woduz's reviews
97 reviews

Songs for the Dead and the Living by Sara M Saleh

funny informative reflective sad 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

4.5

so so beautiful, and so so important
a must read story that makes your heart ache but leaves it full at the same time, full of strength and faith 

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

adventurous funny mysterious 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? No

3.5

Layover (a Beach Read epilogue) by Emily Henry

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Itchikan: 'til death do us part (The Itchikan Trilogy Book 1) by Bin Userkaf, Nommo Userkaf

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

3.75

Aurora might be one of the strongest characters I've read in a long while, she's bold and unafraid to keep fighting for what matters, all the while having so much heart for the people surrounding her—a lot of these characters do. Its one of the central structures of this book and I adore it so heavily

There's many details to this dystopian world to unpack: new themes, new rules and all their risks. As you discover each of them you're gripping to know more, which is perfect for a fast pacing novel full of adventure 🥹

Itchikan is a wonderful debut novel, and I'm so curious for its second instalment!! I just know I'm not gonna know what's coming 😭❤️‍🩹

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

adventurous 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

5.0

Beach Read by Emily Henry

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

never thought i'd see myself in both mcs of a romance novel, but here we are, all tears emptied out of me, clinging every page to my chest ❤️‍🩹 

Drop Dead Like Flies by Portia Stanton-Noble

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

3.5 for this murder mystery, thrilling as it was chilling. Not as much heart in the characters as the last two books, this one definitely carried a much colder touch but I'm relieved to hear there is another installment coming!! I do enjoy them

King of Immortal Tithe by Ben Alderson

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

if the song FUNHOUSE by p!nk took the form of a book, i feel like this would be it

I usually like Ben's writing for how strongly he builds the relationships of all his characters, especially friendships, but this one was different, the depth was there but the resolve was brutal, I think

a lot of (important) characters sewn into this story end up being removed (in a large mass) with no redemptions, and that's something new amongst his storytelling, so it's taking me a second to process how this story actually ended, which is safe to say not a cute, glittering fairytale

but I liked it, I adored the settings, the details, I fkn laughed !! Faenir having to bathe in the Styx after that one chapter is still so funny to me, I enjoyed this book !!! I'm just shocked

and I wish we had more time with these realms & the worldbuild, thus why I'm skipping off to buy another Darkmourn book ✨️

The Nichan Smile by C.J. Merwild

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this was SUCH a heavy book, there's so much depth to it and a lot of room to grow heavily attached to characters, to the point that I had to put down the book for a few months to mourn just one of them (barely hanging on thumbs up) this book will grip your emotions and then shake them around like a snow globe, leaving you, the reader, muddled and upside down

but then the snow settles, and I just want to read more and get spun upside down all over again

it's definitely not your average fantasy book, it's original, it's dark, and it lingers, and I would like to read more

do check the tw's before you read ❤️‍🩹

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

adventurous funny medium-paced

4.0

writing is very 2007, kind of outdated, but the lore is so compacted and biteable that I need the second one, neeeeed