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third_bookworm's reviews
110 reviews
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Sweet, but kind of flat. Seemed like it was trying very hard to be inoffensive, at the expense of being interesting. But I think mostly I was just not the target audience for this book; it was fine, but not particularly to my taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Murder
The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
🤷♀️ it was fine.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a fun read! I enjoyed the idea of making art and creation so central to the plot. I think the main characters were a bit shallow, but the worldbuilding was so much fun that I didn't mind.
Affinity by Sarah Waters
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was very good. I love to read about deeply messed-up lesbians. One thing that I enjoy a lot about Waters' writing is that many of her main characters are interesting and enjoyable to read about despite not being even slightly likable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Lesbophobia
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book makes me unwell. It's so, so well done and also so upsetting. Really excellent in many ways. This was my second time reading it, and like all my favorite books it truly hits differently the second time through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Torture, Grief, and Death of parent
The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
I enjoyed this a lot. It's more fantasy flavored, but it very much feels like a lighter, simpler Locked Tomb. I loved Tal's character arc, and Csorwe and Shuthmili were of course heart wrenching.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was fine. Interesting concept, fun found family. I think I would have enjoyed it in middle school, but superhero stories don't have the appeal for me that they used to.
The Stars Undying by Emery Robin
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
This was very, very good. It's an excellent retelling of a well-known story; it follows the beats of the story, but only implies the most famous moments. The god-in-the-machine conceit was very fun and interesting.
City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I found this book really frustrating when I read it expecting it to have a plot or particular main characters. I enjoyed it a lot more when I approached it through the lense of an experiment in worldbuilding, where information can only be conveyed through in-world pieces of writing. It's an exercise for the reader in piecing together information about the world from various assorted stories, some of which are fiction and some of which are not, and some of which are of unclear veracity. It's challenging and interesting to read, and an impressive display of technical authorial accumen.
Translation State by Ann Leckie
(spoiler also for Nona the Ninth) If I had a nickel for every time two characters merged with each other as the culmination of their emotional arc and the only way to truly find fulfillment in their lives...
Joking aside though, this was really fun and sweet. I loved seeing some of the characters from the original trilogy show up again; it made me want to reread those books. I loved getting to see more of the Presger as well. All of it was just a lot of fun and made me very emotional.
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
Joking aside though, this was really fun and sweet. I loved seeing some of the characters from the original trilogy show up again; it made me want to reread those books. I loved getting to see more of the Presger as well. All of it was just a lot of fun and made me very emotional.