barrettbooks's reviews
60 reviews

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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

4.0

This was a satisfying follow-up to the first book. The setting continues to be really lovely and well-executed, with this book giving us a chance to see more parts of the kingdom. The moral complexity of the issues the heroes are facing is explored more deeply as well, which is great. The characters remain a delight, and I wanted the best for all ofIthem. I did find the length a bit challenging, but there are not specific parts I find gratuitous or boring — just that I wish it was slightly faster moving some of the time. Overall, however, it was a very worthy sequel and a great book and it was amazing to spend time in such a rich world with such beautiful, complex characters.
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

We Hunt The Flame is a beautiful book with a rich, ancient-Arabia-inspired setting. The characters are flawed and complex, but doing their best to survive and overcome their personal struggles. They show plenty of growth and increased self-knowledge through the course of the book. I am soft for enemies to friends/lovers and also for broken people working to regain their power and ethics. The history and magic of the world is very lush, imaginative, and fully realized. I picked up the sequel immediately upon finishing because I was invested in the characters and the outcome of their story.
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love retellings! This is a very solid modern Peter Pan retelling, and overall I enjoyed it. The general tone was a bit more dark and angst-driven than I prefer but that is very much just a personal taste thing. The intimate moments between Wendy and Peter are very charming and sweet, the exploration of grief, anxiety, and guilt are astute and real. I felt for Wendy and her parents, struggling to cope after a tragedy that they never received closure for. This is the second work by Aiden Thomas I've read and, like Cemetery Boys, it really shines in its larger ensemble of secondary characters as well as its mains, showing Wendy interacting with and thinking about not just Peter, but also her parents, her brothers, her best friend. Her feeling of personal responsibility, of needing to fix things, of wanting to be brave and struggling against anxiety and panic were very relatable. Peter's intrinsic child-like nature was well-done without being creepy. Overall, this was a lovely, sweet but deeply sad book.
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Uprooted by Naomi Novik

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this. The worlding building is strong, the characters are interesting, and the writing is lovely. The book has several very different sections that change in tone and mood and I liked all of them and did not find the transitions jarring. The atmosphere of the woods and the magic system are cool and dreamy. I love fairy tales and this definitely captures that je ne sais quoi essence of those older stories. I love a headstrong girl trying to do things her own way, fight the system and stand by her own internal ethics and this delivered. <Spoiler>My biggest problem with the book is in the core relationship. It is not a Beauty and the Beast retelling per se but that is definitely one of the stories it draws from and it retains a lot of the problems of that tale. Despite the character growth shown by the love interest and despite his reluctance about the relationship, he is still a (much!) older man in a position of relative power who treated our protagognist extremely poorly early in the book. I honestly quite liked the relationship as it developed but it still left a sour taste in my mouth. This probably would have been a five star read from me otherwise.
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is wonderful though horrifying near-future exploration of the connected disasters of anti-Indigenous racism and oppression and climate change. The characters attempt to stay connected to their cultural and language in a dystopian world which has continued to follow the genocidal and destructive path that has been set by Canadian settlers' and government's past and present acts against the land and its Indigenous peoples. The book is a reflection on family and found family, culture, tradition, and reconnection, navigating the natural world and society while under threat. It deals painfully with loss and grief, but also hope, love, and reunion. There are times I found it a tad predictable, but overall it is a very strong work of forging an Indigenous future despite colonial destruction. 
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.75

Obviously, I would expect no less from Octavia Butler, but what an innovative vampire story. The exploration of the cultural difference between humans and "vampires," the science-based explanation of vampirism the social structureit creates between humans and vampires that it creates is fascinating. Fledgling takes a look at age gaps and perceived age in way that is deeply uncomfortable at times without being a weird male fantasy or attempting to give easy answers. The navigation of familial and romantic/sexual relationships, of memory and lackthereof, of attempting to negotiate a system that you do not understand, to deal with rage and grief and love, are all reflected upon, amid a sometimes action-packed mystery turned legal drama. And, it expertly explore race, the prevalance of anti-Black racism, the lengths to which all manner of people will go to attempt to destroy. Despite the tragedy that is present in many ways in this book, it and its characters maintain a certain hopefulness and resistance, a refusal to be destroyed. This is a very deep and cool addition to and twist on the genre.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is a pretty slow read. I enjoyed the characters and the plot generally — I like this version of werewolves and think the temperature innovation is neat. I enjoyed the writing but did find that the books dragged a bit, and I did not buy into the core love story as much as I would have liked. However, I liked it overall, and am interested to check out more by the author, though I am not sure when I will get around to reading the rest of this series particularly, especially since I think Shiver can stand alone.
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This is an ambitious and emotional story of the Japanese American experience during World War II, told through the point of view of 14 different teenagers and young adults. The chapters each find a unique voice and style for the wildly different characters as they navigate friendship, love, and family while dealing with the horrors of internment, war, and racism. I cared deeply for all the characters and viscerally felt their sadness and rage while also celebrating their hope and joy. The book, while it is a work of fiction, is also very informative about aspects of internment and the Japanese American experience that I was previously unaware of. This is a really emotional read, and well worth picking up. (I read the audiobook and found it excellent.)
A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope by Patrice Caldwell

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

This is a very solid anthology! It's wonderful to read speculative fiction by and about Black women and girls. The stories are diverse in subject matter, tone, and style, so there is something for everyone. The common thread of hope and resiliance which spanned even the darker stories was lovely and heartwarming. As with most anthologies, not every story was to my taste, but they were all strong offerings and several were 5 star stories for me. I listened to the audiobook read by York Whitaker and I also just want to say how impressive that performance was, given the wildly different voices and tones Whitaker is capturing in different stories, which range from light and funny to moody and tragic to tense and vengeful, with topics from dragons to aliens to kitchen witches. Plus, there is queer rep in several stories, including nonbinary rep 😍. 
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really enjoyed this series opener. The magic/political/social system is fully realised and, as far as I know, unique. The world building happens naturally and gradually. The characters are mainly women, all complex, with distinct personalities and flaws while being ultimately loveable. The book is full of small surprises that still follow logically from the characters and world it has set up. I am invested in the series and excited to read more soon. My biggest complaint is that it's not queer enough for me but I hope that will change in later books. :)