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cluckieduck's reviews
300 reviews
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.0
Cozy? Sure. It was cute and filled with whimsy. I love a found family and this definitely had some endearing characters.
But…Oh. My. God. I. Was. So. Bored!!! This was more about opening and running a business day in, day out than high fantasy fun. Maybe if it had been shorter I’d have enjoyed it more.
I will say though, I haven’t read food descriptors like this since Redwall, so…it has that going for it.
But…Oh. My. God. I. Was. So. Bored!!! This was more about opening and running a business day in, day out than high fantasy fun. Maybe if it had been shorter I’d have enjoyed it more.
I will say though, I haven’t read food descriptors like this since Redwall, so…it has that going for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Sometimes the hype train takes you down some bumpy tracks, but oh boy how I surely enjoyed this one! Now, I am not on the TikTok so honestly didn’t really know much about this one heading in other than it being popular. I’m wary of BookTok recs and take them all with a grain of salt, but the speed at which I consumed this one (even though a goal of mine this year is to slow down!)…I haven’t been this taken with a series opener since Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy.
This had the right amount of whimsy, comedy, tension (both mystery & sexual), and intrigue, as well as the right mix of modern & fantasy for my tastes. The setting is magical and the characters delightful.
Evie is a fun lead that I found I just couldn’t not root for. Her sunshine to The Villain’s grump has a great balance and they’re well-matched leads. I look forward to seeing their relationship develop further as she keeps chipping away at his walls.
There’s definitely a lot of plot tidbits that can be called upon in further books, so I can’t wait to see which direction the next one goes!
This had the right amount of whimsy, comedy, tension (both mystery & sexual), and intrigue, as well as the right mix of modern & fantasy for my tastes. The setting is magical and the characters delightful.
Evie is a fun lead that I found I just couldn’t not root for. Her sunshine to The Villain’s grump has a great balance and they’re well-matched leads. I look forward to seeing their relationship develop further as she keeps chipping away at his walls.
There’s definitely a lot of plot tidbits that can be called upon in further books, so I can’t wait to see which direction the next one goes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Doves & Demons by Clio Evans
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25
Style over substance.
This was ok. It was equally too long but not long enough. Certain aspects would have benefit from a bit more fleshing out and a lot could have been cut - I did end up skimming quite a bit by the end because it just got a bit too repetitive.
I didn't find any of the harem particularly engaging and have no desire to finish the duet because those characters seem even less so.
This was ok. It was equally too long but not long enough. Certain aspects would have benefit from a bit more fleshing out and a lot could have been cut - I did end up skimming quite a bit by the end because it just got a bit too repetitive.
I didn't find any of the harem particularly engaging and have no desire to finish the duet because those characters seem even less so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Death of parent
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
While not a perfect book, I really, really enjoyed this one.
I understand the negative reviews bemoaning the lack of character growth, but I disagree. This is no hero's journey - Sadie & Sam are two highly flawed individuals, traumatized individuals who are so stuck in cycles of grief and/or dissociation that they cannot break away from which, to me, is a much more realistic portrayal of human character (seek trauma-centred therapy, you two!!).
Did I like them all the time? No, not particularly, and both conduct questionable behaviours/actions throughout, but I sure did empathize with them. I was quite taken with the point Sadie brought up about how:
"We're all living, at most, half of a life...the life you lived, which consisted of the choices you made. And then, there was the other life, the one that was the things you hadn't chosen."
So many times in this book had instances where you wonder what could have been had the other choice been made. There were just so many layers, and call backs, and foreshadowing that helped round out an engaging story on what it is to love and be loved.
I understand the negative reviews bemoaning the lack of character growth, but I disagree. This is no hero's journey - Sadie & Sam are two highly flawed individuals, traumatized individuals who are so stuck in cycles of grief and/or dissociation that they cannot break away from which, to me, is a much more realistic portrayal of human character (seek trauma-centred therapy, you two!!).
Did I like them all the time? No, not particularly, and both conduct questionable behaviours/actions throughout, but I sure did empathize with them. I was quite taken with the point Sadie brought up about how:
"We're all living, at most, half of a life...the life you lived, which consisted of the choices you made. And then, there was the other life, the one that was the things you hadn't chosen."
So many times in this book had instances where you wonder what could have been had the other choice been made. There were just so many layers, and call backs, and foreshadowing that helped round out an engaging story on what it is to love and be loved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, Abortion, and Alcohol
Earth Boys Are Easy by C. Rochelle
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
The Villainous series was already over the top, but this is just that much too extra and I'm not enjoying it. A plot "full of intrigue and twisty turns" is more like miscommunication overdrive, and neither character is doing it for me.
Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I love this series, but having a look back at the last few releases and seeing that I didn’t give them any ratings is a bit telling…I think Patricia has lost the plot a bit.
This latest one is quite convoluted, and I found breaking up each chapter with Interludes to keep us abreast of other plot points made for quite a stilted read. It was too much and not enough at the same time.
Some point soon I’d like to go back and read the beginning of the series again to remind myself of what I’m missing (hello, Stefan, where are you??) and fall back in love.
This latest one is quite convoluted, and I found breaking up each chapter with Interludes to keep us abreast of other plot points made for quite a stilted read. It was too much and not enough at the same time.
Some point soon I’d like to go back and read the beginning of the series again to remind myself of what I’m missing (hello, Stefan, where are you??) and fall back in love.
Heat Stroke by Tessa Bailey
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Nothing groundbreaking, but super cute. Marcus is everything you want in a himbo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Backman has a way with writing engaging stories about curmudgeons. Lucas is almost like a 30-year old Ove but, being a short story, we don’t get any backstory as to why he’d rather be alone, which makes him a little less likeable.
This story really just showcases how bureaucratic systems can get in the way of common sense, to which Lucas is the perfect foil.
I found it a bit heavy handed in the messaging Backman shoved in - the grass isn’t always greener; you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone; first impressions aren’t always accurate; you are the author of your own story. One (or two) too many, that made this just an okayish read for me.
This story really just showcases how bureaucratic systems can get in the way of common sense, to which Lucas is the perfect foil.
I found it a bit heavy handed in the messaging Backman shoved in - the grass isn’t always greener; you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone; first impressions aren’t always accurate; you are the author of your own story. One (or two) too many, that made this just an okayish read for me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Violence, Medical content, and Abandonment
Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.75
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
So much wasted potential!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Grief