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picklesoup's reviews
131 reviews
Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo
3.0
Rating: 3.5/5
Overall, I fairly enjoyed Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo. It was really fun and quite a light read but I do have some problems with it sadly.
The Plot: Daughters of Nri is based on African Mythology in the Kingdom of Nri in Nigeria. Having two twins girl who grew up believing they are humans when in reality they are a goddess. While the premise of the story is interesting and seems to be really strong, the story sadly fell flat. The plot felt really lost and it wasn't really even there. The conflict was quite clear but there was no buildup towards the main conflict and its climax actually, it felt as though there was no climax in the story at all. Talking about the story buildup, it felt as though there was no build up in the story, having no sitting to the edge type of situation, making me feel really comfortable sitting down. While the premise of the plot seemed to be full of edge sitting and buildup, the execution wasn't there sadly. It felt as though there was no middle and only a beginning and an end. I was really hoping the plot will start to solidify but it only seemed to be a puddle right now. This novel felt more of a prequel to the first book in a series rather than the first book of a series. The plot felt as though it needed to be more flushed out cause I felt it's potential throughout the entire novel but due to its falling flat, it made the story pacing and character development very strange. I really wished this plot was more flushed out because the potential was there its just the story didn't seem ready and felt like a first draft.
The Writing: The style of writing was really unique and something I personally haven't seen done before. In general, I really enjoyed Amayo's writing style in the third person, however, there were some issues with it. To start off, the pace was really weird and inconsistent throughout the entire novel. The pacing was slow but at the same time, it wasn't...? The pacing was something that probably confused me the most throughout the entire time. The pacing felt as though it was going really quickly but it felt as though nothing was going on. I don't know, the entire pacings of the novel just made no sense. Having a duel point of view, Naala and Sinai, it seemed as though the two-point of views had a hard time matching up with pacing, which made the entire pacing as a whole very strange. Second off, the ending felt really rushed compared to the rest of the story. While the rest of the story felt slow, the ending came and went really quickly at the point where I didn't even realize it was already done. I wished there were more of a buildup towards the ending because that's what made the entire novel feel flat and not as exciting as it should've been.
The Characters: Naala and Sinia are our two main characters. Twin girls who are very similar despite never meeting or knowing each other and being in two completely different places. I loved both Naala and Sinai's character and seeing how they work and think and react to different situations. Personally I felt more drawn into Sinai's storyline compare to Naala due to the fact Sinai's storyline seemed to have much more action occurring and had a much faster-pacing comparing to Naala's storyline, which made me confused during times. However, there was little to no character development from the start to the end of the novel and very little background information about the two. Although we learned about the two throughout the novel, it seemed it wasn't enough for me to gain a strong connection for the two. I did enjoy reading about the two twins but I wished that the characters were slightly more introduced and had more development and time to learn about them.
Overall, I did enjoy Daughter of Nri by Reni K. Amayo. It was a quick and easy read and didn't hurt my head too much with learning about the world the two girls are in. Although there are quite a lot of flaws in this novel, with having more of a prequel feel, I feel as though the second book will finally be more fill with action and fastpaced with the way this book ended. I would read this again if I ever need to read something light and simple.
Overall, I fairly enjoyed Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo. It was really fun and quite a light read but I do have some problems with it sadly.
The Plot: Daughters of Nri is based on African Mythology in the Kingdom of Nri in Nigeria. Having two twins girl who grew up believing they are humans when in reality they are a goddess. While the premise of the story is interesting and seems to be really strong, the story sadly fell flat. The plot felt really lost and it wasn't really even there. The conflict was quite clear but there was no buildup towards the main conflict and its climax actually, it felt as though there was no climax in the story at all. Talking about the story buildup, it felt as though there was no build up in the story, having no sitting to the edge type of situation, making me feel really comfortable sitting down. While the premise of the plot seemed to be full of edge sitting and buildup, the execution wasn't there sadly. It felt as though there was no middle and only a beginning and an end. I was really hoping the plot will start to solidify but it only seemed to be a puddle right now. This novel felt more of a prequel to the first book in a series rather than the first book of a series. The plot felt as though it needed to be more flushed out cause I felt it's potential throughout the entire novel but due to its falling flat, it made the story pacing and character development very strange. I really wished this plot was more flushed out because the potential was there its just the story didn't seem ready and felt like a first draft.
The Writing: The style of writing was really unique and something I personally haven't seen done before. In general, I really enjoyed Amayo's writing style in the third person, however, there were some issues with it. To start off, the pace was really weird and inconsistent throughout the entire novel. The pacing was slow but at the same time, it wasn't...? The pacing was something that probably confused me the most throughout the entire time. The pacing felt as though it was going really quickly but it felt as though nothing was going on. I don't know, the entire pacings of the novel just made no sense. Having a duel point of view, Naala and Sinai, it seemed as though the two-point of views had a hard time matching up with pacing, which made the entire pacing as a whole very strange. Second off, the ending felt really rushed compared to the rest of the story. While the rest of the story felt slow, the ending came and went really quickly at the point where I didn't even realize it was already done.
Spoiler
The fight against Naala, Sinai, and Eze went by so quickly it didn't even make a big impact on me when they both killed The Eze. I felt if there were more buildup to the fight against Eze would've had much more of an impact but it fell really flat and almost felt boring sadly.The Characters: Naala and Sinia are our two main characters. Twin girls who are very similar despite never meeting or knowing each other and being in two completely different places. I loved both Naala and Sinai's character and seeing how they work and think and react to different situations. Personally I felt more drawn into Sinai's storyline compare to Naala due to the fact Sinai's storyline seemed to have much more action occurring and had a much faster-pacing comparing to Naala's storyline, which made me confused during times. However, there was little to no character development from the start to the end of the novel and very little background information about the two. Although we learned about the two throughout the novel, it seemed it wasn't enough for me to gain a strong connection for the two. I did enjoy reading about the two twins but I wished that the characters were slightly more introduced and had more development and time to learn about them.
Overall, I did enjoy Daughter of Nri by Reni K. Amayo. It was a quick and easy read and didn't hurt my head too much with learning about the world the two girls are in. Although there are quite a lot of flaws in this novel, with having more of a prequel feel, I feel as though the second book will finally be more fill with action and fastpaced with the way this book ended. I would read this again if I ever need to read something light and simple.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
4.0
Rating: 4.75/5
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy. Shit. Actually, I felt like I've been lied to.
The Plot:
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown is following our two protagonists, Karina, and Malik, as their both on the quest to regain what they once lost. I loved this story and plot. Everything moved smoothly with one another and felt strong from the start to the end. Typically I'm kinda iffy on plots with more than one perspective because it can very easily mess up with the pacing and voice of the story as one. However, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin did it beautifully. Having both Karina's and Malik's story pacing was done so well with both of their stories interwinding with each other.
The plot felt strong throughout the entire time and I was constantly on the edge of my seat while reading so. There was never once a moment where I felt like the story was being dragged and there was never a moment where it felt like it didn't contribute to the story. Every single moment had such a big play in the final conflict and ending [which by the way completely destroyed me] and some of them were so suttled that you didn't even notice that it had such a big play until the story is done. Honestly, Brown did such a good job of writing a strong and thrilling plot that kept me on my toes the entire time.
The Writing:
I loved Brown's writing style. I'm typically a fan of the third point of view writing, but sometimes it can be such a miss for me. However, this was very much a hit for me. Brown's writing style was so intriguing and is one of the main reasons why I kept on turning the pages. The pacing was done wonderfully and both Karina's and Malik's voices were writing so well were instead of it feeling like the two voices are fighting, as sometimes how dual perspectives can feel like, it felt likes the two were complimenting one another. Having one action happen in one perspective and then the next person can feel that impact. Both of our main characters' voices felt so unique from one another at the point where I know who's chapter is it without seeing their name. I truly enjoyed Brown's writing and it felt like the writing was very much complimenting the story instead of fighting with the story.
TW: THE NEXT TOPIC WILL BE TALKING AND MENTION ABOUT SELF HARM AND ANXIETY
The Characters:
Okay so our two main characters, Karina and Malik, were two wonderful characters that break the typical character arc of a YA protagonist. However, I didn't have much of a strong connection to the two as I would have liked. Starting off with Malik, a boy with anxiety who is trying to complete the impossible. He's very much not the typical strong male YA lead, he's weak and scrawny and gets trapped in his head so often. That's why I love him so much. Showing how men can have mental illness as well and it can just be as terrible as anyone else. Malik was such a beautiful, well-written character. In the end, Malik comes to terms with his anxiety and shows how he's strong because he continues fighting no matter how often his anxiety drags him down. This was such a powerful scene and had such a big impact on me. I loved Malik and watching grow and become such a strong character mentally was something so beautiful to read.
Now talking about Karina, the princess who never wanted to be royal in the first place. Trying to complete something that goes against all laws of humanity and the dead. Karina was very much a different character from the typical YA female lead. She was bold and rash, constantly fighting for power both in the council and in her own head. She was such a complex character, I don't even know where to begin with her. Dealing with the grief of her family and now working on taking control of the crown that was never meant to be hers, it was such a ride when it came to her chapters. Seeing her working through her own battle with unresolved trauma and anxiety but still being a strong character who is willing to take charge even if her body and mind are telling her no. Karina is such a strong character and honestly, I'll let her poison me any time of the day.
Both characters deal with some sort of anxiety and both deal with self-harm, which is very much important judging from how they reached their end goals and for their characters in general. Both Karina and Malik are strong characters in their own way and I loved seeing the two interacted with one another and seeing how both of their stories intertwined with each other was something beautiful and wonderful to witness. Ugh, I love these characters with all my heart and I wished that I had so much more of a connection with the two because they are both wonderful and well-written characters.
Now to finally finish off this long ass review of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown. I love this book and I would recommend this book to everybody. The story was written so well and there was so many plot twist occurring at the point when I finish it I felt so filled yet empty at the same time. This book was such a thrill to read and I love it, would read it again and I'm so excited to read the next book once it's released.
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy. Shit. Actually, I felt like I've been lied to.
The Plot:
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown is following our two protagonists, Karina, and Malik, as their both on the quest to regain what they once lost. I loved this story and plot. Everything moved smoothly with one another and felt strong from the start to the end. Typically I'm kinda iffy on plots with more than one perspective because it can very easily mess up with the pacing and voice of the story as one. However, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin did it beautifully. Having both Karina's and Malik's story pacing was done so well with both of their stories interwinding with each other.
The plot felt strong throughout the entire time and I was constantly on the edge of my seat while reading so. There was never once a moment where I felt like the story was being dragged and there was never a moment where it felt like it didn't contribute to the story. Every single moment had such a big play in the final conflict and ending [which by the way completely destroyed me] and some of them were so suttled that you didn't even notice that it had such a big play until the story is done. Honestly, Brown did such a good job of writing a strong and thrilling plot that kept me on my toes the entire time.
The Writing:
I loved Brown's writing style. I'm typically a fan of the third point of view writing, but sometimes it can be such a miss for me. However, this was very much a hit for me. Brown's writing style was so intriguing and is one of the main reasons why I kept on turning the pages. The pacing was done wonderfully and both Karina's and Malik's voices were writing so well were instead of it feeling like the two voices are fighting, as sometimes how dual perspectives can feel like, it felt likes the two were complimenting one another. Having one action happen in one perspective and then the next person can feel that impact. Both of our main characters' voices felt so unique from one another at the point where I know who's chapter is it without seeing their name. I truly enjoyed Brown's writing and it felt like the writing was very much complimenting the story instead of fighting with the story.
TW: THE NEXT TOPIC WILL BE TALKING AND MENTION ABOUT SELF HARM AND ANXIETY
The Characters:
Okay so our two main characters, Karina and Malik, were two wonderful characters that break the typical character arc of a YA protagonist. However, I didn't have much of a strong connection to the two as I would have liked. Starting off with Malik, a boy with anxiety who is trying to complete the impossible. He's very much not the typical strong male YA lead, he's weak and scrawny and gets trapped in his head so often. That's why I love him so much. Showing how men can have mental illness as well and it can just be as terrible as anyone else. Malik was such a beautiful, well-written character. In the end, Malik comes to terms with his anxiety and shows how he's strong because he continues fighting no matter how often his anxiety drags him down. This was such a powerful scene and had such a big impact on me. I loved Malik and watching grow and become such a strong character mentally was something so beautiful to read.
Now talking about Karina, the princess who never wanted to be royal in the first place. Trying to complete something that goes against all laws of humanity and the dead. Karina was very much a different character from the typical YA female lead. She was bold and rash, constantly fighting for power both in the council and in her own head. She was such a complex character, I don't even know where to begin with her. Dealing with the grief of her family and now working on taking control of the crown that was never meant to be hers, it was such a ride when it came to her chapters. Seeing her working through her own battle with unresolved trauma and anxiety but still being a strong character who is willing to take charge even if her body and mind are telling her no. Karina is such a strong character and honestly, I'll let her poison me any time of the day.
Both characters deal with some sort of anxiety and both deal with self-harm, which is very much important judging from how they reached their end goals and for their characters in general. Both Karina and Malik are strong characters in their own way and I loved seeing the two interacted with one another and seeing how both of their stories intertwined with each other was something beautiful and wonderful to witness. Ugh, I love these characters with all my heart and I wished that I had so much more of a connection with the two because they are both wonderful and well-written characters.
Now to finally finish off this long ass review of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown. I love this book and I would recommend this book to everybody. The story was written so well and there was so many plot twist occurring at the point when I finish it I felt so filled yet empty at the same time. This book was such a thrill to read and I love it, would read it again and I'm so excited to read the next book once it's released.
The Rose Society by Marie Lu
5.0
Rating: 5/5
that ending absolutely caught me off guard and i feel so empty wtf
that ending absolutely caught me off guard and i feel so empty wtf
Wildcard by Marie Lu
5.0
Rating: 5/5
such an interesting and intense world that i loved reading about. this entire book was a bittersweet experience that i extremely enjoyed
such an interesting and intense world that i loved reading about. this entire book was a bittersweet experience that i extremely enjoyed
Music of the Night by Angela J. Ford
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5
I really enjoyed this story and I was very invested in the characters that were featured in this story, I just wished it was slightly longer to be able to get more worldbuilding and character development in. Besides that, I truly loved this story.
I really enjoyed this story and I was very invested in the characters that were featured in this story, I just wished it was slightly longer to be able to get more worldbuilding and character development in. Besides that, I truly loved this story.
Deadly Class Volume 1: Reagan Youth by Rick Remender
3.0
rating: 3.5/5
tw: gore, death, blood, violence, drug substance
this book was pretty intense but it was such a ride that i enjoyed. there were a few things that i had problem with it, nothing that is too major just some things personally didn’t click with me, but besides that i actually enjoyed it a lot
tw: gore, death, blood, violence, drug substance
this book was pretty intense but it was such a ride that i enjoyed. there were a few things that i had problem with it, nothing that is too major just some things personally didn’t click with me, but besides that i actually enjoyed it a lot