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bobinsbooknook's reviews
179 reviews
The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo
challenging
funny
fast-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
3.5
Having finished this in a day, I think it’s safe to say that the audio book is the way to go.
The writing style is very poetic in places and the humour is captured very well by the narrator. Even with the poetic prose, the storyline is easy to follow as love how the character of Zuleika develops throughout from child to young bride to socialite and consort.
I will say something that took me out of the story a bit is the clash and contrast of the historic story setting and a lot of the modern day dialogue which I think is clearly the style of the author. Whilst this did provide some light humour, I don’t think it’s my preference in this context.
The writing style is very poetic in places and the humour is captured very well by the narrator. Even with the poetic prose, the storyline is easy to follow as love how the character of Zuleika develops throughout from child to young bride to socialite and consort.
I will say something that took me out of the story a bit is the clash and contrast of the historic story setting and a lot of the modern day dialogue which I think is clearly the style of the author. Whilst this did provide some light humour, I don’t think it’s my preference in this context.
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Finally glad I got round to reading this book and surprised I meant I should read it in just one day! The story is incredibly fast pace which made it both gripping and very enjoyable.
Something I really enjoyed about the fast pace writing style is how key bits of information are woven throughout the story in a way that was subtle enough to maintain a balance and mystery without giving away too much on.
Something I really enjoyed about the fast pace writing style is how key bits of information are woven throughout the story in a way that was subtle enough to maintain a balance and mystery without giving away too much on.
Whilst I didn’t think there was anything overly special about the characters themselves, the emotional reactions and interactions they had were very very realistic particularly the PTSD signs in part two of the book.
My only criticisms with this book is that I didn’t care for the romance subplot between Rachel and Pete as it felt a bit incestuous - even though they aren’t related… the fact that the possible pregnancy at the end would lead to a baby being both a half-sibling and cousin of Kylie left me feeling grossed out by it.
In the second half of this book, I also found it a bit difficult to navigate the plot as the story divers from backstory of the chain to present day. Had this been written in a clear way I think I would’ve enjoyed the backstory element a lot more.
In the second half of this book, I also found it a bit difficult to navigate the plot as the story divers from backstory of the chain to present day. Had this been written in a clear way I think I would’ve enjoyed the backstory element a lot more.
Truthfully the final chain reveal was a bit predictable given the foreshadowing and multiple POVs before however i didn't mind this so much as it created a sense of tension knowing the 'villains' before one of the main POVs.
Overall Part one on its own could have easily been a 5 star read (excluding the romance) but the ending writing style felt a bit more clunk. That being said the plot itself was really interesting and can see myself recommending this read and rereading in future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Kidnapping
Moderate: Addiction and Cancer
Minor: Vomit
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
After seeing this book being hyped up online I was excited to read however left feeling a bit underwhelmed for the majority of the book.
In fairness, I do often find YA books a bit hit or miss for me as perhaps I’m not the target demographic. That being said the plot of the war of the gods and mythology stories really intriguing.
Sadly where the book struggled for me is the core drive of the book - the romance between Iris and Roman. Meant to be a rivals to lovers trope, I felt that we never really established the rivals element enough on both POVs to warrant any interest for me to route for their romance.
I felt that the romance is the core of the book whilst the more interesting plots of the missing brother and the war felt very secondary and I wish this was the other way round as I found myself disengaged a lot of the first few parts of the book.
The ending did actually have me gripped and left me wondering what happens next, but I think overall I’m so disinterested in the core romance of this book and more in the fantasy war itself that I don’t think I’ll be picking up the second one.
In fairness, I do often find YA books a bit hit or miss for me as perhaps I’m not the target demographic. That being said the plot of the war of the gods and mythology stories really intriguing.
Sadly where the book struggled for me is the core drive of the book - the romance between Iris and Roman. Meant to be a rivals to lovers trope, I felt that we never really established the rivals element enough on both POVs to warrant any interest for me to route for their romance.
I felt that the romance is the core of the book whilst the more interesting plots of the missing brother and the war felt very secondary and I wish this was the other way round as I found myself disengaged a lot of the first few parts of the book.
The ending did actually have me gripped and left me wondering what happens next, but I think overall I’m so disinterested in the core romance of this book and more in the fantasy war itself that I don’t think I’ll be picking up the second one.
The Ex by Freida McFadden
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m surprised to not be rating this higher - especially as I didn’t predict the plot twists - but just couldn’t love it as much as her other books.
There are parts of the story which felt very familiar to other books I have read - I am unsure if these are similarities with her other books though so don’t want to penalise on the rating too much.
I did feel that the story wasn’t as deep or complex it could have been or alluded too. The wrap up at the end felt a bit quick and no where near as dramatic as it could have and perhaps would have like more depth of the darker plot points in this book.
Overall a decent read which I did enjoy but would put on par with her other book ‘The Locked Door’.
There are parts of the story which felt very familiar to other books I have read - I am unsure if these are similarities with her other books though so don’t want to penalise on the rating too much.
I did feel that the story wasn’t as deep or complex it could have been or alluded too. The wrap up at the end felt a bit quick and no where near as dramatic as it could have and perhaps would have like more depth of the darker plot points in this book.
Overall a decent read which I did enjoy but would put on par with her other book ‘The Locked Door’.
Coraline and Other Stories by Neil Gaiman
fast-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? It's complicated
3.0
Coraline is one of my favourite movies to watch at Halloween so was so excited when I was able to get a copy from a friend to read to end the spooky season!
The story of Coraline itself was slightly different than I expected and more concise though still gave the eery vibes that I love so much in the movie.
The short stories which proceeded it was a mix bag - some I quite enjoyed whereas others i found quite boring.
Overall I am rating this a 3 as a collection of stories it got me in the spooky mood - but can’t rate higher as my fab route story of them all was Coraline … and honestly … I think the movie is much stronger.
The story of Coraline itself was slightly different than I expected and more concise though still gave the eery vibes that I love so much in the movie.
The short stories which proceeded it was a mix bag - some I quite enjoyed whereas others i found quite boring.
Overall I am rating this a 3 as a collection of stories it got me in the spooky mood - but can’t rate higher as my fab route story of them all was Coraline … and honestly … I think the movie is much stronger.
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Having enjoyed Tom Felton in the Harry Potter series, I was interested to listen to the audio book of his mini-memoir style book.
The anecdotes were a really fun mix of playful child star and struggles of shifting into a new norm as an adult.
Throughout the book Tom gives a real sense of humbleness and sincerity in the way he talks about his friends, family and costars.
The majority of this book was a series of fun lighthearted stories which I enjoyed though can’t rate more than 4 stars as I do prefer memoirs which delve deeper into the vulnerability which makes us human.
Overall a good little audio book.
The anecdotes were a really fun mix of playful child star and struggles of shifting into a new norm as an adult.
Throughout the book Tom gives a real sense of humbleness and sincerity in the way he talks about his friends, family and costars.
The majority of this book was a series of fun lighthearted stories which I enjoyed though can’t rate more than 4 stars as I do prefer memoirs which delve deeper into the vulnerability which makes us human.
Overall a good little audio book.
Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon: The New Science and Stories of the Brain by Rahul Jandial
informative
medium-paced
3.5
An interesting quick audio book though I do personally prefer more of a memoir style non-fiction that a structured self-help guide and knowledge dump.
The writing structure was a bit repetitive but did provide a helpful breakdown when following some of the more complex themes around neuroscience. I particularly enjoyed the chapters covering sleep and smart vs stupid drugs.
The anecdotes of his personal experiences when included were very interesting but did wish there were more of them just to make the book feel more personable rather than a retelling of medical research in more laymen terms.
The writing structure was a bit repetitive but did provide a helpful breakdown when following some of the more complex themes around neuroscience. I particularly enjoyed the chapters covering sleep and smart vs stupid drugs.
The anecdotes of his personal experiences when included were very interesting but did wish there were more of them just to make the book feel more personable rather than a retelling of medical research in more laymen terms.
The Pact by Sharon Bolton
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The first part of this book had me gripped and set my expectations really high for the rest of the story.
The set up of the pact and premise for the plot was full of tension and intrigued that I didn't want to put it down! That being said, the execution of the plot itself fell short for me and felt there was so much undiscovered the potential this plot could have had which left me feeling a little disappointed.
The set up of the pact and premise for the plot was full of tension and intrigued that I didn't want to put it down! That being said, the execution of the plot itself fell short for me and felt there was so much undiscovered the potential this plot could have had which left me feeling a little disappointed.
It's never ideal when finishing a book that you can think if multiple ways you wish the plot had taken instead to make it more intriguing and fit better along the story line itself. One of the key elements of this story was the ,does Megan remember the pact or not plot line, which honestly felt too long winded and being re-established every other chapter. I believe the aim was to create this sense of uncertainty around it but really it just felt repetitive and a bit of a bore - especially when it is finally confirmed that she does remember cause it was pretty predictable from the outset in my opinion so didn't exactly make for a strong plot twist/reveal.
I did really enjoy each of the characters and how they developed through the book and the dynamics in the friendship group shifts ... however I felt that Megan's sudden development to becoming the hero and wanting to save her friends at the end of the book and then claiming to 'just be joking' about the favours was not only unrealistic but felt like it undid a lot of the essence of Megan's character.
Similarly, whilst I can understandDaniel becoming the supposed villain in this story line for the plot twist - to me it felt like an easy choice and then there was no solid explanation for this development either which was unsatisfying - a claim to be having a mental breakdown with no explanation or foreshadowing - just isn't enough for me .
Similarly, whilst I can understand
Overall I really enjoyed the writing style and the plot premise was interesting - I felt that there could have been so much more done with this to make it a stronger thriller and ultimately keep the momentum from the first part of this book.
Not a bad book by any means and still enjoyed reading but was left hoping for more.
Not a bad book by any means and still enjoyed reading but was left hoping for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book perfectly encapsulates what I would consider a 1 star review for me and should have absolutely DNF’d.
The characters felt incredibly one note and showed no real development throughout and almost felt robotic as the writing style lacked to portray any real emotion from either Jeanie or Julius.
The plot itself was lackluster as it didn’t have any depth to it beyond - we have no money and I don’t know what to do…
What really was the final nail in the coffin for me with this book was this eluded mysterious sub-plot around the father’s death was really poorly executed and didn’t have any intrigued for me whatsoever.
The plot twist that the dad had actually been at fault for his own demise rather than the landlords bodge job fixing the tractor … was a terrible plot twist as it just meant than rather than some darker misfortune, it was actually just the mother covering up the affair and just a accident…. How dull!
Overall I had been tempted to DNF multiple times throughout the book but with both a physical copy picked up at a charity shop and the audio book I was determined to push through.
Safe to say I do not recommend!
The characters felt incredibly one note and showed no real development throughout and almost felt robotic as the writing style lacked to portray any real emotion from either Jeanie or Julius.
The plot itself was lackluster as it didn’t have any depth to it beyond - we have no money and I don’t know what to do…
What really was the final nail in the coffin for me with this book was this eluded mysterious sub-plot around the father’s death was really poorly executed and didn’t have any intrigued for me whatsoever.
Overall I had been tempted to DNF multiple times throughout the book but with both a physical copy picked up at a charity shop and the audio book I was determined to push through.
Safe to say I do not recommend!
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Based on ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ by Edgar Allan Poe, this was a fantastically eery retelling.
As a four hour audio book, it was a very quick read but enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and characterisation of the deterioration of Madeline Usher.
I found myself thoroughly engrossed by the writing style and actually felt my heart racing at some scene which really freaked me out.
Highly recommend as a spooky season audio book!
As a four hour audio book, it was a very quick read but enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and characterisation of the deterioration of Madeline Usher.
I found myself thoroughly engrossed by the writing style and actually felt my heart racing at some scene which really freaked me out.
Highly recommend as a spooky season audio book!