alouette's reviews
258 reviews

Mark of the Plague by Kevin Sands

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adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

as with blackthorn key, this is a masterful adventure in its mystery, humor, dialogue, research, descriptions, build-up, and everything else.  i love how this book explains things- the reader is given time to figure things out on their own but solutions are spelled out clear at just the right times as well. it's a perfect recipe that had me reading this book in just a day because of how it drew me in.
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

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adventurous emotional informative mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

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4.0

Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

4.25

can’t quite process this book enough for a proper review! but i will say that i liked a lot about this book, including the unique writing. i just had some problems with the pacing as a whole, and some of the characters’ development. now, here are my favourite quotes from it: 

“it’s confusing- how your heart holds your love and your hurt in the same chamber.”
“if you wanna make poor choices, do it in your own name. not theirs. don’t dishonour them.”
“but aren’t we all dying slowly, painfully? why should the earth be exempt? but i don’t say these things. ask these questions. because they’re not real. they’re just by-products of heartache and regret, anger and disappointment. because i believe in her and her dreams, maybe, probably, even more than my own. because at least she dares to dream, and who was i to punch holes in them?”
“when you leave someone, even if you see the error of your ways, even if you apologize profusely, it doesn’t matter. they don’t owe you forgiveness. they don’t have to take you back.”
“i want to make up for lost time... prove i’m a good person, a better person than i would appear to be, because look, here i am doing something brave, taking a chance, keeping it real, doing the thing. but maybe i don’t get to throw up on the side of this road and feel better, light. maybe keeping this trash inside is the price for my mistakes.”
“and then she, like everyone before her, is gone. because, sooner than later, everyone leaves this house.”
“maybe the lesson from all of this is, sometimes what we see as broken, isn’t... you’re only helpful to someone if what you do actually helps.”
“because as it turns out, we do not have all the time in the world. we only get a finite amount. live each day like it’s your last four hours.”
“it’s hard to let go, even when you know it’s coming.”
“you can die and still live on. you can be alive but be consumed by death. the difference between living and being alive is: everything.”
“this is what it feels like to find something you’ve lost- happiness.”
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Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki

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emotional 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? Yes

5.0

beautiful, stunning, amazing, gorgeous- from the art, to the character arc of the wonderful Freddy, to the friendships that hold it all up :) i wanted the best for our protags always!!
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The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

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

3.75

another complex book that it's hard to sort out my feelings for. time for a pros and cons list!

pros
  • the diversity!! most of the main cast was bipoc, some were also queer, and zofia (my beloved) was on the autism spectrum. that last one was really awesome to see because rarely have i come across books about characters with ASD in which their mental disability isn't the main focus but rather just a part of their character. loved it.
  • banter and character dynamics! their interactions were fun with also plenty of complexities and depth, and i was rooting for them the whole way.
  • the whimsy and the magic system! while it was confusing, it was also intriguing. the puzzles they solved + the magical inventions they used were fun to follow in each individual instance, and i liked the illustrations as they made new discoveries. it helped me visualize what was happening and get more immersed.

cons
  • confusing worldbuilding. the intertwining of actual history with heavy fantasy elements was interesting, but we were thrown into it with little preamble and even the baseline of the main plot got hard to follow at times. the flowery writing was lovely for my imagination but did not help when trying to understand what was actually going on.
  • a lack of character development. now, i don't mean that the characters weren't plenty rounded, just that they weren't dynamic. everything about them was pre-established (again, we're thrown right into this world abruptly) and they've all known each other for years. while this made for some fun dynamics, it meant that i sensed little change in any of them by the end.
  • the villian...
    he really came out of nowhere and i didn't even understand what the heck his magical blood powers were. when they talked about the stealing of House Kore's ring being an inside job i was expecting some betrayals, not this weirdo...
  • the ending... quite rushed and disappointing.
    tristan deserved so much better in terms of character development and time devoted to him, and then it felt like what happened to him was absolutely brushed past, both the trauma he suffered and then his actual demise. still don't know what the heck was up with the birds, the reveal that he was killing them was super rushed and not explored.
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SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki

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adventurous funny 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? Yes

4.25

i wasn't expecting the format of this book, as i knew nothing about it when i picked it up, but it was very enjoyable in its strangeness. i like how the threads of different character's stories are weaved together, and the ending was unexpected but funny. still feeling bad for everlasting boy and his bird-lady, they deserved better!
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In Real Life by Jen Wang, Cory Doctorow

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adventurous funny inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

i really liked this book! the art was colourful and fun, the characters were interesting, and the lessons it sought to teach were accessible- a good gateway to discussions of economic barriers and making a living in our hard world. 
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One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

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adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved the first book, and this one was no different. As with Book One, McManus gives just enough information through the different POVs for the reader to figure out the culprit themselves- and she does so in a way that only makes the big reveal more exciting rather than predictable. There's always an extra twist or another detail that comes to light in the climax and resolution, too. The way the plot moved from a simple game of Truth or Dare to an actually serious and tense situation was really good. I liked the characters in this one as well (though I did take points off because I'm not a fan of romance, that's just personal preference) and how they each developed, especially Maeve. I'm still trying to figure out who's on the cover, though...
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