unabridgedchick's reviews
1399 reviews

Emma by Jane Austen

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I have great admiration for most adaptations of Emma - they are far more charming than the actual book! Emma is tolerable - she grows - but omg, Knightly sucks! Frank Churchill sucks. Everyone else sucks or nearly sucks, ugh.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Moody and atmospheric, I was stressed the whole time - and the ending was fine enough, I just wish we knew more about Cordelia's mother - the how, I guess? Unexpectedly gruesome, for me, when I was expecting something more cozy like Baker's Guide. 

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Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Stylistically, the writing was too simplistic for me. I felt like there was a lot of filler to try to convey emotion. Even listening at 1.5 speed, I found the story tedious and the character development non-existent. It was a lot of plot and even that plot didn't seem to further anything.
Cackle by Rachel Harrison

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dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I'm so baffled by this book. I spent 80% of the book thinking
Sofie
was the villain, but even though we're supposed to think otherwise, it's obviously the heroine. She's a doormat with zero internal growth who
menaces people and tells herself that's empowerment.
Nothing cozy or funny about this read. Truly baffling.
Danger on the Atlantic by Erica Ruth Neubauer

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

God, these books are so tedious. Neubauer repeats plot elements within the same paragraph, sometimes in the manner of,  "I thought I would explore the deck. "I'd like to explore the deck," I said." -- laughably bad. I'm giving up - the series is not improving in writing quality, plot, or characters. 

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Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It's fine - damning with faint praise, I know - because it's really just middle of the road. Predictable plot/mystery and fairly thin character development for anyone. Lots of recapping events and situations, both from the first book as well as the current one. I ended up listening to this at 1.5x speed and heard lots of repeated phrasing, which made this feel more tedious.

Also, Aunt Millie is a terrible character - not nearly as charming as the author thinks.
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

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adventurous lighthearted 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

3.0

Enemies to lovers, when the hero is the walking, talking embodiment of white male privilege, means this is pretty impossible to enjoy. The heroine also isn't a "girl's girl" so it was guaranteed I wasn't going to dig this book. V superficial character development (our heroine is sexy! and super smart!; and our hero weeps about his sick mother). 

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The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Lots of words for no action