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emilywemily6's reviews
313 reviews
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was fine. It honestly felt pretty bland as far as the plot and characters went. The ending with Feyre under the mountain was pretty interesting though! I just had a hard time connecting to and rooting for Feyre, she isn’t the most likable character. We’ll see how I like the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
Oh my gosh this was so good and so much better than the first book! We experienced a lot more depth of character in Feyre, Tamlin, and Rhysand, as well as met a lot more characters. The growth Feyre experiences throughout this book is so gradual and natural. I wish there was more explanation of the plot/fantasy, it feels like key tidbits were dropped in a sentence but not fully explained. The tension!! The drama!! The twists and turns!! Especially towards the end of the book, we got a big reveal in some alliances and I wanted to throw this book (in the best way, this book made me emotional lol). I am so ready to read the next book, my Libby hold can’t come fast enough!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, and War
The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
This was a cute and cozy holiday read! I really loved the premise and how we got to know the three POVs- Imogen, Dorothy, and Sarah. They were complex and interesting characters. I did find the first 30% of this book extremely slow. And while we got good introductions to the characters, I feel like some of the character traits that were shown early on in the story were never elaborated on or explained. For example, Imogen came across as emotionless and stoic, and possibly neurodivergent, in the beginning, but the farther we got in the story the less that portrayal suited her. There was a lot of mystery as we slowly got to know the characters in the beginning, but then the big reveal happened halfway through and we didn’t really get any more background about the characters. It was kind of like I read two different books. I adore Miles!! And I appreciated that the romance subplot wasn’t front and center. However, this book takes place over like 3 weeks and both the romance and Imogen’s relationships with the other characters seemed like they advanced unbelievably far in that amount of time. Also, her anti-Christmas spirit wasn’t flushed out and resolved easily, and the issues of her lying also resolved extremely easily. I wanted more of a conclusion to this story and some of the major emotional drivers to this story, but I like how the story ended overall; I just wanted more. I enjoyed this holiday read but found the tone of the first and second halves of the book didn’t quite match, though I liked each half for different reasons. Imogen experienced a lot of mature character growth too, which I liked to see. I would read from this author again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was such a quick and cute holiday read! The illustrations were gorgeous and the audiobook included sound effects, so it was a great listening experience. There was also a lot of the magic that I love about Caraval and the holiday vibes were great. I did feel a little icky about Tella’s interactions with the kidnapper. I wish the ending took a little bit more time, and while Tella had some growth in this book, it felt rushed. Overall, a fun and quick addition to the Caraval series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Close Knit by Jenny Colgan
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book felt like a warm hug and was everything I needed in a palate cleanser read that contains a lot of heart and hopeful messaging. I love Colgan’s humor and writing style, and this story had knitting intertwined with the main character and her mother’s knitting circle. It was such an authentic touch that most books that mention knitting don’t get right. The side characters were all so lovely as well, and the setting was so distinct and made me want to disappear to an obscure Scottish village. I loved how the book started as a character study of Gertie as she stepped out of her comfort zone, and then turned into a (surprisingly realistic and believable) rescue mission. I couldn’t put this book down for the last 3 hours of the audiobook! I’ve only read a few of Colgan’s books, but this one was by far my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was in the YA section, but I feel like I would have liked this even more if the characters were a little more grown up. I'm pretty sure they are in a college setting, but the FMC acted so young that I spent most of the book confused by how she was acting in relation to everyone else. I thought she was only 16 because of that. I LOVED the world building, the magic system, and the atmosphere. I was only really bothered by the main character since she was very bland and didn't have much personality besides her trauma and her immaturity. Some of that was understandable (trauma brain and all that) but it was a bit excessive. This book felt really original and I am so excited to see where it goes from here!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship and Injury/Injury detail
Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book ends with so much action and plot progression! Though the majority of the first half of the book is just relationship angst and that got kind of old. I dunno why I was starting to like Seth in the last book because I hated him this entire book. I really loved the gods being introduced in more depth in this story. I'm excited to see where this story is going!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Sexual content, and Classism
Minor: Medical content
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This was a cozy, reflective read that I enjoyed, though it left me feeling a little bit unsatisfied. Maybe that's because the end is so open and leaves room for the series to continue, but I wanted a little more closure about the themes discussed in this book. I enjoyed the length overall and where the story went. It gave me things to think about, but in a passive way that won't last very long. I definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This is a solid nonfiction read that I would recommend to a lot of people. I had a hard time getting into this book because the first few witch trials made me angry at men, but as the book continued I got more and more interested as the stories varied and the witch trials became more nuanced. There is a lot of factual info that went over my head, but a reread would help me with the context, especially in the earlier trials. I wish the more modern trials had more meat to them, but I still feel like they were represented fairly well. The overall theme of who “witches” are could have been a little stronger, though by the end of the book I understood what the author was intending. This book is an interesting and well-researched look at a micro history of witch trials across multiple centuries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail