imbored_soillread's reviews
88 reviews
Keeper of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This was a reread, and I’m currently analyzing the entire series (cause I’m a nerd). This has been one of my all time favorites since middle school. What can I say except I’m a sucker for long upper middle grade series that have ya themes?
I absolutely love the world this series is set in. The sparkles and light create a whimsical atmosphere and a beautiful picture. The world is somewhere I would like to live, while also being flawed and hiding some sinister things behind the light.
The characters in this series are some of my favorites ever. They definitely do act their age and occasionally have the reader mentally chiding them for being dumb, but it’s not so much that it takes away from the complexity of their personalities and the depth of their characters. Instead, it shows the characters learning and growing at the pace of the target audience.
Overall I will never stop recommending this series and I hope you read it!
I absolutely love the world this series is set in. The sparkles and light create a whimsical atmosphere and a beautiful picture. The world is somewhere I would like to live, while also being flawed and hiding some sinister things behind the light.
The characters in this series are some of my favorites ever. They definitely do act their age and occasionally have the reader mentally chiding them for being dumb, but it’s not so much that it takes away from the complexity of their personalities and the depth of their characters. Instead, it shows the characters learning and growing at the pace of the target audience.
Overall I will never stop recommending this series and I hope you read it!
Caraval, by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
This was a reread, but this time around I appreciated it way more. I thought the setting was very whimsical and beautiful while also letting glimmers of the darkness hiding in the background show through. The characters were my fave. Here are the few qualms with it that I did have. 1st, the nickname “Crimson” I get it’s supposed to be ironic but it was real cringe. 2nd, Tellas “villain” speech. She isn’t a villain but the info dump she gives at the end has that vibe, i would have liked to see the characters figure it out rather than her telling them.
The Official Fablehaven Cookbook: Wondrous Recipes Inspired by the Characters from the Series, by Brandon Mull, Cherie Mull
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
I was expecting this to be just recipes from my favorite series ever but it’s even better! It starts off with the cutest short story ever surrounding Knox, Tess, and the Brownies! Thanks Shadow Mountain Pub for the review copy!!!
3 Minutes with Jesus: 180 Devotions for Teen Girls, by Ellie Zumbach
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
5.0
Super sweet way for teens girls to get in some quick time with Jesus
Together We Rot, by Skyla Arndt
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
Wil is a girl trying to solve her mother’s disappearance when it feels like the police aren’t doing anything. Elwood is a boy trying to escape from his secretive cult family. Together they have to repair their broken friendship and work together to solve the case and stop the crimes his family have been commuting for centuries.
SETTING/ENVIRONMENT- this book had some great world building, especially for being set in our world. I felt like I was there in the story the whole time. The cult in this story is a Christian based one, and as a Christian, and someone who has been in a Christian based cult, I thought it was done really well. It goes to show how people will bed the words of scripture to fit their own sick ends. For example, Elwood has been being abused for his whole life. His parents use the scriptures about the importance of discipline while completely ignoring the context and the scriptures about loving your children. They say that God has always required sacrifice for justification for killing animals and ignore the fact that Jesus became that sacrifice and fulfilled the law so that no more death would be necessary. One qualm I had with the setting was that it was set in winter, and my brain was picturing fall, so it threw me off, but that’s more my fault then the author’s.
PLOT- the plot was unique, interesting, and not grossly predictable as YA/NA books are these days. I found it easy to follow while still being deep and nuanced.
CHARACTERS- I have a love hate relationship with the characters in this book. They were well written and intentionally made this way, but personally, I wouldn’t have gotten along with them irl. Aside from Elwood perhaps. Wil was feisty, but I am very non confrontational and so our personalities don’t really fit. I thought it was interesting how the pastor aka Elwoods father called himself the “right hand of God.” Let me tell you, as soon as someone says they speak for God, run. It’s a cult. Only God speaks for God.
PROSE- immaculate and beautiful. Horrifyingly well done. 10/10. Enough said.
OVERALL ENJOYMENT- I liked it. I couldn’t put it down. It’s not my favorite ever, but it was good.
SETTING/ENVIRONMENT- this book had some great world building, especially for being set in our world. I felt like I was there in the story the whole time. The cult in this story is a Christian based one, and as a Christian, and someone who has been in a Christian based cult, I thought it was done really well. It goes to show how people will bed the words of scripture to fit their own sick ends. For example, Elwood has been being abused for his whole life. His parents use the scriptures about the importance of discipline while completely ignoring the context and the scriptures about loving your children. They say that God has always required sacrifice for justification for killing animals and ignore the fact that Jesus became that sacrifice and fulfilled the law so that no more death would be necessary. One qualm I had with the setting was that it was set in winter, and my brain was picturing fall, so it threw me off, but that’s more my fault then the author’s.
PLOT- the plot was unique, interesting, and not grossly predictable as YA/NA books are these days. I found it easy to follow while still being deep and nuanced.
CHARACTERS- I have a love hate relationship with the characters in this book. They were well written and intentionally made this way, but personally, I wouldn’t have gotten along with them irl. Aside from Elwood perhaps. Wil was feisty, but I am very non confrontational and so our personalities don’t really fit. I thought it was interesting how the pastor aka Elwoods father called himself the “right hand of God.” Let me tell you, as soon as someone says they speak for God, run. It’s a cult. Only God speaks for God.
PROSE- immaculate and beautiful. Horrifyingly well done. 10/10. Enough said.
OVERALL ENJOYMENT- I liked it. I couldn’t put it down. It’s not my favorite ever, but it was good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Grief, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Police brutality
I feel like it’s important to add occult themes, cult sacrifice, child and animal sacrifice, religious trauma, swearing, and a slight demonic tone. The regular content warnings can’t really warn you about these.
A Crash of Sea and Storm, by Taylor Vander Leest
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is probably the best debut novel I have ever read, and the author was only 16 when she wrote it. Don’t let the title fool you. This book delivered. I was expecting a decent, vibey, tropey, booktokish book. Instead I got a wonderfully written world with actually lovable characters and all the feels. I definitely expect this book to be one of my favorites this year. This book is definitely inspired by How to Train Your Dragon and Tangled, but it is done in such a way that it doesn’t feel like a ripoff.
It is set in a Norse mythology based world, in which most people view dragons as demonic and terrible. The world building is immersive and I would want to live there.
The plot made sense, and the foreshadowing for certain twists was very well done. I am proud to see I saw the main one coming, but only because I’ve been reading a lot of books with that same trope lately. The plot could stand alone without the romance (although Aiden and Katla are so cute)
I absolutely loved our main characters, I do wish the side characters were a smidge more developed though. The best way to describe Aiden is a hotter version of Hiccup mixed with a gender bent Rapunzel and given some trauma. Katla is one of the few great heroines I’ve read that is a baddie without being a pick me or tearing down other women or loosing her femininity.
The whole thing astonished me. I was expecting the writing to be more juvenile. Taylor definitely follows the show don’t tell rule. It makes her scenes so easy to picture
Overall, I loved this book, it gets 5 stars. The only icks I have with it are 1st the title. I think something less basic could have been picked, especially since it could turn off potential readers with its a _ of _ and_ format, and there was never really a storm in the book despite lots of sea. There were also a few minor typos but nothing that would detract from the story. Please give it a read, especially if your looking for a better alternative to Fourth Wing.
It is set in a Norse mythology based world, in which most people view dragons as demonic and terrible. The world building is immersive and I would want to live there.
The plot made sense, and the foreshadowing for certain twists was very well done. I am proud to see I saw the main one coming, but only because I’ve been reading a lot of books with that same trope lately. The plot could stand alone without the romance (although Aiden and Katla are so cute)
I absolutely loved our main characters, I do wish the side characters were a smidge more developed though. The best way to describe Aiden is a hotter version of Hiccup mixed with a gender bent Rapunzel and given some trauma. Katla is one of the few great heroines I’ve read that is a baddie without being a pick me or tearing down other women or loosing her femininity.
The whole thing astonished me. I was expecting the writing to be more juvenile. Taylor definitely follows the show don’t tell rule. It makes her scenes so easy to picture
Overall, I loved this book, it gets 5 stars. The only icks I have with it are 1st the title. I think something less basic could have been picked, especially since it could turn off potential readers with its a _ of _ and_ format, and there was never really a storm in the book despite lots of sea. There were also a few minor typos but nothing that would detract from the story. Please give it a read, especially if your looking for a better alternative to Fourth Wing.
Unseelie, by Ivelisse Housman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
I simply got bored and couldn’t make myself finish. I was annoyed with the characters and I should have tried to imagine them differently from the beginning because I couldn’t get passed my own initial annoyances to them. Not for me, but likely for you if you like mainstream ya fantasy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
Once I Knew, by Victoria Lynn
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-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
5.0
This book was phenomenal. This was the first Christian fantasy that I have read that has Christianity and Jesus as an actual facet of the story and not as a background or theme inspiration. I get slightly annoyed when books come off as preachy or even condemning but this one did not. I absolutely love the characters. I ugly cried in a good way. I will immediately be picking up the next one when it’s out. This was a great reminder of my Father’s pure love for me and I really needed it in this season of my life. The mc is also a great role model while still being flawed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Classism, Gore, Medical content, and Physical abuse
None of the content warnings are particularly graphic, simply important to the story. They don’t take away from the hopeful message
The Traitor's Game, by Jennifer A. Nielsen
adventurous
funny
tense
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
5.0