whatellisreadnext's reviews
623 reviews

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I've tried this one a few times, as I loved Seanan McGuire's Middlegame and also her Up-and-Under series, and it finally stuck this time. The audiobook was fab and a lot darker than I originally thought it was going to be. It felt a lot like her Up-and-Under series, but a bit more adult. I feel like this was an okay first book and established the setting and characters well, but I'm more excited to see some of the magical worlds the children have found themselves in, which I think happens every other book. So I shall be picking up the sequel soon 💃

South by Babak Lakghomi

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

This was great. I love a super vague meandering narrative. We follow 'B' an author on his way to investigate strikes on an oil rig. The setting is as isolating as the sparse writing. The underlying weirdness soon escalates into a somewhat hallucinationary narrative about surveillance and control living in a futuristic totalitarian society. Would recommend if you enjoyed books like Fever Dream and Our Wives Under the Sea. 

The Vanderbeekers Lost and Found by Karina Yan Glaser

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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? No

4.0

I love these books. This one had me straight up sobbing my heart out, but I genuinely feel healed a little bit after finishing it. These are technically kids' books, but I love how unpatronising Glaser is with serious subjects. How she doesn't beat around the bush and tells her younger audience the truths of love and loss. As always, the core message of the book is kindness and surrounding yourself with the people that you love. 

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Claire Keegan writes these perfect little slice of life narratives with such realistic characters. I can't even begin to explain how good this was. Small Things Like These is my favourite from her so far. I felt everything Furlong felt so deeply. There are much darker themes and scenes here than in Foster and So Late in the Day, which is why it's most definitely my favourite. If you're looking for the perfect read to devour over Christmas, definitely pick this up. I got it for 99p on Kindle, and I'm considering ordering myself a physical copy just to have in my collection👀

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

adventurous funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I've not much to say about this. I really wanted to like Ophelia, but I just didn't, so I guess that's my biggest gripe. She was too 'I'm not like other girls'. Sometimes, the narrative style felt really cosy, and then, other times, it felt unnatural and stiff. She literally has the power to read the past of any object she touches and can also move through mirrors but barely used either of these skills?! I don't think I'll be carrying on the series, which is a shame but I did enjoy it for its wintery vibes.

Grey Dog by Elliott Gish

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I actually really bloody enjoyed this one. I love books centred around a pretty mundane life, but you can just feel that something weird is a foot. The story follows Ada as she tries to remake herself as a teacher in a new town. We know something bad happened, and this is her last chance to live a normal life. The atmosphere and the setting were so good, and if you love books that act as metaphors for female rage, you need to read this one!

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

emotional funny hopeful relaxing sad 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? Yes

3.0

Cute and quick, I just wish it'd been longer. Toadling is a sweetheart. Protect her at all costs. It had bigg Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers vibes in its cosiness and narrative style. The audiobook was great fun. Would recommend 👌

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Pearl by Siân Hughes

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

I bloody love books about grief. Pearl follows Marianne after the disappearance of her mother when she was 8 and how it affected her life after. I've not much to say other than I really enjoyed it and I'll leave you with one quote that really stuck with me.

'When someone takes their life, they don't only steal the future out from under our feet, they also desecrate their past. It makes it hard to hold on to the good things about them. And no one deserves to be judged on the worst five minutes of their life, even if those five minutes turn out to be their last.'

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? Yes

3.0

A very unique story that kept me hooked until the very end. It was definitely a case of plot over deep characters though, which is a real shame because it had lots of potential. All of the Scottish folklore mixed with witch trails and also kind of a bit of scifi was super interesting. So I'm glad I finally read it after all these years of owning it, would definitely recommend the Audiobook if this one is sat on your shelves collecting dust.