michellesi01's reviews
124 reviews

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

A nice story! “Conspiracy” seems like a bit of a strong word given the actual conspiracy/mystery was probably about a quarter of the book. I kept getting distracted by small details that seemed to contradict other details, and I often didn’t feel like the characters were more than caricatures. However, I really enjoyed the weaving of the past into the story and Grandma Nora is just the sweetest character!

Content Warnings

Wicked / Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

The prose lends itself well to a musical adaptation. The stories are also horrifically relevant; I wish these books were a less inappropriate for a non adult reader so that they could be required in schools. Fascinating political and religious dilemmas are explored by very flawed characters.

If you’re looking for a fun fantasy book or picking this up because you love the musical, reset your expectations. There’s sex, but nothing is sexy; there’s crime, but it’s not suspenseful; it’s realistic, but it’s not exactly familiar.

A case study should be done on how The Wizard of Oz (novel) was adapted into the movie was adapted into Wicked (novel) was adapted into the musical was adapted into the movie.

Content Warnings

Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe by Lisa Randall

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challenging funny informative slow-paced

3.75

Reading this reminded me why I refused to get an aeronautical engineering degree to work at NASA. That being said, this book is the most approachable writing about ground-breaking particle and astrophysics theories there is. And I adored the section about dinosaurs and the extinctions.

Rules of the Game by Nils Johnson-Shelton, James Frey

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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? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is the kind of book I would hate when I was in middle or high school. I’m still pretty enraged about a certain character death.

Content Warnings

Sky Key by Nils Johnson-Shelton, James Frey

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

Endgame: The Calling by Nils Johnson-Shelton, James Frey

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

You can tell this was written by a man based on how the female characters are portrayed. Really expertly written to leave the reader with almost no idea where the characters’ goals will take them or how they’ll develop.

Content Warnings