podanotherjessi's reviews
602 reviews
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
A very sweet YA romance with a dash of hard-hitting commentary. I found the writing left a lot to be desired - a lot of the conversations felt very much like an adult trying to pretend to be a teenager - but otherwise had no major complaints.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This book was fine. I imagine if I'd read it when I was much younger, I would have enjoyed it more than I did as an adult, but I don't think it would have left a lasting impression. It's very slow paced, and there's a lot of weird moments (that I assume come from translating) that were jarring. It wasn't bad, and I would certainly encourage middle grade children to read it, but it's not a book I'll pick up again or a series I'll be continuing.
Warrior of the Altaii by Robert Jordan
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
It is possible that this is an exemplary barbarian fantasy, but having never read another I couldn't say. So if you want to read this because of your interest in that genre, look for another review.
If you're interested in reading this because you - like me - are a fan of Wheel of Time and want to read Robert Jordan's first novel, than I can help you out. And my advise is honestly to skip it. There are a lot of really interesting elements that are clearly what evolved to be Wheel of Time, and sometimes that's fun and sometimes that's cringe. But it's just not a good experience, even when thinking of it in that context. It's like all of the worst parts of the Wheel of Time condensed into 300 pages with very little of the good parts and some special bad stuff unique to this book. Really, pass on this one, unless you're a Robert Jordan biographer or something.
If you're interested in reading this because you - like me - are a fan of Wheel of Time and want to read Robert Jordan's first novel, than I can help you out. And my advise is honestly to skip it. There are a lot of really interesting elements that are clearly what evolved to be Wheel of Time, and sometimes that's fun and sometimes that's cringe. But it's just not a good experience, even when thinking of it in that context. It's like all of the worst parts of the Wheel of Time
Spoiler
unnecessary spanking, weird gender dynamics, slavery, etc.Spoiler
Specifically, the description of naked women and bad sex scenes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
adventurous
challenging
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
3.75
There was so much in here that I wanted to love, but the writing really didn't work well for me. There were moments the characters made quippy comments that were jarring, and the humor over all wasn't for me. Outside of that, I felt like Talon's story took way to long to catch up to Kirin's story, and the footnotes felt out of place because we had no context for them.
That aside, however, once I got my bearings in the world, I ended up really enjoying most of it. I never really got to the point where I liked both time lines equally - sometimes I liked one and sometimes the other, and I found myself annoyed by the changing. There were times characters were introduced and I found it overwhelming, but it always balanced back out over time.
Really, I think I could have benefitted from a family tree or at least a dramatis personae. But still, I was invested in Kirin's story and what would happen next. Definitely intrigued enough to continue.
That aside, however, once I got my bearings in the world, I ended up really enjoying most of it. I never really got to the point where I liked both time lines equally - sometimes I liked one and sometimes the other, and I found myself annoyed by the changing. There were times characters were introduced and I found it overwhelming, but it always balanced back out over time.
Really, I think I could have benefitted from a family tree or at least a dramatis personae. But still, I was invested in Kirin's story and what would happen next. Definitely intrigued enough to continue.
American Royalty by Tracey Livesay
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
I was reading this for something specific, but then that no longer applied, and I just wasn't invested enough to keep going without that incentive. I was well into the book, and the characters hadn't even met yet, and quite honestly I didn't really like either one of them enough to be interested in them individually.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There were enough interesting things happening in this book that I really wanted to like it, but in the end it was just fine. Way too much of the story relied on the relationship between Montserrat and Tristán, but I was never invested in them. Despite being friends from childhood, it felt to me like they hated each other most of the time. It was clear that they had a history, which helped a lot, but it didn't do enough to justify how much they were supposed to care about each other.
I also kind of feel like the book didn't do quite enough to condemn the eugenics being touted by one of the people in the book, which just constantly made me uncomfortable because it just wasn't really addressed for most of the book. I think it was supposed to just be taken for granted like "oh, yeah, this is obviously bad," but that didn't work for me.
That said, the writing was good and the magic was really interesting. I was engaged enough to keep reading, and sometimes that's enough.
I also kind of feel like the book didn't do quite enough to condemn the eugenics being touted by one of the people in the book, which just constantly made me uncomfortable because it just wasn't really addressed for most of the book. I think it was supposed to just be taken for granted like "oh, yeah, this is obviously bad," but that didn't work for me.
That said, the writing was good and the magic was really interesting. I was engaged enough to keep reading, and sometimes that's enough.
Outlawed by Anna North
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
A really cool setting, interesting characters, and an okay plot that doesn't really carry either. This is a book more interested in themes than in telling a story. I enjoyed the book, but I do wish it had a stronger story. The pacing was just slow with large leaps and not consistent enough to pull me though.
Remina by Junji Ito
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.25
I just really didn't get what was happening here. The horror was completely cartoonish, and none of the characters had any personality. The plot was completely driven by some of the most nonsensical leaps. This is definitely a poor introduction to Ito's work, but I'll try him again.
Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was one I just really struggled to stay focused on while reading. Whenever the perspective switched, it took a long time to figure out what was going on. I eventually settled in and enjoyed the story alright, but I think it could just make a good movie. It could have been an interesting novella, but the pacing was just too slow. Good concepts, but strangely dull.
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
I gave it a try, but I'm just not interested in books about WWII from the pov of Nazis. Maybe there would have been some growth, but I had no interest in reading more from a book trying to build sympathy for a woman abusing and killing people in a work camp.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement