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vorticella's reviews
18 reviews
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Antisemitism, and War
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This my first real horror book and it was terrifying but I loved it and want more. That small town vibe with dark secrets delving into the supernatural was so gripping. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Child death, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources by Charlie McNabb
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I mostly read the nonfiction books section. It's an absolutely invaluable resource if you want to learn more about the history of gender identity and nonbinary people. There's so many resources from so many different groups. It's exactly what I was looking for.
Solaris Seethes by Janet McNulty
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was definitely not perfect, though contrary to what a lot of the other reviewers have said I actually really liked it. I feel like this book had a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on because sometimes this book can be just amazing to the point where, despite the flaws, I'm having so much fun that I want to give it a 5 stars anyways. Then the next paragraph it's just awful. Most of the time that awfulness is fairly tame with a bit of corny, cliche writing or stilted prose. Other times, particularly in regard to the character development (or lack there of) of Rynah, it's just so damn painful I want to DNF on the spot.
The thing for me though is that this premise is near perfect. Like the idea of a rag-tag group of people from different countries and eras getting teleported to a space ship where they have to use their unique skills to help find the 7 MacGuffins that are distributed throughout space, all while some evil dude tries to find them too is just a near perfect premise for me. The (mostly) likeable characters that also includes a sassy spaceship just makes it so much better.
When the book leans into the premise and the author is in the mood to write well, it is an absolute trip that I enjoy every second of. The suspense genuinely has me on the edge of my seat, heart pumping in my chest in a way I haven't experienced in other books before. Even non-action sequences are fun or emotional when they lean into the characters and the relationships they have. These sections of the book are the saving grace for me, and in my opinion, are enough to counteract most of the bad writing or abysmal character development.
This book would absolutely be one of my favourites ever written if they just had a proper editor for . One that could do something about the occasionally terrible prose, stilted dialogue, and those incredible corny scenes that have my eyes rolling to the back of my head. It's so weird how inconsistent the writing in this book is. One second it'll be this genuinely heart felt moment that's incredibly well written and pulls at your heart strings. Then later they try to do a similar scene and it's the most cringeworthy bs you've read in your life that better fits in a melodramatic Wattpad novel than a book you paid $8 for.
I'm definitely reading the other books. I mean with that ending I'm practically forced to. I hope they got an editor for those next ones cause if they did, this series is a force to be reckoned with and could genuinely end up being one of my favourites of all time. If not, I'll just be left wanting for a series with a similar premise that's as good as this book is when the author's in the mood to write well.
Overall, if the premise truly grabs you and you love a good found family space opera with an epic quest and loveable characters, read this. You might regret it sometimes but the rough patches pass and is followed by some damn good writing. If that whole premise is just okay or good to you then don't bother. It's really not worth it.
The thing for me though is that this premise is near perfect. Like the idea of a rag-tag group of people from different countries and eras getting teleported to a space ship where they have to use their unique skills to help find the 7 MacGuffins that are distributed throughout space, all while some evil dude tries to find them too is just a near perfect premise for me. The (mostly) likeable characters that also includes a sassy spaceship just makes it so much better.
When the book leans into the premise and the author is in the mood to write well, it is an absolute trip that I enjoy every second of. The suspense genuinely has me on the edge of my seat, heart pumping in my chest in a way I haven't experienced in other books before. Even non-action sequences are fun or emotional when they lean into the characters and the relationships they have. These sections of the book are the saving grace for me, and in my opinion, are enough to counteract most of the bad writing or abysmal character development.
This book would absolutely be one of my favourites ever written if they just had a proper editor for . One that could do something about the occasionally terrible prose, stilted dialogue, and those incredible corny scenes that have my eyes rolling to the back of my head. It's so weird how inconsistent the writing in this book is. One second it'll be this genuinely heart felt moment that's incredibly well written and pulls at your heart strings. Then later they try to do a similar scene and it's the most cringeworthy bs you've read in your life that better fits in a melodramatic Wattpad novel than a book you paid $8 for.
I'm definitely reading the other books. I mean with that ending I'm practically forced to. I hope they got an editor for those next ones cause if they did, this series is a force to be reckoned with and could genuinely end up being one of my favourites of all time. If not, I'll just be left wanting for a series with a similar premise that's as good as this book is when the author's in the mood to write well.
Overall, if the premise truly grabs you and you love a good found family space opera with an epic quest and loveable characters, read this. You might regret it sometimes but the rough patches pass and is followed by some damn good writing. If that whole premise is just okay or good to you then don't bother. It's really not worth it.
Strength of the Pack by Kendall McKenna
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood