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theteaisaddictive's reviews
318 reviews
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’ve been meaning to read this for a few years now, and it didn’t disappoint! The humour in this book ties in neatly with my own, and Gideon and Harrow’s love-hate-refuse-to-admit-we’re-grudgingly-allies dynamic is a delightful read. The plot was kind of threadbare and suffered for being under explained, but I have hopes that the sequels will clarify key points. And when an already fast-paced book ramps the action up to 111 for the climax, being on the edge of my seat doesn’t even come close to describing how stressed I was finishing this book.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Well. I was promised low stakes, and low stakes were certainly what I received!
This book has such a fun premise, and the first few chapters are really wonderful — seeing Viv make friends, find her venue, and source the various ingredients to start the cafe. Unfortunately I found the story a tad repetitive from there — Viv and co will add something to the menu, it’ll be well-received, and the next day they’ll notice they need a bigger kitchen, or some live entertainment, add it to the cafe — and it’ll be well received. Rinse and repeat. (the gigantic direcat and the electric guitar-playing bard were very fun to read about, though)
The one main source of tension in the book is very quickly revealed to not be a big deal after all, and in fact very helpful in the denouement of the story. The Big Setpiece at the climax of the story is at least dramatically pleasing, albeit fairly easily recovered from. I know it’s ‘low-stakes’, but SOME stakes would’ve been nice, you know?
Additionally, I found the romance in this book was lacking both chemistry and tension. I honestly thought the two worked much better as friends, especially given the way their last scene plays out (bar the kiss). It’s not objectionable in any way, just . . . not especially engaging.
Really, this book could’ve done with being longer, or even just with a structure less endlessly repetitive. The writing style was fun and engaging, and I loved reading about the fantasy world, but it felt too short. This book wasn’t bad, or unenjoyable by any means — but it could have been much better than it was. This edition included the short prequel story Pages to Fill, which I found just as enjoyable because of the stakes! The tension! The conflict! And, of course, the promise of Viv’s choice to pursue Legends and Lattes.
Extra 1/4 star added on Storygraph for including a recipe at the back of the book. I love a book that includes recipes in the back.
This book has such a fun premise, and the first few chapters are really wonderful — seeing Viv make friends, find her venue, and source the various ingredients to start the cafe. Unfortunately I found the story a tad repetitive from there — Viv and co will add something to the menu, it’ll be well-received, and the next day they’ll notice they need a bigger kitchen, or some live entertainment, add it to the cafe — and it’ll be well received. Rinse and repeat. (the gigantic direcat and the electric guitar-playing bard were very fun to read about, though)
The one main source of tension in the book is very quickly revealed to not be a big deal after all, and in fact very helpful in the denouement of the story. The Big Setpiece at the climax of the story is at least dramatically pleasing, albeit fairly easily recovered from. I know it’s ‘low-stakes’, but SOME stakes would’ve been nice, you know?
Additionally, I found the romance in this book was lacking both chemistry and tension. I honestly thought the two worked much better as friends, especially given the way their last scene plays out (bar the kiss). It’s not objectionable in any way, just . . . not especially engaging.
Really, this book could’ve done with being longer, or even just with a structure less endlessly repetitive. The writing style was fun and engaging, and I loved reading about the fantasy world, but it felt too short. This book wasn’t bad, or unenjoyable by any means — but it could have been much better than it was. This edition included the short prequel story Pages to Fill, which I found just as enjoyable because of the stakes! The tension! The conflict! And, of course, the promise of Viv’s choice to pursue Legends and Lattes.
Extra 1/4 star added on Storygraph for including a recipe at the back of the book. I love a book that includes recipes in the back.
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
4.25
A beautifully-written book starring the most insufferable collection of characters I’ve ever read about. Watching them make their mistakes, break apart, hurt each other, leave, grow, change, and become themselves was an experience that I practically inhaled by the end of the book. Bonus star for the prose, which is simply gorgeous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Infidelity, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Your Body is not Your Body: An Anthology by Matt Blairstone, Alex Woodroe
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
An eclectic short story collection with some real gems that I’ll no doubt revisit again and again over the years.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gillian Flynn does this thing where she writes about the moral and emotional dregs of humanity in a way that makes you feel disgust and despair at reading any more about their lives, and then she writes it so well that doing anything other than reading the last 80 pages in one intense, scream-inducing sitting is unthinkable. Set-up, foreshadowing, twist in the third act, and finally conclusion — fucking masterful. Goddamn.
Cursed by Marissa Meyer
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.0
[redacted], you had possibly the stupidest fantasy bullshit name I’ve heard in quite some time and it’s a good thing you decided to just go by Gild.
This book has everything. Demons! Ghosts! Abrupt tone shifts in the third act (just like the first book, which I was delighted to see a return to)! Pregnancy! Murder! Ship names as plot-crucial information! A fun romp as always, and why I will always come back for Marissa Meyer’s YA fantasy retelling no matter how old I get.
This book has everything. Demons! Ghosts! Abrupt tone shifts in the third act (just like the first book, which I was delighted to see a return to)! Pregnancy! Murder! Ship names as plot-crucial information! A fun romp as always, and why I will always come back for Marissa Meyer’s YA fantasy retelling no matter how old I get.
Red, the Wolf, and the Woods by Scarlett Gale
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
A bite-sized fun and sexy romp, with the sweetest developing relationship between our MCs. Should the author so desire, I’d love to return to this universe one day for a full-length story.
Maurice by E.M. Forster
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
Got even more out of this book on the reread than I did on my first reading. Maurice and Alec roam the greenwood still.