starcake's reviews
273 reviews

Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher

Go to review page

funny lighthearted slow-paced

4.0

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Go to review page

dark hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

 This was great! I saw a perfect description of this book as "a mix of darkness and whimsy". A cast of delightful characters and a plot that awaited me in anticipation made for a compelling read. 
Betting On You by Lynn Painter

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 70%.
 -The couple was cute but it felt like things were dragging by this point, and I just didn't care enough to finish. A romance book does not need to be this long
- The mmc was kinda annoying? I could excuse his 14-year-old self but he didn't grow much 3 years later
The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
 -didn't like the mmc and he had no personality
-loved the fmc but the romance had no progress over 10 chapters,it got very repetitive 
The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

Go to review page

lighthearted

4.0

 4⭐
Hello? This was so cute. I finished it in about 2 days. The premise of a time-travel loop romance instantly grabbed me, it was unique. I thought Lynn managed to keep the story interesting and fresh, without the same-day feeling of repetition. I was skeptical of how much they could fall for each other in a day, but Lynn convinced me with their adorable chemistry.
The lack of one star is the absence of an epilogue which should be ILLEGAL 
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.75

A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

Go to review page

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

4.0

Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston

Go to review page

slow-paced

3.0

I was a bit disappointed in this book, felt extremely rushed. I like Amari but she felt like a bit of a Mary Sue when all the characters would praise her. Love Elsie and Lara's great too, but Jayden's character didn't do much and was kinda there. The ending felt rushed as well
Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

Go to review page

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

4.5

 Loved this!
As someone who used to watch Family Vloggers, I found everything it said about influencer culture and child influencers to be very on point. I especially loved the inclusion of other media like podcasts and Reddit snark threads in the story.

 
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Go to review page

funny lighthearted slow-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

4.0

 4⭐ for Calcifur

This was cute and whimsical. My favorite parts were definitely the character interactions. I came to adore all the characters, Sophie's snarkiness mixed with Calcifur and Howl's shenanigans were a delight. Michael was so sweet too. I could read 5 more books about these characters, I can see why this book is such a comfort read.


My only critiques were that I found the book slow in parts and that the ending was a bit anti-climactic. I was also hoping for a little more romance! Overall though, a great whimsical fantasy with loveable characters. I'm looking forward to watching the movie!✨