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sarahweyand's reviews
378 reviews
Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
I came into this book absolutely 100% misremembering the synopsis (for a book that I'm now convinced doesn't exist), but it's always disappointing when the synopsis you think is going to happen ends up being more exciting than what you're given. Not the book's fault though, I suppose.
This is a YA story with some darker elements and the dialogue definitely reads that way. I enjoyed our dual POV narrators in the audiobook and thought they did the best they could with some stilted sounding conversations. I thought for the most part the characters were pretty flat; I didn't care much for the relationships or romance and didn't feel any characters had a lot of development.
I did like the plot and the creepy cult/religious/Gothic vibes. I think high schoolers and some more advanced middle graders could like this one, just a little underdeveloped for what I'd like to see for a favorite in the genre.
This is a YA story with some darker elements and the dialogue definitely reads that way. I enjoyed our dual POV narrators in the audiobook and thought they did the best they could with some stilted sounding conversations. I thought for the most part the characters were pretty flat; I didn't care much for the relationships or romance and didn't feel any characters had a lot of development.
I did like the plot and the creepy cult/religious/Gothic vibes. I think high schoolers and some more advanced middle graders could like this one, just a little underdeveloped for what I'd like to see for a favorite in the genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This book was slooooowwww and maybe would have been better if I knew what it was adapting, but books should be able to stand on their own even if it's an adaptation. A hard read about cycles of abuse plagued by flat, unchanging characters and unnatural dialogue. At least the Gothic vibes helped a little.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia
The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
It's not a great sign when I have to switch from a physical book to an audiobook halfway through because it's normally a sign I'm close to a DNF. Unfortunately, swapping over to audio only helped me get through the book percent-wise; I'm not sure I retained much or enjoyed myself while listening. This is a very slow-paced novel that has a concept I found to be so intriguing I overlooked its mediocre initial feedback. I really love a historical fiction and fantasy genre crossover.
I enjoyed the Gothic historical vibes and the undercurrent of a romance throughout the plot; these elements kept me moving past the child labor and sexism. I found the storyline with Henry and Sir Edward to be far more interesting than the one with Sophia and James; a book with two timelines in which one is far superior to the other is almost the kiss of death for me. Ultimately, I found I just didn't care much at all.
I can see why some people really love this book, it just didn't quite hit right for me.
It's not a great sign when I have to switch from a physical book to an audiobook halfway through because it's normally a sign I'm close to a DNF. Unfortunately, swapping over to audio only helped me get through the book percent-wise; I'm not sure I retained much or enjoyed myself while listening. This is a very slow-paced novel that has a concept I found to be so intriguing I overlooked its mediocre initial feedback. I really love a historical fiction and fantasy genre crossover.
I enjoyed the Gothic historical vibes and the undercurrent of a romance throughout the plot; these elements kept me moving past the child labor and sexism. I found the storyline with Henry and Sir Edward to be far more interesting than the one with Sophia and James; a book with two timelines in which one is far superior to the other is almost the kiss of death for me. Ultimately, I found I just didn't care much at all.
I can see why some people really love this book, it just didn't quite hit right for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child death
Minor: Homophobia
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Just a resounding "ehhhhhh". Slow and pretty boring which led me to zone out during some of the audiobook, which probably impacted how I felt about some of the twists later on. I thought the ending has some interesting concepts, but it felt too little too late. Probably a fine read though, my horror standards are pretty high these days since most things start to blur together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Murder
William by Mason Coile
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
This book was SUCH a dark horse my ARC lineup this year. This is a debut and I'm picky about "haunted house" stories, so I went in not expecting much and was promptly proven wrong. Frankly, this book was a 3.75 until the twist towards the end, which came so out of left field and left me aghast that I immediately deemed it one of my favorite books of the year. I don't want to compare the ending to any other book I've read because I simply don't want any chance of spoiling it for you.
Will definitely be looking out for more work from Coile in the future. I had a great time with this one.
This book was SUCH a dark horse my ARC lineup this year. This is a debut and I'm picky about "haunted house" stories, so I went in not expecting much and was promptly proven wrong. Frankly, this book was a 3.75 until the twist towards the end, which came so out of left field and left me aghast that I immediately deemed it one of my favorite books of the year. I don't want to compare the ending to any other book I've read because I simply don't want any chance of spoiling it for you.
Will definitely be looking out for more work from Coile in the future. I had a great time with this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
This was my first Ava Reid, and having read JUNIPER & THORN shortly after I think it is right in line with her other work, so if you liked her previous books you'll probably enjoy this one too. I loved the Gothic and tense atmosphere present throughout, and I thought the plot was compelling (although I've never read MACBETH - I know! I know).
Not the biggest fan of how Scotland/the Scottish people were portrayed here, or how our main character was supposed to be super smart and cunning but was actually just kind of dumb. I'd probably be significantly more offended if I'd read MACBETH beforehand.
I don't know whether to recommend this one or not. Honestly I'd probably pass if you've read MACBETH before. But if you read it is its own, standalone, unadapted tale, it was just fine to me.
This was my first Ava Reid, and having read JUNIPER & THORN shortly after I think it is right in line with her other work, so if you liked her previous books you'll probably enjoy this one too. I loved the Gothic and tense atmosphere present throughout, and I thought the plot was compelling (although I've never read MACBETH - I know! I know).
Not the biggest fan of how Scotland/the Scottish people were portrayed here, or how our main character was supposed to be super smart and cunning but was actually just kind of dumb. I'd probably be significantly more offended if I'd read MACBETH beforehand.
I don't know whether to recommend this one or not. Honestly I'd probably pass if you've read MACBETH before. But if you read it is its own, standalone, unadapted tale, it was just fine to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Murder
Somewhere in the Dark by R.J. Jacobs
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
2.75
So utterly forgettable boilerplate thriller that it was totally fine but I can't even be bothered to write a review because I don't remember anything about it.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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
4.25
I swear T. Kingfisher writes the oddest most enjoyable little books; she really has this fantastic niche that I just eat up. Am I going to understand or adore every single thing she write? No. But I know I'm always in for a fun and atmospheric vibe. I really liked the twists in this book, but it also seemed like a whimsical, low-stakes retelling despite some of its content. Not my favorite book by her ever, but I liked it nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Death
Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
A really fascinating look at how AI directly impacts human lives. I feel like most other books of this genre focus on how this products and algorithms work, and while that's also interesting, I appreciated how this book focused on the stories of real people. I'm an AI hater/skeptic for the most part and I like books like this that help me learn more to support my opinions in ways I hadn't considered before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, and Misogyny
The Most by Jessica Anthony
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
This was a very quick read for me and I can't say I was bored, but I also can't say this book said much of anything. I feel like slice-of-life literary fiction that isn't *about* anything is very in vogue recently, and I can get down with that sometimes. But those books do actually have something to say. Here, I didn't particularly like either of the characters or feel like I got to know or sympathize with them, and there wasn't much of a plot to fall back on.
At the end of the day, I didn't feel too let down because this book wasn't that long, but I probably won't be going around recommending this to anyone.
This was a very quick read for me and I can't say I was bored, but I also can't say this book said much of anything. I feel like slice-of-life literary fiction that isn't *about* anything is very in vogue recently, and I can get down with that sometimes. But those books do actually have something to say. Here, I didn't particularly like either of the characters or feel like I got to know or sympathize with them, and there wasn't much of a plot to fall back on.
At the end of the day, I didn't feel too let down because this book wasn't that long, but I probably won't be going around recommending this to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol