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152 reviews
Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
This book is about a girl who had everything she needed and the world took it from her. Then when she's left trusting the adults around her, they show her they're not trustworthy and they're not safe. So she runs away and she becomes a lost girl.
I loved this book so much. I read it in a single setting and I was left feeling so profoundly seen and understood that I wanted another 200 pages. But like the other books in this series, it was short, to the point and just enough.
The bad:
I didn't find anything to dislike which is very rare. I might come back if I ever think of something.
The good:
Everything. The book never goes into detail about the bad that might happen but you know well enough that you don't need to know more. You're left exactly so startled that you understand but not so much that you feel it's too much. I think all of us kids who wanted to run from home at one point in our life will find a little pocket of hope in this book.
This was the best book in the series for me so far. I will read it again. I'll probably wear down the book doing so.
I loved this book so much. I read it in a single setting and I was left feeling so profoundly seen and understood that I wanted another 200 pages. But like the other books in this series, it was short, to the point and just enough.
The bad:
I didn't find anything to dislike which is very rare. I might come back if I ever think of something.
The good:
Everything. The book never goes into detail about the bad that might happen but you know well enough that you don't need to know more. You're left exactly so startled that you understand but not so much that you feel it's too much. I think all of us kids who wanted to run from home at one point in our life will find a little pocket of hope in this book.
This was the best book in the series for me so far. I will read it again. I'll probably wear down the book doing so.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent
Ildprøven by Lene Kaaberbøl
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
Bogen er skrevet til de mellemstore klassetrin, men jeg synes bestemt ikke det er en bog, voksne ikke kan læse. Den er simpel, hurtigt læst men historien er god, og hvem kan ikke lide en verden hvor dyr og magi spiller sammen?
It by Stephen King
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
This book was just not for me.
The bad:
Simply put, it was too long. 500 pages of this could have been cut out completely and it would have been a better story. I couldn't keep all the characters in my head and I lost track of who and where and how.
For a book of over 1000 pages, it spent so long talking about anecdotes, about side characters, about unimportant scenes and in general it does not talk much about the monster. You easily spend 200 pages waiting for the monster. It's not scary. It's just annoying.
Also kids having sex in a sewer as the solution to killing the monster? No thank you. I understand why but I simply didn't like it.
The good:
The monster was terrifying when it was there. The writing is really good too but this is Stephen King. That's to be expected.
I will never touch this book again
The bad:
Simply put, it was too long. 500 pages of this could have been cut out completely and it would have been a better story. I couldn't keep all the characters in my head and I lost track of who and where and how.
For a book of over 1000 pages, it spent so long talking about anecdotes, about side characters, about unimportant scenes and in general it does not talk much about the monster. You easily spend 200 pages waiting for the monster. It's not scary. It's just annoying.
Also kids having sex in a sewer as the solution to killing the monster? No thank you. I understand why but I simply didn't like it.
The good:
The monster was terrifying when it was there. The writing is really good too but this is Stephen King. That's to be expected.
I will never touch this book again
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Child of Light by Terry Brooks
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
The narrator was so robotic and boring to read. It killed any ability to get into the story.
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Aiden Thomas has been on my secret "I probably don't like this author" list. I read "Lost in the Never woods" and disliked it so much, I set it out to resell the book as quickly as possible so I didn't have to look at it. I didn't have any hopes for this book either. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised.
The bad:
It reads like a middle grade book with sex jokes and cursing. Due to the writing, there's just not room for deep, fleshed out characters. They're mostly caricatures, tropes, not much else.
It might have been my copy of the book, but I couldn't discern the drawings of glyphs for the characters. I relied on the text to tell me and was heavily disappointed when it only described a few of the rankings.
The good:
There's so much representation. The characters are likeable but not very deep. It definitely has Hunger Games vibes but it's easy to forget they're competing to avoid death due to how childish almost everyone is. I found myself absolutely shocked by the twist even if I knew this is not a standalone book.
Other than that, I desperately needed a map and an index of the Gods. It was so confusing to keep it all in my head and I quickly lost track.
Would I read it again? Yes, but I don't think I'll enjoy as much second time. I'll probably read the next book.
The bad:
It reads like a middle grade book with sex jokes and cursing. Due to the writing, there's just not room for deep, fleshed out characters. They're mostly caricatures, tropes, not much else.
It might have been my copy of the book, but I couldn't discern the drawings of glyphs for the characters. I relied on the text to tell me and was heavily disappointed when it only described a few of the rankings.
The good:
There's so much representation. The characters are likeable but not very deep. It definitely has Hunger Games vibes but it's easy to forget they're competing to avoid death due to how childish almost everyone is. I found myself absolutely shocked by the twist even if I knew this is not a standalone book.
Other than that, I desperately needed a map and an index of the Gods. It was so confusing to keep it all in my head and I quickly lost track.
Would I read it again? Yes, but I don't think I'll enjoy as much second time. I'll probably read the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Medical content
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A girl from a small village is whisked away by a dragon. When it turns out she's a witch and she can perhaps turn the tide in the ancient war against the cursed woods that constantly seek to devour, things change. When her best friend is taken by the woods, she's suddenly no longer just a village girl with a small gift for magic.
This was such a good read! I really loved the setting of the story. A sentient wood as the villain? Yes please!
The bad:
There wasn't much bad in this book. The other wizards the main character meets are all annoying and that never changes. I also disliked the sudden angry sex scene. The weird romance going on between Agnieszka and the Dragon seemed unnecessary. Agnieszka as a main character feels a little flat too but at this point I'm sure it's the format of the narrator that makes it so. First person narration almost always somehow causes me to feel like the main character is flat.
The good:
There's so much good but I mostly enjoyed the woods. We've heard about dark woods and evil woods and it's always just an invisible enemy just acting through plants. This one has a story behind it and it acts with purpose other than accidental kills.
I also loved Agnieszka and Kasia's friendship. The way platonic relationships matter as much as romantic ones, if not more, really eased my dislike for the odd romantic relationship going on too.
Overall, this book is so good. It's a book I'll definitely pick up again!
This was such a good read! I really loved the setting of the story. A sentient wood as the villain? Yes please!
The bad:
There wasn't much bad in this book. The other wizards the main character meets are all annoying and that never changes. I also disliked the sudden angry sex scene. The weird romance going on between Agnieszka and the Dragon seemed unnecessary. Agnieszka as a main character feels a little flat too but at this point I'm sure it's the format of the narrator that makes it so. First person narration almost always somehow causes me to feel like the main character is flat.
The good:
There's so much good but I mostly enjoyed the woods. We've heard about dark woods and evil woods and it's always just an invisible enemy just acting through plants. This one has a story behind it and it acts with purpose other than accidental kills.
I also loved Agnieszka and Kasia's friendship. The way platonic relationships matter as much as romantic ones, if not more, really eased my dislike for the odd romantic relationship going on too.
Overall, this book is so good. It's a book I'll definitely pick up again!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is a retelling of The Red Riding Hood though it warps it into something new.
Adele, the main character, lives in a small village named Oakvale. All around is a forest full of monsters but unlike the other villagers, Adele has a grandmother who lives in a clearing in the forest. She is also a descendant of a long line of guardians who have watched over the villages in surrounded by the woods. When her time comes, she has to make a choice between the love of her life and the life she was destined to live from birth.
It's a quick read but well written!
The bad:
The premise sets up a typical YA story and that's exactly what you get. Adele is sixteen, stubborn and her head is full of teenage love and boys. She tries to stray away from her mother's advice and believes she knows better than all the other women before her. It's an old story at this point and quite common for YA.
The bad was mainly that the story spends so long setting up the woods as this common enemy but spends the vast majority of the time circling around the kind of love triangle and Adele's doubts about who to love and trust. It makes for a rather forgettable story.
The outcome is also rather obvious from the start and you don't really ever get convinced by Adele that she's right.
The good:
The ending! This book went where most YA won't go. I won't spoil the ending but I would have loved if the ending had been longer and we had spent a lot less time fussing over boys and teenage issues.
Would I read it again? Probably. It's not a bad book because of the ending but it's not the first book I'd reach for if I was out of books to read.
Adele, the main character, lives in a small village named Oakvale. All around is a forest full of monsters but unlike the other villagers, Adele has a grandmother who lives in a clearing in the forest. She is also a descendant of a long line of guardians who have watched over the villages in surrounded by the woods. When her time comes, she has to make a choice between the love of her life and the life she was destined to live from birth.
It's a quick read but well written!
The bad:
The premise sets up a typical YA story and that's exactly what you get. Adele is sixteen, stubborn and her head is full of teenage love and boys. She tries to stray away from her mother's advice and believes she knows better than all the other women before her. It's an old story at this point and quite common for YA.
The bad was mainly that the story spends so long setting up the woods as this common enemy but spends the vast majority of the time circling around the kind of love triangle and Adele's doubts about who to love and trust. It makes for a rather forgettable story.
The good:
The ending! This book went where most YA won't go. I won't spoil the ending but I would have loved if the ending had been longer and we had spent a lot less time fussing over boys and teenage issues.
Would I read it again? Probably. It's not a bad book because of the ending but it's not the first book I'd reach for if I was out of books to read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger
dark
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
An interesting take on a modern dark fairytale. I enjoyed the surrealism of a girl born to be a raven, unable to speak human yet looks human.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My love for this was endless. Then I realized this was just a love story with time travel, and it all fizzled out.
The good:
The concept of time travel as a condition rather than a power was really, really interesting.
Getting to know the two main characters was such a big part of the experience!
I absolutely loved Alba. I think this story would have been better had it followed her.
The bad:
When you think about it, the characters grow more and more flat. They have characteristics and interests but not really personalities. Outside of Henry, we're never told what Clare is like. Her whole existence is to love him and to want him.
Henry is a bit more fledged out. He has interests beyond Clare and a work life as well. But if he didn't have time travel as a condition, he'd be a rather boring character.
Their relationships to other people are built around experiences we're not told about. Henry's best friend dislikes him the first time he meets him, then carries on being his best friend afterwards for no apparent reason. The same for Henry's father. We're never told how he makes it out of his grief, let alone how Henry manages to repair his relationship to him.
The book, in the end, seems to try to handle too many issues at once which prevents it from going into detail about anything. I'd have loved to hear more about Henry's genetic disease, about Clare's relationship to her mother, about Alba's childhood. Instead we get excessive descriptions of music, art and books that somehow define the characters but don't give much in terms of who they are and what their life is like.
I'm glad I listened to it. I probably won't read it again though.
The good:
The concept of time travel as a condition rather than a power was really, really interesting.
Getting to know the two main characters was such a big part of the experience!
I absolutely loved Alba. I think this story would have been better had it followed her.
The bad:
When you think about it, the characters grow more and more flat. They have characteristics and interests but not really personalities. Outside of Henry, we're never told what Clare is like. Her whole existence is to love him and to want him.
Henry is a bit more fledged out. He has interests beyond Clare and a work life as well. But if he didn't have time travel as a condition, he'd be a rather boring character.
Their relationships to other people are built around experiences we're not told about. Henry's best friend dislikes him the first time he meets him, then carries on being his best friend afterwards for no apparent reason. The same for Henry's father. We're never told how he makes it out of his grief, let alone how Henry manages to repair his relationship to him.
The book, in the end, seems to try to handle too many issues at once which prevents it from going into detail about anything. I'd have loved to hear more about Henry's genetic disease, about Clare's relationship to her mother, about Alba's childhood. Instead we get excessive descriptions of music, art and books that somehow define the characters but don't give much in terms of who they are and what their life is like.
I'm glad I listened to it. I probably won't read it again though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Car accident
Moderate: Cursing, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0