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karis321's reviews
1162 reviews
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book has aged incredibly well. The sheer amount Butler got right is really scary, but it makes her so brilliant, too.
The only thing that's keeping me from loving this more was that I found the last section - 2027 - a slog. Lauren building her community while travelling up north wasn't as compelling as what was happening the previous years. Plus, the ultimate goal of Earthseed being to colonize space is one of the things that didn't age well.
The only thing that's keeping me from loving this more was that I found the last section - 2027 - a slog. Lauren building her community while travelling up north wasn't as compelling as what was happening the previous years. Plus, the ultimate goal of Earthseed being to colonize space is one of the things that didn't age well.
Sycorax: a captivating reimagining of Shakespeare's most powerful witch by Nydia Hetherington
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC!~~
I'm really sorely lacking in my Shakespeare knowledge, but I was still drawn to read this because the premise sounded really good. My expectations tend to work against me, because I just thought this was okay.
The writing is definitely Hetherington's biggest strength. The prose was very lyrical and flowed like the sea whenever the plot called for somber moments or the most tumultuous ones. It almost felt lifted straight from Shakespeare's pen himself.
Sycorax is a pretty strong character, too. In the face of sexism and fear of her knowledge and powers, she takes it all in stride, all while battling an auto-immune disease. The author spoke of the personal stake she had in writing this, as she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and had to deal with a lot of misogyny while she was seeking treatment. That experience definitely reflects much of Sycorax's struggle through a lot of the book, but it doesn't define her, whatsoever. The parts I enjoyed most with her are those she shared with her old widow friend Yemma, who is delightfully chaotic and an amazing friend to the main character.
The reason why I didn't rate this higher was because I found the story to be too long. Despite the pretty writing, it got repetitive and lengthy a lot of the time, especially whenever Sycorax was alone and was having internal reflections. Those bits bored me and took my enjoyment away from the story.
All in all, for someone who hasn't read The Tempest yet, I still think this is a good reimagining of an unseen, but vital, character. People who love the play may get a lot more joy from this novel than me, but all for the best, really.
I'm really sorely lacking in my Shakespeare knowledge, but I was still drawn to read this because the premise sounded really good. My expectations tend to work against me, because I just thought this was okay.
The writing is definitely Hetherington's biggest strength. The prose was very lyrical and flowed like the sea whenever the plot called for somber moments or the most tumultuous ones. It almost felt lifted straight from Shakespeare's pen himself.
Sycorax is a pretty strong character, too. In the face of sexism and fear of her knowledge and powers, she takes it all in stride, all while battling an auto-immune disease. The author spoke of the personal stake she had in writing this, as she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and had to deal with a lot of misogyny while she was seeking treatment. That experience definitely reflects much of Sycorax's struggle through a lot of the book, but it doesn't define her, whatsoever. The parts I enjoyed most with her are those she shared with her old widow friend Yemma, who is delightfully chaotic and an amazing friend to the main character.
The reason why I didn't rate this higher was because I found the story to be too long. Despite the pretty writing, it got repetitive and lengthy a lot of the time, especially whenever Sycorax was alone and was having internal reflections. Those bits bored me and took my enjoyment away from the story.
All in all, for someone who hasn't read The Tempest yet, I still think this is a good reimagining of an unseen, but vital, character. People who love the play may get a lot more joy from this novel than me, but all for the best, really.
Come Home to My Heart by Riley Redgate
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the ARC!~~
So soon into the new year, and I wholeheartedly believe I found a top 10 read of the year.
This is such a tender, heartfelt story about queer two girls in a small town, one who's terrified by that part of her identity because of her bigoted parents and the other who wants nothing more than to get away so she express her queerness openly. It's only when the two girls meet and become friends do they begin to understand themselves so much more.
Ah, these two girls had my whole heart. Their friendship-to-romance wasn't technically a slowburn, as they did kiss halfway through the story, but the circumstances, particularly Gloria's homelessness, her parents, and the fear of scrutiny from the community at large, kept driving wedges between them that were so damn heart wrenching. Their chemistry and banter is genuinely so sweet; I just wanted nothing but the world to be given to these girls.
And Redgate's writing - oh, is it tender and sweet. The themes of survival, youth homelessness, the hard reality of being queer, she culminates all of this and makes it so quietly gut-wrenching in the best way possible. As someone who loved Alone Out There as well, Redgate's range of style in her works is truly astounding.
Amazing book. I wish May was here so I can hold the book to my chest and cry about it. Please, read this! And buy if you can, because Redgate will be donating half of the royalties of this book to projects benefiting queer homeless youth!
So soon into the new year, and I wholeheartedly believe I found a top 10 read of the year.
This is such a tender, heartfelt story about queer two girls in a small town, one who's terrified by that part of her identity because of her bigoted parents and the other who wants nothing more than to get away so she express her queerness openly. It's only when the two girls meet and become friends do they begin to understand themselves so much more.
Ah, these two girls had my whole heart. Their friendship-to-romance wasn't technically a slowburn, as they did kiss halfway through the story, but the circumstances, particularly Gloria's homelessness, her parents, and the fear of scrutiny from the community at large, kept driving wedges between them that were so damn heart wrenching. Their chemistry and banter is genuinely so sweet; I just wanted nothing but the world to be given to these girls.
And Redgate's writing - oh, is it tender and sweet. The themes of survival, youth homelessness, the hard reality of being queer, she culminates all of this and makes it so quietly gut-wrenching in the best way possible. As someone who loved Alone Out There as well, Redgate's range of style in her works is truly astounding.
Amazing book. I wish May was here so I can hold the book to my chest and cry about it. Please, read this! And buy if you can, because Redgate will be donating half of the royalties of this book to projects benefiting queer homeless youth!
Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
3.0
Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen by Garth Nix
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-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
3.0
Unlock the Dark by Sasa Hawk
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.0
~~Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!~~
Good, but this either could have been longer or extended into a duology.
The worldbuilding in this was surprisingly really very in-depth for a book a little over 300 pages. There's multiple gods, witches, nations, it's whole world that really felt so alive despite how little was shown/told t us through the narrative. Serratura, a nation of floating islands was my favorite place in the book that I wish got more page-time than it does. I also wish there was, one, a map of this world, and two, more time dedicated to Elia and Trys traveling around so we could see more of it first hand.
Speaking of which, I did like Elia and Trys' banter a lot. Their romance was definitely paced way too quick, but there was some genuine good chemistry. Again, there should have been more to than the journey than just 'go here and get the scroll,' because the traveling would have given the duo more time to bond organically. I just feel the potential was too good to make it go by so fast.
All in all, a fine read that I believe could have been more. This does make me interested to see if Hawk will do anything else; I'll definitely will be keeping an eye out just in case.
Good, but this either could have been longer or extended into a duology.
The worldbuilding in this was surprisingly really very in-depth for a book a little over 300 pages. There's multiple gods, witches, nations, it's whole world that really felt so alive despite how little was shown/told t us through the narrative. Serratura, a nation of floating islands was my favorite place in the book that I wish got more page-time than it does. I also wish there was, one, a map of this world, and two, more time dedicated to Elia and Trys traveling around so we could see more of it first hand.
Speaking of which, I did like Elia and Trys' banter a lot. Their romance was definitely paced way too quick, but there was some genuine good chemistry. Again, there should have been more to than the journey than just 'go here and get the scroll,' because the traveling would have given the duo more time to bond organically. I just feel the potential was too good to make it go by so fast.
All in all, a fine read that I believe could have been more. This does make me interested to see if Hawk will do anything else; I'll definitely will be keeping an eye out just in case.
If We Survive This by Racquel Marie
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
I loved this book so much.
I've gone on and on about how much I adore Marie's writing, of its tenderness and the emotional punches that hit hard exactly when they need to, so I won't rattle on too much about it here, but the character work here is still a quality of her writing I am drawn to every time.
Flora is such an incredible antagonist. Someone who she, and everyone around her, thought of as weak until the apocalypse came and she comes to learn she can survive in it. Not for herself but for her brother, a person she would die for while harboring some resentments for. Her grief, OCD, and very possible PTSD hurt her a lot throughout the book, but she still fights like hell for those she loves despite her believing she doesn't deserve to survive, not after all she's been through. She tries to shove any perceived weakness down by acting cold and hardened, especially towards Crisanta, her childhood crush, but she cannot help but love those she's closest with. It eventually leads her to learning she does deserve to survive, to live and be with the people she loves and who love her. It damn nearly made me cry.
I'm also really delighted that Marie's prose regarding the horrors, the gore and death descriptions, are so vividly gruesome and great. She admitted in the acknowledgements that she could never do horror because of how squeamish it made her, but I think her horror prose is amazing, and I loved that she pulled it off.
Another incredible Racquel Marie book to add to my shelf, and I cannot wait to see what she'll do next!
I've gone on and on about how much I adore Marie's writing, of its tenderness and the emotional punches that hit hard exactly when they need to, so I won't rattle on too much about it here, but the character work here is still a quality of her writing I am drawn to every time.
Flora is such an incredible antagonist. Someone who she, and everyone around her, thought of as weak until the apocalypse came and she comes to learn she can survive in it. Not for herself but for her brother, a person she would die for while harboring some resentments for. Her grief, OCD, and very possible PTSD hurt her a lot throughout the book, but she still fights like hell for those she loves despite her believing she doesn't deserve to survive, not after all she's been through. She tries to shove any perceived weakness down by acting cold and hardened, especially towards Crisanta, her childhood crush, but she cannot help but love those she's closest with. It eventually leads her to learning she does deserve to survive, to live and be with the people she loves and who love her. It damn nearly made me cry.
I'm also really delighted that Marie's prose regarding the horrors, the gore and death descriptions, are so vividly gruesome and great. She admitted in the acknowledgements that she could never do horror because of how squeamish it made her, but I think her horror prose is amazing, and I loved that she pulled it off.
Another incredible Racquel Marie book to add to my shelf, and I cannot wait to see what she'll do next!
Boys With Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!~~
I went into this really wanting to like it, but the longer it went on, the more bored and confused I felt. By the end, I was just glad it was over.
Look, I'm a girlie who loves character-driven, dialogue heavy stories, but this book did not fit my standards of that. The characters, all four of them (Because there's no one else worth mentioning at this school besides a couple teachers and the principal), are pretentious in such a stilted, shallow manner. I was especially cringing when when the romance came into play; I was very glad Jennifer Pickens', the narrator, delivery made listening more tolerable and managed to keep my attention despite how bored I was.
I thought the fantasy elements were Marin hallucinating the ghost of her dead cousin until the last twenty percent or so when the magic is shown to be real?? I felt lost once the mirror became the magic item to blame for the whole plot, and the ending we got because of it rung so hollow to me.
Also, you really have to suspend your disbelief that an ultra rich private school would let a bounced-back enrollment check slide until the end of the semester, not in this day and age. Marin should've gotten caught a whole lot sooner, considering how bad of a con and detective she was throughout this whole book.
All in all, this was a disappointing read, but I'm glad I was able to finish it, at the very least.
I went into this really wanting to like it, but the longer it went on, the more bored and confused I felt. By the end, I was just glad it was over.
Look, I'm a girlie who loves character-driven, dialogue heavy stories, but this book did not fit my standards of that. The characters, all four of them (Because there's no one else worth mentioning at this school besides a couple teachers and the principal), are pretentious in such a stilted, shallow manner. I was especially cringing when when the romance came into play; I was very glad Jennifer Pickens', the narrator, delivery made listening more tolerable and managed to keep my attention despite how bored I was.
I thought the fantasy elements were Marin hallucinating the ghost of her dead cousin until the last twenty percent or so when the magic is shown to be real?? I felt lost once the mirror became the magic item to blame for the whole plot, and the ending we got because of it rung so hollow to me.
Also, you really have to suspend your disbelief that an ultra rich private school would let a bounced-back enrollment check slide until the end of the semester, not in this day and age. Marin should've gotten caught a whole lot sooner, considering how bad of a con and detective she was throughout this whole book.
All in all, this was a disappointing read, but I'm glad I was able to finish it, at the very least.
Out of Air by Rachel Reiss
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
~~Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!~~
I was kinda excited when I got this, because a scuba-diving horror/thriller sounded so good to me. But, unfortunately, this didn't quite deliver on the premise like I hoped it would.
Despite the whole premise hinging on this group being friends, I don't think anyone in tis group genuinely liked each other except maybe Phoebe and Gabe, but even with them the romance was flat and more telling they loved each other rather than just showing us. I spent so much of the book being annoyed at everyone's secret keeping, Phoebe being jealous and spiteful at her friends' wealth, and just the lack of enjoyable, three dimensional personalities. There are also some villains who pop into the plot who are more caricatures than characters who are used as plot fodder; they exist for no other purpose.
The mystery was so weak and not explored well enough. We learn some vague backstory about the cave, only to get hints of connections, like the matter of Phoebe's mom, that are never fully answered by the end of the book whenPhoebe and Gabe accept they are fish people and stay in Australia to live out their lives. Phoebe figures her mom either died in the cave or turned fully fished, but the book is more interested in her realization she posted the pictures that sent the treasure hunters on her and her friends. Her not remembering she did that was such a contrived plot detail, only rivaled by the fact it was Gabe who kept the last pirate coin to sell it off and pay for her grandma's hospital bills. That annoyed me so much, because it was only after him revealing that did Phoebe realize who magically paid off all those bills. The plot structure of this book infuriates me so.
The only thing I somewhat liked was the seemingly faithful depictions of scuba diving. I wouldn't known since I haven't done it, but apparently the author is a deep sea diver herself, and it shows in the descriptions whenever the characters dive. It made the atmosphere heavy sometimes, but that's about it.
I was kinda excited when I got this, because a scuba-diving horror/thriller sounded so good to me. But, unfortunately, this didn't quite deliver on the premise like I hoped it would.
Despite the whole premise hinging on this group being friends, I don't think anyone in tis group genuinely liked each other except maybe Phoebe and Gabe, but even with them the romance was flat and more telling they loved each other rather than just showing us. I spent so much of the book being annoyed at everyone's secret keeping, Phoebe being jealous and spiteful at her friends' wealth, and just the lack of enjoyable, three dimensional personalities. There are also some villains who pop into the plot who are more caricatures than characters who are used as plot fodder; they exist for no other purpose.
The mystery was so weak and not explored well enough. We learn some vague backstory about the cave, only to get hints of connections, like the matter of Phoebe's mom, that are never fully answered by the end of the book when
The only thing I somewhat liked was the seemingly faithful depictions of scuba diving. I wouldn't known since I haven't done it, but apparently the author is a deep sea diver herself, and it shows in the descriptions whenever the characters dive. It made the atmosphere heavy sometimes, but that's about it.