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victoria_2002's reviews
115 reviews
The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
fast-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
3.25
This was my first time reading a book from this author, and it was a quick, suspenseful and easy read. I loved the pacing and the flitting between present day and 11 year old Nora it really kept me hooked and I flew through this book and finished it in 1 day. I thought I had the plot twist all figured out but of course I was wrong LOL. That being said the plot twist didn’t cause a major amount of shocking emotion from me, but I thought it was still good.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
medium-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
4.75
Lots of people say this book is better than the first, but I find them to be equally good in their own ways. This took me longer than normal to finish which could be due to the pacing. However I loved every part of it, I loved the characters, the plot, the world, the found family trope was all exquisite. The only thing stopping it from being a 5 star read was some of the spice (I’m not straight) and the lack of diversity.
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
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? Yes
3.75
Sadly I spoiled this book for myself a little by searching up the author agent note that confused me at the start lol. However I love the tropes of this book, it very much reminded me of an inspector calls and five survive, and had me guessing right up until the end! I did predict a few minor things but that ending was tied up so nicely it added points for me!
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a good book to end the series, I found that the ending tied things up quite nicely. I don’t like most of the characters to be honest but they are still interesting enough to me that I was compelled to read through the series to see what would happen. I enjoyed the lesbian representation! I’m just getting into fantasy and I enjoyed the lore but I think it focused a little too much on politics for me to a point where I was bored and found the books hard to get through at times, hence my rating.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
medium-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
4.75
I loved this book way more than I was expecting to! I adored the characters and the lore, loved that even the smaller characters were fully fleshed out and not one sided. I have been wanting to explore the fantasy genre more and I feel like this book is a great gateway into that! The only reason it’s not five stars is because I wished there was more diversity and perhaps some LGBTQ rep. I also wasn’t much a fan of the spice scenes or the “bowels turned watery” line that repeated about three times 😂
Black Paradox by Junji Ito
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved the premise of this one. A quick, interesting and easy read.
Girl A by Abigail Dean
sad
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? Yes
2.5
Unfortunately I found the pacing of the book a little confusing and difficult to read at times. I thought the flashbacks were interesting and well written as I really felt for the characters, but not a lot happens in the present day plot. For that reason I was finding it difficult to concentrate on reading. The chapters were also extremely long, I thought it could have been broken down into smaller sections very easily. Sadly I wasn’t surprised by the twist either.
Five Survive by Holly Jackson
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WOW I wasn’t expecting this to also be a five stars but of course Holly Jackson does it again with her amazing suspenseful writing!! I absolutely love the premise, this book was so addicting I read it so fast and could hardly put it down. I loved Reds character and the fact that she’s clearly neurodivergent was great representation for me. I thought I guess the plot twist but I was wrong! The last quarter of the book was such a rollercoaster that felt like twist after twist! I also love a book that can make me cry :)
Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce
dark
slow-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
2.75
This book was a bit slow but I finished it in about two days as a quick and easy thriller read. I hated every single character apart from Tilly and unfortunately I partly guessed the twist so I wasn’t blown away. Not much really happens in the first 270 ish pages (basically the entire book) with the twist feeling rushed and anticlimactic placed right at the end of the book. I was a bit disappointed after hearing good things and having the book on my TBR for so long , but still an easy read so I can’t complain too much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
So Happy for You by Celia Laskey
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have mixed feelings of this book. I loved the feminism and the fact that the main character is gay. The main character and all the other character’s personalities were annoying though and I didn’t like them. I thought the book had some interesting comments on marriage (I had never heard of marriage charms) but the ending of this book I found to be very unrealistic and it made me mad! It was also very slow paced which meant it took me longer than normal to get through it.