libraryalissa's reviews
1426 reviews

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

4.5 So gothic, so romantic, so Kentucky. I don’t know why this stuck with me, but I kind of loved how it was made repeatedly clear that the protagonists were not conventionally attractive.

Us not hot people deserve devastatingly epic love stories too! Also I see you sneaking in that bi rep, Ms. Harrow. 😻

The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

This book was very marketed and hyped and based on the copy I was thinking it would be a twisty and fun upper middle grade book for my middle school readers who are almost transitioning to darker YA mysteries. But alas, as with SO MUCH middle grade, this one has the sweet spot of 5th-6th grade, while so many YA mystery books are 9th plus, leaving my 7th to 8th graders out. This is a crucial time where kids often give up on recreational reading and as a middle school librarian it KILLS me that there is so little written JUST FOR this age.

Anyway this was pretty good for what it was, but I resent the fact that it attempted to market slightly older when it was written for the same old target audience.

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This lacked the usual depth and slight twists I’ve come to expect in Harrison’s book, so probably my least favorite of the four I’ve read, but still a romp.

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Kind of slowly falling in love with this series. It’s a vibe.

It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

I think this struggled a bit with pacing but the vibes were there and I’m always excited to read a new middle grade horror author. Looking forward to what she comes up with next.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced