kdermody's reviews
169 reviews

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison

dark funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is my second Harrison book and unfortunately I didn’t like this one either. The characters were all around unlikeable. Not in a fun and devious way. Just the annoying and infuriating way. Not much happened outside of Sloane’s inner monologue, and a few “incidents” after they

become vampires

. Naomi was so frustrating. I honestly don’t know why Sloane stuck around for so long. Overall, I am disappointed. This cover is beautiful and I have a signed copy! Maybe I’ll try one more from her backlist next spooky season. For now, I need a break. 

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This book was filled with so much heart and joy. If you want a lighthearted romance, following two elderly MCs, this is a great option. I didn’t find myself completely engrossed and invested in Augusta and Irving’s relationship, but it was definitely a sugary sweet kind of love story. I did find the dialogue a tad unnatural at times, and often felt like conversations were being used to really drive home a point, or tell us important information about events and characters. I also felt like some of the tension wasn’t there, because plot points were spoiled for the past timeline in conversations occurring in the “present timeline”. Overall I enjoyed this story as a cute romance with a touch of magical realism. 

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.25

This was a solid debut. Before I get into what worked/didn’t work for me, I would pick up another Del Sandeen book. 

I think Sandeen had a lot of interesting ideas, and tackled very complicated and heavy topics. Overall, I wanted more atmosphere and grit to this story. If she had really leaned into the horror aspect of this, it would’ve been more compelling to me. Also, the writing style wasn’t my favorite. In my opinion, there was a lot of telling versus showing. 

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the idea of this world, and I did like reading from Lorelei’s perspective. 

I think my issues for this book stem from it being a standalone, when I really think it needed to be a duology. There was so much I found intriguing, but not fleshed out enough to feel completely satisfied. I needed more world building, more character work, and more time to get attached to Sylvia and Lorelei. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending, and felt like everything was wrapped up far too smoothly after all that buildup. 

Saft created a world that I liked, I just wanted to sit in it a little longer and get to know it more intimately than what was given. 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

This was such a wonderful experience. Kingsolver truly has a talent for characterization. Damon felt like a real person who acted his age, and often times made decisions that were realistic, yet heartbreaking given his situation. Kingsolver gave him a very distinctive voice, and I was fully immersed while reading. 

I don’t like reading about explicit drugs and drug use, so the latter half of this book was particularly hard for me to get through when compared to the first half. This was still a very memorable and enjoyable read for me. I cared about Damon and was rooting for him the entire time. The closing chapters also had some full circle moments that gave me immense satisfaction while reading. I will definitely be adding more Kingsolver books to my TBR. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

In my opinion, the premise of this book was very fascinating, but the execution was lacking. I struggled a lot with the character development of Lennon, but also the supporting characters. Truthfully, I didn’t care enough about any of them, and some of their actions didn’t make sense with the information given. 

This is a rare scenario where stretching this story out to a duology might’ve made more sense. I needed more time with the characters, the coursework, and the magic system. 

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

dark sad tense 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? Yes

3.75

This was another fast paced, enjoyable read. If you liked No Exit, this will be right up your alley too. While I never felt fully immersed in this book, it felt a lot like watching a fun action movie. I liked how it ended, and I loved the absurdity of the plot. 

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was such a good time. Be warned, if spy novels don’t work for you stay away. This was very binge worthy and I do understand the hype. This won’t be on my “favorites-of-all-time” list, but I enjoyed myself immensely. 

Read this to get out of a reading slump, or if you need a fun, easy read while on vacation/in between heavy books. 

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

emotional funny lighthearted 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? No

3.75

This was such a cute and cozy read. I will definitely be picking up the next Mandanna novel next year.