emilywemily6's reviews
335 reviews

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This was the perfect holiday special, with 24 chapters and 24 clues leading up to the reveal of the killer, so it was kind of like an advent book! Lots of red herrings but also a fair play mystery (mostly). I enjoy this sense of humor and this read was a quick one. To be warned: it’s really easy to accidentally see who the killer is if you are just trying to see how long the book is, so be careful!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

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

3.75

This is a children’s classic for a reason. It’s got a fast-paced, fantastical story that changed the game for children’s books. I feel like a lot of the meaning behind the story went over my head as a kid so it was nice rereading it as an adult. I also feel like a children’s book should be meaningful for children, not just for adults. I wish there was more world building and description too.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

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

2.75

If a black woman had written this, it could have been a 5 star.
Be warned, this is a dark book. Part of me appreciates what the author was trying to do, but there were so many moments where there was something really vulgar or crass that seemed meaningless, or where the themes of good vs evil were too heavy handed. It was a strange combination that left me feeling like I didn’t quite understand Macguire’s goals for the book. It was also such a slog to get through and felt so slow. I also felt like I was watching Elphaba from above for most of the book instead of looking inside her head, which made this book lacking in a lot of ways. It felt more emotionless than it could have, considering the dark topics and themes. Again: if a black woman wrote this, it would have been a much better story. The storytelling in the musical is better in regards to pacing and understand the depth of Elphaba’s character and struggles.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

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

4.5

I enjoyed this book more than I thought! I loved that these characters were morally gray, but like a light gray. It was more suspense than thriller in its themes, with some spy-esque plot elements. I had a lot of fun reading and gobbled this book up really fast. I would have liked to read a few chapters from Ryan’s perspective to thicken the plot in the second half of the book. I think most people would generally enjoy this, but someone who loves thriller might not like this as much as I did.
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

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hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? No

4.0

This book was gentler and more slice-of-life than the others in the series. It didn’t really add much to the plot arc of this series, but I liked getting to see this found family and understand the characters on a more complicated level. I still hate Nesta. I like the winter/holiday setting which I wasn’t expecting. The spicy scenes are nice.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book was definitely better than the first one but not nearly as good as the second one. The pacing was a little off, with the beginning a bit slow and feeling aimless, and the ending being jam packed with stuff. I appreciated the contrast of Feyre’s experience in the Spring Court in this book in comparison to the first. I feel like I liked the lead up of the Throne of Glass conflict better than this conflict; the stakes didn’t feel as high because the lead up with relatively brief compared to ToG. As always, I want more death in SJM’s books.
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous dark 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

How is this sequel better than the first one? Amazing. It felt so unique in the direction the story went, especially with the uncertainty we feel at the end of book 1. I loved more of a focus on Elm and Ione, but I still got plenty of Ravyn and Elspeth. The stakes were higher and secrets were uncovered and it was so good!
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous dark 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

4.75

This book was so good- almost perfect! It was a little hard to get into because I didn’t really understand what was happening with Elspeth and the Nightmare for the first little bit; I listened to the first two chapters a couple times until I got it, but from there the rest of the story was easy to follow. It has great gothic fairytale vibes and a unique magic system. The playing card magic system sounds dorky but it is really interesting and varied and has shaped this world. I loved the slow and subtle romance and the character development. The ending blew my mind and makes me want to read the second book asap, though I’m not sure what it will look like.
Daily Joy: A Devotional for Each Day of the Year by Russell M. Nelson

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hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

This devotional book was perfect for a quicker, more simple devotional study. Each page had a verse of scripture and a paragraph or two pulled from the talks of President Russell M. Nelson. The only thing this book was missing was references to all the talks from which the quotes were pulled. Even if they had a bibliography at the end, that would have been really nice. Otherwise, this was an inspiring read that Latter Day Saints would enjoy, and I feel like other Christians or spiritual people would still appreciate its teachings.
How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

I loved this book! This series was so easy to binge and I’m sad I have to wait for the third and final novella. I enjoyed the pacing and storytelling of this book, though it didn’t have as much space magic or interesting things happening. There was a lot more talking and less doing. It was still hilarious and fast paced, and I love the dynamic of these main characters. I would love more development in their relationship to each other though!
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