totallyshelfaware's reviews
1068 reviews

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This just put the biggest smile on my face.
Gorgeous art, intricate world-building, incredible attention to detail, and a delightful cast of characters. If you're ever in the mood for a book that celebrates friendship and feels like a warm hug, I highly recommend this one 🥰

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

Dreams of the Dying by Nicolas Lietzau

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

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emotional 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

4.5

Content Warnings

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie

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emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.25

The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Well, that was frustrating. So much of what I enjoyed about this book was sadly eclipsed by a character being unnecessarily vindictive towards the others.

I was very intrigued by the overall plot and like the glimpses we're seeing into the history and mechanics of this world, but the character dynamics just aren't doing it for me (so far). Which is bonkers because Jonathon Stroud executes that so well in the Bartimaeus quartet and was the driving force behind it being one of my favourite series of all time!

The setup of these books is so ripe for building genuine and deep friendships and so far we've just had each character taking turns to make bad decisions, hide information from the rest of the team and then endanger them. Why can't they just get along 😞

Here's hoping they find their feet in the next one. 🤞

Content Warnings