leannj's reviews
2165 reviews

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Beautiful art + fairy tales + stories about queer kids of immigrant parents = guaranteed to become a new fave
A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I thought this book was fine. The story felt meandering for most of the part and then the third act conflict was super rushed both in it happened and then how it resolved.
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

The way the story itself was written was so unique! I love that the author blurred the lines between fantasy and science fiction through the characters. Admittedly I wasn't super interested in this author's work before, but now I definitely will check more out.
Christmas with the Horned God by Aveda Vice

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

3.75

aveda vice's take on a christmas romance? say less
Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

As with the first book, I loved how the themes of the story continued to subvert the typical expectations of the apocalyptic genre and instead emphasized the importance of community, taking care of the environment, and the perseverance of humanity. Especially since it's a story centered on Indigenous peoples, who have already experienced their own apocalypse throughout history.
Mission Unpluckable by Aaron Blabey

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

3.25

Good Fortune by C.K. Chau

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I appreciate that the author really committed to this story being a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Not only with the plot, but also with the narration style. There were certain adaptation choices that I wasn't convinced by, but to be fair Pride and Prejudice has never been my favorite Jane Austen book so I've had problems with certain plot beats from the source material anyway. 
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

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emotional hopeful lighthearted sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

The author did a really good job at showing how grief can look different for different people, but that almost made it harder to get through the book because of how well it was portrayed. Especially when you reading from the perspective of a kid who is so overwhelmed by not only losing a parent, but also having to move to a new country and learn a new language and culture.
The Bad Guys: Episode 1 by Aaron Blabey

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

3.0

This was adorable
All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks

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https://youtu.be/pv_iRpnhVIA?si=g6KdX6i3RoKzqQ-J

^^this video goes into depth into how the author is actually a scammer