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kristallmarie's reviews
232 reviews
Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer
3.5
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
I've been on a weird graphic novel kick lately, so I thought I'd give this a shot! It wasn't quite what I expected, as the cover makes it seem more horror-leaning than it actually is, but I had a good time with it. It was an interesting take on Catholic guilt.
Three-and-a-half stars to Saint Catherine!
I've been on a weird graphic novel kick lately, so I thought I'd give this a shot! It wasn't quite what I expected, as the cover makes it seem more horror-leaning than it actually is, but I had a good time with it. It was an interesting take on Catholic guilt.
Three-and-a-half stars to Saint Catherine!
M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton
3.5
I didn't expect how this story played out, but I enjoyed it very much just the same!
I've noticed that graphic novels tend to lack character development compared to novel-novels, but I'm gonna chalk that up to the medium itself and not take a star off for it. Gotta keep the story itself shorter for this medium.
Like I said, though, it's a fun concept and a take I didn't expect, so I'm giving M for Monster 3.5 stars! It was nothing spectacular, but it was pretty original for a kinda-sorta retelling!
I've noticed that graphic novels tend to lack character development compared to novel-novels, but I'm gonna chalk that up to the medium itself and not take a star off for it. Gotta keep the story itself shorter for this medium.
Like I said, though, it's a fun concept and a take I didn't expect, so I'm giving M for Monster 3.5 stars! It was nothing spectacular, but it was pretty original for a kinda-sorta retelling!
The Sea in You by Jessi Sheron
3.5
I don't read enough graphic novels, and when I saw this book at the library, I just had to read it!
I didn't realize it was a Little Mermaid retelling (Which is good, because I hate retellings and I wouldn't have picked it up if I'd known), but there are enough differences that it didn't just feel like a lazy rip-off like most retellings do.
I liked the characters, and the art was gorgeous, especially the mermaid designs, but I'm not a fan of the ending. Corinth and Skylla's relationship just ended up right where it started. Is there a second volume? Because it didn't feel complete.
I didn't realize it was a Little Mermaid retelling (Which is good, because I hate retellings and I wouldn't have picked it up if I'd known), but there are enough differences that it didn't just feel like a lazy rip-off like most retellings do.
I liked the characters, and the art was gorgeous, especially the mermaid designs, but I'm not a fan of the ending. Corinth and Skylla's relationship just ended up right where it started. Is there a second volume? Because it didn't feel complete.
Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre by Aaron Mahnke, Harry Marks
4.0
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
This was a fun little adventure! It reads more like a collection of flash cards than an actual book, but I had a great time just the same!
My only complaint is that, as someone who's into this sorta thing, I'd heard the vast majority of these little tidbits already. That's a me problem, not a problem with the book, but still.
Four stars out of five for Cabinet of Curiosities!
This was a fun little adventure! It reads more like a collection of flash cards than an actual book, but I had a great time just the same!
My only complaint is that, as someone who's into this sorta thing, I'd heard the vast majority of these little tidbits already. That's a me problem, not a problem with the book, but still.
Four stars out of five for Cabinet of Curiosities!
What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
2.5
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
This was, sadly, not what I was hoping it would be. I was hoping it'd be what I was hoping Camp Damascus was, but alas, no luck. The writing was fine, and the concept was interesting, but it's hard to pull off a "we're stuck in the woods" story without it becoming super, super repetitive. Yes, the supernatural elements definitely helped, but it's a pretty formulaic story.
Worse than that, though, is the head-hopping. It was super annoying. Maybe there's a divider in the physical book, but this is the audio version. It made it difficult to connect with the POV characters, not getting to spend quality time with them.
The cover was gorgeous, at least, and the narrator did a good job.
Two-point-five stars out of five for What The Woods Took.
This was, sadly, not what I was hoping it would be. I was hoping it'd be what I was hoping Camp Damascus was, but alas, no luck. The writing was fine, and the concept was interesting, but it's hard to pull off a "we're stuck in the woods" story without it becoming super, super repetitive. Yes, the supernatural elements definitely helped, but it's a pretty formulaic story.
Worse than that, though, is the head-hopping. It was super annoying. Maybe there's a divider in the physical book, but this is the audio version. It made it difficult to connect with the POV characters, not getting to spend quality time with them.
The cover was gorgeous, at least, and the narrator did a good job.
Two-point-five stars out of five for What The Woods Took.
Spineless by Samantha San Miguel
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
I'm not usually a middle grade reader, but the description and the cover caught my attention, so I figured, why not give it a go? And I'm glad I did, because it was a great time! It was fun and sweet, though it dragged in parts and the animal deaths caught me a little off guard.
Also having a voice actor as the narrator was a stroke of genius! He made it even more fun!
Four our of five stars to Spineless!
I'm not usually a middle grade reader, but the description and the cover caught my attention, so I figured, why not give it a go? And I'm glad I did, because it was a great time! It was fun and sweet, though it dragged in parts and the animal deaths caught me a little off guard.
Also having a voice actor as the narrator was a stroke of genius! He made it even more fun!
Four our of five stars to Spineless!
Tangleroot by Kalela Williams
3.0
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
It was all right. It was fine.
Man, though, Noni is one of the most obnoxious characters I've ever read. Listen to your mother, girl! Jeez! She's doing what she thinks is best for you! I get that a character needs negative traits to overcome for a proper character arc, but being this much of a spoiled brat is going a little overboard.
Radiance isn't much better, but at least she's trying.
Points also go to the narrator and her accents, which I greatly appreciate.
The writing's quite good, and the plot is interesting, and I liked a lot of the background characters, but Noni's constant complaining ruins it.
Three out of five stars for Tangleroot.
It was all right. It was fine.
Man, though, Noni is one of the most obnoxious characters I've ever read. Listen to your mother, girl! Jeez! She's doing what she thinks is best for you! I get that a character needs negative traits to overcome for a proper character arc, but being this much of a spoiled brat is going a little overboard.
Radiance isn't much better, but at least she's trying.
Points also go to the narrator and her accents, which I greatly appreciate.
The writing's quite good, and the plot is interesting, and I liked a lot of the background characters, but Noni's constant complaining ruins it.
Three out of five stars for Tangleroot.
American Rapture by CJ Leede
1.0
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
I hate to do this, especially with ARCs, but I'm DNFing this. This is gross. This is gross and I haven't even gotten to when the shit hits the fan. I'm 19% in, and there's already a teenaged girl being sexualized and being weirdly horny for her brother. I was so hoping this would be up my alley, as I adore Catholic horror, but yikes. Big fucking yikes, man.
There's also the issue of the terribly choppy writing style. Two words isn't a sentence, C.J. Where is this woman's editor? Because they clearly aren't doing their job.
Cool it starts in Wisconsin, at least, since that's where I live! And the narrator is really good! Plus the cover and title are both phenomenal. Shame to waste them on this nastiness, though.
One star for American Rapture.
I hate to do this, especially with ARCs, but I'm DNFing this. This is gross. This is gross and I haven't even gotten to when the shit hits the fan. I'm 19% in, and there's already a teenaged girl being sexualized and being weirdly horny for her brother. I was so hoping this would be up my alley, as I adore Catholic horror, but yikes. Big fucking yikes, man.
There's also the issue of the terribly choppy writing style. Two words isn't a sentence, C.J. Where is this woman's editor? Because they clearly aren't doing their job.
Cool it starts in Wisconsin, at least, since that's where I live! And the narrator is really good! Plus the cover and title are both phenomenal. Shame to waste them on this nastiness, though.
One star for American Rapture.
I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea
3.0
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!
To preface: I really loved I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me. It was amazing! It came so, so close to being a five-star read!
This one, however, was nowhere near that good. Laure has lost all relatability and all her (Admittedly few) likeable traits. I get that her becoming a monster is the point, but if I don't like a character, I probably won't like a book.
The writing is still gorgeous, though, and I still love all the ballet elements and the certain someone haunting Laure is interesting, so that's good.
Three out of five stars to I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call.
To preface: I really loved I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me. It was amazing! It came so, so close to being a five-star read!
This one, however, was nowhere near that good. Laure has lost all relatability and all her (Admittedly few) likeable traits. I get that her becoming a monster is the point, but if I don't like a character, I probably won't like a book.
The writing is still gorgeous, though, and I still love all the ballet elements and the certain someone haunting Laure is interesting, so that's good.
Three out of five stars to I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call.