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bookishandlegal's reviews
536 reviews
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Too dark and gothic for me. I just wasn’t into it and my library loan was due back
The Lost God by Sheila Masterson
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thanks to the author for an early reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this!!! I was hooked from the beginning and the plot was exciting and engaging throughout. There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming (and a few I guessed). I really loved Cece and there is a love triangle but I was okay with it, even though that’s usually a trope I despise.
I did feel like the pacing was a little off throughout parts of the book. A chapter would end and the next chapter would start at a totally different place and then recap some stuff and I wasn’t a fan of that…felt a little tell not show. The romance and some of the plot points also moved very fast! Some of it was a little too fast for me, but it all mostly made sense for the story.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one in November!
I really enjoyed this!!! I was hooked from the beginning and the plot was exciting and engaging throughout. There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming (and a few I guessed). I really loved Cece and there is a love triangle but I was okay with it, even though that’s usually a trope I despise.
I did feel like the pacing was a little off throughout parts of the book. A chapter would end and the next chapter would start at a totally different place and then recap some stuff and I wasn’t a fan of that…felt a little tell not show. The romance and some of the plot points also moved very fast! Some of it was a little too fast for me, but it all mostly made sense for the story.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one in November!
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Melissa by Alex Gino
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I don’t love Peter Pan retellings so from the start this wasn’t really for me. The story was cute and I did like the twist on Peter not necessarily being creepy or the bad guy (indeed, the way he cared for “lost” kids actually ended up being really sweet). The book felt too long and it dragged a bit…it was only ~350 pages but I feel like it could have been 100 pages shorter and not have lost much. I am also annoyed at how even at the end of the book Wendy still felt like what happened to her brothers was her fault and not the fault of the man who decided to go hunting while drinking and shot two boys because he thought they were deer. Idc that the kids were in the woods…it’s always going to be the fault of the man with a gun in one hand and beer bottle in the other. Full stop.
I don’t think this is one I’ll reread or anything, but I appreciate it for what it was and would recommend for fans of Peter Pan retellings!
I don’t think this is one I’ll reread or anything, but I appreciate it for what it was and would recommend for fans of Peter Pan retellings!
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
3.25
I really wanted to love this one and it was just okay for me. There were a lot of things I really liked! Bad ass female main character fighting back against the status quo and patriarchy. Zetian was a morally grey character who pushed up against all the boundaries and demanded better for women and girls and we love to see it! Also…polyamorous relationship and not a love triangle in a YA book?!? Give me more.
While I liked certain aspects a lot of things just didn’t work for me. The world building and character development were severely lacking for me. The magic system never fully got explained and I had a hard time visualizing what was happening in the battles. There seemed to be a lot of telling, not really showing in the characters and their relationships with each other. The pacing of the book also felt off. Parts of it really dragged and then other parts were really quick and would have benefited from being more fleshed out.
Overall this was a good YA fantasy and I love a story based on Chinese history, which we don’t see a ton in traditional publishing. I just wanted a bit more from the story and execution.
While I liked certain aspects a lot of things just didn’t work for me. The world building and character development were severely lacking for me. The magic system never fully got explained and I had a hard time visualizing what was happening in the battles. There seemed to be a lot of telling, not really showing in the characters and their relationships with each other. The pacing of the book also felt off. Parts of it really dragged and then other parts were really quick and would have benefited from being more fleshed out.
Overall this was a good YA fantasy and I love a story based on Chinese history, which we don’t see a ton in traditional publishing. I just wanted a bit more from the story and execution.
Misrule by Heather Walter
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The first half of this one was frustrating for me and was not as good as the first. Tessa was annoying and I just wanted to shake her and tell her to listen to Corrick and think for herself! Corrick can still do no wrong. More insight into Harristan was great and I’m looking forward to seeing more from him in the next book!
Through the first half I was thinking this would be a 4 star read. The second half, particularly the last 80 pages or so were SO good and action packed that I bumped it up. Everything went sideways so fast and I didn’t see any of the plot twists or the ending coming at all! Cannot wait till the next book!
Through the first half I was thinking this would be a 4 star read. The second half, particularly the last 80 pages or so were SO good and action packed that I bumped it up. Everything went sideways so fast and I didn’t see any of the plot twists or the ending coming at all! Cannot wait till the next book!