cursed_sapphire's reviews
163 reviews

Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was my favorite book when I was a kid and I'm glad I revisited it now, because the humor and tension still really hold up. Gilda is just as much a delight as I remember her, and now that I'm older I can also appreciate her complexity, especially regarding her feelings with her father’s tragic death and her mother beginning to move on. I also appreciated Mr. Splinter more as an adult, now able to understand his guuilt and trama over his sister's suicide.
However, sadly not everything aged well. This book is definitely trapped in an early 2000s mindset, leading to some dated tropes and lines. Rosa the housekeeper is a stereotypical superstitious Latina housekeeper and Summer seems to be more of a "dumb blonde" California girl than a fleshed-out character. And the handling of mental health, including suicide and mental disabilities/neurodivergencies, is dated. I applaud the fact that therapy and mental health medication is brought up as a positive solution to some characters' problems, but the fact that people with suicidal thoughts are referred to as "crazy" is not a good look. And Gilda's letter near the beginning of the book described her intelligent, neurotypical brother as an invalid with an unspecified mental disorder in order to gain sympathy and "get back" at him for some small slight.
If you can look past those things and/or consider them as an unfortunate side-effect of the era, I recommend this book as a fun, light-hearted read with a great sense of humor and some good emotional flashbacks.
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Gallant by V.E. Schwab

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book was so atmospheric, and the tension and mystery were super well done. I liked all the characters as well, although some felt more fleshed out than others. The plot was just alright- while I was always eager for the protagonist to learn more about her family and the family home, but the actual plot beats were few and far between. I also would have liked a little more time to explore the other world. But overall this book was good, and one I would recommend to people who love dark atmosphere and exciting mysteries.
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-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

A clear improvement over the first, which I already loved, I never wanted to put this book down! The characters only got better in this new installment, even as everything they try to do ends in utter disaster. I found myself even liking
Dara
more in this installment, as getting his perspective allowed the reader to understand his inner conflict on a much deeper level. There were also interesting twists and amazing dialogue that helped bring the story to life, and the worldbuilding has only gotten better. I cannot wait to read the third, as the ending of this one raised the stakes so high I cannot wait to see how this series ends!

A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

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

4.25

This book kept me guessing around every turn, keeping me on the edge of my seat. At first a bit confusing, as it starts off with an event and a character that doesn't seem to fit into the rest of the narrative, but as the mysteries slowly unfold, the beginning is only made better. This book was well crafted in a way that I haven't experienced in a while-- where the twists were both surprising yet made complete sense, and tempting me to read the whole book again with my newly-gained perspective. 
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The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book was a ton of fun, with solid writing and a beautifully crafted world. There are two plotlines told from the perspective of two different characters. First there's Nahri, a female theif who grew up in Cairo and is just now discovering she's part of a dangerous magical world and needs to find her place in it. Then there's Alizayd, or Ali, an idealistic warrior prince who tries to help make things better for his people while fighting corruption at every turn. Personally I found Ali's half more compelling, but the entire book kept me guessing, new tensions and mysteries around every turn. I can’t wait to read the sequel. Definitely recommend!
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

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

3.5

Really fun and fast-pased, with a great cast of characters. Felt like watching a great popcorn movie- a great experience that doesn't try to be more than that.
Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.25

Small Angels by Lauren Owen

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.25

The prose of this book is absolutely rich and beautiful. But the book takes too long to get going. For the entire first half of the book I was far more invested in the backstory than anything happening present-day, and although near the end it got a lot better, I still felt that the backstory was more compelling. The characters were good, although nothing amazing. It was also a very dense book-- I enjoyed reading it, but it felt like it took forever to make progress. Near the end the story really picked up, and the conclusion was satisfying if a little simple. It was a love letter to the power of stories, and while beautifully written, it did leave a little something to be desired. 
1:35am by Elley Cooper, Scott Cawthon, Andrea Waggener

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

3.0

This one started alright, dipped in the middle story, but finished really strong, with both a fantastic final story and a strong Stichwraith Stinger. I thought 1:35 a.m. was a bit simple, with less-than-stellar writing and a mid protagonist. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Room for one More had a much better protagonist, but the story was repetative and more uncomfortable than scary. But the last story, The New Kid, really made this book better. It started off a little slow, and the writing was still felt somewhat amature, with some inconsistent character writing, long rambling paragraphs of exposition, and awkward dialog, but when it picked up I was hooked. The last half of the story is one of the greatest in the series, making the main character so much more likeable right before his  particularly gruesome end. And I loved the Stichwraith Stinger at the end. So ultimately a mixed bag, but still a mostly fun read.
Furyborn by Claire Legrand

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

3.25

This was a mostly fun read. It did flip back and forth between the past and future every chapter, and to be honest I kind of just wish those were two separate books, because I found myself speeding through the future chapters just to get back to the past storyline, which I found much more interesting personally. But that being said, the further into the book I got the more interested I was in the future story, although I can't say I liked the romantic tilt that Simon and Eliana's relationship took near the end. Maybe I'll like them more in the sequel? But in the end I did enjoy this book, even if I won't be adding it to my favorite YA book list.
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