Scan barcode
readingrobyn's reviews
738 reviews
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book could 100% be read as a standalone, and I don't know if I love that for the series. I enjoyed this story for the strong writing and the whimsy of the main character, but there wasn't a compelling plot to really propell the main character forward. The time spent in the door world felt like it spent more time explaining logistics than it did building a story I could care about.
It's enjoyable, but not amazing.
Also I'm not a huge fan of the significant Russian element to the story. I know that was established with the character years ago, but it feels like a missed opportunity to comment on the current state of the world and the ongoing war that is devastating for so many people. Like it's right there and to not comment on it meanwhile your character is reminiscing about mother Russia feels ignorant.
It's enjoyable, but not amazing.
Also I'm not a huge fan of the significant Russian element to the story. I know that was established with the character years ago, but it feels like a missed opportunity to comment on the current state of the world and the ongoing war that is devastating for so many people. Like it's right there and to not comment on it meanwhile your character is reminiscing about mother Russia feels ignorant.
Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Volume 6 by Stephen McCranie
medium-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
3.5
Space Boy doesn't amaze me as a sci-fi story at this point in the series, but the characters are compelling and it is a sweet coming of age style story. I think what is really keeping me engaged is the visual storytelling. McCraine has a real talent for illustrating how technology works in ways that make the tech feel natural and the story feel fluid.
I have seen countless other stories try and fail to show their characters interacting with technology and it impacts how real the lives of young people feel in those worlds. Some stories are so inept that they don't include technology at all. Imagine a world where you are telling a coming of age story without a single computer or cell phone - just painful! McCraine illustrates the importance of tech in the lives of young people and keeps it visually interesting!
The scene of Amy searching the internet for information on a historical event and reading news stories about it was a genuinely amazing feat of visual storytelling.
I have seen countless other stories try and fail to show their characters interacting with technology and it impacts how real the lives of young people feel in those worlds. Some stories are so inept that they don't include technology at all. Imagine a world where you are telling a coming of age story without a single computer or cell phone - just painful! McCraine illustrates the importance of tech in the lives of young people and keeps it visually interesting!
The scene of Amy searching the internet for information on a historical event and reading news stories about it was a genuinely amazing feat of visual storytelling.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
medium-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
4.0
A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
A Murder is Announced is a solid mystery that unfortunately suffered for me because I had just watched the Marple edition prior to reading it. Going in blind is a much better idea! Still an enjoyable story with good twists. I think writing wise that it could have been shorter and the number of characters were sometimes hard to keep track of. The audiobook edition that I listened to really helped me stay on track of who is who and was engaging to listen to.
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern
4.0
Let me begin by saying when I'm in the young adult section of any book loaning establishment I am very much the type of reader who judges a book by it's cover and perhaps because of this there are only so many times I can pass by a book on the shelf before I have to stop and actually read it. This was one of the first reasons why despite some hesitation I added this book to my reading list for the year.
Get Well Soon was one of those books I was a little worried about reading, despite its humours outside it had the potential to be personally depressing. When picking up books about the serious emotional issues of being a teenager I always put on my caution lights, I have been fooled before into reading books that I believed would deal with these issues in a humorous manner only to read 300 pages of hopeless angst that in the end do more harm then good for my own emotional standings.
Now that I have finally read the book I am happy to report that it was not one of those stories. Julie Halpern tells Anna Bloom's story in a manner that I could not only connect with but walk away from smiling. The characters were interesting, the perspective was amazingly written and the story flowed in a way that kept me reading well into the night.
In the end I have to say I have never been so pleased with my cover judging ways. :)
Get Well Soon was one of those books I was a little worried about reading, despite its humours outside it had the potential to be personally depressing. When picking up books about the serious emotional issues of being a teenager I always put on my caution lights, I have been fooled before into reading books that I believed would deal with these issues in a humorous manner only to read 300 pages of hopeless angst that in the end do more harm then good for my own emotional standings.
Now that I have finally read the book I am happy to report that it was not one of those stories. Julie Halpern tells Anna Bloom's story in a manner that I could not only connect with but walk away from smiling. The characters were interesting, the perspective was amazingly written and the story flowed in a way that kept me reading well into the night.
In the end I have to say I have never been so pleased with my cover judging ways. :)
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
3.0
This installment of the Percy Jackson series has lived up to my previous expectations and I found myself drawn back into Percy's world quite effortlessly.
In the first book of the series it was all about introducing us to Greek gods in a modern setting, this time around Riordan incorporates the characters found in the epic Greek tale of The Odyssey.
Percy takes a walk in the shoes of Odysseus as he goes on an unauthorized quest to The Sea of Monsters in search of Grover and the magical Golden Fleece with the hopes of saving a dieing camp half blood. This time around without Grover he also has a new companion a young, homeless Cyclops, Tyson.
I really enjoyed reading this book and was excited to see it had added some aspects that lacked in the previous book such as, more attention is paid to developing the main characters and their relationships, Percy puts a bit more thought into what it exactly means to be Poseidon's son, Questions surrounding the specifics of the story are answered with more clarity, and there is more of a flow between the original Greek myths and how they are incorporated into the story.
I have a feeling that as the series continues and the plot and characters continue to develop things will simply get better and better.
In the first book of the series it was all about introducing us to Greek gods in a modern setting, this time around Riordan incorporates the characters found in the epic Greek tale of The Odyssey.
Percy takes a walk in the shoes of Odysseus as he goes on an unauthorized quest to The Sea of Monsters in search of Grover and the magical Golden Fleece with the hopes of saving a dieing camp half blood. This time around without Grover he also has a new companion a young, homeless Cyclops, Tyson.
I really enjoyed reading this book and was excited to see it had added some aspects that lacked in the previous book such as, more attention is paid to developing the main characters and their relationships, Percy puts a bit more thought into what it exactly means to be Poseidon's son, Questions surrounding the specifics of the story are answered with more clarity, and there is more of a flow between the original Greek myths and how they are incorporated into the story.
I have a feeling that as the series continues and the plot and characters continue to develop things will simply get better and better.
It's a Book by Lane Smith
4.0
Best picture book I've read since I stopped reading picture books. I loved it all of it the art, the words, the story. Simply brilliant.