Scan barcode
luluwoohoo's reviews
470 reviews
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
A seamless finish to the duology jam-packed with drama and tension.
The continuation of One Dark Window jumped right back in where we left off, and while there are obvious reasons for Elspeth being a less active participant in the plot, I still found it enthralling.
The expansion of the supporting characters in this book was one of my most anticipated goals, and Gillig managed to succeed here. The growth we get from Elm and Ione in particular is satisfying.
Despite many of the plot points being predictable I wasn't bothered by the formulaic structure when we got such lovely and easy to follow writing, as well as the ending all of the characters deserved in the end.
This is definitely one of the most successful duologies I'm aware of. It was a pleasure to read and I would recommend it to anyone looking to dive into a simple but effective and powerful fantasy story.
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
A seamless finish to the duology jam-packed with drama and tension.
The continuation of One Dark Window jumped right back in where we left off, and while there are obvious reasons for Elspeth being a less active participant in the plot, I still found it enthralling.
The expansion of the supporting characters in this book was one of my most anticipated goals, and Gillig managed to succeed here. The growth we get from Elm and Ione in particular is satisfying.
Despite many of the plot points being predictable I wasn't bothered by the formulaic structure when we got such lovely and easy to follow writing, as well as the ending all of the characters deserved in the end.
This is definitely one of the most successful duologies I'm aware of. It was a pleasure to read and I would recommend it to anyone looking to dive into a simple but effective and powerful fantasy story.
"He knew, in all the rotten, broken pieces of himself, that everything in his life had led to that moment, as if written in the lines of the trees. A crooked, wonderful circle, with his name in the heart of it."
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
A sharp, atmospheric and tense fantasy that paints a vivid picture of darkness and deceit in a magical world.
This gothic story is skillfully crafted with an interesting magic system that has a few holes but is ultimately solid and easy to follow. The weight and cost of magic is especially well explored, and those consequences create a great pace and driving force for the plot.
Elspeth is a strong protagonist with a very unique conflict hidden within her. She is a good balance of confident and vulnerable. As for the supporting characters - some are underdeveloped for their part in the plot but I can see they will get better service in book two. I appreciate the balance of romance and fantasy (though it is marketed to be a higher ratio of romance) with a higher priority on the fantasy elements which were significantly stronger.
Gillig's writing isn't outstanding but the poetical repetition of the Cards and the Book gives a strong impression that stands out against other YA writers in the space.
I really enjoyed the experience of reading this and didn't want to put it down. The cliffhanger ending has me excited to jump straight into the next book.
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
A sharp, atmospheric and tense fantasy that paints a vivid picture of darkness and deceit in a magical world.
This gothic story is skillfully crafted with an interesting magic system that has a few holes but is ultimately solid and easy to follow. The weight and cost of magic is especially well explored, and those consequences create a great pace and driving force for the plot.
Elspeth is a strong protagonist with a very unique conflict hidden within her. She is a good balance of confident and vulnerable. As for the supporting characters - some are underdeveloped for their part in the plot but I can see they will get better service in book two. I appreciate the balance of romance and fantasy (though it is marketed to be a higher ratio of romance) with a higher priority on the fantasy elements which were significantly stronger.
Gillig's writing isn't outstanding but the poetical repetition of the Cards and the Book gives a strong impression that stands out against other YA writers in the space.
I really enjoyed the experience of reading this and didn't want to put it down. The cliffhanger ending has me excited to jump straight into the next book.
"Practice restraint, and know it by touch.
Use Cards when they’re needed, and never too much.
For too much of fire, our swords would all break. Too much of wine a poison doth make.
Excess is grievous, be knave, maid, or crown.
Too much of water, how easy we drown."
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? No
3.0
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith
☀️☀️☀️
A magical historical fantasy that excelled in some areas but failed in others.
The plot of this novel was simple but effective. I liked the combination of murder mystery with the growing turmoil amongst magical factions, though I would have liked more development there. The pacing really lacked in the second act with lots of repetitive scenes so I'm glad it improved in the end.
Where the book fell apart was in the character development. Frances is not overly likeable and makes poor decisions throughout that aren't always in keeping with the small amount we know about her. She lacks agency and struggles to achieve much of anything despite being a chosen one character. Her friends and love interests are archetypical and don't really expand beyond that. The villain was obvious from their first page.
The writing was serviceable but not outstanding. I wish the author hadn't overused words like 'trills' and 'fizzy' which stood out way too much. The dialogue was clunky in parts.
I expected more of this book than I got. It's not terrible but there were enough negative aspects to make me decide that I won't read the second book.
☀️☀️☀️
A magical historical fantasy that excelled in some areas but failed in others.
The plot of this novel was simple but effective. I liked the combination of murder mystery with the growing turmoil amongst magical factions, though I would have liked more development there. The pacing really lacked in the second act with lots of repetitive scenes so I'm glad it improved in the end.
Where the book fell apart was in the character development. Frances is not overly likeable and makes poor decisions throughout that aren't always in keeping with the small amount we know about her. She lacks agency and struggles to achieve much of anything despite being a chosen one character. Her friends and love interests are archetypical and don't really expand beyond that. The villain was obvious from their first page.
The writing was serviceable but not outstanding. I wish the author hadn't overused words like 'trills' and 'fizzy' which stood out way too much. The dialogue was clunky in parts.
I expected more of this book than I got. It's not terrible but there were enough negative aspects to make me decide that I won't read the second book.
"I know immediately what I am going to do. When it comes to my brother, I've never had much of a choice.
This is how I love him now, in the dark with my rage and shaking hands."
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Interesting concept and tropes but the characters are all one dimensional and unlikeable; the plot is so vague but the magical rules are weirdly specific; the prose switches between nice and bland AF so often it's jarring. The casualness of MC being a straight up murderer and not facing any consequences is...wild
After Dark by Jayne Cowie
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
After Dark by Jayne Cowie
☀️☀️🌤️
A short, snappy whodunnit that explores heavy and important themes, but fails to expand on basic tropes or surprise with the ending.
I was immediately hooked by the premise of this story: an alternate future where men are placed under Curfew overnight for 12 hours a day. When a brutal murder occurs the detective in charge is convinced it had to be a man, but the body was dumped overnight...a solid, intriguing idea! This book raises a lot of valid points regarding domestic violence, sexual crimes and patriarchal dominance in society.
Unfortunately in execution I was left wanting more. The "dream scenario" of a gender flipped world was a little too good to be true with such low crime rates across the board (and statistically most women are hurt by their partners at home, so preventing men from leaving overnight would only increase this). It also wholly failed to acknowledge non-binary, genderqueer/diverse folk at all, which is a pretty egregious error for a modern/futurist book.
The mystery itself was set up well enough but the red herrings felt a little too blatant for my tastes. The ability for the criminal to do what they did was conveniently skipped over, because presumably the author didn't bother to figure it out, which is sheer laziness when Cowie went to great efforts to explain the new technology utilised in the plot.
Cowie's writing is succinct and unemotional which works well within this genre, but there were too many instances of finding repeat concepts/phrases only a few paragraphs apart which I felt could have been edited to flow better.
This book succeeds in the sense that it makes you think about the themes explored, but the plot itself was predictable and none of the characters did much to warrant any emotional connection.
☀️☀️🌤️
A short, snappy whodunnit that explores heavy and important themes, but fails to expand on basic tropes or surprise with the ending.
I was immediately hooked by the premise of this story: an alternate future where men are placed under Curfew overnight for 12 hours a day. When a brutal murder occurs the detective in charge is convinced it had to be a man, but the body was dumped overnight...a solid, intriguing idea! This book raises a lot of valid points regarding domestic violence, sexual crimes and patriarchal dominance in society.
Unfortunately in execution I was left wanting more. The "dream scenario" of a gender flipped world was a little too good to be true with such low crime rates across the board (and statistically most women are hurt by their partners at home, so preventing men from leaving overnight would only increase this). It also wholly failed to acknowledge non-binary, genderqueer/diverse folk at all, which is a pretty egregious error for a modern/futurist book.
The mystery itself was set up well enough but the red herrings felt a little too blatant for my tastes. The ability for the criminal to do what they did was conveniently skipped over, because presumably the author didn't bother to figure it out, which is sheer laziness when Cowie went to great efforts to explain the new technology utilised in the plot.
Cowie's writing is succinct and unemotional which works well within this genre, but there were too many instances of finding repeat concepts/phrases only a few paragraphs apart which I felt could have been edited to flow better.
This book succeeds in the sense that it makes you think about the themes explored, but the plot itself was predictable and none of the characters did much to warrant any emotional connection.
"Just as beautiful infants became bitter teenagers, domestic bliss became domestic drudge, and husbands who had broken Curfew came home, men always showed their true colours eventually.
They couldn't help themselves."
In Defence of Witches: Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona Chollet
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.75
In Defence of Witches: Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona Chollet
☀️☀️🌤️
This examination of feminism and the cultural bias against women was interesting, though not in the way promised by the title and concept.
I went into this book expecting a look at modern misogyny through the lens of historical witchcraft and the witch hunts that occurred for decades. Instead I was presented with a generalised overview of modern feminism and the various setbacks women face, with the occasional reference to historical context. I'd hoped for much more focus on witches from history and their plights, which was present in the introduction but not so much in the book itself.
The chapters themselves were informative and well researched, though I found them far too long to keep my attention regarding the topic of that particular chapter. I also found some sections to have too much reliance on references and quotes without enough of Chollet's own extrapolation or worldview, and those sections dragged.
I appreciate what Chollet has set out to do with this book, but I've read better modern overviews and would have appreciated the unique take via witchy historical context much more.
☀️☀️🌤️
This examination of feminism and the cultural bias against women was interesting, though not in the way promised by the title and concept.
I went into this book expecting a look at modern misogyny through the lens of historical witchcraft and the witch hunts that occurred for decades. Instead I was presented with a generalised overview of modern feminism and the various setbacks women face, with the occasional reference to historical context. I'd hoped for much more focus on witches from history and their plights, which was present in the introduction but not so much in the book itself.
The chapters themselves were informative and well researched, though I found them far too long to keep my attention regarding the topic of that particular chapter. I also found some sections to have too much reliance on references and quotes without enough of Chollet's own extrapolation or worldview, and those sections dragged.
I appreciate what Chollet has set out to do with this book, but I've read better modern overviews and would have appreciated the unique take via witchy historical context much more.
"Men, it seems, experience the merest breeze of equality as something like a catastrophic hurricane [...] 'We are hurting them so badly that, if we give them the tiniest room for manoeuvre, they will destroy us.'"
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
2.5
If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio
☀️☀️⛅
A dark and dramatic mystery that failed to be much of a mystery at all, drowning in its own pretentiousness instead.
I wanted to like this book, and it has a lot of elements that usually appeal to me - dark academia, murder mystery, seemingly complicated relationships - but none of those concepts were elevated beyond the surface level which left the story both predictable and irritating in its potential. The victim and murderer were obvious from a mile away, which wasn't helped by the structure of the story jumping back and forth between past and present. The characters speaking through Shakespearean language grew tiresome early on and it only highlighted how much we as readers are supposed to admire and connect with the group, but I didn't care for any of them enough.
Rio literally presents the characters to us as archetypes, which I enjoyed when I thought that they would get cleverly subverted or challenged, but they weren't. Bad characters were bad with no backstory to explain why, and no one had any character growth. The chemistry and connection between Oliver and James was at least believable (unlike with Meredith) but the setup wasn't strong enough to justify the sacrifice Oliver made.
I found this to be a quick but unsatisfactory read. It had so much potential but failed to elevate any of the tropes or elements beyond the obvious choices, leaving a story that is easy to follow but utterly forgettable.
☀️☀️⛅
A dark and dramatic mystery that failed to be much of a mystery at all, drowning in its own pretentiousness instead.
I wanted to like this book, and it has a lot of elements that usually appeal to me - dark academia, murder mystery, seemingly complicated relationships - but none of those concepts were elevated beyond the surface level which left the story both predictable and irritating in its potential. The victim and murderer were obvious from a mile away, which wasn't helped by the structure of the story jumping back and forth between past and present. The characters speaking through Shakespearean language grew tiresome early on and it only highlighted how much we as readers are supposed to admire and connect with the group, but I didn't care for any of them enough.
Rio literally presents the characters to us as archetypes, which I enjoyed when I thought that they would get cleverly subverted or challenged, but they weren't. Bad characters were bad with no backstory to explain why, and no one had any character growth. The chemistry and connection between Oliver and James was at least believable (unlike with Meredith) but the setup wasn't strong enough to justify the sacrifice Oliver made.
I found this to be a quick but unsatisfactory read. It had so much potential but failed to elevate any of the tropes or elements beyond the obvious choices, leaving a story that is easy to follow but utterly forgettable.
"We spent four years - and most of us years before that - immersed in Shakespeare. Submerged. Here we could indulge our collective obsession. We spoke it as a second language, conversed in poetry, and lost touch with reality, a little."
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Somewhere Beyond The Sea by TJ Klune
☀️☀️☀️⛅
A sequel to one of the peak cozy fantasies that rehashes the same ground as book 1 without giving us much more than fan service.
In terms of plot, this sequel is beat-by-beat the same as 'House', which is a bit disappointing considering how nice but predictable it was the first time. There is no further exploration or subverting of expectations - on the contrary, the 'Linus' of this book doesn't get redeemed, and the DICOMY representatives are more cartoonish and unbelievable than before.
If I was going to read the same plot over again I would want a significant amount more depth in character, which was suggested by the summary, but Arthur's backstory is glossed over so much throughout the first act that I knew I wouldn't get that either. The domesticity between the couple and the children is beautiful and charming but ultimately doesn't justify a sequel.
Klune's writing is always enjoyable to read, and it's not known for subtlety, but in particular I found certain passages and speeches overwritten and too on-the-nose. I also found the themes hit upon a bit too repetitive for the page count, which could have been spent better on fleshing out Arthur's backstory or expanding the villains into real humans.
This remains a wonderful little book that has a very important message, but it feels like a weak follow up to its predecessor. I'm not mad that it exists but I could have lived without it.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
A sequel to one of the peak cozy fantasies that rehashes the same ground as book 1 without giving us much more than fan service.
In terms of plot, this sequel is beat-by-beat the same as 'House', which is a bit disappointing considering how nice but predictable it was the first time. There is no further exploration or subverting of expectations - on the contrary, the 'Linus' of this book doesn't get redeemed, and the DICOMY representatives are more cartoonish and unbelievable than before.
If I was going to read the same plot over again I would want a significant amount more depth in character, which was suggested by the summary, but Arthur's backstory is glossed over so much throughout the first act that I knew I wouldn't get that either. The domesticity between the couple and the children is beautiful and charming but ultimately doesn't justify a sequel.
Klune's writing is always enjoyable to read, and it's not known for subtlety, but in particular I found certain passages and speeches overwritten and too on-the-nose. I also found the themes hit upon a bit too repetitive for the page count, which could have been spent better on fleshing out Arthur's backstory or expanding the villains into real humans.
This remains a wonderful little book that has a very important message, but it feels like a weak follow up to its predecessor. I'm not mad that it exists but I could have lived without it.
"Magic, comes from within. It's not just about our gifts. It's about intent. What we want from it, what we plan to do with it in the future."
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
☀️☀️☀️
This is, unsurprisingly, an incredibly difficult book to read AND review. I fully appreciate the challenge laid out by Danielewski and he deserves praise for attempting something so wildly ambitious. I would say I enjoyed about half of this and barely tolerated the other half, which is how I came to the middle-of-the-road rating.
For the sake of brevity I'll be referring to the multiple narratives as #1 (Truant's storyline), #2 (Zampano's notes, the textual analysis), and #3 (Navinson's documentary and the house)
#3 was undoubtedly the hook of this book and the most successful component. This is where the narrative was compelling and made best use of the formatting gimmick to serve that narrative. #2 was enjoyable in parts (but was ultimately excessive in scale) and did reflect Zampano's decline well with the formatting; it also highlights the sheer potential embedded in #3 by devoting hundreds of pages to analysing the pseudo-documentary. #1 was mindnumbingly boring and felt like it was written by a teenager on Wattpad trying to be 'cool' and 'edgy'. I cared so little about his own decline that it weakened the power of the concept overall.
I'm sure there are layers to this book I haven't uncovered and would get some sort of satisfaction out of exploring, but the time and effort required to do so wouldn't give me enough pleasure to bother doing it.
This book is challenging, confronting and a rest of stamina. I wanted to be more scared than I was; I wanted to skim less than I did. It is worth diving into if you are seeking a new and different reading experience but I'm not sure I can totally recommend it.
☀️☀️☀️
This is, unsurprisingly, an incredibly difficult book to read AND review. I fully appreciate the challenge laid out by Danielewski and he deserves praise for attempting something so wildly ambitious. I would say I enjoyed about half of this and barely tolerated the other half, which is how I came to the middle-of-the-road rating.
For the sake of brevity I'll be referring to the multiple narratives as #1 (Truant's storyline), #2 (Zampano's notes, the textual analysis), and #3 (Navinson's documentary and the house)
#3 was undoubtedly the hook of this book and the most successful component. This is where the narrative was compelling and made best use of the formatting gimmick to serve that narrative. #2 was enjoyable in parts (but was ultimately excessive in scale) and did reflect Zampano's decline well with the formatting; it also highlights the sheer potential embedded in #3 by devoting hundreds of pages to analysing the pseudo-documentary. #1 was mindnumbingly boring and felt like it was written by a teenager on Wattpad trying to be 'cool' and 'edgy'. I cared so little about his own decline that it weakened the power of the concept overall.
I'm sure there are layers to this book I haven't uncovered and would get some sort of satisfaction out of exploring, but the time and effort required to do so wouldn't give me enough pleasure to bother doing it.
This book is challenging, confronting and a rest of stamina. I wanted to be more scared than I was; I wanted to skim less than I did. It is worth diving into if you are seeking a new and different reading experience but I'm not sure I can totally recommend it.
"They say truth stands the test of time. I can think of no greater comfort than knowing this document fails such a test."
The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
☀️☀️☀️⛅
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
A mysterious tale of magical realism that was an enjoyable, albeit predictable, journey of womanhood across generations.
This book had a strong premise which I had no problems jumping on board with despite its oddity. The first act was relatively slow but informative; the second act was significantly better, though it does get bogged down by the ever-changing POVs; the third act was unfortunately where things fell apart for me. I can buy into the vague curse logic but the resolution of it in this form felt contradictory. I don't mind having unanswered questions but when many other aspects of the plot are heavy-handed and signposted a mile away, it is unsatisfying.
I liked Elisa as the main narrator, and her perspective is beautifully written - Durst's prose is generally very nice throughout. Being given Lori and Rose's context was helpful too, but it did slow down the pace significantly and left me ahead of Elisa by a long way in the final stretch. I struggled more with the male characters who all felt a bit underdeveloped in comparison to the women, though it's obviously a story focused on womanhood.
Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read but the predictability of the reveals and the odd logic of the magical realism elements left me a bit underwhelmed.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
A mysterious tale of magical realism that was an enjoyable, albeit predictable, journey of womanhood across generations.
This book had a strong premise which I had no problems jumping on board with despite its oddity. The first act was relatively slow but informative; the second act was significantly better, though it does get bogged down by the ever-changing POVs; the third act was unfortunately where things fell apart for me. I can buy into the vague curse logic but the resolution of it in this form felt contradictory. I don't mind having unanswered questions but when many other aspects of the plot are heavy-handed and signposted a mile away, it is unsatisfying.
I liked Elisa as the main narrator, and her perspective is beautifully written - Durst's prose is generally very nice throughout. Being given Lori and Rose's context was helpful too, but it did slow down the pace significantly and left me ahead of Elisa by a long way in the final stretch. I struggled more with the male characters who all felt a bit underdeveloped in comparison to the women, though it's obviously a story focused on womanhood.
Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read but the predictability of the reveals and the odd logic of the magical realism elements left me a bit underwhelmed.
"I am a rock skimming the surface of a pond, wanting to make ripples but afraid I'll sink."