lilradridinghood's reviews
436 reviews

Maharlika Vol. 1, Volume 1 by John Ray Bumanglag, Rexy Josh Dorado

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

It's hard to say what I liked without spoiling it, because this whole first volume is the setup to a bigger story. I was pretty confused at first, but I was really intrigued when I started to see where it was going. I'd definitely recommend for fans of Steins;Gate.
The art is fantastic as well, and I love the baybayin onomatopoeia.
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
The main character is annoying and uninteresting.
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

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slow-paced

3.5

I love the worldbuilding, but I just didn't find the story or characters all that interesting. When I was 45% in, it still felt like the story was just beginning.
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

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informative reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

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Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
It's very slow, yet I don't know what's going on.
The Night Library of Sternendach: A Vampire Opera in Verse by Jessica Lévai

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  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is about a nineteen-year-old girl who pursues a secret romance with a married vampire who is hundreds of years older than her. The poetry ruins the flow of the novel because it feels like the words are being forced into a specific form. I was going to give this two stars but added 0.5 just for the dedication poem at the end. It was better than the whole story.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
I just find the story and characters boring.
Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

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  • Loveable characters? No

2.0

I guess now that Rose is away from school we're just gonna pretend it's fine that her 24-year-old teacher slept with a child. This book also made me realize how odd the concept is Strigoi is. Becoming a Strigoi alters someone's personality in a very specific way, so they're like the same person with the same memories and hobbies, except... evil?? It's really weird.
This series also keeps reusing the plot point of characters behaving poorly because of spirit, and it just makes the characters kind of annoying.
Penguindrum (Light Novel) Vol. 2 by Kei Takahashi, Kunihiko Ikuhara

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I love reading Shouma and Ringo's thoughts about each other. I think the book added some interesting perspective from Yuri and Tabuki as well. For some reason, the POV changes in this book were not jarring to me like they were in the first book. I feel like overall the writing was an improved experience.
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Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
The beginning really pulled me in with the narrative voice and the relatable frustration of writer's block, but I quickly lost interest when Ingrid started talking about her relationships and her actual life. Her fiance is annoying. She and her friend are so unnecessarily resentful toward the other Asian woman they know. I started getting annoyed with how much Ingrid really refuses to write.
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