is heartfelt, beautiful and full of warmth. Definitely a book I hope my kids read someday.

Water's Break by Sophia L. Hansen

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

 Water's Break is a story that manages to be thought-provoking as well as exciting and fun to read. I'm just going to highlight a couple of points that stood out to me.

1. The research. The level of detailed description of the physical adaptations of the amphibious Olomi people and the practical realities of living underwater is amazing. The biological accuracy is fascinating (at least for a zoologist!).

2. The social system. The way that captivity and life away from the water really affected and changed the kidnapped Olomi was intriguing. It made me do a lot of reflecting on what people are capable of doing to each other and what a difference hope can make.

3. The characters. I liked the depth of the characters.

I enjoyed Water's Break and highly recommend it for sci-fi readers who want a little less robots and computers and more unique worlds. 

Unleashed by Amber Kirkpatrick

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.5

 In a world where certain individuals have Gifts and others don't, division and suspicion lurk. Some hate the Gifted and want to destroy them and some want to use them for their own gain. The Gifted communities have to stick together if they want to survive.

I enjoyed the depth of this book. Yes, there's romance and banter and fun but it also portrays the grim realities of a minority community that is fighting for survival. I loved how the organization not only fights with weapons but also by advocating and caring for their community. There are scenes in this book that are heavy and dark but those were written in such a respectful way. I know 'respectful' might sound like a strange word to describe it but that's what I felt. The dark parts were written very realistically but without glorifying evil and without glossing over the violence as just another part of war/the struggle. And I thought that was respectful. The victims were written with dignity and respect and a real acknowledgement of the trauma that the survivors are left with.

All in all a really well rounded read, fun and sweet but also thoughtful and full of action and suspense. 

The Kingdom Beyond the Waves by Stephen Hunt

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

 This is one of those slightly trippy books that is impossible to put down but leave you wondering what on earth you just read. (I might have been less confused if I had realised that this book is the second in a series earlier on).

I liked the world even though it took some time to figure out what was going on (a map would have been nice). I loved the Indiana Jones meets Jules Verne kind of vibe and the twists and turns that keep you guessing till the end. I'm definitely going to look for the rest of the series. 

The Petrified Flesh by Cornelia Funke

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

4.0

 I love the world and as always I really love Funke's writing style. The story was a little darker than I anticipated. 

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Lioness of Punjab by Anita Jari Kharbanda​

adventurous informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

Lioness of Punjab is the story of a brave Sikh girl, Mai Bhago, who is unafraid to challenge the norms of her time in order to fight for her beliefs and her beloved people.

I enjoyed getting this glimpse into the history and beliefs of Sikhism. It's a fascinating time period in history and was well researched and incorporated into the story. The narrative style was not my favourite but this is purely personal preference. I also felt that the ending was somewhat abrupt and would have liked to see the later years of Mai Bhago's life fleshed out a little more.