mattiedancer's reviews
124 reviews

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Writing: 3.75⭐️/5

Rebecca Serle writes almost hard and clear about what hurts. Something in her writing felt a bit distant to me when talking about very intimate emotions, but overall the writing of the novel did not take away from the reading experience, and in fact, felt relatively focused and pointed. I do wish Serle had pushed the writing a bit further, doing a bit more showing rather than telling at the heart of the hardest moments.

Characters: 3⭐️/5

Alright, so at certain intervals all the characters feel real. At other times, they didn’t quite fit. Both Katy’s mom and Katy felt real for the most part. However, the hotel’s staff very much slipped into the novel to be very convenient plot devices. In a similar vein, Katy herself – while a well-developed character – read as extremely juvenile at times. Her obsession with keeping her mom to herself was odd, and her anger at finding out her mother left her as a child (which results in her sleeping with someone who is not her husband almost out of revenge), felt very petulant and small. I understand everyone processes grief differently, but I had a hard time buying into a 30-year-old woman thinking about her mother as “hers” in a very toddler-like way.

Plot: 3⭐️/5

The overarching plot felt interesting, but the details really didn’t feel right. I understand, on a deep level, needing to run away in order to heal from loss and manage grief. However, the way the character then acted as she ran into her mother and started to fall for a stranger in her hotel felt a bit disjointed. In regards to the magical realism, it's also implied that she really did travel back in time, which means she cheated on her husband and decided to never reveal that to him, which, all in all, felt very immature and shitty. Another hold-up I had was the sheer number of details that were so unnecessary. It felt a bit travel journal-ly in the way that Serle chose to recount nearly every meal our MC ate. While I appreciate that as an appeal to travelling to Italy, it felt incongruent with the purpose and theme of the novel.

Who Should Read This Book?

Those looking for a “lighter” read about death and grief
Those looking for a bit of summer escapism into Italy with some serious topics

Content Warnings?

Death of parent, grief, death, abandonment, infidelity, sexual content, gaslighting, medical content, terminal illness, chronic illness, cancer

Post-Reading Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

Oh. I guess?

Final Rating: 3⭐️/5

Content Warnings

The Clergyman's Wife: A Pride & Prejudice Novel by Molly Greeley

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emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Writing: 4⭐️/5

The writing in this novel is relatively strong, as Molly Greeley manages to somewhat match the tone, diction, and mood of Jane Austen’s writing. She maintained very good written composure as well, keeping a steady mood and tone throughout the novel. I do think certain sections felt a bit rushed; others felt a bit too slow, too drawn out. I did love the slow burn of the forbidden romance, though I also would have loved if a bit more attention had been given to the romance at certain times, as it felt like we sometimes skipped forward too much in both the main character’s feelings and the time that had passed.

Characters: 3.5⭐️/5

While I did enjoy how much depth Greeley brought to Charlotte and how consistent yet rejuvenated she felt when compared to the character featured in Austen’s original novel, other characters felt like they were solely relying on the structure of Austen’s characters instead of adding her own depth. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy felt lacking in a certain aspect. I will say, though, that Mr. Collins voice felt consistent and I did really – and truly – enjoy that.

Plot: 4⭐️/5

The plot is very understated in many ways, which served well for the tone and overall mood of the novel. While some reviews did point out how few events happened in the novel, I thought this was part of the brilliance, personally. I wasn’t expecting a lot of action in this novel and that helped to manage my expectation in that regard.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of Jane Austen
Those who like spin-offs and retellings.

Content Warnings?

Death of parent, gaslighting, emotional abuse, sexual assault, pregnancy, miscarriage, infidelity, death, misogyny, sexism, classism,

Post-Reading Rating: 4.25 ⭐️/5

Oh, how perfectly sad. How tragically mundane.

Final Rating: 4⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

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funny lighthearted sad 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

4.0

Writing: 4.5⭐️/5

Lex Croucher did a good job with this novel. Not only did I feel – viscerally and fully – the emotions and internal conflicts of the character, but I also understood deeply the mood and tone of the novel with ease. I liked the ease of writing, which at moments did turn to beautiful prose.

Characters: 4.5⭐️/5

I thought the characters were extremely fun to read about. Where some of the characters may have felt a little trope-y, I’m willing to forgive because they also felt real and raw and conflicted. I loved their struggles to come to terms with both their histories and their desires and how to move forward in a world that is unlikely to accept them.

Plot: 3.5⭐️/5

I think 90% of the plot is so well done. At the end of the novel, it takes a turn I wasn’t expecting and, though it made sense in the course of the book, it really moved it from a fun, romantasy read to a more serious fantasy plot. The sudden change was jarring, but overall the plot was still enjoyable.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of King Arthur retellings – with twists
Those looking for a light fantasy-esque novel with LGBTQIA+ vibes

Content Warnings?

Death of parent, death, war, violence, homophobia, biphobia, outing, misogyny, sexism, gore, blood, classism, emotional abuse, gaslighting, injury, injury detail, excrement, vomit, physical abuse,

Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5

Cute, sweet, and a little jarring at the end.

Final Rating: 4⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Cage of Dreams by Rebecca Schaeffer

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

2.5

Writing: 2.0⭐️/5

I was actually quite taken back by how poorly written (and, if I may hazard a guess, poorly edited) this novel was. It felt clunky, repetitive, and, honestly, like it was written for children and not teens/young adults. This entire book is a slog of exposition, telling us and not showing us how the character felt about literally everything. Every few pages we had to be retold that Newham was a very, very, VERY bad place to live – but, lol, isn’t that just life? (But also, let’s complain about it again.) While her first novel wasn’t an incredible example of creative writing, this novel felt rushed, unfocused, and poorly edited.

Characters: 2.75⭐️/5

*Some Spoilers*

In the first book of this series, Ness felt like an interesting character. I loved how her bravery didn’t come from being fearless and how she had quirks that felt real based on her trauma. And then she turned into an outline of a character. It didn’t help that I was told her thoughts about being frightened daily in very boring prose that droned on and on. Even the charm Cy and Priya from the first novel dulled in this one as they became more caricature than character. The added complexity of our villain/anti-villain in the Nightmare Phantom also felt, well, incredibly forced. Reading conversations between Ness and the NP felt a bit like watching a children’s cartoon: “Do you really think I can stop being afraid?!” “YES, with the power of friendship.”

Plot: 2.75⭐️/5

*Some Spoilers*

If you asked me what this plot was when I was 50% of the way through the novel I would have said that it both had too much plot and not even substantial plot to make me care. The first half of this book is incredibly unfocused, to the point that it really felt as the author was just testing various plots until something stuck. This led to the ending of the novel feeling very contrived to work. And, while some of the subplots were interesting, they were started and wrapped up before their intrigue could really dig in. Overall, I just wish more focus was given to the quality of the book and its story.

World 3⭐️/5

Listen. When I read the first book in this duology, I thought the world was so remarkable. I really loved the idea of this place where nightmares took to the streets, and of the people who managed to make a life in this world. And, while some of the charm lingered for me, I felt like I was actively fighting to stay interested in this world. I don’t remember the world feeling as, well, goofy as it did in this book. It was comical, and not in a momentary, wow a dinosaur walking the streets is funny, kind of way. It was comically bad, as in so dysfunctional it felt held together by the author’s sheer will – and some very thin threads.

Who Should Read This Book?

Someone who really loved City of Nightmares and doesn’t mind the idea of an unpolished book in the same world.

Content Warnings?

Death of parent, death, death of child, murder, blood, body horror, gun violence, injury, injury detail, gaslighting, emotional abuse, fire, fire injury, war, kidnapping, drug use, alcohol,

Post-Reading Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

I just expected so much better from this book.

Final Rating: 2.5⭐️/5

Content Warnings

To Hold The Bridge: Tales from the Old Kingdom and Beyond by Garth Nix

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Please Note: This collection of short stories contains what would be considered in Canada a derogatory term for Native/Indigenous peoples. I understand this term may be used in America more commonly, which is the perspective Garth Nix is writing from in the aforementioned story. It is not my place to say whether this is an appropriate use or not; however, it is worth mentioning, as readers may not be expecting it.

Writing: 4.5⭐️/5

Garth Nix is a good, sometimes even great, writer. And, he is very adept at crafting short stories in strange, fantasy/sci-fi worlds that still make sense. His technical control of the English language is awesome, and I always look forward to reading his stories – even if they aren’t what I was initially expecting.

Characters: 4⭐️/5

While not all the characters felt fully real and developed, many of the stories contained great characters who were interesting, complex, and real in a vibrant way.

Plot: 4.5⭐️/5

Apart from one story that stood out as particularly drab regarding plot, most of the short stories had interesting plots that held my attention for their whole run. In fact, my reading experience of each story generally went from a bit of confusion involving the new world I was thrust into, to instant intrigue on what was going to happen next, and, finally, a compelling ending that felt good and finished, without it wrapping everything up too tightly.

World(s) 5⭐️/5

Listen, this is where Garth Nix gets my strongest praise. It’s one thing to invite a reader into a world when you have 200-500 pages to invest in worldbuilding. It’s a whole other endeavour to create vast, interesting, and believable fantasy/sci-fi worlds within 40 pages or fewer. The fact that Nix managed to do this in every short story blows my mind. While some worlds were more complex than others, each felt real and I have to give it to Nix for making that possible.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of The Old Kingdom
Fans of Garth Nix
Fans of truly interesting fantasy/sci-fi worlds and short stories.

Content Warnings?

Gaslighting, Emotional Abuse, Murder, Death, Death of Parent, Animal Death, Animal Cruelty,

Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5

I was slightly disappointed that only one of the many short stories featured in this collection took place in the Old Kingdom universe. While the other stories were still greatly enjoyable, this definitely affected my overall opinion.

Final Rating: 4.5⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Let This Lake Remember by Joan Shillington

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challenging emotional reflective sad

5.0

Writing: 5⭐️/5

I’m both sad and thrilled that I have found this book. Sad for all its emotional kick, for its gutting moments, for its sheer honesty bout grief and loss. Thrilled for all the honour I feel at having found this volume that feels written for an Albertan poet, writer and reader.

Approach: 5⭐️/5

Shillington uses her poetry to convey feelings and story. Slowly, through the course of the collection, you gain insight into her life’s story: the loss, the grief, the happiness, the nostalgia, everything. I think it’s brilliant how each poem stands alone with strength, but even more solidly together.

Forms 5⭐️/5

For a book of modern poetry, Shillington plays with several different poetic forms and styles, each breathing life into her desired purpose. A truly stunning showcase of skill and technique.

Who Should Read This Book?

Anyone who grew up in Alberta
Fans of solid poetry with an emotional kick

Content Warnings?

Death, drowning, death of parent, grief, alcoholism, alcohol

Post-Reading Rating: 5⭐️/5

This poetry book spoke to me. Chills.

Final Rating: 5⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Heart of the Fae by Emma Hamm

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adventurous fast-paced

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

3.25

Writing: 2.75⭐️/5

The writing at the beginning is rather rough. It reads very forced, a combination of unnatural storytelling with forced worldbuilding at its onset. As the novel progresses, the writing becomes better – though it still feels a touch rough around the edges. I feel most conflicted about the dialogue. On one hand, some of the lines were beautiful. On the other hand, it felt a bit too forced, too poetic, too wise for a natural conversation at times.

Characters: 3.5⭐️/5

I liked our main character, and I loved the vibrancy of several of the side characters. Ooma, Cian, Bogget: these characters stood out in their voices and actions. However, I found Sorcha’s family hard to side with and understand, especially given her lack of interest in truly seeking them out in friendly ways. They felt more like cardboard outlines of characters than true characters. Likewise, the guild and other antagonistic characters were very flat, reeking of simple misogyny and sexism instead of inspiring any true motivations. Adversely, again, Sorcha and Eammon both felt much more fully formed, and I enjoyed reading about them in detail.

Plot: 3⭐️/5

The plot from a distance? Really cool. The plot close up with convenient little holes that we have to ignore? Less cool. I liked the concept, but I didn’t love how we were continuously told time was rushing by, but also the characters stayed in very much the same mindset for months. It felt a bit like Hamm didn’t want to have the stereotypical love story that takes place over a few weeks but didn’t let the time stretch out naturally. Likewise, the ending felt really abrupt. We see the sidelines of a fight and then Sorcha is literally carried off and returned home within a few pages.

World 3.25⭐️/5

Alright, the world felt cool (again, from a distance) but kind of crumbled under closer inspection. I love the idea of a land previously inhabited by faeries being abandoned as people forgot to honour them, but it never really felt like that was the setting unless it was plot-relevant. Much of the worldbuilding was done in the moment in such a way that it felt unclear, forced, or overly convenient. That being said, did I enjoy reading about the world in spite of this? Yeah. I kind of did.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of easy-to-read romantic fantasy novels
Someone looking for a book of fae and faeries
Someone looking for fun over too much worldbuilding and substance.

Content Warnings?

Near drowning, vomit, injury/injury detail, emotional abuse, abandonment, confinement, sexual content, blood, fire, war, death, murder, pregnancy, infidelity, sexual harassment, disease, illness, terminal illness,

Post-Reading Rating: 3.75⭐️/5

Just intrigued enough to consider reading the next one. Not intrigued enough to commit.

Final Rating: 3.25⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Lirael by Garth Nix

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adventurous 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? Yes

4.75

Writing: 4.5⭐️/5

The writing in this book is clear and decisive, carefully crafting a comprehensible display of the world. I love how Lirael is described, how her emotions are conveyed, and how real and personal every part of this story feels. I will say that the sudden switch to Sameth’s POV felt a bit jarring, and took me more than a few pages to fall into pace with.

Characters: 5⭐️/5

Oh, boy, do I love Lirael. I love how her emotional swings and angst feel both real and fully formed. I also enjoy how much attention is given to her backstory and characterization. I also love how interesting and developed the other characters in the story are, from Sameth and Ellesmere, to poor Nick and heinous Hedge.

Plot: 4.5⭐️/5

The complexity of this plot – and how it bleeds over into the next book of the series – is incredibly well-done. While little points here and there definitely get in the way of me fully enjoying it, the overarching plot is interesting.

World 5⭐️/5

Okay, okay. I’m very much in love with the world of the Old Kingdom, and I think I will likely always be. I love the details of the world, I love how the Abhorsens are described and fight off the dead, and I love how both of these translate into plots and characters that are great to read.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of high-fantasy worlds
Readers looking for a semi-young adult read that is deep and interesting
Those who have read and liked Sabriel

Content Warnings?

Animal death, animal cruelty, murder, death, death of parent, death of child, violence, body horror, gore, gaslighting, gun violence, injury, injury detail

Post-Reading Rating: 5⭐️/5

I do truly love this world, and Lirael is such a stunning character.

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5

Content Warnings

Clariel by Garth Nix

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adventurous sad medium-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

4.0

Writing: 4⭐️/5

In contrast to the other books in the series, I found Clariel lacking a bit something. The start of this novel is a bit lackluster, taking a while to get started. In contrast, the ending wrapped up a little quickly.

Characters: 3.75⭐️/5
*Some Spoilers*

Clariel, unlike Lirael, Sameth, and Sabriel, lacks a bit of depth. While the Clariel we see as the novel progresses does get deeper and more interesting, she never gets to a point where I believe her fully. For her motives, she’s relatively one-dimensional, searching for a way to escape the city without giving up her lifestyle. At nearly every interval we are reminded of this as a core of her being and, while I appreciate this motive, it makes her feel less real that she rarely thinks of anything else. I did enjoy Bel and the character shift we see in Mogget when left alone for too long.

Plot: 4⭐️/5
*Some Spoilers*

I do find the plot interesting, though I wonder at the initial plan to trap a Free Magic creature using two children. I did like following Clariel and watching her sanity slip away as she craves more and more Free Magic. As a backstory for Chlorr of the Mask, it served its purpose, creating an interesting backdrop in an already well-established world. I wonder what might have been gained if the attention was split or focused more on Bel, and how that might have helped the pacing and the characters.

World 5⭐️/5

Here’s the thing: the Old Kingdom and the world in which it resides is fascinating, well-developed, and always interesting.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of The Old Kingdom
Fans of Garth Nix

Content Warnings?

Gaslighting, Emotional Abuse, Murder, Death, Death of Parent, Animal Death, Animal Cruelty

Post-Reading Rating: 4.25⭐️/5

It’s always a good adventure into The Old Kingdom.

Final Rating: 4⭐️/5

Content Warnings

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

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adventurous slow-paced

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

3.0

Writing: 2.25⭐️/5

*Some Spoilers*

The repetition in Jordan’s writing returns, but this is not my biggest complaint with this novel. My biggest complaint is the first half of the novel (so just a very short 500 pages) is dedicated to misogyny and sexism. The amount of times I wanted to stop reading this book because it really felt like Jordan didn’t like writing about women (at least, clothed women) was honestly too many.

And then, the second half. It’s not a review of a Jordan novel without conflicting opinions. And, wow, did Jordan deliver. The second 500 pages contained some large sections of prose that I thoroughly enjoyed. The section when Rand is in Rhuidean and witnessing the history of the Aiel? Wow. So cool. The section where Rand is fighting in Rhuidean? So damn interesting.

So, I’m gonna do the only thing I can: I’m splitting the difference. The first half of the book would have truly been a 2, the second half about a 3.75. And so, he gets a 2.75.

Characters: 3⭐️/5

*Some Spoilers*

I wish Jordan could keep his characters a touch more consistent. I did enjoy some of the growth around Faile, though I still can’t stand how both she and Perrin treat each other. Mat’s sections left him feeling useless and tangential to the story, with only a few sections (outside of his objectification of every woman ever) being of true importance. However, I did find Rand all the more interesting and complex in this section. Overall, I just wish the characters could keep a consistent voice and tone, instead of feeling like traced outlines of who they could be. Also, just really wish not every male character resorts to misogyny at the first little shove.

Plot: 3.75⭐️/5

*Some Spoilers*

The plot is unnecessarily slow at the beginning of the novel, leaving chapters upon chapters to be padded with misogyny and sexism and the forbidden ankles of serving gals. As the novel picked up, I found myself thoroughly entertained and enthralled to see what happened next (outside of the comments on women’s bodies and all the women just getting naked randomly). Perrin’s sections seemed the most contrived with the slowest moving sections where Jordan had people conveniently forget or become unwilling to do things in order to send them to do them later (hey, Loial). Also, we have an entire section where we are led to believe the stakes against Perrin are high, only to have Perrin pull a “well actually” on delivering those stakes. Felt unnecessarily confusing. However, I will say Rand and Nynaeve/Elayne’s sections were truly enjoyable, and I looked forward to their rotation. And, Jordan’s battle scenes are quite fun to read, even if they’re a bit predictable.

Who Should Read This Book?

Those who read books one, two, and three of The Wheel of Time (The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, and The Dragon Reborn) and are able to overlook some misogyny

Content Warnings?

Toxic relationships, blood, gore, abuse, domestic abuse, war, sexual assault, toxic friendships, gaslighting, misogyny, sexism, death, murder, injury, injury detail, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, slavery, animal death, child death,

Post-Reading Rating: 4.25⭐️/5

I actually enjoy the ending of Jordan’s books, generally a lot more than the beginning.

Final Rating: 3.25⭐️/5

I can see why, outside of the misogyny, people love the story. The misogyny is so overwhelming though, like too much cilantro in an otherwise savoury dish – when I’m allergic to cilantro.

Content Warnings

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mattiedancer's reviews 124 reviews

mattiedancer's reviews
124 reviews