daybreakreads's reviews
43 reviews
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
It’s been a while since I’d read these and I needed something light. I’d forgotten just how funny these books are — there’s many instances where you can tell the narrator is an 11 year old boy because characters are being described in a sort of blunt honesty that only kids have. When the bartender of the Leaky Cauldron was described as looking like a, “toothless walnut” I laughed.
Reading these children’s books as an adult gives a whole other layer of depth to them. As a kid I’d always loved Ron but was annoyed by Hermione and Neville and I actually teared up when Neville won his house points, and found Hermione to actually be a rather kind person who was simply excited to learn and help others (who were frankly too embarrassed to ask for or receive help).
I’m looking forward to finishing the rest.
Reading these children’s books as an adult gives a whole other layer of depth to them. As a kid I’d always loved Ron but was annoyed by Hermione and Neville and I actually teared up when Neville won his house points, and found Hermione to actually be a rather kind person who was simply excited to learn and help others (who were frankly too embarrassed to ask for or receive help).
I’m looking forward to finishing the rest.
Pines by Blake Crouch
mysterious
tense
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
2.0
The first literal third of this book is the main character wandering around confused. Then it quickly escalated into a grotesque horror novel that kept spiking my heart rate for the middle third, enough to give anybody whiplash. You can tell that it was written in 2012 because of all the “Iraqi torture to an American soldier” scenes which aged like milk considering Abu Gharib and the lack of explanation on why we even invaded that country to date…not to mention all the *civilians* killed…the final 5-10% is an actual explanation of what’s going on.
If you want to read a book where the MC is constantly running away from being murdered, here you go. Ultimately this one lacked an actual plot, and I didn’t really care for the “big reveal” enough to sit through another two books.
If you want to read a book where the MC is constantly running away from being murdered, here you go. Ultimately this one lacked an actual plot, and I didn’t really care for the “big reveal” enough to sit through another two books.
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Definitely a slow burn but gets better as it progresses. Stick it through until the end and you’ll be happy you did. While it’s not the typical fast-paced mystery/thriller you’d expect from the synopsis, it’s an intriguing journey of a woman exploring how events and relationships in her life could have been handled differently. I’d actually recommend this one to anyone who likes Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library” as opposed to the average thriller reader.
What Have We Done by Alex Finlay
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
The audiobook was too difficult/annoying to follow. Between the alternating timelines and the swapping between first person and second person narration, it was too much.
DNF @ 9%
DNF @ 9%
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was my first Riley Sager book, but not my first mystery novel. Honestly, I had high hopes for the plot and the good reviews, but the ending left me rolling my eyes repeatedly. Throughout the book you kept thinking, “is x what’s going on, or is y? What about z??” And the answer is, “all of the above, plus 10 other letters.”
I never thought I would’ve been annoyed with *too many* plot twists, but I felt like I needed a flow chart to keep track of them all.
Main character was also kindof flat, didn’t really understand the point of some side characters.
I never thought I would’ve been annoyed with *too many* plot twists, but I felt like I needed a flow chart to keep track of them all.
Main character was also kindof flat, didn’t really understand the point of some side characters.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0