readingonthehorizon's reviews
48 reviews

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

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

4.5

Significantly better than the movie. The entire Sirius subplot was so nice to see, considering they ignored it completely in the movie.
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Fall In Love, You False Angels by Coco Uzuki

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

1.0

'Fall In Love, You False Angels' follows two characters, Otogi Katsura and Toki Ninomae. They are portayed as sweet and extremely well-liked people, but they secrectly have a "dark" side (or occasionally referenced as their "real" selves). This "dark" side is extremely surface level and provides no internal conflict on why they hide this "side" of themselves or how it effects them emotionally/socially. Both characters, particularly Otogi Katsura, are extremely egotisitcal which made it hard to connect to their characters and root for the romance that kind of develops. On top of this, the two characters are essentially copies of each other, which is stated in the book, offering no change in perspective or depth of character.

The story overall has no interesting plot with no conflict the characters have to overcome. It is just a surface level romance.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
I Hated You in High School by Kathleen Gros

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challenging reflective 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

2.5

As sweet as it is, I Hated You in High School does not go far enough in depth for me. Tessa held a multi-year long hatred towards Olive for the pain and torment she caused, which is resolved almost instantly after one apology. The bullying seemed to hold no deep impact; not talked about deeply in how it effected her over the years or how it changed her in how she handled relationships.

Despite this, it has a great range of characters that hold interesting perspectives (that I would like to see expanded in possible further graphic novels) and its fast pace allows for it to be easily read in one sitting.

Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!
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Lord of the Flies by William Golding

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

3.5

I was assigned to read this book in 2020 for my year 9 English class, and as expected, I didn't read it. Finally, after 5 years, I decided to give it a proper chance and I'm happy to say I liked it. The beginning was a bit sluggish but the final 3-4 chapters were amazing.
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Mall Goth by Kate Leth

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challenging inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.25

I went into this graphic novel thinking it would be a sweet, coming of age story but it turned out to be so much more. Highly recommend.
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Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

5.0

It's so interesting to see the differences in this book and the adaptation, Anne with an E. I absolutely love the characters and the way their relationships develop and change. This is a gorgeous novel, aimed at children but suitable for all.
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The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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

5.0

It is disgusting and foul, and yet it is so beautiful. There is a reason this book is frequently talked about and threatened with being banned in certain countries. Dystopian novels force the audience to reflect on their own world and realise that, while yes, the current world is not as bad as the world portrayed in the novel, but there is a real reality where our world becomes a dystopian hellscape. 
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Heartstopper, Chapter 7 by Alice Oseman

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5.0

Heartstopper, Chapter 6 by Alice Oseman

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challenging sad fast-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

4.25

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Heartstopper, Chapter 5 by Alice Oseman

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sad fast-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

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