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serinas's reviews
327 reviews
Honey in Harlem by David Ellis
lighthearted
reflective
4.0
This is my first book that's a collection of poems. I had to search on Google for some of the names and what the significance of Harlem was, as I had never heard of Harlem. For instance Sylvia Woods, I had to research her to understand the poem about restaurants. After reading and doing some research, I feel like I've been to Harlem.
I have definitely learned a lot, and enjoyed it. I don't know if poetry is my kind of thing, but I will probably try to read more poems in the future!
I have definitely learned a lot, and enjoyed it. I don't know if poetry is my kind of thing, but I will probably try to read more poems in the future!
The Deading by Nicholas Belardes
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It had a good start, and the concept was amazing. Bernhard was such an interesting character, and I wish I learned more about him. The different POVs are well-written, and since the writing style changes it feels like a different person. It's obvious when the POV changes, and I love that. I saw some reviews that disagreed on this, so beware of that.
But the damn birds... There were so much talk about birds, and I don't understand why? If you have a big interest in birds it probably won't affect you, but I saw many other reviews that agreed there were too much stuff about birds. It would've been fine if I came prepared for that, but there is no mention of birds being such a big part of the book, and the birds give no meaning or sense to the story.
But the damn birds... There were so much talk about birds, and I don't understand why? If you have a big interest in birds it probably won't affect you, but I saw many other reviews that agreed there were too much stuff about birds. It would've been fine if I came prepared for that, but there is no mention of birds being such a big part of the book, and the birds give no meaning or sense to the story.
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
I considered to DNF the first 100 pages, but I got hooked when I neared page 100, so the start was kind of slow.
Blood Scion also tackles some heavy topics, like SA during war and child soldiers, so beware of that.
The pacing was odd at times - some natural "endings" in chapters were dragged out, and made it harder to continue reading. The timeline was good, it's just that some parts, mostly the endings in the chapters, felt dragged out.
Sloane's black and white view on everything annoyed me soooo much as well - but she is 15, and I was very similar at that age. Therefor, I feel like I can forgive that.
I enjoyed it a lot, and I plan on reading the sequel. I got really emotional towards the end, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Blood Scion also tackles some heavy topics, like SA during war and child soldiers, so beware of that.
The pacing was odd at times - some natural "endings" in chapters were dragged out, and made it harder to continue reading. The timeline was good, it's just that some parts, mostly the endings in the chapters, felt dragged out.
Sloane's black and white view on everything annoyed me soooo much as well - but she is 15, and I was very similar at that age. Therefor, I feel like I can forgive that.
I enjoyed it a lot, and I plan on reading the sequel. I got really emotional towards the end, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Self harm
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
I struggled so much with this. The way it was written ('Ah' insted of 'I' for instance) made it very difficult to read for me, as I'm a non-native English speaker. But it's also part of the point to write the book this way, so it's not something I would've changed. I think I need to hear it on audio or read it in my native language, but I'm afraid some of the story might get lost in the translation.
It's therefor hard to rate - the story was interesting (but slow at times) and Janie's development was great to witness. Overall I think 3.75 is fair, as I liked it a lot, but it was hard to get through because of the writing style.
It's therefor hard to rate - the story was interesting (but slow at times) and Janie's development was great to witness. Overall I think 3.75 is fair, as I liked it a lot, but it was hard to get through because of the writing style.
The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It's about dragons (!!!) and is a high fantasy book - which is right up my alley. The Rage of Dragons also has great reviews on StoryGraph (4.24) and Goodreads (4.31) as I'm writing this. All of this prompted me to read it. It's the first book in a quartet.
It's an African inspired series, that had a lot of interesting concepts you usually don't see in a lot of fantasy series. The names, like Tau and Zuri, as well as certain rituals (will not spoil it) are some examples. I struggled to get through the prologue, and didn't really see the point in it either. The story it tells could've been told in many better ways that didn't feel like an info dump.
But after the prologue I got hooked pretty quickly, and it was hard to put down. I really liked Tau as the MC, and the plot and worldbuilding was interesting and always had some tension. I never knew where the story was going!
After a while i stopped liking Tau, and came to love other characters more. I don't think he's supposed to be super likeable, but I struggled to continue reading because of him. It didn't help that this book had so much action, like sword fights and practice, that I got bored. There was no drama between friends, which is quite common in any friendships, and no plot besides the action. If you love action, this book is definitely for you! But beware that there is a lack of romance and women in this series. Even though I disliked Tau and the overwhelming amount of action, I finished the book as the worldbuilding was amazing and I wanted to see Tau's development.
Overall, I don't plan on reading more in this series, but I think this is a book many people will enjoy!
It's an African inspired series, that had a lot of interesting concepts you usually don't see in a lot of fantasy series. The names, like Tau and Zuri, as well as certain rituals (will not spoil it) are some examples. I struggled to get through the prologue, and didn't really see the point in it either. The story it tells could've been told in many better ways that didn't feel like an info dump.
But after the prologue I got hooked pretty quickly, and it was hard to put down. I really liked Tau as the MC, and the plot and worldbuilding was interesting and always had some tension. I never knew where the story was going!
After a while i stopped liking Tau, and came to love other characters more. I don't think he's supposed to be super likeable, but I struggled to continue reading because of him. It didn't help that this book had so much action, like sword fights and practice, that I got bored. There was no drama between friends, which is quite common in any friendships, and no plot besides the action. If you love action, this book is definitely for you! But beware that there is a lack of romance and women in this series. Even though I disliked Tau and the overwhelming amount of action, I finished the book as the worldbuilding was amazing and I wanted to see Tau's development.
Overall, I don't plan on reading more in this series, but I think this is a book many people will enjoy!
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Minor Detail was a hard read. The casualities of war is presented in a way that makes my heart break, and the story shows the ugly parts of human beings. It's a short book, and relevant even today. Would definitely recommend everyone to read Minor Detail. It's slow paced at times, so be aware of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and War
One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I got this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review.
The storytelling and writing style are very unique. I imagine it won't be a good book to everyone, but I enjoyed it. It's philosophical and questions humanity and what we know - what are shadows, what's a slum, what is poverty? One Hundred Shadows makes you think about life and what you know, and it's a short book and easy to get into as well. It's also a book about love in the early stages, and how it may develop into something deeper. Truly beautiful work.
The writing style is similar to The vegetarian (by Han Kang) and Murakami, so if you like any of their work you'll likely enjoy One Hundred Shadows.
Still, I was kind of disappointed that we didn't get to know more about the shadows - it was mostly dumped on the reader at the start of the book and soon forgotten. But... I think that was the point as well. The shadows are a part of their life and has been for a long time, and after some time you take the shadows for granted and don't pay any attention to them. Like, I don't think about my shadow regularly. It's also a metaphor, or at least I think so, and then it makes sense why they suddenly aren't mentioned anymore.
The storytelling and writing style are very unique. I imagine it won't be a good book to everyone, but I enjoyed it. It's philosophical and questions humanity and what we know - what are shadows, what's a slum, what is poverty? One Hundred Shadows makes you think about life and what you know, and it's a short book and easy to get into as well. It's also a book about love in the early stages, and how it may develop into something deeper. Truly beautiful work.
The writing style is similar to The vegetarian (by Han Kang) and Murakami, so if you like any of their work you'll likely enjoy One Hundred Shadows.
Still, I was kind of disappointed that we didn't get to know more about the shadows - it was mostly dumped on the reader at the start of the book and soon forgotten. But... I think that was the point as well. The shadows are a part of their life and has been for a long time, and after some time you take the shadows for granted and don't pay any attention to them. Like, I don't think about my shadow regularly. It's also a metaphor, or at least I think so, and then it makes sense why they suddenly aren't mentioned anymore.
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
I was originally on the fence about reading this one, as I'm aware it's YA and a thriller - I haven't read many thrillers and have been disappointed in the past. YA is fun, but sometimes it's too YA, if that makes sense? I was not disappointed by this book though, I loved it!
We jump right into the story, and I love that. No hesitation, just straight in. We get to know Devon and Chiamaka through their actions and responses to Ace's messages and threats, and the two of them are wildly different people. The difference between them truly shows - Chiamaka's blackness haven't given her much trouble in the past (from what the reader gets to know at least), while Devon lives in a poorer neighbourhood where blackness basicly equals gangsters. The different POVs truly added depth to the story and their characters. The timeline and pace worked out great, and the ending was nice and made sense from what we learned.
I loved it, and can't find anything to critique on it. I'm looking forward to Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé's new book Where Sleeping Girls Lie - I will definitely read it when it's published.
We jump right into the story, and I love that. No hesitation, just straight in. We get to know Devon and Chiamaka through their actions and responses to Ace's messages and threats, and the two of them are wildly different people. The difference between them truly shows - Chiamaka's blackness haven't given her much trouble in the past (from what the reader gets to know at least), while Devon lives in a poorer neighbourhood where blackness basicly equals gangsters. The different POVs truly added depth to the story and their characters. The timeline and pace worked out great, and the ending was nice and made sense from what we learned.
I loved it, and can't find anything to critique on it. I'm looking forward to Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé's new book Where Sleeping Girls Lie - I will definitely read it when it's published.
Floral Folklore: The Forgotten Tales Behind Nature's Most Enchanting Plants by Alison Davies
informative
slow-paced
4.0
A fun book about plants!
You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I was so excited for this book as the description was very intriguing, but was heavly disappointed.
At about 15% in I almost DNF'd because of the writing style. It put the rating down to a 2 at best for me. We don't get to know the characters through actions, but through what they speak and tell us. I really dislike this, as it doesn't make it possible to connect to the character in the same way.
Then it got better, and got me hooked around 20% in. It didn't last long, at about halfway I considered to DNF again.
This book was a true love and hate relationship for me. The ending was meh, there was no plot, and the characters were meh. The writing style truly irked me, and made it even worse to read. Personally, the writing style and lack of plot makes this a 2 star for me. Overall, I would not recommend this book. The only plus was the struggles she went through regarding her sexuality and Palestinian heritage - her stories and experiences on this was very interesting and well written.
At about 15% in I almost DNF'd because of the writing style. It put the rating down to a 2 at best for me. We don't get to know the characters through actions, but through what they speak and tell us. I really dislike this, as it doesn't make it possible to connect to the character in the same way.
Then it got better, and got me hooked around 20% in. It didn't last long, at about halfway I considered to DNF again.
This book was a true love and hate relationship for me. The ending was meh, there was no plot, and the characters were meh. The writing style truly irked me, and made it even worse to read. Personally, the writing style and lack of plot makes this a 2 star for me. Overall, I would not recommend this book. The only plus was the struggles she went through regarding her sexuality and Palestinian heritage - her stories and experiences on this was very interesting and well written.