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ashley_mrose530's reviews
440 reviews
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was creepy, gory, mysterious goodness! It was so fascinating to read and definitely had me on the edge of my seat. There were so many moments where I could not control my ick face because the imagery was so wonderfully detailed and the plot was so interesting. I could not tell where it was going to go until the end. And then Madeline started talking about the fungus as if it was a child??? Nuh uh, that shit was freaky! She willingly let it infect her and slowly kill her??? Damn. Anyway, go read this book if you have any interest in the horror genre. It's a must for sure.
Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a really good fairytale retelling.
At first I didn't see how the story was going to relate to Snow White. I saw a Queen that loved her daughter and they were both trying to save their kingdom from a wizard who was very cruel to everyone he granted wishes to. It was so vastly different from the Snow White story we all grew up with. But then the magic mirror was brought into play and I started to see glimpses of the original story but it was still so different that it kept me from predicting where it was going to go and I'm so glad for that. I loved learning things along with the characters.
Eve was so stubborn and headstrong, ready to jump into a fight at any point at the beginning of this book and it was heartbreaking but beautiful to watch her grow as she learned that she wasn't invincible and sometimes she can't protect everyone.
We lost a few great characters in this one and I was so sad to see them go.Mekhi was especially hard to see because he was mostly sacrificed for Eve's character growth which is always difficult to grapple with, but I think it was necessary here because she needed a wake up call. I don't think she would have grown otherwise.
I thought the interweaving of multiple fairytales was so interesting here. It kept the story new and exciting and I loved the moment I realized that the Knight was Rumpelstiltskin. I will say that it got a little repetitive at the end though. When Eve was going over Rumpel's story with Maeve and Clio they were basically rehashing that she was related to the girl he made his great mistake to which we already knew. I'm not too sure why that had to be added to the end. Like she learned a little more about who the girl was, but that wasn't the thing that was pointed out in the exposition of that part, it was only the "omg we're related to her" thing and I thought that was weird.
I will say that this story started off a little slow as it was trying to set everything up. Because there wasn't an immediate connection to the original story of Snow White, it had a lot of world-building to do to start off and it didn't draw me in as much as I wish it had. But once I started seeing the Queen hiding something from Eve and the mirror was brought in, it started to pick up.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings.
At first I didn't see how the story was going to relate to Snow White. I saw a Queen that loved her daughter and they were both trying to save their kingdom from a wizard who was very cruel to everyone he granted wishes to. It was so vastly different from the Snow White story we all grew up with. But then the magic mirror was brought into play and I started to see glimpses of the original story but it was still so different that it kept me from predicting where it was going to go and I'm so glad for that. I loved learning things along with the characters.
Eve was so stubborn and headstrong, ready to jump into a fight at any point at the beginning of this book and it was heartbreaking but beautiful to watch her grow as she learned that she wasn't invincible and sometimes she can't protect everyone.
We lost a few great characters in this one and I was so sad to see them go.
I will say that this story started off a little slow as it was trying to set everything up. Because there wasn't an immediate connection to the original story of Snow White, it had a lot of world-building to do to start off and it didn't draw me in as much as I wish it had. But once I started seeing the Queen hiding something from Eve and the mirror was brought in, it started to pick up.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings.
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was a really good book! I thought the whole magic system was really different and so interesting. I loved how it connected to Greek mythology. I didn't see that coming at first and it added a cool little twist to the magic system.
The beginning plot felt so reminiscent of my real life that it was actually insane. Briseis inherits a huge plot of land with a house and everything is paid for but you have to decide if you're going to go live there or not? Meanwhile your family is currently living in a rented apartment that is way overpriced and living paycheck to paycheck? It was literally deja vu for me. Plus the cleaning of the house? I think she copied my life exactly front the last three years. So I thought that was pretty funny and definitely kept me interested in the book more than I already was.
I liked Briseis as a character. I liked that she was trying to find answers for herself and she had the bravery to go looking for them. I also liked that she just wanted to find someone who wasn't her parents that she could trust with her secrets. We all struggle to find good friends sometimes and I liked seeing that struggle reflected in this book.
I will say that I found the plot to be a little predictable.I pretty much saw the Connor and his mom betraying Briseis thing almost right away. He was too conveniently there and helpful and took the news of her powers too easily. Same with his mom. I also guessed Marie would be immortal because of the heart plant as well.
But the one thing that I wasn't sure about was how this was going to become a duology. It seemed like it was on track to wrap everything up and leave us with no questions at all until the very end when everything hit the fan.I did guess that Celine would come back because they kept hinting that she had only gone missing, not that she was found dead, so I thought that could have something to do with it, but I didn't think that was enough to warrant a completely new plot line for a mother book. But then Briseis' mom died and Hecate showed and I was just blown away.
I can't wait to read the next one and see where this all goes!
The beginning plot felt so reminiscent of my real life that it was actually insane. Briseis inherits a huge plot of land with a house and everything is paid for but you have to decide if you're going to go live there or not? Meanwhile your family is currently living in a rented apartment that is way overpriced and living paycheck to paycheck? It was literally deja vu for me. Plus the cleaning of the house? I think she copied my life exactly front the last three years. So I thought that was pretty funny and definitely kept me interested in the book more than I already was.
I liked Briseis as a character. I liked that she was trying to find answers for herself and she had the bravery to go looking for them. I also liked that she just wanted to find someone who wasn't her parents that she could trust with her secrets. We all struggle to find good friends sometimes and I liked seeing that struggle reflected in this book.
I will say that I found the plot to be a little predictable.
But the one thing that I wasn't sure about was how this was going to become a duology. It seemed like it was on track to wrap everything up and leave us with no questions at all until the very end when everything hit the fan.
I can't wait to read the next one and see where this all goes!
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
emotional
funny
reflective
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
This is a really good book about internalized homophobia, who someone really is with or without their labels, and finding yourself and who you want to be.
Rafe's struggle with all of this throughout this book is so poignant and something that all queer people struggle with. You don't want to be seen for something you're not, but you don't want to be seen only as the "gay one" either which is why we have so many people who don't want to have to come out with a public statement or label themselves today.
There are so many queer people that just want to be seen as people, but because the world we live in is so heteronormative, you can't do that without everyone thinking you're completely straight.
This book makes you think about that which makes it a great book for both straight and queer people and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
Rafe's struggle with all of this throughout this book is so poignant and something that all queer people struggle with. You don't want to be seen for something you're not, but you don't want to be seen only as the "gay one" either which is why we have so many people who don't want to have to come out with a public statement or label themselves today.
There are so many queer people that just want to be seen as people, but because the world we live in is so heteronormative, you can't do that without everyone thinking you're completely straight.
This book makes you think about that which makes it a great book for both straight and queer people and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
emotional
reflective
sad
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
This was an incredibly well-written book. It made me feel for the characters and love them all so much. The way the story was told was fascinating - weird but fairly easy to follow even though I was listening to it rather than physically reading it. The time jumps weren't jarring but seemed smoothly transitioned throughout, same for the POV shifts. I also really liked that we slowly learned more and more about what happened surrounding Vivek's death.
I don't usually gravitate toward the contemporary genre, and of those that I've tried, I usually didn't like, but this one was truly beautiful. I think the only thing I didn't really understand or get why it was included in this book is Vivek's blackouts. They seem to be brought up for a little while and then completely forgotten. They didn't seem to be connected to his mental health or anything like that, so I wasn't sure what they were or why they were important enough to include in the story.
Either that is a small thing and didn't hinder my reading experience too much and I loved the book otherwise. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for more trans reading rep.
I don't usually gravitate toward the contemporary genre, and of those that I've tried, I usually didn't like, but this one was truly beautiful. I think the only thing I didn't really understand or get why it was included in this book is Vivek's blackouts. They seem to be brought up for a little while and then completely forgotten. They didn't seem to be connected to his mental health or anything like that, so I wasn't sure what they were or why they were important enough to include in the story.
Either that is a small thing and didn't hinder my reading experience too much and I loved the book otherwise. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for more trans reading rep.
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a fantastic book. The world building, the character development, the pacing all perfect. The plot was so fascinating and I loved the characters.
Kissen's back story is so good and makes so much sense for her character. She wants revenge against all of the gods but she has a huge heart and when she lets people in, they stay there.
I love that there's a found family aspect here between them all. Found family is probably my favorite troupe and I think it's done so well here. The bonds are created slowly between them all and you just see small pieces of it.
The world is so interesting. There are many gods and all are developed by humans feelings and desires but the government has banned anything and everything to do with them. So there's no way to completely get rid of gods but yet the government is forcing people to stop worshipping them. It drew me in right away.
And I love the writing style. It's so direct and forceful when it needs to be but can be simple and small as well.
All around a great book and I can't wait to read the next one.
Kissen's back story is so good and makes so much sense for her character. She wants revenge against all of the gods but she has a huge heart and when she lets people in, they stay there.
I love that there's a found family aspect here between them all. Found family is probably my favorite troupe and I think it's done so well here. The bonds are created slowly between them all and you just see small pieces of it.
The world is so interesting. There are many gods and all are developed by humans feelings and desires but the government has banned anything and everything to do with them. So there's no way to completely get rid of gods but yet the government is forcing people to stop worshipping them. It drew me in right away.
And I love the writing style. It's so direct and forceful when it needs to be but can be simple and small as well.
All around a great book and I can't wait to read the next one.
The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
I feel like this one didn't pay off as much as it should have and it was a lot slower than the two before it. It felt very cyclical and relied heavily on the will-they-won't-they stuff which became very repetitive and boring.
I also didn't really see the point in most of the POVs of the Ezra Six. They didn't seem to add anything to the plot or the main characters development. Some of them added a little bit, like the last one, but mostly they were unnecessary.
At the start of this series, I thought everyone was either going to die or create a polycule between all six of them and maybe, if the author was brave enough, have a six-way polyamorous relationship. It seems I was kind of correct on both.She was not brave enough for the polyamory unfortunately but the polycule was very real and though she did kill off some of the characters, she did it in such a way that it somehow completely ruined any development the remaining characters had.
I kind of wish they had gone through with the experiment so that they could learn from it and realize how wrong it was or maybe realize they were right to do it. But as the ending currently sits, it feels more like Libby made the choice for everyone and no one really got any growth from that.
I couldn't even really tell how they all reacted to Nico's death. All of their reactions to it felt stagnant especially since he was never mentioned as one of the choices to possibly kill when they needed to make that choice. He was never a consideration for any of them, so the fact that all of them seemed to take the news of his death as a "oh that happened" kind of thing was weird. Gideon had the biggest reaction, naturally, but of the original six, I think the only one that had any big reaction to it was Reina and that was more or less just a realization that she would never get to tell him that she forgave him. She seemed to be the only one that would be affected in the long run.
Libby has to deal with the fallout of killing her "other half" but we don't get to see how that affects her at all. She runs straight to her ex girlfriend's death bed to try and get closure with her instead and then her story was just over.
And then Callum dies and we get Tristan going through a thousand scenarios in his head but ultimately being very blasé about it which makes no sense at all. I wanted to see him react, explode even. I felt like that would have been true to his character, but he just does nothing. I'm not even sure if he actually ended up killing his father in the end or not.
I don't know, this book just felt not as good as the other two in quite a few important ways and I wish it had pushed the characters more or maybe pushed the plot farther? I'm not sure. It just felt like a let down.
I also didn't really see the point in most of the POVs of the Ezra Six. They didn't seem to add anything to the plot or the main characters development. Some of them added a little bit, like the last one, but mostly they were unnecessary.
At the start of this series, I thought everyone was either going to die or create a polycule between all six of them and maybe, if the author was brave enough, have a six-way polyamorous relationship. It seems I was kind of correct on both.
I kind of wish they had gone through with the experiment so that they could learn from it and realize how wrong it was or maybe realize they were right to do it. But as the ending currently sits, it feels more like Libby made the choice for everyone and no one really got any growth from that.
I couldn't even really tell how they all reacted to Nico's death. All of their reactions to it felt stagnant especially since he was never mentioned as one of the choices to possibly kill when they needed to make that choice. He was never a consideration for any of them, so the fact that all of them seemed to take the news of his death as a "oh that happened" kind of thing was weird. Gideon had the biggest reaction, naturally, but of the original six, I think the only one that had any big reaction to it was Reina and that was more or less just a realization that she would never get to tell him that she forgave him. She seemed to be the only one that would be affected in the long run.
Libby has to deal with the fallout of killing her "other half" but we don't get to see how that affects her at all. She runs straight to her ex girlfriend's death bed to try and get closure with her instead and then her story was just over.
And then Callum dies and we get Tristan going through a thousand scenarios in his head but ultimately being very blasé about it which makes no sense at all. I wanted to see him react, explode even. I felt like that would have been true to his character, but he just does nothing. I'm not even sure if he actually ended up killing his father in the end or not.
I don't know, this book just felt not as good as the other two in quite a few important ways and I wish it had pushed the characters more or maybe pushed the plot farther? I'm not sure. It just felt like a let down.
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was a fantastic conclusion to this duology. I love this series so much. I loved all of the characters and watching them develop and grow throughout this series. Gillig's writing is so fun and so was the plot of this series. The world was so well built and the story was perfectly paced. There really isn't enough good things to say about it really.
The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song
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
4.5
This was a really fantastic book. I'm still digesting that ending because... wow.
I loved the magic system here. It was fascinating and intricate. I liked that it was clear that not everyone had this spirit power and even of those who did, only a few could do the things that Meilin could without the jade key. And her power was so cool. Being able to control people and the element of water? It was amazing to watch her utilize both powers at different times.
I also liked that her power was connected to her greed which was basically her desire for freedom and to do as she wished. Desire is a form of greed and I liked that even though her desire was for freedom, something that is very natural and even admirable to strive for in today's society, it was still put up against this thing that has such a bad connotation. It really made you think about wants and desires and even basic needs in a new light.
I loved that we didn't really know who to root for or trust throughout the whole book as well. I like Meilin and I sympathized with her desire to be free but it was so closely tied to her greed and therefore her power that I wasn't sure what would happen when or if she ever actually got it. And then there were the other characters. I didn't know if she should trust the dragon or Sky or any of them really. They were all a part of this society that was made to force women down and most of the time you could tell that they would probably uphold that.
But then Sky was actually coming around and including her after he found out she was a woman and not a man, which gave me hope that the others might as well. And I had that hope all the way up until the very end of the book when the author just absolutely crushed it. It makes complete sense for Meilin to not want to go back to the life of a woman though and I knew that. It also makes sense for the society to refuse to change even though she literally saved them all. In this sense, I should have seen that ending coming, but I had so much hope in a happy ending that I was blind to the actual most likely outcome and it devastated me.
Anyway, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would be interested in an Mulan retelling and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
I loved the magic system here. It was fascinating and intricate. I liked that it was clear that not everyone had this spirit power and even of those who did, only a few could do the things that Meilin could without the jade key. And her power was so cool. Being able to control people and the element of water? It was amazing to watch her utilize both powers at different times.
I also liked that her power was connected to her greed which was basically her desire for freedom and to do as she wished. Desire is a form of greed and I liked that even though her desire was for freedom, something that is very natural and even admirable to strive for in today's society, it was still put up against this thing that has such a bad connotation. It really made you think about wants and desires and even basic needs in a new light.
I loved that we didn't really know who to root for or trust throughout the whole book as well. I like Meilin and I sympathized with her desire to be free but it was so closely tied to her greed and therefore her power that I wasn't sure what would happen when or if she ever actually got it. And then there were the other characters. I didn't know if she should trust the dragon or Sky or any of them really. They were all a part of this society that was made to force women down and most of the time you could tell that they would probably uphold that.
Anyway, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would be interested in an Mulan retelling and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was a cute little romance story, but there were certainly some things that put me off.
I will say that it had me at the beginning with Drew. I thought he and Noah were kind of cute together, but then the thing with the blog started happening and I got the worst thought in my head which never actually got revealed to be true at the end. I thought Drew might turn out to be the one who started saying the blog was lying and all fake. I'm pretty sure that's what the book was hinting at when Drew told Noah that he figured out he was the admin, but then it was never confirmed by the end which was kind of a let down. I really felt like that whole situation didn't have much resolution and was a bit disappointing for me. Drew and Noah basically had a fight about Drew not letting Noah have some space and then they just never talk to each other again? If Drew actually had feelings for Noah, he would have tried to reach out to him again and even if he didn't, I still think they needed some type of resolution because that just felt very much forgotten by the end of the book.
Anyway, when Devin came into the picture, I felt so much better about em. The two of them were clearly meant to be the love interests and Devin is so much more supportive and accommodating to Noah. I thought they were so cute together. E was probably my favorite character in this book even though e didn't have much characterization beyond being the love interest. We didn't really know anything about em to the point that Noah was trying to figure out a gift to give em and I couldn't even think of anything because e had almost no personality. And yet e was my favorite character in this book, if that tells you anything about the others.
Which brings me to the main character, Noah. I could not stand him for most of the book. He was so entitled and spoiled and selfish the whole time. He had no empathy for anyone else and didn't even think of anyone else but himself. He did get a little bit of growth at the end but it still wasn't really shown to us as readers. He should have been the one to make the scavenger hunt for Devin and showed how sorry he was to Becca, his supposed best friend (even though she was trying to get with a terf??? What kind of best friend does that??? "But I talked to her and she's not actually like that" is not a good enough excuse to even be talking to someone who seemed to actively harm trans people let alone your trans best friend!). Or at least, he definitely should have done something to show that he was starting to change and not be so self-centered.
I guess the main thing I did like about this book was the chemistry between the two actual love interests. They had me feeling for them and rooting for them to get together which is probably the most necessary part of a romance book, but the rest of it definitely needs some work.
Anyway, when Devin came into the picture, I felt so much better about em. The two of them were clearly meant to be the love interests and Devin is so much more supportive and accommodating to Noah. I thought they were so cute together. E was probably my favorite character in this book even though e didn't have much characterization beyond being the love interest. We didn't really know anything about em to the point that Noah was trying to figure out a gift to give em and I couldn't even think of anything because e had almost no personality. And yet e was my favorite character in this book, if that tells you anything about the others.
Which brings me to the main character, Noah. I could not stand him for most of the book. He was so entitled and spoiled and selfish the whole time. He had no empathy for anyone else and didn't even think of anyone else but himself. He did get a little bit of growth at the end but it still wasn't really shown to us as readers. He should have been the one to make the scavenger hunt for Devin and showed how sorry he was to Becca, his supposed best friend (even though she was trying to get with a terf??? What kind of best friend does that??? "But I talked to her and she's not actually like that" is not a good enough excuse to even be talking to someone who seemed to actively harm trans people let alone your trans best friend!). Or at least, he definitely should have done something to show that he was starting to change and not be so self-centered.
I guess the main thing I did like about this book was the chemistry between the two actual love interests. They had me feeling for them and rooting for them to get together which is probably the most necessary part of a romance book, but the rest of it definitely needs some work.