caseythereader's reviews
1749 reviews

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

4.25


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Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera

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

5.0

Thanks to Tor Dot Com Books for the free copy of this book.

 - Do you ever read a book and you absolutely could not explain what happened but you loved it, five stars? That’s RAKESFALL for me. It took me thirty or forty pages to grasp what was happening, but after that I was locked in.
- Truly, I can’t explain much more than the synopsis gives you. Each section of this novel is a glimpse at these two souls in a different life, so the book swings wildly around various settings and premises, leaving you to guess at everything from where we are to who is who to what threads connect the vignettes.
- The prose, however, is take your breath away stunning. I could not put this down, even when I was confused. I learned a lot of new words and was happy to just let the beauty wash over me. 

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Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
IDK, I was just kind of bored by it. Read closer to middle grade than YA. 
The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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Moonbound by Robin Sloan

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adventurous funny hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Thanks to FSG Books for the free copy of this book.
 - MOONBOUND is set in the same universe as my beloved MR. PENUMBRA’S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE but this time we’re far into the future and humans have lost a battle with dragons that now live on the moon.
- I loved Ariel and pretty much every character we encountered throughout the story. Sloan is so good at mixing heart and humor that absolutely everyone is lovable.
- This book starts off strong with an intriguing premise and lots to say about narrative and archetypes, but as we reach the second half it begins to drag and become overly convoluted. Still, many ideas and images from this book are going to stick with me. 

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The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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dark emotional sad medium-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

4.75


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The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense 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

5.0


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Kissing Girls on Shabbat: A Memoir by Sara Glass

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.75


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Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous by Mae Marvel

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
I just simply cannot buy that these two people who were never in a relationship and haven’t seen or spoken to each other in 13 years would immediately have a tension filled conversation about kissing each other and their sexual habits within five minutes of seeing each other again for the first time. Oh, and they’re also sitting smack in the middle of her mom’s Christmas party. 
Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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? No

4.25

Thanks to Bramble Romance for the free copy of this book.

 - What a joy CURVY GIRL SUMMER is! I adored Aaliyah and Ahmad, both on the friendship level and the relationship level. They were the best mix of spicy and sweet.
- Danielle Allen doesn’t shy away from what it can be like to be a fat Black woman in how both Aaliyah’s relatives and her dates treat her. But Aaliyah’s belief and confidence in herself never wavers: she knows what she’s worth.
- For me, Aaliyah hung on to “we’re just friends” a little too long, which made the plot spin its wheels in the middle for a bit. But once she and Ahmad do get together, the wait is worth it. 

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