Scan barcode
barrettbooks's reviews
63 reviews
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
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
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
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. :)
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Note: this is a review for the series posted to each book.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Note: this is a review for the series posted to each book.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Note: this is a review for the series posted to each book.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Note: this is a review for the series posted to each book.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Note: this is a review for the series posted to each book.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
I read this series for the first time in 2021, when I was fully an adult, and unlike a lot of other work aimed at younger audiences, I found it held up well without requiring any nostalgia from my childhood. All five books are solid romps, with lots of fun quests and so many different mythological characters sprinkled in. The shifting of Olympus with the centre of culture is an interesting (if slightly imperialistic) idea, and the modernization of ancient stories and themes is neat. I like Percy and his friends and they are easy to root for. Some of the love triangle stuff is a bit overdone and drawn out (and painfully hetero) but I don't object to the romances generally. Overall, an enjoyable magical middlegrade series and I plan to read more of extended universe of books.
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
This book was a pretty mixed experience for me. The writing is well-done, the characters are interesting and complex (although I don't always care about them as much as I would like), the magic is cool and limited in a way that is unusual. The world building is impressive, with exposition happening very slowly over the course of the novel. Having the whole story take place in a prison with limited informational access to the outside world keeps the mood tense and mysterious, as does our narrator's extreme guardedness. I was confused and slightly off-balance for a lot of novel about her feelings regarding the overall political situation of the kingdom. However, the ending did not do it for me at all. In fairness, I went into this book without knowing there is a sequel, which may have changed my initial reaction to the ending, but I can't help but feel a certain amount of betrayal. I will probably continue to read the series since the world is so interesting and I am curious to see how it and the characters develop.
The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The premise of this book is extremely interesting. I love an alternate history fantasy, love a vampire novel, and especially enjoy a twist on vampires. The execution did not work as well for me as the core ideas, but it was still a really fun read and I will be picking up the rest of the series. The writing itself was probably my biggest complaint as I found it a bit one-note and predictable in some ways. The characters are a bit flat for me, and I do not particularly buy into a lot of the relationships. However, the world continues to be interesting throughout, and none of the flaws kept me from enjoying my time reading it. I am hopeful that the characters become more dynamic as the series progresses.