kait_sixcrowsbooks's reviews
165 reviews
Jade City, by Fonda Lee
dark
emotional
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
All I have to say is “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”. What a good fucking book, y’all.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, by Zoulfa Katouh
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I feel so so conflicted about this rating and how I feel about this book in general…on the one hand, the premise, the idea, is there. However, the execution? Not so much… I found the characters to be lacking — while I felt for Salama and Kenan, I didn’t really feel like they were fleshed out very well. I felt like they were just there to prove a point of the story and not much else. I thought Khawf as an idea was really interesting, and I liked how, at the end of the day, he wasn’t the antagonist but instead only wanted what was best for Salama.
But overall, I felt that this really should’ve been edited down, at least in some ways. The repetition — not simply with the action of Salama going to the hospital and coming back for three weeks but the repetition of words and phrases — got to be real old real quick. The amount of times Salama said some variation of “I’m not a surgeon, I’m a pharmacist” in the beginning made my brain numb. And the dialogue at points just seemed stilted and, at times, repeatable. I dunno, there were just a lot of parts of this story that didn’t click together for me, which is a shame because it had potential.
Yeah, I dunno, I just fairly quickly caught myself skimming and wishing it was more than it was. Which stinks, since I seem to be in the vast minority.
But overall, I felt that this really should’ve been edited down, at least in some ways. The repetition — not simply with the action of Salama going to the hospital and coming back for three weeks but the repetition of words and phrases — got to be real old real quick. The amount of times Salama said some variation of “I’m not a surgeon, I’m a pharmacist” in the beginning made my brain numb. And the dialogue at points just seemed stilted and, at times, repeatable. I dunno, there were just a lot of parts of this story that didn’t click together for me, which is a shame because it had potential.
Yeah, I dunno, I just fairly quickly caught myself skimming and wishing it was more than it was. Which stinks, since I seem to be in the vast minority.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/injury detail, and War
Minor: Sexual violence, Vomit, and Rape
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex, by Angela Chen
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
I honestly don’t know how to put into words my feelings for this book, which I just finished minutes ago. It’s just...as an asexual person, reading this book made me feel seen in a way I haven’t felt before. And on top of that, it also made me think: of compulsory sexuality, of relationships and what each “kind” of relationship can mean, of love and what that can look like. Of so much more than that. I want to spend time simply...digesting it all. Perhaps later this year or next, I’ll re-read it in order to annotate and allow myself more time to sit with it. Very good work overall, I’m impressed and deeply satisfied.
Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a fun lil audiobook listen! I’ll say that it was a much better experience listening to it instead of only reading a physical copy. I found it to be witty and funny, and I’m thinking about watching the TV series now.
The Hexed, by Heather Graham
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Well that was…quite a waste of my time, tbh. Going into it, I tried, really. I did. But the longer I read…yeesh.
It just wasn’t good. The writing often repeated itself (like, the characters would ask each other questions…and then ask them again mere pages later), and it was simply basic. Nothing conjured up emotion for me, I was never really given a chance to connect with any of the characters outside of knowing that Rocky was just so haunted by his friend dying back in high school. If I was smart, I would’ve started a tally of how many times that was mentioned because, frankly, it was getting ridiculous after five.
And for a book that centers around Wicca and witchcraft, it seems really kinda slimy for both the narrative itself and the characters in general to constantly throw satanism under the bus. The whole book surrounds how Wiccans don’t hurt people, but the same grace can’t be given to Satanists? Hm.
And don’t even get me started on the romance and the out of the blue first sex scene. What even was that??? Truly did not make sense to me at all (and the whole “we passionately make love multiple times a night because we’re so in love and oh look at that we’re cured of our past because of our love”? Bro STOP, my god).
Anyway…what a dud of a book, lol. And for it to be my first finished book of the year? Man…lmao.
It just wasn’t good. The writing often repeated itself (like, the characters would ask each other questions…and then ask them again mere pages later), and it was simply basic. Nothing conjured up emotion for me, I was never really given a chance to connect with any of the characters outside of knowing that Rocky was just so haunted by his friend dying back in high school. If I was smart, I would’ve started a tally of how many times that was mentioned because, frankly, it was getting ridiculous after five.
And for a book that centers around Wicca and witchcraft, it seems really kinda slimy for both the narrative itself and the characters in general to constantly throw satanism under the bus. The whole book surrounds how Wiccans don’t hurt people, but the same grace can’t be given to Satanists? Hm.
And don’t even get me started on the romance and the out of the blue first sex scene. What even was that??? Truly did not make sense to me at all (and the whole “we passionately make love multiple times a night because we’re so in love and oh look at that we’re cured of our past because of our love”? Bro STOP, my god).
Anyway…what a dud of a book, lol. And for it to be my first finished book of the year? Man…lmao.
The Plant-Based Athlete: The Game-Changing Secret Revolutionizing How the World's Top Competitors Perform, by Robert Cheeke, Matt Frazier
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Pretty good information on how to be an athlete on a plant-based diet! It was easy to read and digestible even though it seems overwhelming at first. However, I personally skipped over/skimmed a lot of the professional athlete stories and such because I didn’t really care for that.
Related to that, I also wish there was more of a focus on day-to-day athletes and not the professionals/real big athletes. Their stories/methods just...weren’t relatable to me. I don’t want to know how to become a professional athlete who has all the time in the world to train, I just want to know what others like me do when they want to gain a bit of muscle and have their own (relatively smaller) goals on a plant-based diet. I suppose I understand wanting to normalize the diet by showcasing well-known and successful athletes, but like. I don’t want what they have. I want to see how athletes similar to me make it work and eat and make food and all that.
So...yeah, I mean. The dietary information was pretty good. Some of the recipes seem tasty, and I will give them a try. But I could not get behind the emphasis on popular and crazy-successful athletes when I thought going in it would’ve been closer to smaller, day-to-day athletes.
Related to that, I also wish there was more of a focus on day-to-day athletes and not the professionals/real big athletes. Their stories/methods just...weren’t relatable to me. I don’t want to know how to become a professional athlete who has all the time in the world to train, I just want to know what others like me do when they want to gain a bit of muscle and have their own (relatively smaller) goals on a plant-based diet. I suppose I understand wanting to normalize the diet by showcasing well-known and successful athletes, but like. I don’t want what they have. I want to see how athletes similar to me make it work and eat and make food and all that.
So...yeah, I mean. The dietary information was pretty good. Some of the recipes seem tasty, and I will give them a try. But I could not get behind the emphasis on popular and crazy-successful athletes when I thought going in it would’ve been closer to smaller, day-to-day athletes.
The Love Hypothesis, by Ali Hazelwood
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Fun fact: I made a tally for how many times Adam’s size or strength or whatever else related to those things was mentioned. It was 54 by the end.
I do Not want to read about how big that man’s hands or shoulders are ever again. And his dick? Forget about it!!!
I do Not want to read about how big that man’s hands or shoulders are ever again. And his dick? Forget about it!!!
Icebreaker, by A.L. Graziadei
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
Gosh, I loved this book! It was such a wonderful story, and I loved being in Mickey’s head — as much as I dislike first person POV, it meshed with me this time around. I loved seeing Mickey and Jaysen’s relationship develop, as well as Mickey’s struggles with his mental health. And the side characters were a treat, too! I would honestly love to see this as a graphic novel; I think it would turn out really cool, with how tense the hockey can be, as well as the characters’ emotions? I dunno, I could just see it in my head super clear.
There were a few drawbacks for me, though. I wish we could’ve seen the relationship with Mickey and his dad develop a bit more or be included at all. We as the reader only see them interact a few times throughout the book, but the way being in Mickey’s head made it seem, I would’ve assumed we’d have more interactions with him. Also…I was not a fan of the time-skip epilogue at all. It just seemed to be too choppy for me, and it left me feeling like I’m missing something.
However, overall? I still had a wonderful reading experience, and I can’t wait to see what the author does next — I can definitely see them becoming an auto-read author for me!
There were a few drawbacks for me, though. I wish we could’ve seen the relationship with Mickey and his dad develop a bit more or be included at all. We as the reader only see them interact a few times throughout the book, but the way being in Mickey’s head made it seem, I would’ve assumed we’d have more interactions with him. Also…I was not a fan of the time-skip epilogue at all. It just seemed to be too choppy for me, and it left me feeling like I’m missing something.
However, overall? I still had a wonderful reading experience, and I can’t wait to see what the author does next — I can definitely see them becoming an auto-read author for me!
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, by H.G. Parry
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
All I remember of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror are just glimpses of things I learned back in AP World History in high school. However, even with the bare bones knowledge that I had, it was still an intriguing read. It was a slow start, but I didn’t mind that because we really got to see the characters grow as the book progressed.
The reader quickly becomes sucked in and invested in these characters’ lives, and no matter what happened, you still root for them. All of them. (Or at least I did). I did have a frustrating time with how slavery and abolition were discussed, though, particularly when it came to Pitt and the British. I know that it was historically accurate, but I think that’s why it made me so annoyed, lol. Regardless, I still somehow connected with him, though maybe not as much as I did with Fina or Robespierre. Either way, it was an interesting read, and I hope to get to the sequel sometime soon.
The reader quickly becomes sucked in and invested in these characters’ lives, and no matter what happened, you still root for them. All of them. (Or at least I did). I did have a frustrating time with how slavery and abolition were discussed, though, particularly when it came to Pitt and the British. I know that it was historically accurate, but I think that’s why it made me so annoyed, lol. Regardless, I still somehow connected with him, though maybe not as much as I did with Fina or Robespierre. Either way, it was an interesting read, and I hope to get to the sequel sometime soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Slavery and Racism
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
Heartstopper, Volume Four, by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Ahhhh this was so so cute! I loved seeing the progression of Nick and Charlie’s relationship. The other tertiary relationships were wonderful to see, too, especially platonic and familial. I loved how the story delved into Charlie’s mental health journey, too. All around, it was a good read!
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm, Eating disorder, and Homophobia