woodsybookworm's reviews
98 reviews

Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede

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dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

There were no likeable characters here and I was cheering for the ghost the whole time.

This is my second Cassandra Khaw book and I think listening to the audiobook helps a lot when it comes to her storytelling.

I enjoyed the setting but the characters were such horrible people, I didn't really feel invested in them - which led to me not being invested in the story itself.

At First Spite by Olivia Dade

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

After her engagement falls apart, Athena is left with what would have been a fun and quirky wedding present to her future husband - the spite house next door to his home that he was hoping to renovate. What's even worse than living next door to your ex-fiance? Living smushed between your ex-fiance on one side and his rude brother on the other.

Not to mention his brother, the oh so attractive Matthew, was also a factor in ruining your engagement. Will Athena's pride prevent her from seeing the kindness in Matthew? Will Mathew's prejudice prevent him from discovering the real Athena? Or will they find something a little less spiteful and a lot more loving together?

I don't think this book was marketed as a modern Pride and Prejudice but that was exactly what came to mind while reading it. It was a slow burn but a cute story with some heavy topics - depression, loss of a sibling - that made for a heartfelt romance.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

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dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

The Salt Grows Heavy is not your childhood little mermaid story. Opening with a kingdom on fire and a brood of baby mermaids tearing into the last remaining citizens, we meet our main characters - the Mermaid and the Plague Doctor.

Leaving behind a kingdom in ruin, the two set out together to find a new home - and maybe a new kingdom to throw into chaos. But like anyone who's played a videogame, these two get distracted by a side mission and find themselves in an encampment of feral children run by three otherworldly surgeons.

I can see why there are so many mixed reviews about this book now. It is very atmospheric...abstract? Philosophical? It's all vibes, let's say that, but with every 10 dollar word in the thesaurus being used to fill its pages. It's easy to get lost in the story which is written like a stream of consciousness diary from the mermaid's perspective, but there were some surprisingly tender moments sprinkled throughout that chaos.

The ending and the epilogue (which is actually a prologue) were beautifully written and I honestly fell in love with the Plague Doctor.

Content Warnings

Schrader's Chord by Scott Leeds

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

The prologue to this book was amazing - what a hook! - if only the rest of the book kept that momentum.

After the amazing opening, the first half of the book was incredibly slow. It took 150 pages for us to finally get to the entitled haunted records - the Schrader's Chord. After that point there were some interesting moments but overall this book was sooo slow and I wish I would have DNFed but that opening hook kept me hoping for more

How to Marry a Lich by Lizzie Strong

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced