sarai0410's reviews
317 reviews

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

While I didn't love this one as much as the first, What the River Knows, I still enjoyed following Inez and Whit's adventures through Egypt and their quest to discover the truth behind Inez's parents. There were some very questionable decisions that came from our MMC and FMC, some which made me want to smack them upside the head with their own book...but I could still see why those decisions made sense to the characters themselves.

Spoiler territory:

While I can see why the author chose to include Whit's betrayal in the story for both some resolution to his character arc in the first book, and to create discontent between him and Inez, it felt like all of that wrapped up quite quickly, with Inez forgiving him within a couple days. HOWEVER, before I rag on that too much - her forgiving him makes sense to her character. Throughout book one we see how desperately Inez wants to be included, wants someone, anyone to choose her. Her parents were constantly jerking her around during her childhood, leaving her in Argentina, and then the poor girl is betrayed by her mother and then by her father (those moments were painful, Inez needs therapy after this book tbh), and she was desperate for Whit to be her person. I'm not saying Whit's actions themselves are forgivable, but I understand why Inez would be so ready to forgive him.

Throughout the story, there were so many villains and so few people that were trustworthy, that I was questioning every single character (I was right about Isadora though, so pats to me).

Similar to my thoughts on the first book, I just wish there was a little bit more focus on the magic itself. 

I don't read a lot of YA, but Ibañez's writing style and characters are fantastic, so I would happily read more of her works in the future.

Shadow in the Empire of Light by Jane Routley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

DNF @ 42 pages - the premise seemed interested but already so short into the book, the writing style was wonky, the FMC was beyond questionable, and already hints at incest..no thank you. 

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

You know that feeling that starts to bubble within yourself when you start a book and so quickly you can sense that the words on the page are transforming themselves into something that will grip your heart and make you fall in love with storytelling all over again? That is exactly what I felt ~30 pages into The Lost Story.

It's going to sound dramatic (and it kinda is tbh) but I truly don't have any words for how beautiful this story is; how gripping the characters and their relationships are; how magical the world felt.

Go in blind; go in looking for magic - I promise you'll find it.

In other words, a hero on a quest for the Holy Grail isn’t looking for the Holy Grail. The hero is trying to find himself, and the only way he can find his true self is by going on a journey, being tried and tested until he knows if he is a hero in name only or a hero in truth. And that’s why the world has Holy Grails—not because the world needs Holy Grails but because the world needs heroes. 

All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is.

Every falling star in Shanandoah / 5 🌠

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

adventurous lighthearted fast-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

3.5

I have literally no idea what I just read but I can see why it's considered a modern classic. Seriously though - no clue what happened or what the 'point' was lmao

Nicked by M.T. Anderson

adventurous funny slow-paced

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

4.0

This book was so weird but in the best way. No real thoughts, purely enjoyed this based on vibes. 

Cold Clay by Juneau Black

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I just love this series - I think I actually enjoyed this one more than the first too! Is it pretty predictable? Sure, but it's a fun time and the characters are entertaining. 

North Is the Night by Emily Rath

adventurous dark hopeful 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

5.0

Stunning, spectacular, vibrant - all the stars ✨ Mythology-based fantasy is my bread and butter, but that doesn't meant they are always done well; this however, was exactly what I look for in a fantasy. The writing was beautiful and Rath painted the picture of her world so beautifully that I was sucked into not only the land of the living, but also Tuonela and didn't want to leave. Our two main characters, Siira and Aina, and their perspectives told a story of friendship, love, and devotion that had me hoping beyond hope throughout the story that we would see them together again.
 
The way love was depicted here was so well done and really highlighted the different types of love one person can have in their heart for others, from platonic and familial, to within the heart and very soul of yourself. Not only was this shown via our FMCs, but throughout the various relationships they forged with those around them -

I was especially fond of the parental-relationship Siira found with Väinämöinen💔 and Aina's friendship with Loviatar.

 "..You gave me the hope to stand to keep fighting." "You already had hope. I just reminded you of where you'd temporarily misplaced it." 

All souls exist in three pieces, Aina. Only three. Always three. It's the pieces that loves you so fiercely, and will do anything to be your side again. Being with you now, I finally understand the truth of my life. I don't know what magic is, but I know without a doubt that my soul exists in four pieces.

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

I have very back and forth feelings for this book - on one hand, I enjoyed the writing and the way the plot was setup as well as the look into the FMCs unique (and frequently annoying) stance on feminism, racism, and language; however, on the other hand the FMC, Anisa, is unbearably unlikeable, and the pacing/timeline is wacky to the point that I have no idea if the story occurred over the course of two months or 10 years. A large part of my annoyance with Anisa, and in part the writing, was that she was supposedly around her mid-thirties, but she acted like a nineteen or twenty year old throughout the story - and so did Shiba to be honest.

I saw in several reviews that this had been compared to Vita Nostra (which I have read and it was mind-blowing in the oddest way) and Babel (which I have not read, but have heard many things about) and beyond the obvious plot elements - focus on language (Babel) and a secret organization (Vita Nostra), I don't really see the comparison.

Ultimately, the book was enjoyable and a very quick, bingeable read, but I do feel like it could have been more. 

The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris

hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

While there was more of a focus on World War I battles than I was expecting, this was incredibly interesting. The writing and the way in which the author told Gillies' story was fantastic. I do wish there was more of a focus on the surgeon and his surgical innovations - especially his work on gender-confirming surgery later in life - but this was a great introduction into how plastic surgery evolved due to the horrific trauma soldiers faced during/after war. 

I've been eyeing Fitzharris' other book, The Butchering Art, for quite sometime - I think it's time to pick that up. 

Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright

dark fast-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? It's complicated

1.5

If I read the words demure or blood and steel (as a curse) one more time, I was legitimately going to stab myself with one of Shan's claws.

I wanted to like this so badly, and it genuinely had an interesting concept, but the execution was terrible. Non-existent world-building, lackluster characters, the worst case of 'telling, not showing' in writing that I have seen in a long time, and dialogue that made me want to gouge my eyes out. Nothing about this book was believable.

After the first 40ish pages, it felt like the author dropped us into book two or three in the series and just expected us to just get it.