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zaiphon's reviews
153 reviews
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I sped right through this immedately after I finished acowar.
Such a lighthearted read after everything that went on in the previous entry of the series. Definitely can see it is setting the stage for the next book as we see the new trials being set up for our main cast of characters. I think this definitely added new layers to ths characters and had time to flesh out some mode emotional complexities.
Kind of feels like a random gap in the series to be listed strongly on it's own, but I get the intention of this forecasting the next part in the series.
Overall enjoyed this and the funny banter, romance, and emotional scenes it portrayed.
Such a lighthearted read after everything that went on in the previous entry of the series. Definitely can see it is setting the stage for the next book as we see the new trials being set up for our main cast of characters. I think this definitely added new layers to ths characters and had time to flesh out some mode emotional complexities.
Kind of feels like a random gap in the series to be listed strongly on it's own, but I get the intention of this forecasting the next part in the series.
Overall enjoyed this and the funny banter, romance, and emotional scenes it portrayed.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
This one for me was so much better than book 2.
While a little lengthy, by the time you finish the book you realize it was all necessary. The character development (even detailing side characters and new characters introduced) is what really drew me to become attached to the story even more than I already was.
Part 3 was by far the most intense. Lots of twists that I didn't see coming. I also shed a tear or two that not even book 2 could muster from me. I give credit to the character building for that. You become attached and invested in this world that reading seemed like one big adventure.
There were times were I felt the story slowed its pace or I was waiting for the next big reveal to move the plot forward. When they came (oh and those WHAT?! Moments came for sure) it was more impactful and rewarding after the buildup throughout the story.
5 stars for me due to:
-Character development
-Interestings twists
-Tears
This could very well be a trilogy and end here; but I am excited to continue the story because I am not quite ready to leave the characters behind!
While a little lengthy, by the time you finish the book you realize it was all necessary. The character development (even detailing side characters and new characters introduced) is what really drew me to become attached to the story even more than I already was.
Part 3 was by far the most intense. Lots of twists that I didn't see coming. I also shed a tear or two that not even book 2 could muster from me. I give credit to the character building for that. You become attached and invested in this world that reading seemed like one big adventure.
There were times were I felt the story slowed its pace or I was waiting for the next big reveal to move the plot forward. When they came (oh and those WHAT?! Moments came for sure) it was more impactful and rewarding after the buildup throughout the story.
5 stars for me due to:
-Character development
-Interestings twists
-Tears
This could very well be a trilogy and end here; but I am excited to continue the story because I am not quite ready to leave the characters behind!
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Finished this one pretty quickly. I heard a lot of great things about this book. While I did enjoy it, it was not something spectacular (for me at least).
This story is full of cute, cheesy moments. Not necessarily a bad thing though because there are plenty of cheesy stories I enjoy. However, I am iffy on the whole miscommunication trope and felt like a whole chunk of the book dragged out a bit. The parts that I felt could have been dived into more, were resolved fairly quickly so the last chunk of the book felt it was just dumped out.
I did enjoy that the epilogue added to the story (I have PTSD from epilogues that just add more chaos).
Overall, I enjoyed this. Probably won't spend time thinking about the characters or re-reading, but a decent read.
This story is full of cute, cheesy moments. Not necessarily a bad thing though because there are plenty of cheesy stories I enjoy. However, I am iffy on the whole miscommunication trope and felt like a whole chunk of the book dragged out a bit. The parts that I felt could have been dived into more, were resolved fairly quickly so the last chunk of the book felt it was just dumped out.
I did enjoy that the epilogue added to the story (I have PTSD from epilogues that just add more chaos).
Overall, I enjoyed this. Probably won't spend time thinking about the characters or re-reading, but a decent read.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I always heard mixed reviews about this series since its release. I never ended up reading it until now (thanks kindle unlimited) and I was surprised by some things I did truly enjoy.
To start, I didn't come into this with any specific expectations. I also have not got around to watching any of the netflix series. It has your typical tropes/and plot development for a fantasy series. The cheesy-ness doesn't bother me much because I have read much, much worse (plus, what's so wrong with cheesy at times?). However, the further along in the story I gotten into, the more I saw this expansive, interesting world created. At first, I had a hard time memorizing all the terms, ranking of the different Grisha, and the history of the creatures/lore of the lands (the map is very helpful).
Being the first in a fantasy series, it does its part to world build and flex out its characters. A first book needs to do its job to pull you in and be curious for more. This book definitely did that for me. I do hope the next book picks up in more areas and gives us a little more backstory for some of its characters that have now enveloped theirselves into Alina's world.
To start, I didn't come into this with any specific expectations. I also have not got around to watching any of the netflix series. It has your typical tropes/and plot development for a fantasy series. The cheesy-ness doesn't bother me much because I have read much, much worse (plus, what's so wrong with cheesy at times?). However, the further along in the story I gotten into, the more I saw this expansive, interesting world created. At first, I had a hard time memorizing all the terms, ranking of the different Grisha, and the history of the creatures/lore of the lands (the map is very helpful).
Being the first in a fantasy series, it does its part to world build and flex out its characters. A first book needs to do its job to pull you in and be curious for more. This book definitely did that for me. I do hope the next book picks up in more areas and gives us a little more backstory for some of its characters that have now enveloped theirselves into Alina's world.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a very interesting concept and I can see why it would be a great book to add to youth curriculum. However, I wish there was more to this book. This could have been a bit longer and I think it would have been very interesting to see more about the community at the end of the novel.
This is one of those stories that require discussion afterward. I ended the book with so many questions, but these questions mostly spurred from the fact that this is not the kind of story that gives you answers on a silver platter. Set in a dystopian "community", this novel reminded me that with love and happiness almost always comes pain. You need both and both play a role in the human experience.
As a youth, I think I would have been a little more partial to this and the series. As an adult, I appreciate and recongize the craft of this story, but I was seeking a little more challenge.
This is one of those stories that require discussion afterward. I ended the book with so many questions, but these questions mostly spurred from the fact that this is not the kind of story that gives you answers on a silver platter. Set in a dystopian "community", this novel reminded me that with love and happiness almost always comes pain. You need both and both play a role in the human experience.
As a youth, I think I would have been a little more partial to this and the series. As an adult, I appreciate and recongize the craft of this story, but I was seeking a little more challenge.
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was so hard to decide: 2 or 3 stars? I ultimately landed on 3. I didn't really have any specific expectations coming into this. I just heard it was 50/50 and wanted to see for myself. Keep in mind, I do love all kind of romances. Yes, even cheesy/romantic kinds.
Positives:
1. I realize everyone feels differently about this, but I thought the soul mate, cheesy romance is fine. I love a good romanticized, deep romance. So, I wasn't too bothered with the dialogue. Some may and if you are, then you are going to have a hard time enjoying this book.
2. I thought Poppy and Rune were written beautifully. The side characters don't get too much development or spotlight - but I feel it is for a reason. To me, they helped push forward character development for Poppy and Rune.
3. There were moments I could feel the emotions of the characters (sadness, grief, longing etc) and that is what connected me to the story and to see this book out until the end. I admit, I did have some moments where I shed a few tears.
Now the Negatives:
1. Some things felt rushed and kind of left me feeling like the story is shifting the direction and even the writing style morphed. I am not talking about a twist or something plot related, it just almost felt like what I describe as reading a completely different book. It just felt like lots of paths were trying to evolve but all at the same time halfway through the story.
2. And the one to take the cake and really make this book fall flat - the epilogue. What. Was. That. I ended the book with a heavy heart but also touched and then when I read the epilogue it seemed a whole waste of time. Why on earth did Rune die? And how? It just put a 10 yr time jump but we don't know many details about Rune that I would assume all readers want to know. I wanted to see Rune live a happy life. Love/fall in love. I wanted to see some insight into the "thousand girl kisses", but instead we get a rushed epilogue that binds the characters back together with hardly an explanation. Do I think alluding to the fact Rune reuinted with Poppy again in the afterlife is a bad thing? No, because I longed for them to meet again. But not in this way. It sort of made all the weaker faucets of the book stick out and left me feeling "meh" about it.
I know there is a 2nd book coming out and this may feature more about Rune's life post Poppy, but we shouldn't have had to wait for that to come clear up or make better what readers were left with.
Tldr;
I thought the book was sweet and did tug at your heart strings. But weakened holes in the plot/narrative bring down the entire story once you read the confusing epilogue.
Positives:
1. I realize everyone feels differently about this, but I thought the soul mate, cheesy romance is fine. I love a good romanticized, deep romance. So, I wasn't too bothered with the dialogue. Some may and if you are, then you are going to have a hard time enjoying this book.
2. I thought Poppy and Rune were written beautifully. The side characters don't get too much development or spotlight - but I feel it is for a reason. To me, they helped push forward character development for Poppy and Rune.
3. There were moments I could feel the emotions of the characters (sadness, grief, longing etc) and that is what connected me to the story and to see this book out until the end. I admit, I did have some moments where I shed a few tears.
Now the Negatives:
1. Some things felt rushed and kind of left me feeling like the story is shifting the direction and even the writing style morphed. I am not talking about a twist or something plot related, it just almost felt like what I describe as reading a completely different book. It just felt like lots of paths were trying to evolve but all at the same time halfway through the story.
2. And the one to take the cake and really make this book fall flat - the epilogue. What. Was. That. I ended the book with a heavy heart but also touched and then when I read the epilogue it seemed a whole waste of time. Why on earth did Rune die? And how? It just put a 10 yr time jump but we don't know many details about Rune that I would assume all readers want to know. I wanted to see Rune live a happy life. Love/fall in love. I wanted to see some insight into the "thousand girl kisses", but instead we get a rushed epilogue that binds the characters back together with hardly an explanation. Do I think alluding to the fact Rune reuinted with Poppy again in the afterlife is a bad thing? No, because I longed for them to meet again. But not in this way. It sort of made all the weaker faucets of the book stick out and left me feeling "meh" about it.
I know there is a 2nd book coming out and this may feature more about Rune's life post Poppy, but we shouldn't have had to wait for that to come clear up or make better what readers were left with.
Tldr;
I thought the book was sweet and did tug at your heart strings. But weakened holes in the plot/narrative bring down the entire story once you read the confusing epilogue.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book flew by so fast - it was such an easy read! If you are looking for a thriller with lots of twists to get you out of a reading slump, I recommend this one.
There were a few twists that I just knew was coming, however, it ended up feeling they were placed there on purpose. Bait to get me to feel I knew exactly how this would end, but sure enough, another twist popped up. Kept me reading and reading until I flew through this book so easily.
I enjoyed the writing style as well and that played a big part of keeping me hooked until the end. Each piece of a characters past is dropped methodically in parts of the story to make it matter most. Once the finalized details are further revealed, it made me appreciate the characters even more and completely changed my perspective of the story. The author had me HATING Nina and I had already thought I guessed what would happen. But, a complete 180 came through and it didn't feel forced.
I am not sure how I feel about a continuation of this story. Will Millie just become a serial killer of abusers? I don't know if I would enjoy a 2nd book with the exact same plot once again, but I will probably consider giving it a try.
3/3 - enjoyed my time reading this story. Page turner, kept me invested and guessing. Not something I would re-read though and didn't end this as excited to read book 2 as I hoped.
There were a few twists that I just knew was coming, however, it ended up feeling they were placed there on purpose. Bait to get me to feel I knew exactly how this would end, but sure enough, another twist popped up. Kept me reading and reading until I flew through this book so easily.
I enjoyed the writing style as well and that played a big part of keeping me hooked until the end. Each piece of a characters past is dropped methodically in parts of the story to make it matter most. Once the finalized details are further revealed, it made me appreciate the characters even more and completely changed my perspective of the story. The author had me HATING Nina and I had already thought I guessed what would happen. But, a complete 180 came through and it didn't feel forced.
I am not sure how I feel about a continuation of this story. Will Millie just become a serial killer of abusers? I don't know if I would enjoy a 2nd book with the exact same plot once again, but I will probably consider giving it a try.
3/3 - enjoyed my time reading this story. Page turner, kept me invested and guessing. Not something I would re-read though and didn't end this as excited to read book 2 as I hoped.
The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I continously am debating, even still, on to give this 2 or 3 stars. I settled with 3, but I don't think I am itching to read the other books in this "Bright Sessions" universe.
Warning: some spoilers included -
Pros:
1. Interesting read that had me thinking of the potential that is had to expound upon this universe set in this novel
2. I like the different dynamics and descriptions of emotions. Describing a color to a physicality of emotions kept things interesting
Cons:
1. Slow pacing. I felt things kept dragging on and when we ran to a major plot point or character development, it fell flat. Ironic considering the entire basis of this novel is regarding an atypical empath learning about his and others feelings/emotions
2. Characters were likeable, but the lack of creating further depth prevented me from fully immersing into their complexities. I felt like a thirst unquenched after reading the final page because I wanted there to be more.
3. This book pulled out a lot of its interesting plot points and interesting side characters, right at the end. Yup. And you guessed it, fell flat and made it feel it wasn't important.
I guess my biggest issues is that I truly wanted to care more about Caleb and Adam. I loved we had both sides of a coin: an atypical who senses others emotions and is trying to learn how to slow down when communicating them - to someone who drowns under a depression and doesn't know how to always best process his feelings and verbalize them. But, it felt like I was reading just a surface level overview of the plot's narrative. It just felt.. unfinished?
I totally get why some may be heavily drawn to this book. Trust me, I wanted to. I also understand there was a podcast that involved the characters and set more foundation to this world - and I have not listened in to a single episode. But, this just wasn't for me and I feel disapointed.
Warning: some spoilers included -
Pros:
1. Interesting read that had me thinking of the potential that is had to expound upon this universe set in this novel
2. I like the different dynamics and descriptions of emotions. Describing a color to a physicality of emotions kept things interesting
Cons:
1. Slow pacing. I felt things kept dragging on and when we ran to a major plot point or character development, it fell flat. Ironic considering the entire basis of this novel is regarding an atypical empath learning about his and others feelings/emotions
2. Characters were likeable, but the lack of creating further depth prevented me from fully immersing into their complexities. I felt like a thirst unquenched after reading the final page because I wanted there to be more.
3. This book pulled out a lot of its interesting plot points and interesting side characters, right at the end. Yup. And you guessed it, fell flat and made it feel it wasn't important.
I guess my biggest issues is that I truly wanted to care more about Caleb and Adam. I loved we had both sides of a coin: an atypical who senses others emotions and is trying to learn how to slow down when communicating them - to someone who drowns under a depression and doesn't know how to always best process his feelings and verbalize them. But, it felt like I was reading just a surface level overview of the plot's narrative. It just felt.. unfinished?
I totally get why some may be heavily drawn to this book. Trust me, I wanted to. I also understand there was a podcast that involved the characters and set more foundation to this world - and I have not listened in to a single episode. But, this just wasn't for me and I feel disapointed.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
SPOILERS INCLUDED:
I both enjoyed this book but also was ready for it to end. While there were several twists throughout the story to continue to add to the shock value, the first half of the book to me dragged on. Then, once Paul shows up, it is just a bunch of dark torture paired with "oh. Another twist." Until we finally get to the end. Although most questions were answered, some of those answers didn't feel as rewarding as I wanted them to be.
Also. Nolan already asking her out on a date? She wants to say yes? Uhm.. idk seemed a little too much after a bunch of horrible things had been dumped on you like dominos the last half of the book.
Tldr: overall not terrible but also felt it tried to surprise me too much.
I both enjoyed this book but also was ready for it to end. While there were several twists throughout the story to continue to add to the shock value, the first half of the book to me dragged on. Then, once Paul shows up, it is just a bunch of dark torture paired with "oh. Another twist." Until we finally get to the end. Although most questions were answered, some of those answers didn't feel as rewarding as I wanted them to be.
Also. Nolan already asking her out on a date? She wants to say yes? Uhm.. idk seemed a little too much after a bunch of horrible things had been dumped on you like dominos the last half of the book.
Tldr: overall not terrible but also felt it tried to surprise me too much.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
I finished this book only minutes ago.
Loved this. It really defined the story and kept me invested and on my toes. It's a lengthy book, but I didn't find myself ever becoming bored as each scene continues to paint such a wonderful world and brings the characters to life.
Definitely a step up from ACOTAR (book 1). Take the last half of acotar with all the action and throw it in with intriguing character development and some romance and you have the recipe for this book.
Excited to continue the series!
Loved this. It really defined the story and kept me invested and on my toes. It's a lengthy book, but I didn't find myself ever becoming bored as each scene continues to paint such a wonderful world and brings the characters to life.
Definitely a step up from ACOTAR (book 1). Take the last half of acotar with all the action and throw it in with intriguing character development and some romance and you have the recipe for this book.
Excited to continue the series!