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annekawithane's reviews
75 reviews
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
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
4.25
This was a solid sequel. While the Bone Season introduces the Rephaim’s world, this delved deeper into the Mime Order. I enjoyed getting to see Paige and the rest of the Seven more as they have been her family and life for the most recent 3 years. This book and series overall is a steady and slow burn; it’s satisfying, but I’m hungry for more dynamics. I felt similar while reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab for the first time, so I have a feeling that upon rereads, I’m going to develop a deeper love for this series.
The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
You Yeong-Gwang creates a promising world and market for the dreamers of new beginnings.
The magical premise and its cover immediately caught my attention. The beginning of the story quickly introduced our main character, Serin, and the Rainfall Market itself. Its characters all have personalities of their own that reminded me of the bathhouse folk in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. I appreciated the character list and art provided at the front of the book.
I agree that this book is being mis-marketed in age. Currently it is being advertised as adult, but I believe it would be better suited in young adult (maybe even middle grade) given how its main character, theme, and story are constructed. I came in with that understanding.
This is a coming of age story for Serin, who is of upper high school age. Her story and message are meaningful for all, but this story lacked the depth I think older audiences, myself included, would be looking for. I felt throughout the story, we were only given the outer surface of Serin, the Rainfall Market, and its inhabitants. I think spending more time exploring or reflecting on Serin’s current life and what she could have (via the orbs) could have made me feel more connected. I never felt like we went deeper in her motivations and fears. In addition, I wanted to know how her story differed from the others there, especially given her extra perks. With the general simplicity, the ending felt rushed in connections/relationships between characters. It also felt like some aspects of this world were not completely told to the readers.
The translated writing was whimsical and simplistic. This is my first time reading a translated novel, so I’m not sure how much the translation affected my above comments or the author’s original meaning.
This is hard to rate because I think it’s character art, writing, and story construction are appropriate for a young adult or middle grade audience. But again, I’m being told this is an adult novel, so my rating is going to be lower because I wanted more depth and understanding.
Thank you NetGalley, Ace, and Random Penguin House for providing me with this digital arc!
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee
adventurous
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
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC! All opinions are my own.
Karate Kid meets fantasy in The Breath of the Dragon, a fast paced YA fantasy imbued with Bruce Lee’s martial arts teaching co-written by fantasy veteran Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter.
Jun is a martial arts prodigy, 10-years separated from his breathmarked (born of dragon’s blood with powers) twin and banished from his home country of which outlaws martial arts. Now residing in the western country which celebrates his abilities, he wants compete in the renown tournament to win the honors of becoming the next guardian of the Scroll of Heaven. As Jun prepares though, turmoil is brewing civilly and internationally; Jun may be fighting for more than just glory and honor.
I appreciate the character development our main character goes through. As non-breathmarked, Jun has spent his whole life life living under the metaphorical shadow of his brother and scrutiny of people from both countries. He is stubborn, cocky, and naive, but in the weeks outside his home, he becomes acquainted with realities, beliefs, and teachings beyond his own. It sets up growth that I want to see continue within the next series. World-building wise, we get Fonda Lee’s sharp writing and action sequences but adapted for a younger target audience. Paired with Shannon’s Lee’s knowledge of her father’s skill, it results in fluidly choreographed fight scenes and teachings (to my knowledge, I’m not familiar with martial arts). The tournament does take up the majority of the second half of this book and I wish we got to see a bit more of the secondary characters, especially Yin and Ren in the second half because some dynamics felt rushed since we only get Jun’s perspective and he is singularly focused on the fights in front of him. I liked Ren and Yin and I hope they continue to find their path in the next book. The politics of this world is simple to understand since it’s given to you, but since we spend this book in the West, I’m excited to see how the second book reintegrates the East and the impending conflicts and reunions.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Eric Yang does a fine job narration with clear articulation and characterization. I did listen to half this book on 2x (which I almost never do-blame a very late train delay-my standard is 1.25x) and I could still understand what was going on.
You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
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
4.25
Thank you Tundra Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book. All opinions are my own :)
You Started It has fake-dating, TikTok dancing, a “drivers license” sequence, and Toronto sights, but underneath, it’s a beautiful story with Arab/Palestinian rep, anxiety, and the opening up of one’s self to new experiences. 💜
YA romance is not often my genre, simply because I’m older and usually find it cheesy, but Jackie Khalilieh has a way of writing characters that in their core and actions feel realistic and human. Jamie makes mistakes, she fights with her mom, she’s says the occasional rude comment and people call her out on her behavior. She can be very single minded/hyper-fixated, but she’s becomes aware of her weaknesses that she wants to eventually work on. Jamie has anxiety and I found it realistically shown and discussed. One impactful and learning experience moments for me was is the discussion of internalized racism and differences in culture. You see Jamie wanting to embrace her Arab heritage while it conflicts with her mother’s avoidance of her own.
Jamie’s narration style straight forward and to the point that reads like today’s teenager. Jamie bounces between her beliefs as she struggles to understand how she feels. It doesn’t always have the best outcome.
There are more references to today’s current language and pop culture, compared to Something More, so it may become dated. Also, thank you Jackie for making me feel old as a 25-year old when Jamie says Justin Beiber’s “Baby” is old. 😂
I liked Jaime and Axel’s connection and it felt authentic. I think they brought out the best out of each other and really opened Jamie’s heart at her own pace, to new experiences, people, and the world around her. She started to learning to start trust others, and they communicated with each other for the most part.
As a usual disgruntled 3rd act break up hater, I was fine with this one has it happened like two-thirds of the way in, but it didn’t feel as dragged out as as the focus became Jamie exploring her outer boundaries without Axel, and finding support in her own self and family which I appreciated.
You Started It has fake-dating, TikTok dancing, a “drivers license” sequence, and Toronto sights, but underneath, it’s a beautiful story with Arab/Palestinian rep, anxiety, and the opening up of one’s self to new experiences. 💜
YA romance is not often my genre, simply because I’m older and usually find it cheesy, but Jackie Khalilieh has a way of writing characters that in their core and actions feel realistic and human. Jamie makes mistakes, she fights with her mom, she’s says the occasional rude comment and people call her out on her behavior. She can be very single minded/hyper-fixated, but she’s becomes aware of her weaknesses that she wants to eventually work on. Jamie has anxiety and I found it realistically shown and discussed. One impactful and learning experience moments for me was is the discussion of internalized racism and differences in culture. You see Jamie wanting to embrace her Arab heritage while it conflicts with her mother’s avoidance of her own.
Jamie’s narration style straight forward and to the point that reads like today’s teenager. Jamie bounces between her beliefs as she struggles to understand how she feels. It doesn’t always have the best outcome.
There are more references to today’s current language and pop culture, compared to Something More, so it may become dated. Also, thank you Jackie for making me feel old as a 25-year old when Jamie says Justin Beiber’s “Baby” is old. 😂
I liked Jaime and Axel’s connection and it felt authentic. I think they brought out the best out of each other and really opened Jamie’s heart at her own pace, to new experiences, people, and the world around her. She started to learning to start trust others, and they communicated with each other for the most part.
As a usual disgruntled 3rd act break up hater, I was fine with this one has it happened like two-thirds of the way in, but it didn’t feel as dragged out as as the focus became Jamie exploring her outer boundaries without Axel, and finding support in her own self and family which I appreciated.
Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
Joanna Hathaway’s historical fantasy debut gives a decent foundation for the beginning of a triology.
Jenn Dove’s (@imjenndove Instagram) fanart is what first drew me to check out this series and the idea of a pilot main character as I haven’t read any books situated in such a field.
My favorite parts of this book were mainly from Altan’s point of view. I liked watching him step into the role of a pilot and seeing how his character arc took off. I felt like I got to understand him the most out of any of the characters and understand the world the most through his eyes. His first battle scenes and his friendship with Ceyar were highlights for me. I liked how the romance between him and Aurelia was a moderate build. While they spend like a max 8-9 days in person together, I think the letters do help build their bond especially as someone outside their norm with differing views and beliefs.
There are discussions of loyalty and power, and you get to see this play out in the grand scale of the politics between the countries and continents and microscopic within the families and characters. Intermix this with political scheming and backstabbing, moral lines become blurred and it’s hard to tell who to trust. As this is an original world, Hathaway spends the first half of this book setting up varying countries and their respective leaders, so I recommend finding the map on her website if you are listening to the audiobook and/or having a written copy to reference. I drew on the map to help organize where everyone is from which helped.
I wanted to continue learning the dynamics between countries and characters; however, the entire plot is very introductory, and I never felt fully hooked in the story. The Southern continent/countries felt the least developed to me despite it being a large focus of this story. From my memory, Resya is the only independent country—though ruled by northern blood—so is the rest “claimed” territory like Thurn? What is the scope of the Nahir rebellion? WHY are Nahir rebelling-as we aren’t given much detail about these lands outside the northerners looking down on them and the north wants mythical riches and their animals as clothing items. In general, because everyone is secretive and lying, everyone’s motivations are still murky (reader POV) by the end of this book, despite later reveals, which makes the next book enticing but also this one feel like a drawn out prelude.
I would even say maybe skip the “prologue”because it’s tone is a juxtaposition to the entirety of this book and appears to be a scene from MUCH later in this series (a snippet from a warn-torn world).
Audiobook wise, Barrie Kreinik and Dan Bittner do a fine job with their respective narrations, and they sound like their characters.Sound quality was good and even.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Intermezzo surprised me. I wasn’t initially going to read this via audiobook because I wasn’t sure if I would catch the nuances of Sally Rooney’s writing (having listened to Normal People and just thinking it okay), but the characters and the introspection caught my attention.
Rooney tells the tale of two brothers, who could not be more unalike, as they process the loss of their father, their intermezzo as you might say, and what it means for their future, relationships, and family. Rooney’s writing reads like a mix between a therapist’s notes and the interworking of the brothers’ minds. There’s a sense of removal but also subtle difference in how she writes each brother’s perspectives. Sometimes, it’s a stream of their conscious. I haven’t seen in it print myself, but I have heard that Rooney doesn’t use quotation marks. Maybe audiobook is a better route for those frustrated by that since I wasn’t aware of this fact while listening.
I realized part way through that Rooney’s books reminds me of creative nonfiction. Like personal essays or long form narratives, these are the mundane intimate moments and interactions of “normal” people and life paired with the insight and vulnerability of existing on this planet. It’s a slow moving story (hence the 4 stars) that can awhile to get into but yields a reflection of love, intimacy, grief, and dysfunctional family. I’m intrigued how I’ld analyze this story with a physical copy.
Only and Forever by Chloe Liese
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
This was a cute start to my journey with the Bergman Brothers! To preface, this series is a part of my friend’s traveling book group, so I’m willingly starting with the last book as my “sibling” pick and reading the books out of order as I receive them.
Viggo Bergman, is your romance-loving, plant-hoarding golden retriever paired with the straight-faced thriller writer, Tallulah Clarke, who doesn’t believe in love. What can go wrong when they agree to temporary live together.
This was an enjoyable, simple, quick read. The story had an even pace with a good amount of tension. The one kitchen scene had me giggling and kicking my legs, and I loved the open conversations these characters had. Viggo and I share many a hobby and loves so universe drop a red string to a similar guy please. I am not an expert, but the representation of both ADHD and Type 1 Diabetes felt authentic. Sometimes the writing felt a little repetitive specifically in characterization (e.i. romance enthusiasm) and being told vs shown. I wanted to learn more about Lula, whose story felt a bit side-lined to summaries. I think even just small scenes, to give the emotions and senses of these moments would have added more impact to me. In addition, sometimes the written “shown” details, didn’t need extra explanation after, as I got the implication.
I’m excited to read the love stories that I saw through Viggo’s eyes over the next couple of months while reading my friend’s annotations! I think I’ll come to appreciate and understand Viggo (hopefully the idea of feeling like too much) more as I see him next through his brothers and sisters’ perspectives.
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
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? No
4.25
Samantha Shannon had me from the start of this novel. The book starts off running and I was intrigued with the world and concepts. I think what helped was not remembering the synopsis other than a futuristic setting with clairvoyants which made reveals interesting. Shannon does introduce a lot of clairvoyance terminology in the beginning so I do suggest checking out her indexes in the back of the physical copy (glossary, visual maps, and character guides) especially if you started this book via audiobook like I did. It doesn’t spoil any plot. There’s just a lot of types of clairvoyants and people.
I liked the characters of both sides along with the interactions and friendships Paige makes. We do get a number of summaries as the book spans approximately 6 months, and I wish we saw more of Paige’s training so as I felt the least confident with Paige’s dreamwalker abilities, (this plotline felt a bit slow)
As this is an edited debut and the first of a seven book series, it sets up the world and characters; I understand not everything is fully fleshed out. I am excited to see these characters and the world-building develop in the future books.
I listened to the new revised-version audiobook and read my physical copy. I really liked Alana Kerr Collin’s narration of this story. It was as if Paige was narrating.
Tenderly, I am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.5
Did Lyndall write this with chthonic liquor, because I consumed this novel. 🦋
Thank you Lyndall Clipstone (Henry Holt and Co. and Fierce Reads) for gifting me with this digital ARC! All opinions are my own.
Lyndall’s poetic writing pulled me in like the ocean tide from the start of the story. I wanted to keep unraveling the mysteries presented once I put it down for the night. I was excited for the next day so I could return to Verse which is big since much of my reading has been audiobooks. There was a natural flow of tension, mystery, and reveals that gave a continuous pace to the story. Themes of idolization, the power of three, perspective/interpretation, expectations, and love are interlaced throughout. I liked the tender relationship between Lacrimosa “Lark” and Alastair (and Camille.) You can see the depth and emotion that entangle them. While reading I did want to learn more about Camille as I felt like I knew her the least. I think her and some of the other secondary character could have steeped more so we could get to know them. I think that could have made the ending even more impactful for me. In all, I hope Lark continues to peruse her love for art outside the pain it’s been associated with. 🖤
I think this a perfect book for fans of A Study in Drowning, Strange the Dreamer, or authors Rebecca Ross, Erin Morgenstern, Shea Ernshaw, or Allison Saft.
Thank you Lyndall Clipstone (Henry Holt and Co. and Fierce Reads) for gifting me with this digital ARC! All opinions are my own.
Lyndall’s poetic writing pulled me in like the ocean tide from the start of the story. I wanted to keep unraveling the mysteries presented once I put it down for the night. I was excited for the next day so I could return to Verse which is big since much of my reading has been audiobooks. There was a natural flow of tension, mystery, and reveals that gave a continuous pace to the story. Themes of idolization, the power of three, perspective/interpretation, expectations, and love are interlaced throughout. I liked the tender relationship between Lacrimosa “Lark” and Alastair (and Camille.) You can see the depth and emotion that entangle them. While reading I did want to learn more about Camille as I felt like I knew her the least. I think her and some of the other secondary character could have steeped more so we could get to know them. I think that could have made the ending even more impactful for me. In all, I hope Lark continues to peruse her love for art outside the pain it’s been associated with. 🖤
I think this a perfect book for fans of A Study in Drowning, Strange the Dreamer, or authors Rebecca Ross, Erin Morgenstern, Shea Ernshaw, or Allison Saft.