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thespicelessreader's Reviews (827)
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In my initial thoughts about this book I described it as soft and charming. I cannot for the life of me tell you why the word soft, except to ask you to read this story and try and find a better word. The characters are crafted with such gentleness, intention, and care that you cant help but see how much love the author had for each.
The world felt lived in and showed real grit for such a cozy story. While it could have come off as at odds with such a cozy story Newitz does a masterful job of showing the rainbow after the storm.
The only thing stopping this book from getting 5 stars for me was the conclusion of the situation surrounding the review bombing. The majority of the tension we feel through the second half of the story centers around the potential fall out of their shop loosing their reputation, so to have it so neatly wrapped up and tied with a bow without any extra conflict felt unrealistic and a little disappointing when everything else in the story was so well executed. Its honestly a minor squabble and its a cozy story not a hard sci-fi epic so I suppose it makes sense.
This was an lovely, light novel that made for an easy listen, would recommend to anyone who already loves cozy fantasy and was thinking of dipping their toes into sci-fi.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for the review copy of this audiobook.
The world felt lived in and showed real grit for such a cozy story. While it could have come off as at odds with such a cozy story Newitz does a masterful job of showing the rainbow after the storm.
The only thing stopping this book from getting 5 stars for me was the conclusion of the situation surrounding the review bombing. The majority of the tension we feel through the second half of the story centers around the potential fall out of their shop loosing their reputation, so to have it so neatly wrapped up and tied with a bow without any extra conflict felt unrealistic and a little disappointing when everything else in the story was so well executed. Its honestly a minor squabble and its a cozy story not a hard sci-fi epic so I suppose it makes sense.
This was an lovely, light novel that made for an easy listen, would recommend to anyone who already loves cozy fantasy and was thinking of dipping their toes into sci-fi.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for the review copy of this audiobook.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is exactly the kind of graphic novel I love. Gorgeous art, complex characters, a plot that kept me guessing until the end, and just enough science to make me worry what humanity is going to do next.
The rougher sketchy art might put off some readers who are used to the more polished look of capes and supers, but the use of colour and tones were masterful and told just as much of the story as the dialogue.
There is some minor gore elements but there are other strong emotional triggers and I would encourage others to double check them before reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the Arc copy of this title.
The rougher sketchy art might put off some readers who are used to the more polished look of capes and supers, but the use of colour and tones were masterful and told just as much of the story as the dialogue.
There is some minor gore elements but there are other strong emotional triggers and I would encourage others to double check them before reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the Arc copy of this title.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A middle grade read that was a delight to listen to.
I've found middle grade reads to be really hit and miss for me lately. I feel like a lot of modern middle grade books talk down to their readers. Either written far too simplistically or over explaining concepts rather than letting the story naturally reveal them.
It was a breathe of fresh air to listen to The Curiosities and find myself totally immersed in the story. The characters and world were well fleshed out, and it was refreshing to read a realistic autistic character who could be both a hero and a real kid who struggles.
Additionally I really enjoyed having the duel perspective of the kids and the cats, and what each is battling through in the story and how it ultimately comes together.
Would recommend for any middle grade reader who loves a little bit of adventure, or any adult who would like a little palate cleanser.
I've found middle grade reads to be really hit and miss for me lately. I feel like a lot of modern middle grade books talk down to their readers. Either written far too simplistically or over explaining concepts rather than letting the story naturally reveal them.
It was a breathe of fresh air to listen to The Curiosities and find myself totally immersed in the story. The characters and world were well fleshed out, and it was refreshing to read a realistic autistic character who could be both a hero and a real kid who struggles.
Additionally I really enjoyed having the duel perspective of the kids and the cats, and what each is battling through in the story and how it ultimately comes together.
Would recommend for any middle grade reader who loves a little bit of adventure, or any adult who would like a little palate cleanser.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
slow-paced
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
Beautiful illustration style, quirky humor, but awkward pacing/ordering?
As a collection of comic strips/panels I didn't expect to see any kind of strong narrative connection but did find how the book was ordered was a little odd. The book is broken into seasons with winter being the only one that showed strong connection to the season it was placed in. Additionally, and this might be a personal preference, I found it slightly jarring how some sections had a number of purely illustrative pages slotted in among the comics. While absolutely gorgeous I did feel that it threw off tone by jumping between humor (albeit beautifully drawn), and purely aesthetic pieces. I personally would have preferred if they had kept all of the stand alone art pieces to a single section for me to flip through and appreciate as a whole rather than interspersed.
A good collection for those who are already a fan of the artist or who enjoy one page/four panel style comics.
Thank you NetGalley & Andrews McMeel Publishing for the review copy of this comic
As a collection of comic strips/panels I didn't expect to see any kind of strong narrative connection but did find how the book was ordered was a little odd. The book is broken into seasons with winter being the only one that showed strong connection to the season it was placed in. Additionally, and this might be a personal preference, I found it slightly jarring how some sections had a number of purely illustrative pages slotted in among the comics. While absolutely gorgeous I did feel that it threw off tone by jumping between humor (albeit beautifully drawn), and purely aesthetic pieces. I personally would have preferred if they had kept all of the stand alone art pieces to a single section for me to flip through and appreciate as a whole rather than interspersed.
A good collection for those who are already a fan of the artist or who enjoy one page/four panel style comics.
Thank you NetGalley & Andrews McMeel Publishing for the review copy of this comic
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am having a hard time stringing words together to describe this graphic novel. There are loads of words on their own that hint at what you'll find but I'm not entirely sure the best way to put them in order. Weird, beautiful, gory, twisty, surprising.
The art is gorgeous, the use of colour was absolutely stunning. I remember being blown away by a particular page that was at both times incredibly gruesome and gory but also strangely beautiful. The story is weird, which may recommend it to some, and put others off, but as someone who has been actively seeking out weird sci-fi it scratched an itch for me.
The story is written non-linearly which also recommended itself to me, but again I can appreciate might put others off. Wondering where the story was going to go next, and what was happening in the long game kept me hooked.
All that said, while I really liked it I would be cautious who I recommended it to.
Thank you so much NetGalley and IDW Publishing | Top Shelf Productions for the review copy.
The art is gorgeous, the use of colour was absolutely stunning. I remember being blown away by a particular page that was at both times incredibly gruesome and gory but also strangely beautiful. The story is weird, which may recommend it to some, and put others off, but as someone who has been actively seeking out weird sci-fi it scratched an itch for me.
The story is written non-linearly which also recommended itself to me, but again I can appreciate might put others off. Wondering where the story was going to go next, and what was happening in the long game kept me hooked.
All that said, while I really liked it I would be cautious who I recommended it to.
Thank you so much NetGalley and IDW Publishing | Top Shelf Productions for the review copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This seems like the perfect book for me, unfortunately this is another case of the format being a poor choice for the content. Dr Chapman leveraged scripture and science in equal portion, and provided plenty of opportunity for the reader/listener to reflect.
Unfortunately this book is much better suited to a physical format over either audio or ebook. There are large portions of scripture that are referenced and recommended for reading as you move through, as well as large sections of journaling prompts. Both which would provide insight for the reader, but which are difficult to balance for the audio only consumer. The author also recommends going a chapter at a time and taking approximately a week in between to allow for adequate time to think through, process, and go through the provided readings.
This is definitely a title I will seek out as a physical copy, but I cannot recommend the audio format.
Thank you to Netgalley and IVP for a review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately this book is much better suited to a physical format over either audio or ebook. There are large portions of scripture that are referenced and recommended for reading as you move through, as well as large sections of journaling prompts. Both which would provide insight for the reader, but which are difficult to balance for the audio only consumer. The author also recommends going a chapter at a time and taking approximately a week in between to allow for adequate time to think through, process, and go through the provided readings.
This is definitely a title I will seek out as a physical copy, but I cannot recommend the audio format.
Thank you to Netgalley and IVP for a review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.