alysbookclub's reviews
248 reviews

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Read this one in a day - it ups the ante from book 1, and I absolutely loved it!
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

A super fun world that I'm into, but the writing is a little too YA for me - not that it's bad, just a little juvenile at times. Love the worldbuilding and the lore in the series. Evangeline is a little too naive for me, but it's still very sweet and feels very fairytale, which I love. 
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

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dark emotional hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Every woman knows the feeling of fear/awareness you've had ingrained into you when walking alone at night - this book is a fuck you to that feeling and the necessity of it. 

The biggest thing that kept me from giving 5 stars was the sometimes slow pacing, and the fact that I wanted more information about the invocations and witches! 
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

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emotional reflective fast-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? No

3.75

A beautiful dark folktale of a novella with an immersive atmosphere and lovely writing. A slight twist on the classic 'missing children in the forest' tale.
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Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Loved it a bit more than Belladonna! Still as atmospheric and lovely, but I preferred this mystery, and enjoyed the multiple POV with Blythe. Can't wait for Wisteria! 
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

Give me a MMC with shadow powers and I'm in. I liked the mystery and the character of Death, but did find the plot could drag, and Signa's acceptance of her 'true self' felt slow and then really rushed. HOWEVER, I liked it enough to crush it and am already reading Foxglove.
The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

A solid horror novel with some unexpected twists! A gothic paranormal horror story set it Chicago, the pacing is medium-fast and easy to move through.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

... Holy crap I will be thinking about this book forever. Masterful tension and mystery. Start with the film mother!, throw in some Control/ Alan Wake video game, and sprinkle in the tv show Haunting of Hill House, and you have We Used to Live Here. I will be recommending to anyone who wants to have their reality challenged. 

THEOLDMANWITHTHESCARHASLIVEDINTHECABINFORCENTURIESANDGOESBYMANYDIFFERENTNAMES
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Idunn is exhausted. She sleeps at night and wakes in the morning in pain with bruises she can't recall. 

This thriller/ horror novella will absolutely stay with me - the only reason I can't do 5 stars is because I wish the ending had given more. I read this book in two hours and was absolutely riveted. The story is fast-paced and just creepy enough to be unnerving. The reader is given just enough clues about the 'monster' to build tension.
To Cage a God by Elizabeth May

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adventurous tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Part 1 of the These Monstrous Gods duology, To Cage a God is a Slavic fantasy that often feels like a dark fairytale. Told from multiple POV's, the novel can be a little repetitive and slow at times, but overall the storyline is interesting and kept me reading. There are two main storylines (Galina and Sera), which each have their own romantic subplot. While I loved Galina's sapphic love affair (soft, hidden identity, bonded pair), Sera's romantic relationship (enemies to lovers, knife to throat, touch her and die) felt a little forced to me. BUT I loved the idea of the gods unwillingly bonded to humans for their powers and I'm very excited to read the second book in the duology!