lcahi479's reviews
46 reviews
The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford
medium-paced
3.0
Some spoilers!!!
The good
I liked the dark fairytale vibe. The main character Leelo was likeable and I enjoyed her relationship and strong bond with her mom. There was a bit of a mysterious twist that was interesting to unfold. I thought that the tension of Leelo getting discovered was quite realistic and I definitely felt that as I read. Overall it was a mostly fun read especially in the middle. I don’t know if I would go out of my way to recommend it but it could be a little fun read for a rainy afternoon.
The bad
The pacing was most definitely off. The first like 120 pages were just mundane tasks and setting the scene and establishing the characters but there was like absolutely nothing going on. The only real conflict was the upcoming departure of her brother and the drama was just not cutting it for me. It picked up and definitely did get more enthralling but at the end way too much was being resolved all at once. The author had a lot of loose ends and was trying to tie them all up rather quickly but it felt very rushed, was kind of dry, and i didn’t fully follow it all. I also didn’t really feel like my strong desire for justice was satisfied by the end. Leelo and Jaren didn’t really solve their own problems it just kinda worked out for them because of their friends? Jaren was also kind of lame. He was pretty useless and felt like a kind of weak effeminate man. Leelo might have been attracted to him but I was not. I mean he gets beat up by her tiny little cousin and can barely even bathe on his own. Their romance also felt more like infatuation/forbidden fruit than a truly deep “love” like the sorry tried to pass it off as.
Also my last beef is that honestly the whole fairy tale thing ends up feeling just like a really weird cult instead of any magical people. Like things that make it all magical kind of get undone like the fact that the townspeople themselves are the ones poisoning the lake? Idk I wasn’t really loving that.
The good
I liked the dark fairytale vibe. The main character Leelo was likeable and I enjoyed her relationship and strong bond with her mom. There was a bit of a mysterious twist that was interesting to unfold. I thought that the tension of Leelo getting discovered was quite realistic and I definitely felt that as I read. Overall it was a mostly fun read especially in the middle. I don’t know if I would go out of my way to recommend it but it could be a little fun read for a rainy afternoon.
The bad
The pacing was most definitely off. The first like 120 pages were just mundane tasks and setting the scene and establishing the characters but there was like absolutely nothing going on. The only real conflict was the upcoming departure of her brother and the drama was just not cutting it for me. It picked up and definitely did get more enthralling but at the end way too much was being resolved all at once. The author had a lot of loose ends and was trying to tie them all up rather quickly but it felt very rushed, was kind of dry, and i didn’t fully follow it all. I also didn’t really feel like my strong desire for justice was satisfied by the end. Leelo and Jaren didn’t really solve their own problems it just kinda worked out for them because of their friends? Jaren was also kind of lame. He was pretty useless and felt like a kind of weak effeminate man. Leelo might have been attracted to him but I was not. I mean he gets beat up by her tiny little cousin and can barely even bathe on his own. Their romance also felt more like infatuation/forbidden fruit than a truly deep “love” like the sorry tried to pass it off as.
Also my last beef is that honestly the whole fairy tale thing ends up feeling just like a really weird cult instead of any magical people. Like things that make it all magical kind of get undone like the fact that the townspeople themselves are the ones poisoning the lake? Idk I wasn’t really loving that.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
I enjoyed the book and liked the gothic magic element that I hadn’t read much of before. I liked that the magic seemed realistic especially with its consequences. I also felt like I was pretty captivated by the plot and pacing.
Too much spice for my taste. I also enjoyed the world building and plot idea more than the actual execution of it or especially the characters. I thought both Elspeth and Ravyn lacked some depth to their character and I wasn’t obsessed with them. Also I’m not a big fan of books that end on a complete cliff hanger where absolutely nothing in the book has been solved. It’s a frustrating reading experience especially when the second one isn’t out.
3.5
I enjoyed the book and liked the gothic magic element that I hadn’t read much of before. I liked that the magic seemed realistic especially with its consequences. I also felt like I was pretty captivated by the plot and pacing.
Too much spice for my taste. I also enjoyed the world building and plot idea more than the actual execution of it or especially the characters. I thought both Elspeth and Ravyn lacked some depth to their character and I wasn’t obsessed with them. Also I’m not a big fan of books that end on a complete cliff hanger where absolutely nothing in the book has been solved. It’s a frustrating reading experience especially when the second one isn’t out.
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was very enthralled immediately.
The good- I loved the dynamic between Emeric and Vanja. She was very much an antihero but the author did a good job of characterizing her so that you still sympathized with her and understood why she made the decisions she did. There were several scenes that made me almost cry or feel absolute glee because the author did a very good job of evoking powerful raw emotions. I thought their romance was believable esp bc there was enough time and situations for the enemies to lovers trope to seem plausible. I liked the fantasy world she built. I love love loved the plot twists and the way the plot progressed positively. I don’t like when the author makes the plot just a series of things constantly going wrong worse and worse every time with no positive twists and it’s just exhausting and anxiety-inducing. This book had both positive and negative twists but I felt they were balanced well and kept you hooked without making you get frustrated and annoyed or feel like it was too easy.
The bad- I didn’t like that the author had to include a few token LGBTQ+ character side plots. I definitely didn’t agree with many of the ideas and themes behind the book though I appreciated the thought provoking nature of them. I thought Vanjas character also strayed a little toooo far into the dark side and almost caused me to fall into the other side of not liking her. It was a a very precarious balancing act of making u still root for the main character although ultimately the author mostly pulled it off.
The good- I loved the dynamic between Emeric and Vanja. She was very much an antihero but the author did a good job of characterizing her so that you still sympathized with her and understood why she made the decisions she did. There were several scenes that made me almost cry or feel absolute glee because the author did a very good job of evoking powerful raw emotions. I thought their romance was believable esp bc there was enough time and situations for the enemies to lovers trope to seem plausible. I liked the fantasy world she built. I love love loved the plot twists and the way the plot progressed positively. I don’t like when the author makes the plot just a series of things constantly going wrong worse and worse every time with no positive twists and it’s just exhausting and anxiety-inducing. This book had both positive and negative twists but I felt they were balanced well and kept you hooked without making you get frustrated and annoyed or feel like it was too easy.
The bad- I didn’t like that the author had to include a few token LGBTQ+ character side plots. I definitely didn’t agree with many of the ideas and themes behind the book though I appreciated the thought provoking nature of them. I thought Vanjas character also strayed a little toooo far into the dark side and almost caused me to fall into the other side of not liking her. It was a a very precarious balancing act of making u still root for the main character although ultimately the author mostly pulled it off.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The initial romance was stunning and I was completely in love with the first guy. I liked that Xingyin demonstrated some character growth. I liked that it was clean and that there was beautiful world building.
The initial pacing and flow was kind of choppy and seemed like a newer writer. Too much emphasis on subverting gender roles. Her ease at picking up archery just to subvert a norm— dumb. Slight feminist bent but not unbearable. Love triangle a little forced. Flow of plot was a little disconnected sometimes. Clear winner in love triangle.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A story detailing the experience of a Jewish man in Auschwitz responsible for tattooing the prison numbers of the other Jews. Although the book does focus somewhat on the developing romance between Lale (the main character) and Gita (a female prisoner) the romance is not really the center of the novel. Rather the story emphasizes the experiences of Jews in concentration camps- the horror, the mundane, the brief moments of joy. Very emotionally compelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide and Antisemitism
Minor: Cursing
The Terminal List by Jack Carr
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A tense and riveting read about a navy SEAL who is forced to confront the evil of the big and over-powerful American government. Overall I enjoyed the story and the plot flowed well. I sympathized with the main character though he takes actions that made me balk a little bit. It was realistic to his character though. The ending was mostly satisfying with one tiny detail left not quite satisfied. I liked the way the plot progressed. I could tell the book was written by a politically conservative author and I appreciated some of the topics and ideas he explored. It definitely pushed you to question some more mainstream agendas.
My biggest issue with the book would be graphic violence (very explicit descriptions of gore and stomach-turning violence) some language (though not excessive) and a few brief mentions of sexual elements. No sex scenes or anything graphic but there were a few sensual elements.
My biggest issue with the book would be graphic violence (very explicit descriptions of gore and stomach-turning violence) some language (though not excessive) and a few brief mentions of sexual elements. No sex scenes or anything graphic but there were a few sensual elements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Gun violence, Cursing, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
slow-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
The book took forever to get going and was split into multiple perspectives but I wasn’t that interested in all of the perspectives. The story was mildly interesting but ultimately it was too slow to keep me burning with interest. Also the main romance, which was part of the reason I read the book, was kind of bland. The ending was happy which I liked but it felt just a tad rushed. It didn’t really wrap things up till like the last few pages. Overall it showed promise but got a little bogged down in the weeds.
Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
I loved this book. Set in a fantasy world WWII-esque era I loved the characters and found myself deeply invested in the story. Few objectionable elements and a very well-written (and clean) and realistic romantic development.