sphynxreads's reviews
764 reviews

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

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

3.0

I'd say I'm quite open to multimedia/multiformat books, but I did not anticipate just how much brain power this one would require. And on top of that it required a certain level of participation from the reader that I simply had neither sufficient energy for nor interest in. I get why a lot of people feel this book is pretentious, and if I let myself get carried away by how frustrated I was with the reading experience, I would be inclined to say the same. It's quite self-indulgent, and I don't necessarily mean that negatively. It just begs to be taken seriously and wants you to engage with the puzzle of the format, the symbolisms, and the themes it explores, and that puzzle is endlessly complex that you are left wondering whether certain choices were truthfully intentional or if the author is basically trolling his readers by putting them in this social experiment. While I did want to truly understand what was going on at the beginning, it became increasingly tedious and meandering that I found myself just wanting it to be over. I would have said I dislike this book if it weren't for how wonderfully it wrapped up and my particular interest in a certain portion of the appendices.

If you are hesitant about reading this book, I'd say give it a whirl, and if the puzzle gets too annoying or confusing for your taste, just focus on The Navidson Record. I promise that that at least is worth sticking it out to the end for.
XOXO by Axie Oh

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

4.0

This is such a solid young adult romance! I love how it really leaned into its K-drama-like characteristics and absolutely refused to be unnecessarily dramatic. Whenever the tension would heighten a little bit, the story would kind of reel it back in as if allowing you to just relax and see how things would pan out. The entire cast of characters are all so endearing and their relationships are just so wholesome in the best way possible. The atmosphere also has a comforting feel to it that you can't help but feel a sense of reassurance that things will turn out fine and that everything will lead to a happy ending. This may seem like an odd suggestion, but I'd honestly recommend this to people like me who experience anxiety because Axie Oh's writing has this calming quality to it that is almost reminiscent of childhood classics like Winnie the Pooh and The Little Prince.
A Thunder of Monsters by S.A. Patrick

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adventurous 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? Yes

3.5

It's probably not the book, it's me. I was really invested in the story until about halfway through and then it got tiresome. I feel like this trilogy's story became a lot more complicated than it needed to be. It could have been a nice solid standalone and I would have loved it more. Like the previous installment, I did like how the story wrapped up, but I feel like I'm just relieved this series is over more than anything.
His Plastic Doll by Mark Fermill

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

2.0

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

*All my reviews (including ARCs) are intended for reader consumption and not for the authors.

Let me preface this review by saying that this is my first time reading a Wattpad story all the way through and my first time reading a book written in Taglish.

With those disclaimers in mind, I'm sad to say that while I wasn't disappointed in this book, it annoyed me more than anything. There were so many grammatical errors and word choices that were just wrong that I think this book is in dire need of a much better editor. The code switching also didn't feel natural, but that might just be me since I haven't read Taglish literature before.

I also found so many scenes to be downright cringey. If I had to count the number of times I face-palmed myself from reading a scene that was so awkward and uncomfortable, I'd need a two extra hands, which is three too many. Many of the scenes involving women also felt very male gazey and borderline sexist. I'm not quite sure yet how I feel about the overall message of the book but I did like how it ended.

Despite my qualms with this book, I have to commend the exceptional character work done here. Every single character, including minor ones, felt fleshed out and well-developed. The plot itself is tightly structured and never once feels directionless. I thought the sex scenes were also well-written.

Overall I think Wattpad stories just might not be for me.
Locke and Key: Head Games #6 by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez

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

4.5

This final issue in the Head Games series impressively raises stakes, provides interesting backstory, and introduces more compelling layers to this already creative world.
Locke and Key: Head Games #5 by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez

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dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Wild. I like that we're getting more of Duncan. I hope he plays a larger role later on.
Locke and Key: Head Games #4 by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-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? Yes

5.0

Twisted, dark, and endlessly creative.
Locke and Key: Head Games #3 by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez

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dark 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? Yes

5.0

Absolutely bonkers!
Locke & Key: Head Games #2 by Joe Hill

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

4.0

This is so weird, but in a fun way!
A Vanishing of Griffins by S.A. Patrick

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was quite a letdown of a sequel and I would've rated it lower if it weren't for the really intriguing ending. This is just as dark as the first book but leaned more into the politics of the world instead of the whimsy of Piping magic, which made this story difficult to pick back up. I still love the characters though and am looking forward to the finale.