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withlovesparrow's reviews
18 reviews
Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
inspiring
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? No
5.0
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
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
4.0
This Girl's A Killer by Emma C. Wells
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
To be honest, I only finished this book out of spite and to make my yearly reading goal (finished 14 minutes before New Years).
Cordelia is irritating. I went into this expecting a you-go-girl gender-bent Dexter, but I honestly wanted her caught with the book thrown by the mid-point. The name brand dropping is repetitive and excessive. I understand the author is trying to create an understanding of the character and her values/insecurities, but at one point it was seven brands in the first two pages of a chapter. Her super power of recognizing "smoke" also got annoying after the first twenty mentions.
The pacing was all over the place through this book. The middle two thirds alternated between dragging endlessly to fast hopping without actually moving the story forward. Too much was left unresolved. The resolution was unfufilling.
Overall, would have been a DNF if I weren't so stubborn.
Cordelia is irritating. I went into this expecting a you-go-girl gender-bent Dexter, but I honestly wanted her caught with the book thrown by the mid-point. The name brand dropping is repetitive and excessive. I understand the author is trying to create an understanding of the character and her values/insecurities, but at one point it was seven brands in the first two pages of a chapter. Her super power of recognizing "smoke" also got annoying after the first twenty mentions.
The pacing was all over the place through this book. The middle two thirds alternated between dragging endlessly to fast hopping without actually moving the story forward. Too much was left unresolved. The resolution was unfufilling.
Overall, would have been a DNF if I weren't so stubborn.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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? No
4.0
The Martian by Andy Weir
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This reads like a middle grade book. Everytime the main characters are met with a challenge, it's resolved in a matter of pages. Nothing feels high stakes despite what is at stake in the big picture of the plot. The plot armor is quite thick and after the second trial, it becomes obvious they won't find anything but success. It takes joy out of the journey.
The romance also feels unnecessary. It becomes a key plot point, but then nothing happens with it? The resolution feels like a non-ending.
The ending in it's entirety also felt unsatisfying. Everything reverts back to how it was before with flimsy promises for growth from two key characters. Everyone goes their separate ways. There's a line to allud that FMC is getting her wish, but wasn't love supposed to be her true desire based on her internal monolouge?
I had high hopes for this going into it based on the mythological blend with historical fiction. I would recommend What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez if that's what you're after.
The romance also feels unnecessary. It becomes a key plot point, but then nothing happens with it? The resolution feels like a non-ending.
The ending in it's entirety also felt unsatisfying. Everything reverts back to how it was before with flimsy promises for growth from two key characters. Everyone goes their separate ways. There's a line to allud that FMC is getting her wish, but wasn't love supposed to be her true desire based on her internal monolouge?
I had high hopes for this going into it based on the mythological blend with historical fiction. I would recommend What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez if that's what you're after.
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5