ristretto's reviews
441 reviews

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

A straight A scholarship student, they told Evie that she was gifted, that she was destined for great things. But after graduating from a top university with a ton of debt Evie’s stuck as an SAT tutor for LA’s ultra wealthy. What starts out as a normal day ends with the unexpected murder of her student’s parents and the discovery of a woman tied up under the stairs. One thing leads to another and sets up circumstances that has the two women on the run. What exactly happened that day? If they figure out who the real killer is can they be exonerated or will they be forever on the run?

Killer Potential is adventurous and fast paced. Think of Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde but sapphic. The majority of the novel is fast paced and humorous and I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. As Evie and her mysterious companion flee across the country and try to find out what exactly happened that day the tension and chances of being apprehended made it impossible to put down. But the last third slams the break on the pace that was established. And while that slower more reflective and poignant pace and tone was effective and brought an emotional weight, it really threw off the momentum. I thought the elements of falling through the cracks living on the fringe of society and the exploration of class were explored in an interesting way. The wistful and bittersweet feeling of those final chapters very much stayed with me. Despite some issues with pace I really enjoyed this debut novel and am eagerly anticipating what Hannah Deitch writes next.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Those Who Survive by K. N. Milde

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Those Who Survive is a bit of The Last of US and The Walking Dead, with a bit of Attack on Titan. We follow Ashley, one of the Privileged in this apocalyptic society, who plans to escape the walled city with her friends, entering infected territory. They all have their reasons for wanting to leave the safety of the city but Ashley can’t forgive SPORE, the military that defends what’s left of humanity, for the death of her father. Unfortunately things go sideways after their group encounters infected after leaving the safety of the city. Ashley is saved by SPORE, but is forced to join their ranks and enter cadet training.

I flew through this book, the characters were lovable and complex and the mystery of the Exiled had me hooked. I felt that this novel avoids a lot of common YA tropes, such as a main character who is inexplicably good at everything and can do no wrong. I was invested in Ashley’s growth as she struggles with training and who she can trust in an environment of intrigue and difficult choices.

The setting of a military training academy was also a nice touch. It avoids the pitfalls of survivors on the run giving focus to the mysteries that will be explored. It was interesting to see the military training side of a zombie apocalypse story and the politics of surviving, the organization of the society, and the different types of zombies. I hope the author will revisit this world again. While story is wrapped up nicely, there is potential to follow-up on events that happened in the climax and conclusion.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced