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laedyred's reviews
280 reviews
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I'd probably rate this book lower if I weren't so familiar with Black's fairy world. There is comfort in re-experiencing characters.
I commend Black for the noticeable change of tone when writing from Oak's perspective in this sequel, a change from the first book. It was different enough to believably be another character with a distinctive personality.
However, this failed to really capture my interest. Oak is not a likable character, although we're supposed to root for him. Wren loses her personality completely, becoming one dimensional and more of a plot device. It was disappointing given she was a welcome change in the first book.
I commend Black for the noticeable change of tone when writing from Oak's perspective in this sequel, a change from the first book. It was different enough to believably be another character with a distinctive personality.
However, this failed to really capture my interest. Oak is not a likable character, although we're supposed to root for him. Wren loses her personality completely, becoming one dimensional and more of a plot device. It was disappointing given she was a welcome change in the first book.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book made me so I believably angry for Anges' sake. God, men suck. The prose is absolutely beautifully crafted, and although the plot is slow and not particularly eventful or suspenseful, the female characters keep it moving. Life is unfair, and Hamnet does a disgustingly good job at portraying how one trauma can eviscerate someone's life, making them feel like a different person. Grief, betrayal, oppression eats and eats at you, sometimes transforming you as life outside moves along, business as usual.
Hamnet also explores the politics of a household. One might assume because of the setting it merely comments on the position of women during that time period. I disagree.
I had a lot of feelings about the ending; I wanted a resolution but completely understand the power of the way O'Farrell chooses to trail into the imagination instead. Hamnet absolutely moved me, I feel its influence remain with me.
Hamnet also explores the politics of a household. One might assume because of the setting it merely comments on the position of women during that time period. I disagree.
I had a lot of feelings about the ending; I wanted a resolution but completely understand the power of the way O'Farrell chooses to trail into the imagination instead. Hamnet absolutely moved me, I feel its influence remain with me.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
adventurous
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? Yes
2.0
There is so much I don't like about this book, but I cannot deny that I was compelled to read it quickly.
The positive:
A compelling idea, different enough to catch my eye. The approach to witchcraft is both close to nature and RPG-style wizardry. Grumpy sunshine romance, albeit one of no particular novelty. Female friendship.
The negative:
Plot structure is just...not good. Character growth is incredibly weak; saving graces come to easily. There's a spell that's been known to take three incredibly powerful witches to cast, get Agnieszka and Sarkan do it in about two pages. The reason? Brute strength. I can't get behind the convenience. Sarkan and Agnieszka have no reason to be attracted to each other except the comparison of combining spellcraft together being like sex. The writing is amateur; it feels like this could have been written by someone in high school. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but given this is marketed towards young adults, it doesn't fit. I don't claim I could do better, but the endorsements by other authors ring false. I understand the device of Sarkan taking the woman to break their connection to the wood, but why are they all women? There's a creepiness to Sarkan that isn't rectified. She's 17 for god's sake. The age gap and his nonchelance towards Agnieszka until developing lust left a distaste in my mouth. He's abusive and shows no affection; he doesn't miss her when she's at the court. The explanation of the wood is weak. The magic system is inconsistent.
Verdict:
I can't believe I'm suggesting this, but this should have been a duology/trilogy. Too much is missing to support the growth of Agnieszka as a witch and a young woman, which only remedied by taking the time to show us challenges she's conquered through more than sheer luck or abrupt understanding. Sarkan's character needs adjustment. I just wanted more from this; it missed its potential. I recommend this book for those who want a very simple fairytale-like story that isn't taxing with world building.
The positive:
A compelling idea, different enough to catch my eye. The approach to witchcraft is both close to nature and RPG-style wizardry. Grumpy sunshine romance, albeit one of no particular novelty. Female friendship.
The negative:
Plot structure is just...not good. Character growth is incredibly weak; saving graces come to easily.
Verdict:
I can't believe I'm suggesting this, but this should have been a duology/trilogy. Too much is missing to support the growth of Agnieszka as a witch and a young woman, which only remedied by taking the time to show us challenges she's conquered through more than sheer luck or abrupt understanding. Sarkan's character needs adjustment. I just wanted more from this; it missed its potential. I recommend this book for those who want a very simple fairytale-like story that isn't taxing with world building.
Brand New Ancients by Kae Tempest
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Tempest's talent for language is immense. The craft of the poem is superb, every line clearly thought out down to punctuation. She tells the story of two families that demonstrate how the themes of ancient myths live on in our modern lives. I did not personally connect with the text, but such a short book is worth the time.
Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry by Leanne Shapton
mysterious
sad
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
Obviously the method of storytelling is the most intriguing aspect of this book, it's creative and compelling enough. Read in one session. Doolan and Morris' relationship is almost deceivingly boring, but I argue that is the point. This is the story of two people fading from each other despite strong love. There is no clear, stated inciting incident nor clear moment of an affair, betrayal, violence, etc. I appreciate the mystery. However, some objects chosen seem to be truly filler or so unrealistic auction inclusions (a grocery list and personal letter? No.) that it broke the immersion. The ending drifts off with a bit too much anticlimax. It's a novel, short read, but don't expect any new or profound ideas.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
I puzzled whether to rate this 4 or 5/5. I'm still not entirely sure. So many positives, but something seems slightly off. Obviously though, I greatly enjoyed this. Zevin yanked me back and forth between loving and hating these characters more strongly and abruptly than most other titles.
I felt the ending scene a bit too cliché with theairport departure . The last 1-2 chapters were not satisfying for me; it felt like we spent too much time after the "big event" of the ending, yet it still seemed to come out of nowhere. It was unclear what the story was driving to. There are a few slower passages where I rethought my rating for reasons completely based on enjoyment. I am also slightly bothered at how the BDSM was portrayed as healthy, when Dov is routinely abusing Sadie . Sadie and Sam's friendship is worrying as well, given their cruelty. I hope the author didn't intend to imply that was just an "intense friendship/love .
Zevin is adept in making even small characters feel like real people with depth, a personality. She makes commentary on a variety of issues from sexism in the gaming industry to philosophic ideas of belonging. Her writing style is clever; her history with gaming is overtly clear from her storytelling.
I recommend this to lovers of gaming (of course) and those who have felt they only know how to love in complex ways.
I felt the ending scene a bit too cliché with the
Zevin is adept in making even small characters feel like real people with depth, a personality. She makes commentary on a variety of issues from sexism in the gaming industry to philosophic ideas of belonging. Her writing style is clever; her history with gaming is overtly clear from her storytelling.
I recommend this to lovers of gaming (of course) and those who have felt they only know how to love in complex ways.
Pod by Laline Paull
dark
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I can give this book points for creativity; I didn't think I would be rooting for a dolphin romance. A rare opportunity to experience a story from a non-human point of view. Paull succeeds in "showing, not telling" consistently, the human activities being the best examples of making the reader feel clever for understanding the source of the terrors in the ocean. Ea and Devi are decently developed characters who drive the story; I found the chapters following the Wrasse useless and boring, even though I understand its purpose in the last chapter. The ending is a bit flowery.
My hesitation in giving a higher rating comes from a lull in the first 2/3 of the book. It felt like a small chore to keep reading; I'd argue there is not enough atmosphere to drive the book when at that point characters are surface level and there are no major plot points. For me, enjoyment only started too many pages in.
The author claims to have researched the creatures she writes about, but also says she's taken creative liberties. While I don't expect only biologists to write books, it feels as if she's gone a little too far into making things up.
For all of the hype, I'm disappointed I did not have a great experience. I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to. It's not terrible, but its strengths don't make up for its weaknesses.
My hesitation in giving a higher rating comes from a lull in the first 2/3 of the book. It felt like a small chore to keep reading; I'd argue there is not enough atmosphere to drive the book when at that point characters are surface level and there are no major plot points. For me, enjoyment only started too many pages in.
The author claims to have researched the creatures she writes about, but also says she's taken creative liberties. While I don't expect only biologists to write books, it feels as if she's gone a little too far into making things up.
For all of the hype, I'm disappointed I did not have a great experience. I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to. It's not terrible, but its strengths don't make up for its weaknesses.
Meek Heritage by Frans Emil Sillanpää
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
I wanted to read some older Finnish literature and this is one of the great authors. However, I just lost interest. It's been sitting in my "currently reading" for months and I never pick it back up. Maybe I'll try again in the future.
A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
David Attenborough is a legend in the environmental community. This book was not what I expected, although not in a necessarily negative way. This is Attenborough's call to action for conservation, climate effort, rewilding, and other pro-environment activities to mitigate and remedy the current greatest struggles of our era he sees and has experienced. Here's when my opinion splits. On one hand, Attenborough's voice that has captured viewers' hearts carries through, narrating and persuading. He uses both fact (including solid citations, major plus) and emotional pull to the reader into his world and create concern and hope.
On the other hand, I'd argue that if you picked up this book you likely already care about these issues and want more information; this is where the book falls short. I wanted a greater analysis than startling studies, definitive actions we can take at a personal level rather than undeveloped ideas of politicians somehow deciding to change legislation. In that way I was disappointed at how idealistic the last two sections are, although maybe that is a personal thing considering how highly this book is rated by others.
I am, I feel, not the intended audience for this book as someone who is involved already at a career level in environmental issues. But that doesn't mean it is bad by any means. I recommend this as an introduction for people curious about the climate crisis or diminishing biodiversity, with the intention of continuing into more advanced texts.
On the other hand, I'd argue that if you picked up this book you likely already care about these issues and want more information; this is where the book falls short. I wanted a greater analysis than startling studies, definitive actions we can take at a personal level rather than undeveloped ideas of politicians somehow deciding to change legislation. In that way I was disappointed at how idealistic the last two sections are, although maybe that is a personal thing considering how highly this book is rated by others.
I am, I feel, not the intended audience for this book as someone who is involved already at a career level in environmental issues. But that doesn't mean it is bad by any means. I recommend this as an introduction for people curious about the climate crisis or diminishing biodiversity, with the intention of continuing into more advanced texts.
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
dark
funny
medium-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
4.0
This book has me torn. On one hand, I did enjoy it. Although the first half is quite slow, I felt compelled to finish the story and "complete the mystery", persay. The language is over the top verbose, both giving the storytelling a pretentious overtone and adding spice to an otherwise repetitive series of murders. Some of the writing creates cringe. I don't need to hear her assign herself a psychopath for the tenth time; show, don't tell. So much effort to pronounce Dorothy's sexuality and crassness through multitudes of sexual references. The last few chapters are where it fell apart for me. Summers attempts to make statements about love and growing old as a woman. Fine, but that was not the focus of the story up until that point. Like the story of Alex , I recognized several times the Summers' intent strayed, leaving sections disjointed. It's funny how the wordiness is both a positive and a negative, I both enioyed and saw many ideas I'd change in this book. I recommend it, but not with too high expectations.