dundiesbooks's reviews
62 reviews

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

A very sweet and heartwarming story. It was different from what I expected (didn't know there would be

sci-fi/magical

elements), Buch made for a nice surprise and an even better plot than I anticipated.
I loved all the characters and their dynamics, as well as learning their life stories. Especially the main one was captivating and kept me engaged and not wanting to stop. 
Last but not least, the incorporated contemplations about life and purpose were surprisingly gripping and emotional, as I could relate very well. 
Not only is this a lovely love story, but also one of family and self-exploration, emotional yet cozy. Can only recommend! 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Can't give it a full 5 stars. It's very well written and captivating, provokes lots of thoughts and adding much to the Hunger Games lore. I do like it better than the original trilogy as well, since it's not entirely as bleak. I just can't love it though, cause it's a depressing story still. 

The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Generally a pleasant read. I still haven't warmed up to Apollo completely though and the story didn't grip me in the way RR books usually do. Highlights for me were
1. the

Waystation and it's immaculate patchwork/found family, homey vibes + Jo and Emmie specifically

2. Learning more about Apollo's past
3. Meg's and Apollo's character development
So, still a solid book, which I enjoyed. Just not as outstanding as other PJ universe books. 

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

A lovely story - or rather stories and a somewhat quick read out listen. Sometimes the style wasn't my cup of coffee completely, but in general I liked the concept and the characters as well. A nice novel to reflect about perspectives. 

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

4.0

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Straight 5 stars, no debate. Even if I'd have any gripes with it, they got wiped away by the stellar last chapters with beautiful scenes. I knew Rick is a great writer before, but he really developed amazingly throughout this series and I love where he took us with the story. Only the last little bit had me slightly annoyed - but in a good way. 

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Slight point deduction for being a little hard to keep up with all the characters at first (though that might be in part because listening makes it harder to follow than reading does). I'm also not sure if I feel solely positive about the whirlwind of events in this.
Otherwise I enjoyed this book a lot. High stakes, lots of intriguing dynamics between both heroes amongst themselves and them and adversaries as well. I like how the latter are multifaceted and you can sympathise with at least aspects of their story/personalities.
I also appreciate the development of the different relationships which are quite lovely and heartwarming when they aren't so very typical teenagey. 
All in all a good middle book, expanding on what has been established so far and developing the plot a good bit towards the finale, while setting up the final big quest on the way to the big main battle/conflict. 

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.

Nicht interessiert genug. 

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

After reading book two, this one got a little downgrade. It's a very good start to the series, setting a more mature tone in comparison to PJO and introducing lots of intrigue right away, including setting up the main conflict. The new elements are exciting and starting the book with complete confusion was fun. I liked the new characters well enough, but they haven't reached the level of old favourites yet. I'm excited to see how the whole story pans out.