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10000bees's reviews
326 reviews
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Okay yes this book was extremely predictable but I ate this one up just like the first. Something about this atmosphere just hits for me. Lore was in denial about the Main Thing that was happening for a little too long for my taste and that made me a little annoyed, but not enough for me to want to put the book down. At this point, I do believe I'll continue the series because I'm interested in the macro plot and how the god problems are going to be resolved.
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
5.0
I am once again thanking Tamsyn Muir for my life. How does she keep doing it? All the books in this series are so different, but they're also not. This one feels like it's on a smaller scale because it's kind of a slice of life following Nona, but it's also way Bigger than that. I love this world and all these quirky little characters and all the endless agonies they endure. And ooh the agony! But so much love!! That's what this book is about!!! Nona is the most precious character in the whole world and I loved seeing the story from her perspective. Don't even get me started on the side characters or I will cry.
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I kind of loved this, Bunny. The vibes were sooo. !. And I looved the writing. This one might be on the docket for an eventual reread.
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A devastating, poignant read. The theme of minor details is repeated throughout the story to masterful effect. It is easier to read the cold fact that someone died than it is to be told what could be heard, smelled, and seen when someone was killed. The minor details are what puts us in those in those moments of tragedy and atrocity more effectively than anything else could.
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I can definitely see a lot of people loving this book. Sally is a character that is really easy to root for and it's great to see how she grows over the course of the book. At the same time, the dual timeline covering the truth in her past scratches the true crime itch so well that I expect it's being optioned for a screen adaptation.
But I didn't love it, and it's hard to figure out exactly why. Objectively, it's interesting to see the different ways trauma can shape lives and showing the importance of having a supportive community to help people out. I think it does a good job with that. It's also darkly fascinating to see the perspective of twisted minds and consider the way they reason things out to themselves. It's a very dark story with some very graphic and disturbing scenes that didn't feel excessive given the context. The writing wasn't bad and the audiobook production was good. The truth is I just didn't care all that much by the end. Sorry!
But I didn't love it, and it's hard to figure out exactly why. Objectively, it's interesting to see the different ways trauma can shape lives and showing the importance of having a supportive community to help people out. I think it does a good job with that. It's also darkly fascinating to see the perspective of twisted minds and consider the way they reason things out to themselves. It's a very dark story with some very graphic and disturbing scenes that didn't feel excessive given the context. The writing wasn't bad and the audiobook production was good. The truth is I just didn't care all that much by the end. Sorry!
The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso
adventurous
dark
tense
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
3.5
This book immediately gripped me much more than the first. Talyien is such a deeply complex character who has been thrust into a thousand impossible situations and has lost a LOT getting out of them, and never unscathed. The walls she's built around herself are crumbling as she faces the consequences of her own actions as well as those of her father, whose shadow continues to loom large over the story. She's made mistakes and she continues to make mistakes, but we get to watch her learn and grow. A little too late, maybe, but it's growth all the same. She's hard to love at times, but Villoso takes us so deep into her mind that I feel like I really know her.
Unfortunately, the main I have with the book is the plot and pacing. Tali is relentlessly strung from action scene to action scene in a way that feels more convenient than natural and gets to be really exhausting. Whenever there is a moment of peace, you know something explosive is about to happen to interrupt it. I have the feeling that Villoso is a pantser rather than a plotter, and that's okay! It just really shows.
I still enjoyed this read overall and I'll definitely being finishing the series soon because I'm so interested to see where Tali ends up.
Unfortunately, the main I have with the book is the plot and pacing. Tali is relentlessly strung from action scene to action scene in a way that feels more convenient than natural and gets to be really exhausting. Whenever there is a moment of peace, you know something explosive is about to happen to interrupt it. I have the feeling that Villoso is a pantser rather than a plotter, and that's okay! It just really shows.
I still enjoyed this read overall and I'll definitely being finishing the series soon because I'm so interested to see where Tali ends up.
The One by John Marrs
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I listened to this with my friend while we were taking a short road trip and it was the perfect choice for that purpose. The concept was interesting and rotating between five different POVs meant there was never a dull moment. By the end, almost every chapter ended on a cliffhanger or reveal and I could not put it down until I was done. Having different narrators really enhanced the audiobook experience for me too, though the audio mixing wasn't perfect. I had to keep changing the volume especially with Nick's narrator.
I loved how different each of the POVs was and how they were used to show the various ways this app could impact people's lives. My enjoyment of each changed as the story went on because they all had their moment in the spotlight. I didn't like Mandy at first because the secondhand embarrassment was real, but by the end I just felt so bad for her. A Christopher's POV had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. Justice for Nick btw. Highly recommend picking this up if you want something that'll grip your attention.
I loved how different each of the POVs was and how they were used to show the various ways this app could impact people's lives. My enjoyment of each changed as the story went on because they all had their moment in the spotlight. I didn't like Mandy at first because the secondhand embarrassment was real, but by the end I just felt so bad for her. A Christopher's POV had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. Justice for Nick btw. Highly recommend picking this up if you want something that'll grip your attention.
The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The K drama vibes are off the charts with this one. I could easily picture the show in my mind while I was reading. And it's not a bad book, despite what you may think by seeing that 3 star rating. I actually had fun while I was reading/listening to this. Once the plot gets going, it's pretty quick and entertaining and I found Hani and Seokga's dynamic to be cute. Unfortunately, that's all it was for me. At any point I could have put the book down without picking it back up and would have been okay with that. Not one I took too seriously or got attached to. As a side note, I enjoyed having both characters be 1000+ years old instead of it just being the guy lol.
American Rapture by CJ Leede
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley/Tor Nightfire for the e-arc! Definitely check the TWs for this one, but I just want to highlight it does include graphic animal death. :(
Imagine having your coming-of-age experience at the worst possible time. Sophie, a sheltered teenager raised in a strictly Catholic household with basically no exposure to the outside world, meets a handsome boy and starts feeling things (shameful, embarrassing things in the Catholic perspective) right before all Hell breaks loose. There's a virus rapidly spreading through the US turning people into basically sex zombies.
It's a story about fighting for survival as much as it is about questioning the things Sophie was raised to believe. The writing immediately sucked me in and really put me in her mind. I could feel her constant guilt and simmering hate through the pages as things turned from bad to worse, and then the horror, desperation, and hopelessness as everything devolves to the point of no return. Though it took a few chapters for the plot to get going, the stakes never stopped increasing. Even when the characters tried to relax, the sense of dread never ceased and I found myself just waiting for something else horrible to happen. And oh boy, it sure did. The climax kind of wrecked me.
There is a lot going on in this story, and at times I thought it didn't quite juggle it all effectively. Not poorly enough to hinder my enjoyment, but enough for me to think about it after the fact. I already planned on picking up Maeve Fly at some point, but I'm going to bump that up on my priority list.
Imagine having your coming-of-age experience at the worst possible time. Sophie, a sheltered teenager raised in a strictly Catholic household with basically no exposure to the outside world, meets a handsome boy and starts feeling things (shameful, embarrassing things in the Catholic perspective) right before all Hell breaks loose. There's a virus rapidly spreading through the US turning people into basically sex zombies.
It's a story about fighting for survival as much as it is about questioning the things Sophie was raised to believe. The writing immediately sucked me in and really put me in her mind. I could feel her constant guilt and simmering hate through the pages as things turned from bad to worse, and then the horror, desperation, and hopelessness as everything devolves to the point of no return. Though it took a few chapters for the plot to get going, the stakes never stopped increasing. Even when the characters tried to relax, the sense of dread never ceased and I found myself just waiting for something else horrible to happen. And oh boy, it sure did. The climax kind of wrecked me.
There is a lot going on in this story, and at times I thought it didn't quite juggle it all effectively. Not poorly enough to hinder my enjoyment, but enough for me to think about it after the fact. I already planned on picking up Maeve Fly at some point, but I'm going to bump that up on my priority list.
Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas
adventurous
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
3.5
There was a bit too much action to call this a proper cozy read, but it was trying really really hard to be a cozy found family sci-fi adventure. I definitely liked aspects of it, including the crew's dynamic, but I found myself just thinking there were SO many words to describe each character's thoughts and feelings. It got to be frustrating and repetitive, often overpowering the actual plot and undercutting the tension for a quick quip. Anke was by far the worst offender. She just annoyed me. I also found it unrealistic how quickly the whole found family aspect formed between all four of them.
The plot itself was fine if a little basic, and the writing wasn't bad when you ignore the excessive quippage. The atmosphere on some of the planets was really good, but again it just got undercut with all the extra fluff. It's just hard to believe there's any risk while someone is working on a task that has to be accomplished in thirty seconds or else everyone will die when that same person is also nonstop bantering during the entire process. I enjoyed it more when I switched to the audiobook because the narrator was great and it was harder to get annoyed when I was multitasking. I may pick up the sequel if my library gets the audiobook because I think it'd be a good one for housework.
The plot itself was fine if a little basic, and the writing wasn't bad when you ignore the excessive quippage. The atmosphere on some of the planets was really good, but again it just got undercut with all the extra fluff. It's just hard to believe there's any risk while someone is working on a task that has to be accomplished in thirty seconds or else everyone will die when that same person is also nonstop bantering during the entire process. I enjoyed it more when I switched to the audiobook because the narrator was great and it was harder to get annoyed when I was multitasking. I may pick up the sequel if my library gets the audiobook because I think it'd be a good one for housework.