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villainessreads's reviews
29 reviews
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
It wasn't a feel-good slice of life with a twist like I thought it'd be. The premise sounded so charming and it just didn't scratch the itch I thought it would.
Gone by Michael Grant
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
My biggest gripe is how the characters of Edilio and Pete were handled. Quinn is openly and blatantly racist against Edilio and he's not really punished for it. He's still a "good guy" at the end. There's no narrative pushback for calling Edilio a slur like there is for Pete's slurs. I kept reading, but it never stopped being uncomfortable. I don't know how the author is normally a great ally and failed to see how horrible it would be for a PoC to read how Edilio was treated by the narrative. He's practically their housekeeper: cleans up their mess but never gets any narrative credit for his contributions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Eating disorder, Ableism, Body horror, Gore, Racism, Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Xenophobia, Torture, Racial slurs, Child death, Blood, Gun violence, and Death
Waking Romeo by Kathryn Barker
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
At least 50% of this book is made up of allusions to Shakespeare or Wuthering Heights. It undercuts the dramatic moments. The fact that most allusions are immediately called out in the prose itself-- the author feels the need to explicitly state that this is an allusion to Shakespeare every single time-- is beyond annoying. It doesn't ever stop. Imagine having the emotional climax of an entire intricate plan spanning multiple timelines interrupted by a Shakespeare quote and the POV character telling you it is a Shakespeare quote.
I can't tell if the author does it out of a genuine love of both the texts or to express how posh they are for including so many different ways to appropriate direct quotes from both texts. Aren't there other public domain texts you could pull from? For variety's sake?
The plot itself is tightly wound together, as time travel stories ought to be. The proper twists and turns are there. The proper ends are all closed. No little detail goes unnoticed or forgotten. A+ there.
The characters... well, I never grew to like any of them. Too many times they feel like a reaction to their respective texts versus actual people. The whole point of Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy is that they are young and making those mistakes. Yes, we adults know that what we want and believed as teenagers fades with maturity, but for those who are only alive those scant years, that person is their everything. It may be their first. The beauty is in that passion and that intensity that only lives without experience can muster. Had the parents let the love be as it was, perhaps it would have been over in a short time. But because they didn't, because those two young people were living in the moment, the height of their short lives, we get that beautiful tragedy.
There's none of that nuance here. Juliet says she lives for Romeountil she falls for Heathcliff but she begins the story in the same state of mind as she does by the end. I didn't feel that falling out. She was already there. The adult is in this version of Juliet, calling her relationship dumb. Romeo's character is one-dimensional, despite being the main antagonist . I also hated that Juliet is the actual author of Romeo and Juliet, not Shakespeare . Ellis is also the same as Juliet -- he is a reaction to his respective text and the criticisms behind it. There's none of that foolishness and folly that proves, as Shakespeare says, "Love is blind". (P.S. That is an example of what you will read in the book on practically every single page) And maybe that's why these characters didn't connect with me. For as inane as their actions are in the original text, they are written as those who are blinded by passion wholeheartedly, while these lack the passion that defines the original characters. Because I am reminded constantly of the original texts reading this book, thanks to the author reminding the reader every time she makes an allusion, I am unable to divorce these characters from the original and see them as their own works in this universe. It's like I'm reading a fanfiction that seeks to constantly remind me of the canon and make cutesy references to it constantly.
I can't tell if the author does it out of a genuine love of both the texts or to express how posh they are for including so many different ways to appropriate direct quotes from both texts. Aren't there other public domain texts you could pull from? For variety's sake?
The plot itself is tightly wound together, as time travel stories ought to be. The proper twists and turns are there. The proper ends are all closed. No little detail goes unnoticed or forgotten. A+ there.
The characters... well, I never grew to like any of them. Too many times they feel like a reaction to their respective texts versus actual people. The whole point of Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy is that they are young and making those mistakes. Yes, we adults know that what we want and believed as teenagers fades with maturity, but for those who are only alive those scant years, that person is their everything. It may be their first. The beauty is in that passion and that intensity that only lives without experience can muster. Had the parents let the love be as it was, perhaps it would have been over in a short time. But because they didn't, because those two young people were living in the moment, the height of their short lives, we get that beautiful tragedy.
There's none of that nuance here. Juliet says she lives for Romeo
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, Ableism, Body shaming, Drug use, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
Minor: Blood and Vomit
Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
It just wasn't clicking with me. I was disappointed by the typical "dark" witchcraft featured in the book as well. I hoped for a more nuanced and less cliche dark magick.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Squandered potential
The premise is interesting (I held a suspension of belief that in a perfect world birth control doesn't exist), but ultimately the book fails to execute the basic tenants of a good story.
The "romance" was lackluster. Of their limited interactions, they act with all the maturity of a nine year old, "hating" the one they like. The kiss had the sweetness of black coffee, which to say, had no crescendo or catharsis. I didn't believe they loved each other at all. If they were friends, and had a deep bond due to their extraordinary circumstance, maybe it would have been a little more believable. They didn't confide in each other and constant thoughts of "I think I like him/her but we can't be together" doesn't a romance make.
There's a lot of telling and not enough showing, which makes the side characters more developed than the leads because we're treated to their gleaning journals.
The plot is very black and white. It's obvious who the "good" characters are and that they'll win in the end. It would have been more fascinating if the villain was less cartoonishly evil and more gray. Less of "one viewpoint is valid and the other is not" and more "they have their points and I'm not sure who is right in this circumstance". That's probably the biggest sin of this book because so much of the conflict centers around these two viewpoints being pitted against each other. Alas, we get bejeweled crew of minorites being evil without repentance and of course we side with the Good Ones.
It bothered me that the antagonists were described as being predominantly one ethnicity when so much work went in the beginning to describe the others as a blend of all the ethnicities. In fact, reading that the lead villain was obviously Spanic (the way Latinx are described) bothered me. The other antagonists get the same treatment, being predominantly one ethnicity in a world of perfect blends, with the character noting that the diversity in their group seemed deliberate, as if it's supposed to be another knock against the villain.
I think the story should have gone through the blender one more time and given us less two dimensional characters and more inner conflict. As is, I can't recommend this book.
The premise is interesting (I held a suspension of belief that in a perfect world birth control doesn't exist), but ultimately the book fails to execute the basic tenants of a good story.
The "romance" was lackluster. Of their limited interactions, they act with all the maturity of a nine year old, "hating" the one they like. The kiss had the sweetness of black coffee, which to say, had no crescendo or catharsis. I didn't believe they loved each other at all. If they were friends, and had a deep bond due to their extraordinary circumstance, maybe it would have been a little more believable. They didn't confide in each other and constant thoughts of "I think I like him/her but we can't be together" doesn't a romance make.
There's a lot of telling and not enough showing, which makes the side characters more developed than the leads because we're treated to their gleaning journals.
The plot is very black and white. It's obvious who the "good" characters are and that they'll win in the end. It would have been more fascinating if the villain was less cartoonishly evil and more gray. Less of "one viewpoint is valid and the other is not" and more "they have their points and I'm not sure who is right in this circumstance". That's probably the biggest sin of this book because so much of the conflict centers around these two viewpoints being pitted against each other. Alas, we get bejeweled crew of minorites being evil without repentance and of course we side with the Good Ones.
It bothered me that the antagonists were described as being predominantly one ethnicity when so much work went in the beginning to describe the others as a blend of all the ethnicities. In fact, reading that the lead villain was obviously Spanic (the way Latinx are described) bothered me. The other antagonists get the same treatment, being predominantly one ethnicity in a world of perfect blends, with the character noting that the diversity in their group seemed deliberate, as if it's supposed to be another knock against the villain.
I think the story should have gone through the blender one more time and given us less two dimensional characters and more inner conflict. As is, I can't recommend this book.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
There are some books that when you finish reading, you experience that after-book "high". The feeling of being a part of an amazing story, with thrilling consequences, and you just want to give a copy to everyone you see, demanding them to read the book like some sort of madwoman.
This is one of those books.
It was on my TBR pile for a long time before I decided to read it and I hate myself for not doing it sooner. I loved this book and I will be checking out everything V. E. Schwab has written because I need more in my life!
This is one of those books.
It was on my TBR pile for a long time before I decided to read it and I hate myself for not doing it sooner. I loved this book and I will be checking out everything V. E. Schwab has written because I need more in my life!
Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
Overall I enjoyed it. Serafina is charming. Her curiosity, rebellious streak, and noble heart provide some of the most memorable scenes in the book. The mystery of the man in the black cloak was a fun romp, providing just enough of a scare to make the younger readers pause.
I didn’t enjoy Beatty’s writing style too much. At first, the similarity to a fairy tale was something I enjoyed. But 300 pages of that same fluffy, telling-not-showing style didn’t resonate with me.
The Biltmore Estate was something I could tell was dear to Beatty. His love for the place shines on every page. But I didn’t feel Serafina’s love for it in relation. Probably because Serafina herself is an outcast within the mansion, and despite her living inside it, she seems to resonate more with the outside world — the forbidden forest — than she does her home. Thus, the pages upon pages of descriptions of the estate — beautiful and mysterious, yes, but otherworldly no, became a slog to read through. I know what a beautiful rich mansion looks like. I’ve read about those all my life. The unique feature of this one is the electricity. But I live in a world with electricity, and there is no other place without electricity to contrast it to, so I began glossing over the paragraphs upon paragraphs of rich descriptions. At certain points it became a list. At that moment I checked out. Lists don’t immerse me, especially when it’s a list without notes of how the character feels.
Oddly, I felt the moment I was hooked wasn’t the first meeting of the man in the black cloak, in fact, that became more of an afterthought to me compared to Serafina herself, but the moment she meets and speaks to a child her age. Convincing the child of what she saw, trying to solve the mystery together, trying to protect her friendship, all those were things I took interest in.
Serafina’s identity wasn’t too much of a secret. I figured it out within the first chapter. Granted, I am an adult and I don’t think that’s something to be proud of but I feel like savvy children, especially lovers of animals, will pick up on her identity rather quickly too. It’s not so much of a mystery because all of the clues are blatantly blasted into your ears. But I did enjoy all of the little flairs it gave Serafina’s descriptions. Those playful moments made me smile.
The man in the black cloak plays his part well, though he’s a bit one-dimensional. He never feels threatening because we don’t really have much motivation to him beyond a Pokemon-esque “I want to be the very best”. I would have liked a moment to humanize him a bit (and thus make him more horrible by the end), though with the way the plot was styled, I’m not sure if that would be possible.
Though I must mention that when I first started reading, and we first met him kidnapping a young girl down in the basement, my first thought was “He’s a pedo-murderer!” L O L
TL;DR
+ Serafina is a charming lead character and I enjoyed learning about her and her identity
+ The playful allusions to animals for most of the character descriptors
+ The focus on friendship
+ The bravery of Serafina made each new step into the mystery exciting
– 300 pages of fairy-tale style “telling” made for a tedious read
– I personally despise the “Victorian-era” style of describing every last detail in everything
– The main villain could have been developed better
All in all, I would recommend it for a light and fun read. I read this book through a combination of listening to audible narration and reading. The narration is well done and if you enjoy audiobooks I would recommend this book as an audiobook. In fact, the “telling” that annoyed me as written word didn’t so much spoken. It’s the difference between someone telling the story to me and reading it, I suppose!
I didn’t enjoy Beatty’s writing style too much. At first, the similarity to a fairy tale was something I enjoyed. But 300 pages of that same fluffy, telling-not-showing style didn’t resonate with me.
The Biltmore Estate was something I could tell was dear to Beatty. His love for the place shines on every page. But I didn’t feel Serafina’s love for it in relation. Probably because Serafina herself is an outcast within the mansion, and despite her living inside it, she seems to resonate more with the outside world — the forbidden forest — than she does her home. Thus, the pages upon pages of descriptions of the estate — beautiful and mysterious, yes, but otherworldly no, became a slog to read through. I know what a beautiful rich mansion looks like. I’ve read about those all my life. The unique feature of this one is the electricity. But I live in a world with electricity, and there is no other place without electricity to contrast it to, so I began glossing over the paragraphs upon paragraphs of rich descriptions. At certain points it became a list. At that moment I checked out. Lists don’t immerse me, especially when it’s a list without notes of how the character feels.
Oddly, I felt the moment I was hooked wasn’t the first meeting of the man in the black cloak, in fact, that became more of an afterthought to me compared to Serafina herself, but the moment she meets and speaks to a child her age. Convincing the child of what she saw, trying to solve the mystery together, trying to protect her friendship, all those were things I took interest in.
Serafina’s identity wasn’t too much of a secret. I figured it out within the first chapter. Granted, I am an adult and I don’t think that’s something to be proud of but I feel like savvy children, especially lovers of animals, will pick up on her identity rather quickly too. It’s not so much of a mystery because all of the clues are blatantly blasted into your ears. But I did enjoy all of the little flairs it gave Serafina’s descriptions. Those playful moments made me smile.
The man in the black cloak plays his part well, though he’s a bit one-dimensional. He never feels threatening because we don’t really have much motivation to him beyond a Pokemon-esque “I want to be the very best”. I would have liked a moment to humanize him a bit (and thus make him more horrible by the end), though with the way the plot was styled, I’m not sure if that would be possible.
Though I must mention that when I first started reading, and we first met him kidnapping a young girl down in the basement, my first thought was “He’s a pedo-murderer!” L O L
TL;DR
+ Serafina is a charming lead character and I enjoyed learning about her and her identity
+ The playful allusions to animals for most of the character descriptors
+ The focus on friendship
+ The bravery of Serafina made each new step into the mystery exciting
– 300 pages of fairy-tale style “telling” made for a tedious read
– I personally despise the “Victorian-era” style of describing every last detail in everything
– The main villain could have been developed better
All in all, I would recommend it for a light and fun read. I read this book through a combination of listening to audible narration and reading. The narration is well done and if you enjoy audiobooks I would recommend this book as an audiobook. In fact, the “telling” that annoyed me as written word didn’t so much spoken. It’s the difference between someone telling the story to me and reading it, I suppose!
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
This book was more than a book. It was an experience. At first, the shifts to second person threw me off (and I am not particularly fond of second person to start with) but the reason for doing it is legitimate and effective. I got over it and I'm thankful I did. This is one of the best books I've read in years, possibly decades. Everything about it was masterful. It deserves all the accolades and then some. It's impossible for me to detail exactly what I enjoyed without ruining it, so basically:
1. Dwindled down to pure writing quality, this is a treat. The world is richly rendered. I felt like I could smell the air at times.
2. The structure itself was engaging and unique.
3. The characters are developed and intriguing.
Read it.
1. Dwindled down to pure writing quality, this is a treat. The world is richly rendered. I felt like I could smell the air at times.
2. The structure itself was engaging and unique.
3. The characters are developed and intriguing.
Read it.
Master Lists for Writers: Thesauruses, Plots, Character Traits, Names, and More by Bryn Donovan
A pretty good resource. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it has a place on my resource shelf.
Descender, Vol. 3: Singularities by Jeff Lemire
Nothing happened in this volume, quite literally. Plot-wise, we are in the exact same point at the end of the book as the beginning. The bulk content of every chapter are flashbacks. The past/present were used creatively in past volumes by drawing a parallel, but now they have overtaken the main storyline.
It would be better to learn about the nuances of characters' relationships or origins as the story went along, for instance, Effie "Queen Between", debuted as an mysterious cyborg. By the end of the book we know exactly how she ended up that way and everything about her relationship to Andy. She's not mysterious or interesting anymore. For another character, knowing their past and motivations made them simplistic and bordering on cliche. Less is more, and it would have been nice to advance the story instead of reading flashback after flashback, many things we've seen before. Do I need to see the evacuation scene from Tim, Andy, Driller, Bandit, and Mrs Trevor's point of view? No. I get it already, let's move on.
These sort of things belong in the writer's character worksheets, not spelled out to the point the pacing of the main narrative is stalled completely.
It would be better to learn about the nuances of characters' relationships or origins as the story went along, for instance, Effie "Queen Between", debuted as an mysterious cyborg. By the end of the book we know exactly how she ended up that way and everything about her relationship to Andy. She's not mysterious or interesting anymore. For another character, knowing their past and motivations made them simplistic and bordering on cliche. Less is more, and it would have been nice to advance the story instead of reading flashback after flashback, many things we've seen before. Do I need to see the evacuation scene from Tim, Andy, Driller, Bandit, and Mrs Trevor's point of view? No. I get it already, let's move on.
These sort of things belong in the writer's character worksheets, not spelled out to the point the pacing of the main narrative is stalled completely.