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thewizardofbooks's reviews
1259 reviews
14 Ways to Die by Vincent Ralph
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
This was a book about grief and healing with an undertone of suspense. There were some thrilling moments, but I felt that, until the end, most of them were a bit underwhelming. Character growth was the prominent theme and I would have enjoyed having a faster pace and more action. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the book, what with the interesting vlogger concept, but I just wanted a little more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Homophobia
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Set in the mountains of northern Vermont, The Golden Spoon features six home bakers arriving at Grafton Manor to compete in a friendly competition à la Great British Bake Off. They will reside in the manor for the next week, performing baking challenges set by “America’s Grandmother”, the host, Betsy Martin. But secrets lie in the manor, and with each of them.
Okay so let’s introduce the characters. We have…
Stella Velasquez, a young former journalist from New York.
Hannah Severson, the youngest of the bunch and desperate to get out of her small town. Gerald Baptiste, a technical man who follows time, instructions (and recipes) to a T.
Pradyumna Das, a young millionaire who just wants to have fun.
Lottie Byrne, the oldest of the contestants and no stranger to Grafton manor.
Peter Gellar, who, when not working construction, is found baking for his husband and their daughter.
Only 30 pages in and I was already attached to all the bakers. I certainly didn’t want anyone to be sent home from the fictional competition. And I really didn’t want any of them to die. They are all diverse, with their own quirks and varied personalities coming together because of the thing they have in common, baking. They feel all too real and I wanted all of them to take home the “Golden Spoon”. They all have their own story to tell, the baker’s chapters being written in the first person to let the reader inside their minds. A few other characters had their own chapters, though they were written in third person.
The book starts a little slow. I was expecting more murder mystery, less baking description and that threw me off at first. But, be prepared for this book to make you hungry. I really wanted to try my hand at making some of the creations described in this book, and I really really wanted to eat them. You can tell that it is as much a homage to baking as it is a mystery. Despite the slow start, there is a bit of tension felt throughout the book as the anticipation of something big happening builds and more minor disruptions are introduced.
I would recommend this one to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery and who doesn’t mind a large cast of characters.
I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Hide by Kiersten White
dark
emotional
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Missing Dead Girls by Sara Walters
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Missing Dead Girls is a story about revenge, love, and trauma. It's about how to deal with the aftermath of a bad choice. The anticipation of what you know is going to happen keeps you on the edge waiting to fall. Trying not to get too attached to the character you know from the first chapter, is going to meet a violent end.
If you skip the first chapter, this book starts like a messed up summer romance. Both Tillie and Maddison have baggage and past traumas. They become the kind of couple that are both perfect for one another while also being a bomb just waiting to destroy the other. I was left in constant anticipation, waiting for Tillie's past to be revealed and for Maddison to die. Neither character is particularly likeable, but still characters you want to get to know.
With writing that is at times poetic, with lines that pack a punch, Missing Dead Girls is a story you wont want to stop reading. The kind of story that grows on you bit by bit. That tells you its secrets only for you to question their validity. And that punches you in the gut when the time is right.
If you skip the first chapter, this book starts like a messed up summer romance. Both Tillie and Maddison have baggage and past traumas. They become the kind of couple that are both perfect for one another while also being a bomb just waiting to destroy the other. I was left in constant anticipation, waiting for Tillie's past to be revealed and for Maddison to die. Neither character is particularly likeable, but still characters you want to get to know.
With writing that is at times poetic, with lines that pack a punch, Missing Dead Girls is a story you wont want to stop reading. The kind of story that grows on you bit by bit. That tells you its secrets only for you to question their validity. And that punches you in the gut when the time is right.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia and Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content
Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Hungry Ghost tells the story of grief, emotional abuse, and forgiveness. At the center is Val, a teenager struggling with her body in a parental environment that focuses on her weight and her eating. The relationship depicted between Val and her mother is heartbreaking but friendships, family and a stranger are there to help pick up the pieces and be a loving reprieve. As a reader, I could tell that the mother figure was largely influenced by her own upbringing and the sadness of great loss. This is not an excuse but a depiction of generational abuse.
The art style and character growth work together organically to strengthen the story as Val slowly eases toward some body acceptance. It's a hard road, but the illustrations are light and honest with color being expertly chosen to strengthen character emotions. The color scheme is based in light pastels of pink, greens, and blues which work to soften, ever so slightly, the heaviness of the topic. Darker tones are used to depict strong, negative emotions like sadness, depression, and grief. The mother, and with her, the abusiveness, is often pictured in a darker blue hue and when Val deals with intrusive thoughts about her body, food, and her mother, she too is depicted in deeper tones.
The story, while difficult, is hopeful and poignant. It reaches out and holds tight, making it a quick read. I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy graphic novels, realistic fiction, and art.
CW: ED, Emotional Abuse, Fatphobia, Death
The art style and character growth work together organically to strengthen the story as Val slowly eases toward some body acceptance. It's a hard road, but the illustrations are light and honest with color being expertly chosen to strengthen character emotions. The color scheme is based in light pastels of pink, greens, and blues which work to soften, ever so slightly, the heaviness of the topic. Darker tones are used to depict strong, negative emotions like sadness, depression, and grief. The mother, and with her, the abusiveness, is often pictured in a darker blue hue and when Val deals with intrusive thoughts about her body, food, and her mother, she too is depicted in deeper tones.
The story, while difficult, is hopeful and poignant. It reaches out and holds tight, making it a quick read. I would highly recommend it to those who enjoy graphic novels, realistic fiction, and art.
CW: ED, Emotional Abuse, Fatphobia, Death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Death of parent