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vexasaurus_rex's reviews
94 reviews
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
4.75/5 Rating
"Somebody has to start. Somebody has to step forward and do what is right, because it is right. If nobody starts, then others cannot follow."
Once again, Brandon Sanderson knocks my fucking socks off. And this is only the first book in a series. This is the introduction to start things off. His world building? Pure magic. His characters? Pure magic. His plot twists? Pure magic. His cliffhangers? Pure magic. Even in this first book, where the stakes are being set but not yet enforced, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and near crying by the end of it. Something about Sanderson just works for me. (Romantasy could never.) I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. Serve it up, Brando Sando.
"Somebody has to start. Somebody has to step forward and do what is right, because it is right. If nobody starts, then others cannot follow."
Once again, Brandon Sanderson knocks my fucking socks off. And this is only the first book in a series. This is the introduction to start things off. His world building? Pure magic. His characters? Pure magic. His plot twists? Pure magic. His cliffhangers? Pure magic. Even in this first book, where the stakes are being set but not yet enforced, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and near crying by the end of it. Something about Sanderson just works for me. (Romantasy could never.) I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. Serve it up, Brando Sando.
Scenes with My Son: Love and Grief in the Wake of Suicide by Robert Hubbard
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I found it difficult to approach this book knowing the contents, and yet I also felt drawn to it. I finished it over the course of two nights, finding it next to impossible to set down. What a piece. Auggie's presence on the pages, and the presence of his entire family, is so real, and robust, and magical. The tragedy of this book is hard to consume; yet, I think by doing so, I've learned about the beauty and humor and gut-wrenching pain of life as Auggie experienced it. That has made no small impact on my heart.
Scenes with my Son is a piece of truthful art I don't believe I could read again—but it's something I'll never forget, and something I believe most people would do well to experience. Thank you to Robert Hubbard and family for revealing to readers something so naked and vulnerable. The love is so overwhelmingly there.
Scenes with my Son is a piece of truthful art I don't believe I could read again—but it's something I'll never forget, and something I believe most people would do well to experience. Thank you to Robert Hubbard and family for revealing to readers something so naked and vulnerable. The love is so overwhelmingly there.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Did not finish book. Stopped at 75%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 75%.
I had enough of the characters. I found Violet fundamentally unlikeable and overly cringey. Couldn’t handle it.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
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? No
3.5
Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
As much as I liked the advice, I just get bored with nonfiction.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.75
3.75/5 Rating
"Fight me as long as you're able. You will find I have far more practice with eternity"
I read Shadow and Bone after watching the first season of the Netflix adaptation and thoroughly enjoying the show. In the book, I enjoyed the expanded dialogue, and the way that we get to see into the depths of certain characters more. I enjoyed the Darkling's character in the show, but found I almost like him even more in the book.He's just such a multi-faceted, complex character. Really, the only slight issue I had with the book (and the show) is that all of the romance feels very rushed and out of nowhere. I suppose that comes with the territory when the books aren't enormous and neither is the first season of the show. But I found myself wanting more interactions, more dialogue, and more romantic development in order to justify all of the relationship jumps that occurred in the writing. Other than that, I enjoy the concept of this story. It's very unique, and fresh (even for YA), and it was an easy, entertaining read. I'll definitely continue the series from this point.
I read Shadow and Bone after watching the first season of the Netflix adaptation and thoroughly enjoying the show. In the book, I enjoyed the expanded dialogue, and the way that we get to see into the depths of certain characters more. I enjoyed the Darkling's character in the show, but found I almost like him even more in the book.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.75
4.75/5 Rating
“You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him....So you did see your father last night, Harry....You found him inside yourself.”
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is hands down one of my favorite books of the series. It perfectly balances humor and hope with the angst that comes with Harry's third year at Hogwarts. Although I could go into the main plot in depth, I don't really think that's what's important. What's key in The Prisoner of Azkaban are the themes of loyalty and love. More times than ever, Harry reflects on the loss of his parents, and the tragic way they died—through betrayal.Through the words of Harry, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black, we see the true importance of years-long self-sacrificial love and loyalty. In the climax of the book, Harry sees the real proof of the tie between his father and himself—the father he never got to know still lives inside him, through his love and his patronus. Remus Lupin comes back to Sirius's aid once he discovers the truth, pairing back up with him as though no time has passed. And Sirius...he stayed loyal to James, Lily, and Harry, even when it meant 12 years in Azkaban.
Altogether, this book is really meaningful. It shows that true loyalty pays off in the end, and that deep love for others—honing those ties of human connection—is the most important and fulfilling thing in life.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is hands down one of my favorite books of the series. It perfectly balances humor and hope with the angst that comes with Harry's third year at Hogwarts. Although I could go into the main plot in depth, I don't really think that's what's important. What's key in The Prisoner of Azkaban are the themes of loyalty and love. More times than ever, Harry reflects on the loss of his parents, and the tragic way they died—through betrayal.
Altogether, this book is really meaningful. It shows that true loyalty pays off in the end, and that deep love for others—honing those ties of human connection—is the most important and fulfilling thing in life.
A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
3.75/5 Rating
“She looks at me, rather than shying away. She’s smiled at me, and he couldn’t stop the way his heart pounded at seeing it. And her laughter, even though just as rare, was the sweetest song.”
A Soul to Keep was somewhat a book I read ironically, as like, a guilty pleasure type book. But, damn! I actually really enjoyed myself reading this one. It's fantasy—obviously, but not overwhelmingly so. This book focuses more on the relationship between the main characters, and the development they go through as time passes. It is weak on the world building, or perhaps a bit all over the place, but I wasn't really bothered by that, because I didn't read this for the world building. If I wanted world building, I'd read Brandon Sanderson. But I wanted a quirky, refreshing romance like I'd never experienced before, and I got that. So, all things considered, A Soul to Keep was lovely and accomplished everything I wanted it to.
“She looks at me, rather than shying away. She’s smiled at me, and he couldn’t stop the way his heart pounded at seeing it. And her laughter, even though just as rare, was the sweetest song.”
A Soul to Keep was somewhat a book I read ironically, as like, a guilty pleasure type book. But, damn! I actually really enjoyed myself reading this one. It's fantasy—obviously, but not overwhelmingly so. This book focuses more on the relationship between the main characters, and the development they go through as time passes. It is weak on the world building, or perhaps a bit all over the place, but I wasn't really bothered by that, because I didn't read this for the world building. If I wanted world building, I'd read Brandon Sanderson. But I wanted a quirky, refreshing romance like I'd never experienced before, and I got that. So, all things considered, A Soul to Keep was lovely and accomplished everything I wanted it to.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? No
4.0
4/5 Rating
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets takes the characters previously introduced in The Sorcerer's Stone and opens them up more to the readers. We get to see more witty Harry, irritated Snape, sassy McGonagall...it's really delightful. This book also introduces and cements the ongoing connection between Voldemort and Harry—and the identity crisis that ensues. Although in these first two books I found the tension/climax too quick and short, I attribute that to the fact that we haven't really gotten to the "dark" and increasingly heavy tones of the series. Altogether, The Chamber of Secrets was a lovely 2nd book in a series that only gets better as you continue on.
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets takes the characters previously introduced in The Sorcerer's Stone and opens them up more to the readers. We get to see more witty Harry, irritated Snape, sassy McGonagall...it's really delightful. This book also introduces and cements the ongoing connection between Voldemort and Harry—and the identity crisis that ensues. Although in these first two books I found the tension/climax too quick and short, I attribute that to the fact that we haven't really gotten to the "dark" and increasingly heavy tones of the series. Altogether, The Chamber of Secrets was a lovely 2nd book in a series that only gets better as you continue on.
The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
** spoiler alert ** 4/5 Rating
"It was accepting all the parts of herself, even the shameful bits, that meant she could love and be loved. And how she had loved! Her parents, her friends: she had carried her love for them with her all her life. Though they would never know it, they had taught her how to love her daughters, taught her how to love Nik....Nik. It was love that had made her life worth living.
The Stranding was truly an unexpected hit for me. I went into it not entirely knowing what it was about (as my edition of the book doesn't have a detailed description and I didn't look it up), but I think that's the way it should be read, to be honest. I was continually surprised by the directions Kate Sawyer chose to go with this story. At first, I felt the suspense, and the anxiety of survival. But then, I realized that this was a story about something deeper than survivalism—it was about family and deep, life-changing love. The Stranding tells the story of true survival in the end of times—finding hope within a stranger, then a lover...finding hope in a family...and eventually, finding hope in the horizon.
"It was accepting all the parts of herself, even the shameful bits, that meant she could love and be loved. And how she had loved! Her parents, her friends: she had carried her love for them with her all her life. Though they would never know it, they had taught her how to love her daughters, taught her how to love Nik....Nik. It was love that had made her life worth living.
The Stranding was truly an unexpected hit for me. I went into it not entirely knowing what it was about (as my edition of the book doesn't have a detailed description and I didn't look it up), but I think that's the way it should be read, to be honest. I was continually surprised by the directions Kate Sawyer chose to go with this story. At first, I felt the suspense, and the anxiety of survival. But then, I realized that this was a story about something deeper than survivalism—it was about family and deep, life-changing love. The Stranding tells the story of true survival in the end of times—finding hope within a stranger, then a lover...finding hope in a family...and eventually, finding hope in the horizon.